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Should I understand a water source to mean a spring/well, or any place where hikers may collect water (streams, lakes, etc.)? Yes. Any source of water - no matter how large or small - should be avoided when choosing a camp site. 100 meters is just a guideline, 200 meters is better. 200 meters and out of sight is great. The reasons are several-fold: ...

Short Answer: In the US, laws regulating land use are detailed and varied, even on Public Lands. Check with the local land agency before "roaming." Long Answer: Loosely you can divide open space in the US into two main categories: Private and Public. Private Land: The laws governing private land vary by state. In Texas, for example, a landowner is well ...

The park service has some good tips. The biggest ones are: It is hot and dry, and gets hotter the farther down you go. Sweat can evaporate straight off of you before you can even see it, and people don't always realize how much fluid they've lost. Replace electrolytes, not just the water. You'll probably drink more water than you're accustomed to, which ...

(1) Do not try ... Sign on the rim (2003 - probably still there). I'll have a photo of it somewhere. Here it is - a peep of the river from the rim. The Colorado is clearly visible below, and does not seem that far away. [Cropped from a larger image so probably 400mm lens equivalent shot] DO NOT attempt to walk to the river and back in one day!!! ...

There are a couple of reasons for this, as I understand it: Your wastes (soap, Giardia in your poop, DEET, ...) will contaminate the water. Lakeshores in high-altitude areas tend to be very delicate. People do a lot of ecological damage by pitching their tents right there. Unlike high-altitude areas in the Alps, the ones in the western US do not have huts, ...

Unless it is in a national park/forest or private property you should be able to go where you want. I have never been bothered as long as I was in a public area. They require wilderness permits in national parks to protect the wilderness and know if someone might be in trouble. If you don't show up on time they can send S&R in after you. If you are ...

An additional point that hasn't been mentioned, is when you camp next to a creek or stream the water level can quickly change, sometimes by quite a bit. It can be sunny where you are camped but heavy rain miles upstream from you, and the raising water level could wash away half of your camp while you sleep.

i can only agree to the answers, i was there and did a short hike (we just started like we would do here in switzerland) we're used to big and steep hikes without any trees giving shadow in the blazing sun. But the desert is dryer than you might think. Carry enough water and calculate more time than expected and you'll be fine, just don't try to jump ...