Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Dispersed Camping Rules

14 days in any 30

Forest-wide Order 04-17-24-04 (effective April 9, 2024 through April 8, 2029) prohibits "camping for more than fourteen (14) days in any thirty (30) day consecutive period" on National Forest System lands throughout the Humboldt-Toiyabe. The order states no move distance or relocation radius.

Where you can camp

Designated sites in some areas

The forest's dispersed-camping page describes it as "No neighbors, no fees, no amenities - just you and the forest. Just remember, you're in charge of taking care of the place, so make sure you follow the rules" - the forest publishes no single allowed-unless-posted policy sentence. Standing district orders close specific corridors to camping: the Twin Lakes corridor on the Bridgeport Ranger District (camping only in its eight developed campgrounds) and half-mile radii around twelve Carson Ranger District staging areas. source

Keep your distance

2,640 ft — Twin Lakes corridor only, Bridgeport Ranger District (Order 04-17-02-26-01, effective March 5, 2026 through March 5, 2031): camping is prohibited on all NFS lands "within 0.5 mile on either side of Twin Lakes Road" (0.5 mile = 2,640 ft, converted) and within the mapped Twin Lakes Recreation Area portion. Eight developed campgrounds in the corridor stay open (Robinson North/South, Paha, Lower Twin, Crags, Crags Group, Honeymoon, Matterhorn). source
2,640 ft — Carson Ranger District only (Order 04-17-01-26-02, effective March 23, 2026 through March 23, 2029): camping, being in the area after sundown, and fires are prohibited within a half-mile radius (2,640 ft, converted) of twelve named staging areas near Reno/Verdi, including West and East Keystone, Las Brisas, Hoge Road, Raleigh Heights, Horizon Hills, Peavine Peak Road, Red Metal, Dog Valley Road (Verdi and Bordertown sides), Dog Valley Summit One, and Kings Canyon. source

Roads and vehicle access

Check the motor vehicle use map

Forest maps page: the MVUM is "a legal document that shows which roads and trails are open to public motor vehicle use... If a road or trail does not appear on the map, it means that it is not open to public motor vehicular use," and "If you plan on camping, driving off-highway vehicles, hunting, or exploring the backcountry; please make sure you review the appropriate MVUM to know which routes are open to motor vehicle use." No off-route parking distance for camping access is stated.

Fires right now

Stage 1 fire restrictions — since July 1 last checked August 18, 2026

Whether you can have a fire at your site runs on the forest's fire order, not on camping rules — see the live fire restrictions page for this forest and what each stage still allows before you light anything.

Closures and special orders

Order 04-17-24-04 - Camping Occupancy and Use Restrictions (forest-wide) The 14-days-in-any-30 stay-limit order for the whole forest. Effective April 9, 2024 through April 8, 2029.
Order 04-17-02-26-01 - Camping Closure, Twin Lakes (Bridgeport Ranger District) No camping within 0.5 mile of either side of Twin Lakes Road or in the mapped Twin Lakes Recreation Area; the corridor's eight developed campgrounds remain open. Effective March 5, 2026 through March 5, 2031.
Order 04-17-01-26-02 - Occupancy and Use Restrictions (Carson Ranger District) No camping, overnight presence, or fires within a half-mile of twelve staging areas along the Carson Ranger District's urban boundary. Effective March 23, 2026 through March 23, 2029.
Order 04-17-24-03 - Areas, Roads, and Trails Restrictions (forest-wide) Companion forest-wide order restricting various acts on areas, roads, and trails - read alongside the camping order before choosing a site.

How to read these rules

Dispersed camping means camping outside a developed campground — no fee, no table, no toilet, no water. You pick an already-used spot, pack out everything you brought, and the rules above are the whole deal you're agreeing to. The stay limit counts the way the card says it counts, not the way it counts on the forest next door: some places count per spot, some across the whole forest, some inside a radius, and moving a short distance often doesn't restart the clock.

Distance rules come in two shapes. Keep-away rules ("at least 100 feet from water") protect the thing you're camping near; stay-close rules ("within 300 feet of the road") keep vehicles on ground that can take them. A line marked recommended on the card is the office's guidance, not an order — the rest are enforceable rules, and a posted sign at the site beats everything on this page.

The motor vehicle use map is the legal answer to "can I drive in there to camp" — if a road isn't on it, that road is closed to your vehicle, and many forests only allow roadside camping along the roads the map marks for it. It's a free PDF; download it before you lose signal.

Fires are a separate rule with a separate clock. Nothing on this page says you can light one — the card's fire line says where that answer lives today. This forest's fire restrictions page carries the current stage with the date it took effect. If a fire is allowed when you get there, buy your wood near camp — hauling firewood from home is how tree-killing pests reach new forests, and the BTU chart says what that local bundle is actually worth.