The public domain source of our data is from the Protected Area Database (PAD-US 2.0) of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Please note, the USGS PAD-US database contains the “most up-to-date aggregation of Federal lands and waters” available, but this database is still evolving and some locations may not be listed and others may not have precisely accurate boundaries. Resolution across the nation may vary. And always remember – there may be private unmapped inholdings within any public lands – so always pay attention to local signage, indications, and information. 

Our maps are provided by the public domain the Protected Area Database (PAD-US) of the U.S. Geological Survey 

Any inaccuracies should be reported to them.. not us. We’re just the messenger. Thanks!

As always, you should always continue your research by consulting other resources as well. US Public Lands should only be used as a general reference point.

US Public Lands is not specifically a boondocking location app. It simply shows the boundaries of US Public Lands.

After finding where the boundaries are, and which department owns the land – you’ll need to further your research as to what activities are permissible and what permits might apply.  There are links provided to each departments website on the Settings page to assist you finding this information.

For finding specific camping locations, you may want to utilize other resources such as FreeCampsites.Net or Campendium.com  or many of the other boondocking resources out there.

These are actual US Federally held lands. In some locations, public lands were divided up in squares, creating the checkerboard patterns. And the water off the California is a BLM Monument called the CA Coastal National Monument.

The USGS PAD-US database contains the “most up-to-date aggregation of Federal lands and waters” available, but this database is still evolving and some locations may not be listed and others may not have precisely accurate boundaries. Resolution across the nation may vary. And always remember – there may be private unmapped inholdings within any public lands – so always pay attention to local signage, indications, and information. 

Yes! If you click on the ‘Gears’ button in the upper right hand corner you will be taken to the Settings screen (or pull down on iPad). The colored toggle buttons are color coded to match their map layers.