Campground Rules? Or really just suggestions to be ignored?

[Sherronlee]

Sometimes. It's also often a thing at provincial parks in the "quiet/radio free" loops - nobody cares if you drink, but if you cause trouble, the booze gets you kicked out without them needing to prove anything subjective

The one that consistently gets me is the loud music and lights from neighbouring sites while I'm trying to enjoy a campfire and pretending to be miles from anyone. Occasional car doors, or a kid talking loudly (calling from their camper usually) is normal, but I don't want to hear anyone else for an extended period of time.

I always look for the radio free loops, but the loop just on the other side of a thin strip of trees may not be. And often there are no rangers and no enforcement around so it can go on all night.

That was one of my favorite parts of Sandbanks Provincial Campground ~ we loved the "quiet/radio free" areas. We also just really enjoyed the whole campground but that made it even better!

 

[Sherronlee]

My wife and I worked as hosts in a Utah campground. Rules are meant to ensure all campers can enjoy the outdoors together. Some rules seem stupid for sure, while others are for the safety of everyone. Here are a rules we consistently saw broken.

1- Leash your dog. On the surface this seems dumb when you have a 2 lb. chihuahua in camp, but this rule is more for the owner than for other campers that may be bitten. We had several incidents where an owners unleashed dog decided to chase the local wildlife: never to return. Small dogs can be carried off by the local birds of prey. We did have times where aggressive dogs came at us or other campers.

2- No BB guns or arrows shot within the campground. Soooo many times we had to stop campers from shooting their weapons. There are people hiking all over the place, one stray arrow or ricocheted BB could be harmful.

3- Don't hook the camp water spigot to your trailer, even if it serves only you. Seems silly at first, but consider if some stupid camper hooks a contaminated water hose (which he carries in the same compartment as his sewer hose). What you have now is possible contamination of the water system. A campground may need to shut down the system and test the water thus affecting all campers.

4- No fireworks of any kind. I can't even count how many stupid people light off firecrackers, bottle rockets, spinners etc. during the 4th of July. We were at 7200 elevation in the pines in the middle of a drought...duh.

5- You can only have the number of cars and people in your camp that you paid for. This is the biggest rule that campers just can't seem to understand. Who in their right mind thinks it's okay to pay for 6 people and 2 cars, then have a family reunion with 30+ people and 16 cars (or 10 people and 4 cars)? Not only do excess people and vehicles increase noise and crowd the small roads, it can also overload the bathrooms and supplies. You wouldn't go to a Buffet, pay for 4 diners then have 20 friends fixing their own food plates.

6- No generators after 10pm. It is obnoxious to camp next to a generator running all night. If you have a CPAP or other medical need, get a battery generator, boondock go to a hotel or stay home.

7- No trash service--it is carry in / carry out. Too many people leave bags of trash at their site or sneak it next to the host site for them to carry out. Just as bad is emptying their trash into the fire pit...argggg.

8- No dumping of black water on the ground. We had people empty their sewer hose into the bushes next to their site. Another trick was opening the drain on the way out and let it drain along the road. People are disgusting some times.

These are the most common rules we would see broken. There are so many courtesy things I could add, i.e. put your fire dead out, keep your kids out of other people's camp site, don't burn pallets, don't put trash in a vault toilet, stop throwing hatchets and axes at live trees. The list goes on an on and on.

Hosting was overall very enjoyable. We met and made friends with hundreds of campers. Our goal was to offer an outstanding camping experience. I do not believe in "it's better to beg forgiveness, than ask for permission" or "what the host's don't know won't hurt them". Too often we did not know what a camper was doing the night before, but the campers around them knew and it ruined their experience.

#3 is interesting ~ it seems like common sense not to keep your hose and your sewer hose in the same place??? I guess there are a lot of simpletons out there.

 

[kcsa75]

That was one of my favorite parts of Sandbanks Provincial Campground ~ we loved the "quiet/radio free" areas. We also just really enjoyed the whole campground but that made it even better!

Radio free loops? Never heard of such a thing. Is that common in Canada?

 

[Sherronlee]

Radio free loops? Never heard of such a thing. Is that common in Canada?

