When I first heard about the Bureau of Land Management or BLM land, I wasn’t quite sure what to think or believe about it. I remember being skeptical, like the information I was receiving was overselling just how amazing BLM land is. Or I thought maybe the person informing me was misinformed.
You see, if you are like me, you are probably here because someone said you could stay on some of America’s most beautiful land for free. And you likely heard you can stay for about 14 days before needing to travel a little further on down the road. And if you are anything like me, maybe one of the first things you thought was, why am I paying a mortgage? Or why would I want to pay a mortgage?
Or maybe you’re here because you have been looking into doing the RV or van-life full-time thing. If that’s the case, you’ve probably been spending some time over on youtube where many of the folks doing it suggest looking into BLM land. Regardless of how you got here, we’re here to tell you exactly what BLM is and what you should expect if taking advantage of using some of it.
BLM land makes up about one-tenth of all land in the United States. That’s a lot! It is currently cared for by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on behalf of the United States Government. Its acreage is designated as public lands, which the government mandates should be used for energy development, grazing, recreation, and timber harvesting.
What we’ll focus mostly on in this post is the recreational activities that we can do on these lands. But before we jump in on that, taking a quick look at the mission of the BLM is a good place to start.
The Mission of the BLM
“The Bureau of Land Management’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations” (https://www.blm.gov/about/our-mission).
In their own words, the BLM exists to sustain public lands so that current and future generations can enjoy them. Sustaining and enjoying these lands go hand in hand. They are equally important but not equally weighted. That has to do with the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Let me explain that. When we consider that enjoying these lands is also targeted at future generations, we should understand that to mean that sustaining these lands is heavily weighted as a top priority. That is the only way to ensure future generations get to enjoy these lands. So we should consider that sustainability is at the core of all the choices made about these lands.
This means the BLM has a host of rules and guidelines that are updated periodically to keep up with changes in the environment and usage of the lands by the public.
As they currently stand, the rules for recreational use are fairly simple and can be summed up in five words: tread lightly and consider others.
That covers the mission, but you likely want to know what we can actually do on BLM land.
What Can I do on BLM Land?
There are a ton of options for using BLM land for recreational purposes. Here is a list of some of the most common/popular uses:
- Camping: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/camping
- Both paid campsites and dispersed free camping are available on BLM lands. The typical length of stay that is allowed is up to 14 days before needing to travel 25 miles to a new location. In most situations, you must wait 28 days before returning to the same location. Most paid sites are pretty primitive, but they typically have toilets and possibly even running water. Dispersed camping typically has NO services (not even toilets).
- Climbing: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/climbing
- World-class climbing can be found on BLM land, and certainly some of the most breathtaking views are found this way. But do take extra care and concern for preservation to ensure some of your favorite climbs remain open to the public. BLM land agencies across the U.S. report some of the heaviest deterioration of their land happens in climbing locations.
- Ebikes: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/e-bikes
- This is a fairly new past time but one that is growing in popularity and regulations. If you’re interested in this, then be sure to read up on the rules found in the link above. The BLM is still working on putting together comprehensive guidelines for this activity.
- Off-Road Vehicles: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/OHV
- There are a host of opportunities available to those of you who love to ride. You’ll need to stick to designated trails and make sure your vehicle complies with noise regulations. Additionally, it should be equipped with high visibility flags among other things. Be sure to read up before heading out.
- Hiking: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/hiking
- You quite literally can spend a lifetime hiking on BLM trails without running out of land to explore. There is an endless amount of trails; well over a thousand trails have been mapped with coordinates and descriptions on the BLM website. Additionally, there are endless records and suggestions of third party contributions like those found through the Hiking Project.
- Hunting, Fishing, Shooting: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/recreation-programs/recreational-shooting
- There is an ample amount of territory to take part in each of these activities. It is obviously heavily regulated, though, so read up on it and take extra care to be fully compliant.
- Mountain Biking: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/mountainbike
- Some truly amazing trails exist on BLM land, and they are being improved regularly. BLM has partnered with The Mountain Bike Project, which is an excellent resource for finding your next ride!
Where is BLM Land?
BLM land is all over the United States and totals nearly 250 million acres. Most of this can be found in the Western United States (California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana).
You will find nearly every type of terrain on BLM land: coastal regions, mountains, deserts, and more. Lands open for recreation are most often in very remote areas; however, there is plenty of it just a stone’s throw away from major cities as well. Use these interactive maps to explore a bit without ever needing to leave the comforts of home.
When Can I Use It?
BLM land is open all year long, but depending on the region, you might find a specific area is closed due to weather or heavy usage. This is typically only for a season (winter alpine areas), or for a few months to encourage the regrowth of vegetation.
How Do I Use It?
For any of the above activities I mentioned, you’ll find all the information you need in their accompanying links. And you are always able to contact the local BLM department in your area or the area you wish to visit for further information.
But in short, much of the land is free to use without a permit and without the need for a reservation except for the obvious ones like hunting or fishing.
My main advice, though, is to spend some time on the phone with someone from your local department. Just let them know you’ve never used BLM land before, and you want to use it safely and responsibly. They’ll be able to get you on your way and likely ensure you find the best spots possible for what you’re wanting to do.
I know some of us free spirits can view these agencies as a type of “big brother” keeping us out, but in my experience, they are extremely helpful and go out of their way to get you outdoors!
Additionally, most requests I get about BLM land have to do with camping, and I’d suggest taking a look at my article where I touch on dispersed camping in both the National Forest lands and BLM lands.
A Note on Treading Lightly
I’ll just say that more and more public lands are getting shut down. This has to do in some part with how easy some of these public lands are to access these days. Modern vehicles and phones equipped with GPS have enabled a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts to go further than before.
More travelers means more wear and tear to public lands. With proper measures and limitations, these lands can and will be preserved. However, in some situations, the abuse of national land is leading to sites being closed permanently. Regardless of how we feel about the government’s right to do so, it is actually happening. The best way to avoid closures is to tread lightly.
Leave No Trace is the protocol that our national land agencies have adopted and require us to follow when using said lands. Please be educated on these practices so that we all can continue to enjoy the amazing land we have the opportunity to use.
For more on leave no trace, we have an article where we give an overview of each of the seven principles. Check it out!