Campground Etiquette

[KarenH]

Just returning from a camping trip and being next door to self-admitted first-time campers and trailer owners prompted me to start this thread as I know there are many newcomers to camping on this forum. I grew up with parents who also camped as children so some camping etiquette has been passed along to me in my genes. Some of these "rules" are somewhat hard-and-fast and some are just common sense.

1. Treat others' campsites as you would their homes and yards. They are not short cuts to the river, the beach, the showers, the toilets, or the trailheads. Some campgrounds have clearly delineated campsites, others not so much other than a visual sense of where your neighbor's campsite begins and ends. Respect the boundaries.

2. If you're uncomfortable enough to have to leave your exterior lights on all night, be mindful that others may be annoyed at this light pollution. Maybe a more civilized campground with light standards would be a better fit.

3. Clean up after your dog. Seriously.

4. Do not leave your dog in your trailer for extended periods of time. It is extremely annoying to have to listen to a dog bark non-stop at every passing person or dog or even at nothing.

5. If sitting in a circle around a campfire, do not pass between another person and the fire. (Actually, this is not a rule but is simply my own personal hang-up. I see it as rude and potentially dangerous, especially for children who can trip over their own imagination.)

I was party to infringements of all of the above this last trip (and am still somewhat irritated) so they are fresh in my mind. Please feel free to chime in or to tell me I’m a grump and way off base…

[PGDriver]

Couple more things Karen

6. If your on your phone or having a personal conversation keep your voice down the people in other sites don't want to hear you or the details.

7. Not everyone likes your music taste so try to keep it in your site.

Cheers
Doug

[JStelly]

8. Not everyone has your taste in movies so keep the big screen portable TV and sound down. (Yes, we actually saw this last month. It was so large we could watch the movie from our site across the street).

[Mark&Elaine]

Per # 7.....Unhappily, I now know every verse to "Love Shack"!!!

[ronkat]

Karen, It would be sooooo great if most folks would be as polite or considerate as your post states. I have been in National Campgrounds where rangers are no help, and could not care less if there is a steady stream of people crossing your rented and paid for campsite to save about 10 steps and go around.

I wish I had an answer, but if we copied your post and put it on every RV forum, the first of the month, and then did the same for the balance of the year, I don't think it would change one thing.

To end on a positive note, these things bother me, but i still believe there are so many more positive adventures and wonderful people I have met out RVing, that I will not be swayed and will hookup, drive out and continue RVing as long as I can.

Thanks, Karen

[cpaharley2008]

One of the benefits of traveling with a large dog is his ability to bark or growl at anyone who seems to not know the campsite boundary which the dogs seem to know but not humans. After a couple of barks, the trespassers stop. If it were known that these dogs want to lick you silly then they would become ineffective boundary guards.

8. Leaving their campfire unattended and letting it burn all night thereby filling your camper with smoke when the wind shifts.

[Steven M]

I am so for number 3 of this list. But these are same people who probably don't pick up after their dog while walking them around their own neighborhood.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by KarenH

2. If you're uncomfortable enough to have to leave your exterior lights on all night, be mindful that others may be annoyed at this light pollution. Maybe a more civilized campground with light standards would be a better fit.

That's a really gentle version of what I would say. No lights after you go in for the night!

Originally Posted by KarenH

4. Do not leave your dog in your trailer for extended periods of time. It is extremely annoying to have to listen to a dog bark non-stop at every passing person or dog or even at nothing.

This applies to dogs outside, too... it is your responsibility to keep them from barking unreasonably, whether they are in the RV or outside.

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

8. Leaving their campfire unattended and letting it burn all night thereby filling your camper with smoke when the wind shifts.

In addition to this courtesy item... never leave a campfire unattended, period. Fire is a serious hazard.

[Marry]

9. Generators ................. (please fill in the blanc)

[CADreamin]

Where's that "like" button when you need it!!

[kstock11]

I grew up camping and learned all about the etiquette that you mention above. We also lived through the budget cut days of the 80's when the rangers left the campgrounds at dark, there weren't campground hosts on site yet & there was no such thing as cell phones. Those were the days of public campgrounds turning into the wild west after dark! Overall, I feel much more secure camping since the campground hosts programs became popular. It seems like there is still a gap between the campers like you and I and the people who look at campgrounds as places to go to party. I wish there was an easy solution to bring the "uneducated & rude campers" up to speed. (End of rant!)

