Doing the US on the cheap
 

I met Falk and Reina, a German couple, travelling on budget of $10 a day!!! This put me to shame!!!

They have to pay for fuel and gas and thats out it. There are loads of free campgrounds here - sometimes they require a bit of searching. In most National or State Forests you can camp for free if you are a 1/4 mile from the main road.

I met 2 guys (one 70 years old) who are travelling by bicycles around the US. They just stop and go 25metres of the road in the desert of Arizona and set up camp.

Falk and Reina have also had loads of genuine American hospitality by being offered free accommodation when knocking on doors looking for camp sites.

Thought this might help...

I'm glad to hear these people have been treated well. Genreally when you go places as long as you respect the natives(whoever they may be) and don't do anything too stupid you'll be ok and treated civil.

I have done some river travel with kayaks in New England and some car traveling as well. for the most part if you go up to someones house and ask permission to camp on their land they are often more then willing to let you do so. Sometimes you will even get more then that. On one trip I had my mt bike in the trunk on my way to maine. stopped and met some other riders. ended up going for a ride, then they offered me to go back to their house for some food and beer etc.

The US government runs a bunch of free campgrounds though I think they are mostly out west. I stayed in one run by the BLM. Pretty nice for free: Water and toilets (oh and rattle snakes and big tent-blowing-down wind, but that's part of the adventure). This was in Montana. 'Course in Montana you can camp most anywhere as there's hardly anyone to notice.

Kurt

Here in the USA we also have quite a few youth Hostels that are often fairly decent. I think they have a hostel organization of sorts that you can find where they are all located. Also many ski areas and places similiar have ski dorms....may or may not be open in the non ski season.