is it okay to sleep in your car at a trailhead?

If it is a fee-parking trailhead, assume that you pay the fee, of course.

I'm aiming to do a sunrise hike up Chocorua Saturday morning, and if I drive up Friday after work, I don't really want to deal with finding a campground that might lead to me needing to get up even earlier in the morning to drive to the trailhead (I have a pickup with cap anyway, I can just sleep in there). I didn't find it in the list of regulations about camping, but I thought I would check here before doing this.

At USFS trailheads in the Whites, no it is not.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5363715.pdf

No camping (and sleeping in your car counts as camping) within 1/4 mile of any trailhead.

Although certainly not cool, WalMart allows overnight stays in their parking lots across North America. There is a WalMart just to the North of the Piper trailhead in N. Conway. Or, you can try the White Ledge Campground on RT 16, there are 2 different routes to Chocorua that start from that campground.

Yeah, but a quick read of the police log in the Daily Sun will reveal that a lot of weird stuff happens in the N. Conway Walmart parking lot, so keep that in mind!

fwiw - I have never had any problems walking a short way up the trail and camping for the night. I've done this dozens of times in the Whites, but I do tend to get up early, never have a fire and leave no trace. The only places I might hesitate doing this is near Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, Lincoln Woods TH and the trailheads on the east side of Franconia Notch.

Maineman said:

fwiw - I have never had any problems walking a short way up the trail and camping for the night. I've done this dozens of times in the Whites, but I do tend to get up early, never have a fire and leave no trace. The only places I might hesitate doing this is near Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, Lincoln Woods TH and the trailheads on the east side of Franconia Notch.

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I'd agree with this technique. Going 1/4 of a mile is only a 5 minute walk most of the time anyway. You can usually find a descent spot to throw down in most areas. The popularity of the trail should be taken into consideration, and you should make an effort to get off the trail.

As for enforcement of this rule, I'm not sure. My buddy had his car broken into at the Champney Falls trailhead (very popular) on a Saturday night, and the USFS didn't take notice. As a hiker, my concern would be having lots of people car camping and then defecating at the trail head, which can get pretty gross.

There are plenty of places you can sleep in your car in the WMNF but trailheads, picnic areas, etc. are not among them. See the brochure DM refers to and look for roads _not_ mentioned. Unfortunately I can't think of any between Boston and Chocorua.

There are quite a few obvious campsites along the stream just after the 1/4 Mile USFS boundary on Champney Falls trail. This is typical of most of the trails in the whites accessed from WMNF lands. This can be a issue where the trailheads cross private lands which is more prevelent the farther south one goes in the whites.

Maineman said:

fwiw - I have never had any problems walking a short way up the trail and camping for the night. I've done this dozens of times in the Whites, but I do tend to get up early, never have a fire and leave no trace.

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That's been my standard routine for years, to maximize the short weekend. Drive up to the whites or the 'dacks after work, get dinner on the road, and arrive at the trailhead somewhere around 11-midnight. Hike a short way in the dark, go a little ways off trail, and crash (works best with a bivy sack or hammock, not a tent, so you don't need much flat ground and even a short distance off the trail makes you invisible). Does wonders for the attitude to start the day waking up already in the woods with the car hours behind you.

True story: A few years back I went hiking in the 'dacks, arranging to meet some friends from another state near the first trail junction from the trailhead (about 1/4 mile). Arrived at their campsite around 11 and was promptly offered beer (in glass bottles). I said sure, but I'm not carrying the empties, I can drink my Scotch. My buddy said no problem, he'd hump the empties back to the car before breakfast. Of course in the morning he had no such motivation, and he carried at least a 12 pack of empty bottles for the rest of the 3 day hike.

It's okay with me.

It does go against USFS regulations.

That being said, its a real shame that there aren't more campgrounds that are open this time of year (or year round!). This would ease the tribulations faced by us out-of-towners.

Another thought is, how about do a night hike to Jim Liberty Cabin or Camp Penacook? That would definitely give you a big boost for hitting the summit at sunrise. I've done Chocorua four times at night and it was very enjoyable.

I frequently lodge in the Subaru Motel. The only time I did at an illegal spot was Lincoln Woods. I got there late at night and hit the trail before sunrise for a Pemi loop hike. I paid when I got there, It was after midnight. I have done this at Appalachia to but I don't think this is illegal as it's not a USFS lot. I was discreet and in my car but some were tenting right along the parking lot on a busy Friday night.

Appalachia has frequent overnight campers in the strip of woods between the parking lot and the RR bed. I believe the key point with this is be discreet, camp late, leave early and LNT. Of course camping so close to RT 2 its going be quite noisy.

Appalachia isn't a USFS lot?

I shudder to think how much poop is in the woods around places like that. People who are sleeping there to get an early start aren't then driving into town for their morning ablutions, I would think.

MichaelJ said:

Appalachia isn't a USFS lot?

I shudder to think how much poop is in the woods around places like that. People who are sleeping there to get an early start aren't then driving into town for their morning ablutions, I would think.

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That is a good point and proboly one of the main reasons this practice is not legal. I have slept at many trailheads in the Whites, even Pinkhams, but I always use proper latrine methods when doing so.

peakbagger said:

Appalachia has frequent overnight campers in the strip of woods between the parking lot and the RR bed. I believe the key point with this is be discreet, camp late, leave early and LNT. Of course camping so close to RT 2 its going be quite noisy.

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As mentioned, that lot is not owned by USFS so their camping rules do not apply and rangers cannot ticket you. Of course you can receive a ticket from state or local police as camping on state or private property without a permit is also illegal - but the cops are unlikely to wake a private owner at midnight to ask if they gave permission so if you are gone by early morning you will likely escape prosecution.

Sleeping in a car at a non-trailhead is even better - if you are not on USFS property tell the officer you are too tired to safely drive now (quite credible at 3 am) and will leave when you wake up - then do it!

Like tomcat, I too have used the Subaru motel a few times. I prefer it to setting up a tent as there is much less gear futsing when you are ready to start your day. I don't like Motel rooms or road side campsites either, not for the cost so much but the amount of time it takes to get out of them. I would rather drive up to my destination, roll my bag out in the back, catch a few ZZs, hop out of the car in the AM and go - no fuss, no muss. When I first started hiking the Adirondacks and I would pull into a parking lot at 0 dark 30, I noticed a number of cars where the windows were steamed up on the inside or where you could see bodies inside and I learned that although illegal, it was done quite often. I will be observant as to the local customs as I gain experience in the Whites.

Lost Dad said:

Although certainly not cool, WalMart allows overnight stays in their parking lots across North America.

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Except in Truro, Nova Scotia ( http://www.allstays.com/c/Walmart/NS-Truro-Wal-Mart-10036798.htm )

Lost Dad said:

Although certainly not cool, WalMart allows overnight stays in their parking lots across North America.

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Mac said:

Except in Truro, Nova Scotia ( http://www.allstays.com/c/Walmart/NS-Truro-Wal-Mart-10036798.htm )

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Many other Wal-Marts don't allow camping, Concord NH has "No Overnight Parking" signs for instance

And unless you have a camper or it's a 24-hour store, it may be hard to find suitable facilities at midnight

A trick Ive used for many years, more so when driving cross country is to stay at hotels. Only I dont go into them, I sleep in the parking lot, parked amounst all the other cars. I pull in late, jump into the back of my truck and crash. Im up at dawn and on my way. Its alot safer then rest areas ( I would never stay at one of those overnite) and the lots are very secure. Just dont forget an empty wide mouth bottle. P.S. Before you leave you can run in and wash your face and brush your teeth and "ahem" sit down for a minute.