I have only ever found it at Sandbanks Provincial Campground but it sounds like the original poster may have found it more often. I have camped across all of Canada ~ except for NFL. It was the only park I saw for it but in fairness, I didn't specifically look for it at the other campgrounds.

 

[Sherronlee]

Diesel was much louder. Late model diesel pickup trucks are very quiet and much more odor free.

Yes, that is very true.

 

[Sherronlee]

Seems like a lot of complaining here. Most of it is what you like is ok, and what you dont isn't. All good. I have my list also, but it is funny that whats acceptable to one is not to others. Keep in mind , some things are unavoidable, and one offs. Like a flat, or accident on the way to a campground, that forces you to set up at midnight. Other things , are just how people are, things like, if I want to drink responsibility, i am going to do so. If stuff like lights left on, loud music , etc, is bothersome, talk to the people and educate them how it effects you. Do it nicely, and for the most part you will have a better time. Most will be accomadating, or dont even know what they are doing is wrong. There will be some that aren't as nice. But somehow, karma always wins out in the end.

When we were waiting for our house to be ready to move into, we camped for almost 2 months. At one of the places, it was really an old pasture that ran along the ocean. It was a hill with 4 levels of campers. We were in the second row from the top. During the week, we were the only ones there but on weekends, the place got much busier. One weekend, that was a trailer down at the lowest level that was blaring their music. I tolerated it during the day but when even came along, I went to talk to them about the volume of their music. What was really interesting, is that at their site, the music really wasn't overly loud. I didn't even ask them to turn it down because it was really not loud there ~ but at our site 2 rows above, it was much louder than it was at their site..... strange....

 

[PopUpSteve]

They saw you coming and gradually turned it down as you got closer, then back up as you left.

 

[Marlene60]

Rules are there for a reason, either to protect the people, vehicles, or the campground. You don't know how many times I wish I had a portable speed bump to stop speeders, or saw/put out a campfire after the site occupant is long gone. People who go out for the day but leave their dog in the RV to bark for hours. People who entertain the campground with their music. Parents who let their offspring free-range on everyone campsites but their own. Yet, God help you if they trip on the clearly marked guild-line for your awning or hit their head running under your bunkend. There're a million examples of campground misbehavior.

How many times in the last two years have you heard the phase "Rules for thee but not for me". Doesn't that piss you off?

I'm SO with you on this, Steve! It peeves me off to no end seeing campers breaking all the rules. They are there for a reason. We drove up to our last spot (Bear Country, Algonquin Park), and someone had left all their garbage on the site, plastic bottles strewn all over the place, old pans, boxes from new somethingorothers they bought, and the fire still blazing away. Just left it all there - rude, selfish, and entitled. Ya...call me Karen...but I can't stand it.

 

[Snow]

Radio free loops? Never heard of such a thing. Is that common in Canada?

Lots of Ontario Provincial Parks have radio free loops as well as pet free loops.. now you can get away with a radio playing in those loops, as long as you keep the volume low.. and I mean low.. like within 2 ft of the radio you hear it but 5ft away you don't.. And yes, cats do count as a pet in pet free loops and not allowed.. had this discussion with a park warden, when she came to discuss my noisy dogs.. Dogs saw the cat at the backing site (which was in a pet free loop, I was not).. warden left my site and went to investigate.. cat owners were told to either cage the cat or leave..

 

[Snow]

I'm SO with you on this, Steve! It peeves me off to no end seeing campers breaking all the rules. They are there for a reason. We drove up to our last spot (Bear Country, Algonquin Park), and someone had left all their garbage on the site, plastic bottles strewn all over the place, old pans, boxes from new somethingorothers they bought, and the fire still blazing away. Just left it all there - rude, selfish, and entitled. Ya...call me Karen...but I can't stand it.

I could tell you some good stories about the bears and raccoons of Grundy..
1- the bears are smart.. there were two who hung out at the garbage bins in the evening.. they climbed on top of them and waited for unsuspecting campers to drop off garbage.. they only made noise, trying to scare people into dropping their garbage.. Staff actually had names for the pair and would go down and shoo them away if someone reported the bears..

