This is an old revision of the document!
State trust lands are not public in the normal sense; they are typically lands that have been deeded by the federal govt to the states to be used for various revenue generation purposes. These lands typically require permits.
“An Individual/Family REC Permit is needed for casual recreation, and travel on existing roads for trails”1) The individual permit is $15 as of this writing.
“Recreational camping is limited to no more than 14 days per year. A campsite must be at least ¼ mile from any livestock or wildlife water catchments, tanks, drinkers, etc. Abandoned campsites are to be left clean.”2)
Lands enrolled in the Public Access Program are open to a variety of wildlife-related uses, including hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. The listings on the following pages provide information regarding allowable uses, site-specific rules and timeframes for use. Most lands are not accessible by vehicle, ATVs, or snowmobiles, and there may be additional restrictions on camping, parking and off-road driving.3)
Sites are typically open “Sept. 1 through the end of February”
Montana state land apparently requires a permit, but fees and conditions are hidden inside the poorly constructed website.
Recreational overnight use of state lands is limited to 16 days in a 30-day period in a designated campground and on unleased or unlicensed lands outside a designated campground unless otherwise allowed by the department.4)
New Mexico has an annual $35 recreation permit, but overnight camping is forbidden.5)
Recreation on state-owned land: With few exceptions, all state-owned land is open for recreational uses. This includes upland properties as well as submerged and submersible lands. For additional information relating to use of state-owned waterways, please see Use of State-Owned Waterways. Recreational uses are considered limited-duration activities of 30 days or less and include: Hunting, Fishing, Swimming, Hiking, Dispersed camping, Sightseeing/photography6)
Washington manages state trust land, state forests, and community forests.7) The state issues Discover passes for vehicles which are displayed when one leaves the vehicle to recreate. $35 as of this writing.