This is the HOW-TO-CAMP guide  
Information for tent and RV camping
Public Access to Forest Service Lands
U.S. Forest Service Discussion Paper

A century ago, almost all national forest land was surrounded
by ranches, farms, and private forests. Today, that is no
longer the case. Private land in rural areas is being sold to
developers at a rate of more than 4,000 acres per day. In
many parts of the country, suburban and exurban
developments have mushroomed on national forest
boundaries.

Where recreational visitors once had relatively easy access to
the national forests and grasslands across privately owned
ranch- and forestland,  today they might have to get
permission from several homeowners, none of whom are
obligated to give it. The Forest Service is working with local
communities to secure rights-of-way before new
developments spring up. Part of the solution might be to tie
forest trails to local greenway corridors, sharing trailheads
and parking facilities with local communities.
Another aspect of the access challenge is the condition of
forest roads and trails. The public cannot take advantage of
recreation opportunities without reaching them, usually by car
or truck; yet the backlog for bringing forest roads up to
standard is in the billions of dollars.

In fiscal year 2005, visitors generally rated forest trails and
signage as good or very good (Forest Service 2006c), but
the poor condition of some trails and the occasional lack of
proper signage can lead to bad visitor memories. The new
user fee program might   help along with access to new pools
of congressionally appropriated dollars for public roads.
Lack of information can also be a barrier to public access.
Today, Americans use information technology unheard of a
generation ago, giving the Forest Service relatively
inexpensive ways to deliver up-to-date information about
recreation sites, trails, and access. However, visitors also
expect complete information about tourism opportunities,  
including local community attractions. The Forest Service can
meet today’s visitor expectations by modernizing its
information systems and linking them to local tourism services,
perhaps even collocated at a ranger station or local tourism
office.