Finding places to park? | Squat the Planet

Finding places to park?

Rune

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
54
Reaction score
106
Location
Montgomery, AL
Website
www.perchance.org
During my adventures I noticed that it was infuriatingly difficult to find a place to park.
What are some good, reliable parking spots that wont make me have to worry about my car getting towed or breaking some kind of law?

What Ive gotten so far:
24 hour gyms
Many Walmarts
Maybe hotels
Maybe churches
24 hour Rest Stops
Bars [buy a drink first?]
24 hour gas stations? [ask permission first?]

I camped out at a Krogers for like a week I think and nobody bothered me in any way.
I cant say that theyre all like that though.
 
Last edited:

RedRoverBeard208

New member
Joined
Oct 8, 2020
Messages
4
Reaction score
6
Location
Meridian, Idaho
Website
www.instagram.com
Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops! Some of them have dump stations (some for free even!) if you're in a RV. I've also heard that Cracker Barrel restaurants are popular for overnight parking. I'm sloowwlyy debating on well lit bars for parking. The bowling alley I currently frequent has distant parking with decent lighting. Hope those help! :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rune

Rune

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
54
Reaction score
106
Location
Montgomery, AL
Website
www.perchance.org
They do! Thank you!
 

Deedledees

New member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
1
Reaction score
1
Location
Sh
Since Covid I spend 99% of my time at rest areas, Love's truck stops, and hiking trailheads. But they tend to be outside of town so if you have to do stuff in town often it might not be ideal.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Rune

Sameer

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Messages
154
Reaction score
211
Location
Southwest
I am usually on public land. A lot has to do with the local ordinances. "Sleeping in a vehicle laws". Use freecampsites.net.
When in town I always ask for permission.
 

tanukizooted

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2018
Messages
12
Reaction score
60
Location
612 Wharf Ave. Melbourne Florida
Here are some of my methods:
Locate industrial area on google maps. Houses are tiny, but industrial areas pop out easy on satellite view (basically look for massive buildings, usually white roofs, and they usually take up several blocks so you cant miss them. Then locate areas with semis / vehicles parked on the sides of the street, ignore parking lots. There's a good chance other people sleep there as well but Its usually really quiet in my experience. I try to park next to an empty lot, or a gate or a wall, far as possible from entrances / doors to avoid being oogled by workers in the morning while I sleep (I'm in a car atm. You won't have to work as hard to find the best spot if you're in a van or something obviously.

google maps, search apartments. use satellite view to find apartments with street parking. I try to park near the end or beginning so fewer people will walk by in the AM but that's because I'm quite visible in my car haha.

When I had my van I used to park on residential streets that are lined with vehicles, especially if it looks so crowded that you can tell people park wherever they can as opposed to right in front of their house. You blend in on those crowded residential streets! Use satellite view on google maps, you can usually get an idea of good neighborhoods to try.

In bigger cities many times you can find people living in vehicles just off the highway exits. Not always available and sometimes sketchy af but it's fairly easy to use satellite view on maps and follow the highways and search near exits for clusters of parked cars and RVs.

I also look for parks with street parking via Satellite view which is a bonus because I walk my pup before I leave the next morning.

I love campendium.com but make sure you search " free (your state here)" because they have a ton of free campsites all over the US but not all of them are free. I think Colorado had like 250 free campsites for instance.

I've slept in hospital parking lots or street parking in front of a church in a pinch.

Just a note, if cars are parked roadside on maps satellite view there's a good chance there usually are people parked there so you will blend in.

I hope this helps you. I've gotten pretty good at finding spots through experience and generally not giving af. All they can do is make you leave so dont be afraid to try new things. hope my instructions were clear, I'm a little sleepy. Good luck and safe travels to you, friend.
 
Last edited:

Sameer

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Messages
154
Reaction score
211
Location
Southwest
Well here is my standard comment like a broken record..... Public land and BLM land is the best place to park.
Use
freecampsites.net.
There is usually a 14-day limit for camping then you have to move but my experience in Northern Arizona and Flagstaff was that they are not enforcing that rule. Now here in the southern desert of Arizona and Quartzite there is lots of places to camp and Park. Of course public land is not practical for everybody nor is living out in the sticks, meaning small towns. But even towns like Palm springs or Indio are surrounded by public lands. For me during the pandemic I'll avoid the large cities and of course, the shithole State of California. The only places in California I go are the Imperial Valley and The Slabs...
 

bote

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
665
Reaction score
165
Location
Baie des Chaleurs
when travelling outside cities, I've had good luck locating smaller waterways on maps, then finding service roads that follow them. If you have internet you can zoom in on google earth, sometimes the roads are there, but smaller dirt roads aren't always listed. Found many nice places to sleep this way and a swim in the morning.
 

Groundscore

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
Messages
60
Reaction score
189
Location
Southern Arizona
Hospital parking lots usually have plenty of vacant spaces around the back, and few people will notice you there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ErrantPigeon

khonjin

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2021
Messages
9
Reaction score
20
Location
Philadelphia
I've had good look with a site called freeroam.app, it's similar to freecampsites.net and also has map overlays of BLM land and USFS land, as well as a fancy lil map overlay for cell coverage. Lots of filters too, everything from weather to road difficulty (reviewed by users of the site)
this is a very useful resource, thank you
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bugs Moss and 4bird

Dutch

Active member
Joined
Jan 3, 2015
Messages
36
Reaction score
101
Location
Midwest, US
Truck stops are always cool, but inconveniently located usually

I'm currently staying in an old abandoned looking steak n shake parking lot inside of a Walmart parking lot. Been here every night for a couple weeks, not a peep from anyone

In a pinch, I like huge sprawling apartment complexes.. No one knows who is who, people always moving in and out, guests parking wherever, baby daddies coming and going
 

avadog

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2023
Messages
11
Reaction score
28
Location
Montreal, Canada
iOverlander is a great resource/map of free parking spots on Crown land, which is basically public land that anyone can camp on. Sometimes these spots are super random, like a small patch of grass off a highway. iOverlander is good for random spots but if you're in a touristy area with lots of patrolling bylaw officers those spots are pretty tightly gatekept.
Logging roads are a great place to park if you pull off to the side because they're privately owned and the bylaw doesn't go down there.
Good luck!
 
  • Like
Reactions: bleeper

About us

  • Squat the Planet is the world's largest social network for misfit travelers. Join our community of do-it-yourself nomads and learn how to explore the world by any means necessary.

    More Info

Help us pay the bills!

Total amount
$10.00
Goal
$100.00

Latest Library Uploads