How Much Is a Bundle of Firewood?

If you're going camping or just want to have a fire in the backyard, you're probably wondering how much a bundle of firewood costs.

A bundle of firewood costs between $5 and $7 dollars. This price will vary depending on your location. In rural areas where wood is more plentiful, firewood will be much cheaper than in the city. Homeowners often cut down trees and sell the firewood at a discount to get rid of it.

Important note: It's often illegal to transport firewood beyond a certain distance. To prevent invasive species that firewood may carry, it's best to buy as local as possible. This means buying firewood as close as possible to where you plan on burning the wood. To read more about your local laws and regulations, see the Firewood Map.

Cost of Bundles of Firewood

Here's a simple chart I out together about the cost of firewood at different locations:

Location	Cost
Gas Station Firewood	$7 per bundle or $6 for two
Grocery Stores	$6-7 per bundle
Home Depot	$6 per bundle
Campsites	$5-6 per bundle
Side of road	$4 per bundle

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Where to Buy Bundles of Firewood

Firewood is readily available in most towns and cities. The closer you are to camping areas, the more available firewood will be. Often times you'll see people selling them on the side of the road as you get close to the campground.

1. Local Gas Station

Your local gas station is one of the easiest places to find firewood. These are often laid outside the building but can be inside the gas station as well. Buying wood at gas stations is usually more expensive than buy it elsewhere but often times gas stations will have "2 for $6" deals. You'll probably want at least a couple bundles anyways so you'll save a few bucks.

2. Grocery Stores

Grocery stores aren't a place you would think sells bundles of wood, but they often do. They are usually in a certain spot in the store. At my local grocery, they are underneath one of the shelves near the produce department. If you can't find it, ask one of the employees.

3. Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart

Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart are a good place to get firewood. Walmart doesn't always have firewood in stock, but they'll have everything else you need for you trip. It's good to check Walmart if you're already shopping there.

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4. Craigslist

Depending on where you live, getting firewood off craigslist is another option. People usually sell wood by the cord, but if you just wanted a few bundles, it doesn't hurt to ask. You might even save a few bucks this way.

5. Ask Around

Asking friends and family if they have extra firewood is probably the cheapest option. Some people have firewood laying around in their yard that they are happy to get rid of. One thing you want to make sure of is that the firewood isn't wet or moldy.

6. Campsites

Campsites often sell firewood themselves. This can actually be a really good option and campground prefer it. Not because the campground makes money, but campgrounds are careful about bringing in invasive species. It's always best to buy firewood as close as possible to where you are burning it.

Why Firewood Prices Vary So Much

If you've ever paid $7 for a bundle at one campground and then seen "$12 a bundle" at a gas station half an hour later, you're not imagining things. Three factors drive the price:

• Distance from the source. Wood trucked into tourist areas gets marked up heavily. Rural roadside stands near timber country are almost always the cheapest.
• Certification. Kiln-dried, "heat-treated" firewood (required in many states to prevent invasive pest spread) costs 30–50% more than untreated wood.
• Species. Hardwoods like oak, hickory, maple and cherry burn hotter and longer, and they cost more. Softwoods like pine, spruce and fir are cheaper but burn fast and leave more creosote.

How Much Wood Do You Actually Need?

A standard bundle is about 0.75 cubic feet — roughly 6 to 8 split logs. Here's what that gets you:

• 1 bundle — one 2-3 hour campfire if you keep it small, or about 90 minutes of a roaring fire.
• 2 bundles — a typical evening campfire from dinner through s'mores.
• 3+ bundles per night — if you want a big social fire going from sunset until late, or if you're cooking on the coals.

For a 3-night car camping trip with one fire per evening, budget 6–9 bundles. Buy them near the campground to avoid violating transport regulations (more on that below).

Firewood Buying Hacks That Save Real Money

• Order a cord in advance if you own rural property. A full cord (128 cubic feet) costs $150–$450 depending on your region. That works out to around $1–$3 per campground-equivalent bundle.
• Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Homeowners clearing a fallen tree will often give wood away free or sell it for $30–$50 a pickup load.
• Grocery stores instead of campgrounds. In a lot of gateway towns, grocery stores and hardware stores sell the same bundles for $2–$3 less than the in-park stand.
• Buy in bulk. Many campgrounds sell "rack-packs" (4–6 bundles shrink-wrapped together) at a 20% discount per bundle.
• Seasoned wood beats kiln-dried. If you can find properly seasoned (air-dried for 6–12 months) firewood, it burns better than kiln-dried and usually costs less.

How to Tell If You're Getting a Bad Bundle

Not all firewood is ready to burn. Before you pay:

• Check moisture: good firewood is under 20% moisture content. Bang two pieces together — dry wood makes a sharp crack, wet wood makes a dull thud.
• Look for cracks on the end grain: visible checking means the wood has dried properly.
• Smell it: seasoned wood smells faintly sweet or earthy. Green wood smells sappy and fresh.
• Weight: if a bundle feels unusually heavy for its size, it's holding too much water and will hiss instead of burn.

The Firewood Transport Rule Most Campers Break

This one catches a lot of campers off-guard. Most US states and Canadian provinces prohibit moving firewood more than 50 miles from its source, because of invasive insects like the Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle and Spotted Lanternfly that hitchhike in bark.

Buying wood near home and driving it to a campground two states over is illegal in many places and can carry fines of $100–$500. The rule is simple: buy firewood within 10 miles of where you plan to burn it. Use the Don't Move Firewood map to check your state's regulations before you load up.

Alternatives When Wood's Unavailable

Drought conditions trigger fire bans across the western US every summer, and some campgrounds ban open fires year-round. Keep these backups in the car:

• Propane fire pit. Allowed in most "no-wood-fire" restrictions because there are no embers or sparks.
• Wood pellet grills / Solo Stove. Efficient, low-smoke, uses 1/3 the wood of a traditional fire.
• Charcoal briquettes. Enough heat to cook and warm hands, and they stay in a grill so they're legal during most fire bans.

Firewood FAQ

Is it cheaper to buy firewood at home or at the campground?

Almost always cheaper at home, but it's illegal to transport it more than 50 miles in most states. Factor the fine risk into the math.

How long does a bundle of firewood last?

About 2 hours if you keep the fire small, or roughly 1 hour if you're burning a full-size campfire.

Can you bring your own firewood from home?

Only if you're staying within roughly 50 miles of home and the destination's state doesn't require certified heat-treated wood. National parks almost universally prohibit non-certified outside firewood.

What's the best wood to buy for a campfire?

Oak, hickory and maple for long, hot fires. Birch and pine for easy ignition and quick heat (but they burn fast and leave more soot). If you're cooking over coals, stick to hardwoods — they produce cleaner, longer-lasting heat.