[Iowa Dave]

KarenH
I get mad a lot. But it only usually lasts a few minutes. Sadly, and much more importantly, is my disappointment with the state of camping manners, driving manners, behavior in a crowd manners and on and on. We had protocols and rules regarding just about every form of camping behavior when I was a Scoutmaster. Quite a few boys dropped out when continual reminders were unwaveringly proffered up. But the ones who stayed with it not only made great Scouts, there are now solid citizens, and many still camp. Years ago all the city vehicles in my home town, had a bumper sticker on them. It said" Courtesy is contagious, let's start an epidemic"
And Saturday mornings found me polishing the beauty rings on my Dad's Buick, he paid me with a bag of Nightcrawler bedding. Jeez I miss those days.
Dave

[Rossue]

And we go camping to get away from it all Good reason to go solar: better boondocking

Hate to say it, but with gas prices going down and more boomers retiring buckle up. And remember, with the millennials it's the tone you use that is sooo important; not what you say but HOW you say it. We decided to bail from our last time out at Kirk Creek with gnarly music surfer dude Plaskett was great.

Some camp hosts are on it though- like the veteran at Horsethief near Moab when some bonehead was watching porn or something all day in his camper with the genset going. His take was generator hours are X- but that doesn't mean you can run it all day. Funny, he got it shut down but they wuz talking up a storm....."that's a good movie Judge"

Bose headphones for when earplugs don't work: don't leave home without 'em!

[Bobbito]

The biggest issue for us is usually music. Even if someone is pumping out my favorite music, I go camping to escape and experience the sounds of birds and wildlife. Keep music low if you want to override the symphony of nature.

Bob K

[KarenH]

I couldn't agree more. I love my music...inside. Outside? Not so much. In fact, not at all. I'd rather hear the wildlife and the sound of rivers or seashore or waves lapping on the shore of a lake or the wind in the trees or...

[Ron in BC]

In some ways I'd rather be in a busy place, like a rest stop, with lots of misc. background noise because I can accept the noise as part of the package. When I'm in a pristine setting and being annoyed by unnecessary noise from another campsite, not even very close to me, I get more annoyed.

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

In some ways I'd rather be in a busy place, like a rest stop, with lots of misc. background noise because I can accept the noise as part of the package. When I'm in a pristine setting and being annoyed by unnecessary noise from another campsite, not even very close to me, I get more annoyed.

Ron

Correct, in one scenario you are expecting noise since it is free, whereas purchasing peace and quiet tranquility in the other scenario you expect it.

[Mary F]

Originally Posted by Bobbito

The biggest issue for us is usually music. Even if someone is pumping out my favorite music, I go camping to escape and experience the sounds of birds and wildlife. Keep music low if you want to override the symphony of nature.

Bob K

We were recently camping with friends who whipped out their little tabletop speaker so they (we) could listen to soft music we appreciate, drowning out (somewhat) some loud music from across the way that none of us cared for. I'd still have preferred no music, but it was better than putting up with music we didn't like - and I don't think our little sound system was bleeding over into anyone else's camp, for our friends were on the end, and we couldn't hear it from our next-door site.

On the other hand, I love to hear the sounds of children playing in a campground. I think it's cool there are still families that get out and go!

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I couldn't agree more. I love my music...inside. Outside? Not so much. In fact, not at all. I'd rather hear the wildlife and the sound of rivers or seashore or waves lapping on the shore of a lake or the wind in the trees or...

Last week at the Chisos Basin campground (in Big Bend National Park) I had a double hit - a couple of hikers walked through my site, one of which was wearing a extremely loud & annoying music player. Loud enough that you could hear them coming from 50' away. The only excuse for the music might have been to keep the bears & mountain lions away while on their hike, but the thought of all that noise while hiking the trails in the park set me on edge.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

the thought of all that noise while hiking the trails in the park set me on edge.

Especially at Big Bend, where the attraction is the quiet and desolation. Can't see how the music would affect snakes - and they're much more of a threat there than any mountain lion or other critter.