Unfenced
Claim this toolFind properties verified to share a boundary with public lands
Free, no paid tierFree MLS & Listings
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Tracked since 2026
The Bottom Line
- Price
- Free, no paid tier. Compare plans
Key facts
- Verifies which properties for sale actually touch public land using official boundary data, not listing claims.
- Provides detailed measurements like shared boundary length, elevation, flood risk, and wildfire hazard.
- Saves buyers hours of manual research by cross-referencing parcel boundaries with public land inventories.
Pros
- Accurate boundary verification using official data, not listing descriptions.
- Comprehensive property details including flood and wildfire risk.
- Free to use with no account required.
Cons
- Limited to US properties only.
- Not a substitute for a professional survey or title search.
- Data may not cover all counties or public lands perfectly.
What is Unfenced?
Unfenced is a search tool that identifies properties for sale that directly border public lands such as national forests, state game lands, and wilderness areas. It uses official boundary data from county GIS services and the USGS PAD-US inventory to verify shared edges, not just listing descriptions. Each property is analyzed for its relationship to public land (within, bordering, or adjacent), with measured shared boundary length, elevation, road access type, flood zone coverage, and wildfire hazard rating.
The tool covers over 13,000 properties across 49 US regions, with listings refreshed weekly and parcel boundaries updated at least every 30 days. Users can search by state, browse an interactive map, or filter results by elevation, flood zone, and wildfire hazard. Unfenced is not a listing service or a survey; it provides data for due diligence and is a project of Other Waters Studio.
Key Features
- Search properties bordering public land by state or interactive map.
- Measure shared boundary length in feet using official parcel and public land geometries.
- Display elevation from USGS national elevation model at the listing location.
- Check road access type: public road, 4WD trail, private road, or none.
- Show flood zone coverage (100-year floodplain) from FEMA maps.
- Rate wildfire hazard from very low to very high using Forest Service data.
- Filter by state, elevation, flood zone, and wildfire hazard.
- Three relationship categories: Within (inholding), Bordering (touching), Adjacent (within 75 meters).
Pricing
Free
Unfenced is completely free to use with no hidden costs.
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Unfenced FAQ
How does Unfenced verify that a property borders public land?
Unfenced uses the county's official parcel boundary from GIS services and compares it to the USGS PAD-US 4.1 inventory of public lands. It measures whether the geometries actually touch, rather than relying on listing descriptions that may say 'near state land'.
What public lands are included in the search?
Only public lands that are actually owned by the public (Category=Fee), open to entry, and at least 50 acres in size. Conservation easements and pocket parks are excluded.
What do the relationship tags 'Within', 'Bordering', and 'Adjacent' mean?
'Within' means the property sits inside the public land's boundary as an inholding. 'Bordering means its boundary touches the public land, and the shared edge length is measured in feet. 'Adjacent' means it does not touch but lies within 75 meters (about 246 feet).
How often is the property data updated?
Listings are re-checked every week, and parcel boundaries are updated at least every 30 days. Public land data comes from USGS PAD-US 4.1, and parcel data from state/county GIS and a licensed provider.
What flood and wildfire data is used?
Flood zone coverage is measured from FEMA's 100-year floodplain maps. Wildfire hazard is rated from very low to very high using the Forest Service's Wildfire Hazard Potential map, taking the highest rating anywhere on the parcel.
Can I use Unfenced to find land outside the United States?
No, Unfenced currently only covers properties in the United States, with data for 49 regions (excluding DC and North Dakota).
Does Unfenced provide legal access information?
Unfenced checks physical road access using Census Bureau road maps, but does not verify legal access. A right to cross neighboring land requires an easement in the deed, which only a title search can confirm.
How is the shared boundary length measured?
The shared boundary length is computed from the actual geometry of the parcel and the public land boundary, not an illustration. The blue line shown on the property page is the exact geometry used for the measurement.
Source: unfenced.land