First-Time RV Boondocking – A Memorable Experience

I’m learning RV boondocking skills and sharing my experiences with all of you. This location is my first remote, several-day boondocking stay. Come on along and see how it went.

Location and Getting There

My absolute favorite State is Montana and having my first RV boondocking experience there was so fitting. Fort Peck Lake is in Northeast Montana in a very unpopulated and remote area. It’s rugged and beautiful.

We arrived at the Nelson Creek Recreation area of Fort Peck Lake late in the afternoon on Sunday. I checked this place out thoroughly I thought it a safe first place to try my hand at boondocking. From all my research the roads leading into the dispersed camping here were roomy and easy for any size rig to navigate.

We drove nearly 5 miles down a very washboard road at 5 miles an hour to keep the bouncing to a minimum.

Finding a Campsite

Since we came in pretty late and we were so tired, I really just parked in the first site that we came across. On the 68 mile drive from Fort Peck to the recreation area, we drove over a rather large but dead rattlesnake. You know, just a friendly reminder. I don’t do snakes in any way, shape, or form.

We got fairly level, had dinner, and walked around as the sun was going down. We went to bed early and were up before 7 am. While drinking my tea this morning I decided to move to another spot so we stowed everything and pulled out in search of the perfect RV boondocking site.

Some of the roads here are very rutted and Bridget has very low clearance so I had to be extra careful about where we went. One of my biggest fears has been getting into a place I can’t pull out of with the truck and trailer. That happened today, twice. I did manage to get out unscathed both times. Once by backing and once by turning around in the most painstakingly slow process. I was really glad to have that experience because it’s one of those confidence-building exercises and nobody was around to watch.

The Perfect RV Boondocking Site

We finally settled into a pretty spot, all alone on a little peninsula with views of the lake on three sides. It’s so quiet and peaceful here. Murphy is enjoying his romps in the lake and likes to watch the fish. We have seen several deer and rabbits but no snakes so far.

Today we have our solar panel out and are charging our house batteries. This is the first time I’ve used my solar. It’s been riding around in the back of my truck for two years. It’s working like a champ and was so easy to set up.

We are managing our water supply carefully. I stopped on the way here to dump my black and gray tanks and fill the fresh tank. With a fresh start, we are on our second full day and our gray tank is at 13% and fresh is at 81%. Not bad but we can do much better, I’m sure.

We have done some cleaning, and the truck bed so I can easily get the things I need. I won’t try to pretend, I’m having an adjustment period. I’m definitely used to having power at my disposal all the time and it got pretty cold in here last night. However, I anticipated this and planned ahead. Christmas is coming so I brought my yarn, I have a lot of writing to do and I’m going to devote some time to my Arbonne business.

I have no idea how long I’ll stay here but I absolutely love it.

Related Posts

Boondocking and Dry Camping Successfully

Boondocking and Dry Camping Successfully

Free Dispersed Camping at Fort Peck Lake, Montana

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