Bushcraft on U.S. public land: what the rules say about wood, fire and shelters

Bushcraft is about using what the land gives you: carving, gathering deadfall, building a fire, rigging a shelter. On U.S. public land, though, what the land "gives you" is set by federal regulations, and the rules differ sharply between a National Forest, a National Park and land run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This article lays out what the regulations themselves say, quoting the Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) and agency guidance. It is general information, not legal advice; local orders and seasonal fire restrictions can be stricter, so always check with the office that manages the land you are visiting.

The short version

The table is our summary; the details and exact wording are below.

National Forests (U.S. Forest Service)

• Trees and forest products. 36 CFR 261.6 prohibits "cutting or otherwise damaging any timber, tree, or other forest product, except as authorized by a special-use authorization, timber sale contract, or Federal law or regulation," and likewise prohibits "removing any timber, tree or other forest product" without such authorization.
• Fire. 36 CFR 261.5 prohibits, among other things, "leaving a fire without completely extinguishing it," and "building, attending, maintaining, or using a campfire without removing all flammable material from around the campfire adequate to prevent its escape." It also makes it a violation to break any state law on burning or fire prevention.
• Structures. 36 CFR 261.10 prohibits "constructing, placing, or maintaining any kind of road, trail, structure, fence, enclosure, communications equipment, sign, or other improvement" on National Forest System lands without written authorization when it is required, and leaving personal property unattended for longer than 72 hours, except where longer periods are designated.
• Camping limits and closures. Under 36 CFR 261.58, "when provided by an order," camping longer than the order allows, or camping at all, can be prohibited, along with possessing or transporting parts of trees or other plants as specified in the order. The regulation itself sets no number of days; each forest's orders do.

Forest Service web pages on dispersed camping and firewood permits returned "access denied" to us, in a browser as well, so we have not quoted them. Many forests sell personal-use firewood permits and publish their own dispersed-camping rules; check the website or ranger district office of the specific forest.

National Parks (National Park Service)

• Wood. 36 CFR 2.1 prohibits "using or possessing wood gathered from within the park area," with one exception: "the superintendent may designate areas where dead wood on the ground may be collected for use as fuel for campfires within the park area." The same section prohibits removing or disturbing plants. In practice it varies by park. Great Smoky Mountains says you may collect wood in the park "only if it is on the ground and dead," and that campfires are permitted only in fire rings. Voyageurs allows dead and downed wood and says: "Do not cut down any tree in the park, living or dead, for firewood."
• Fire. 36 CFR 2.13 prohibits "lighting or maintaining a fire, except in designated areas or receptacles and under conditions that may be established by the superintendent," and leaving a fire unattended. During periods of high fire danger, the superintendent may close all or part of a park to fires.
• Campsites and shelters. 36 CFR 2.10 lets parks require permits and designate sites, and prohibits "digging or leveling the ground at a campsite," "the installation of permanent camping facilities," and "camping outside of designated sites or areas" where sites are designated.

BLM public lands

• Collecting. 43 CFR 8365.1-5 prohibits willfully defacing, removing or destroying plants or their parts, but allows collecting "reasonable amounts" of certain things for noncommercial purposes, including "forest products for use in campfires on the public lands," except on developed recreation sites and areas, or where otherwise prohibited and posted.
• Agency guidance. A BLM Montana/Dakotas leaflet says that collecting dead or down wood for immediate campfire use is allowed except in posted areas, and that firewood permits for personal use are available for some areas. A BLM Utah dispersed-camping flyer says: "Collect only dead and down wood; do not cut limbs," "Use existing fire rings or use a fire pan," and "Do not trench, dig or level your site. Do not cut tree limbs to fit your tent or trailer."
• Time limit. 43 CFR 8365.1-2 prohibits camping "longer than the period of time permitted by the authorized officer." BLM Utah's flyer gives a 14-day limit at any campsite.

What about a debris shelter or lean-to?

We did not find a federal regulation or agency page that addresses a temporary debris shelter or lean-to by name, either to allow or to forbid it. What the rules above do cover: cutting live wood is prohibited on all three; National Forests prohibit structures without authorization; parks prohibit permanent camping facilities and digging or leveling the ground. A tarp and cordage you pack in and out avoids all of these questions (our suggestion).

Practicing bushcraft without breaking the rules (our suggestions)

1. Call or check the website of the specific forest, park unit or BLM field office. Ask about dead-and-down wood, fire restrictions in effect, and camping limits.
2. Assume that cutting anything alive is off-limits, and that "dead and down" means wood already lying on the ground.
3. Carry a tarp, cord and a stove, so a fire ban does not end your trip.
4. Use an existing fire ring or a fire pan, keep the fire small, and put it out cold: drown, stir, drown, feel. See Campfire safety.
5. Practice skills like carving and fire-lighting on private land with the owner's permission, or at a campground that allows them.

Related: Choosing a campsite, Going to the bathroom outdoors, and Carrying a knife in Japan if you travel.

Our Japanese edition covers the same question for Japan, where even picking up a fallen branch is prohibited in the strictest zones of national parks: ブッシュクラフトはどこでできるか.