2- the raccoons are even smarter.. had a whole family one night start cutting across my site to get into the tent campers dinning tent behind me (those people kept all their food in coolers and boxes in that tent).. short list of what I know was stolen that night.. marshmallows, bacon, fudge, at least 1 loaf of bread, sausages, bag of chips and an attempted theft of their Tim's donuts ... Park rangers on foot patrol heard all the yelling as the raccoons attacked the dinning tent... lol campers were gone the next day..

 

[Sherronlee]

I'm SO with you on this, Steve! It peeves me off to no end seeing campers breaking all the rules. They are there for a reason. We drove up to our last spot (Bear Country, Algonquin Park), and someone had left all their garbage on the site, plastic bottles strewn all over the place, old pans, boxes from new somethingorothers they bought, and the fire still blazing away. Just left it all there - rude, selfish, and entitled. Ya...call me Karen...but I can't stand it.

Wow, how stupid can some people be? That is beyond rude, selfish & entitled! Completely ignorant! I have to wonder though, are people really that bad or do they just really not know better? With the huge influx of people joining the world of campers ~ has anyone ever taught them the common courtesy / responsibility that that comes with camping? I suspect these people would treat a hotel room the same way ~ expecting that it is someone else's job to clean up after them.... I am in no way defending them ~ just wonder if people are really that bad intentionally???

 

[tfischer]

there's always the one-off that brings the dog that barks at everyone that walks by, and then when we walk by with our well-behaved and quiet dog and theirs goes ballistic, give us the evil eye as if WE caused the situation.

Happened again over the 4th. Campsite across the campground had two black labs. The would go absolutely ballistic if we walked anywhere within 100' of their campsite with our dog. The wife seemed apologetic but the husband kind of glared at us as if this were somehow our fault.

 

[tfischer]

Wow, how stupid can some people be? That is beyond rude, selfish & entitled! Completely ignorant! I have to wonder though, are people really that bad or do they just really not know better? With the huge influx of people joining the world of campers ~ has anyone ever taught them the common courtesy / responsibility that that comes with camping? I suspect these people would treat a hotel room the same way ~ expecting that it is someone else's job to clean up after them.... I am in no way defending them ~ just wonder if people are really that bad intentionally???

While I admire your ability to try to see the good in people... I fail to comprehend ANY situation that leaving litter everywhere is acceptable. This isn't a "training" issue but an "entitlement" issue. Just like the guy who, as were were leaving a fireworks display in our vehicle, passed us and a long line of cars waiting at a 4 way stop by driving in the opposing traffic lane the wrong way, then ran the stop sign, doing an illegal turn in front of the person who it should have been their turn. Too many people just don't give a **** about anyone else these days.

 

[PopUpSteve]

@Marlene60 Sometimes I think people should have to checkout from their campsite by the camp host or a ranger. Then you can't leave until your campsite is clean.

My mother use to say "Leave a place cleaner then you found it".

 

[Sjm9911]

@Marlene60 Sometimes I think people should have to checkout from their campsite by the camp host or a ranger. Then you can't leave until your campsite is clean.

My mother use to say "Leave a place cleaner then you found it".

My mother just said pick that up and then hit me with a wooden spoon. Whatever works I guess.

 

[Oldspurs]

@Marlene60 Sometimes I think people should have to checkout from their campsite by the camp host or a ranger. Then you can't leave until your campsite is clean.

My mother use to say "Leave a place cleaner then you found it".

I like the idea of approved campsite, before leaving. There is a way to get persons to do the right thing, it is called a security deposit. Clean site, you get your security deposit back, not clean, lesson learned. Following the concept of your Mother, " Leave a place cleaner than you found it". My Father had Rules, WWII Marine, South Pacific. If you open it, close it. If you move it, put it back. If you break it, repair it. You see where this is going. His last Rule was, Take pride in all things you do, Always leave a favorable impression no matter where you go. Finally we were trained to " treat others as you wish to be treated, no exceptions". If all else failed, as Sjm 9911, stated, " a wooden spoon would adjust your attitude. lol See you on the trail.

 

[PopUpSteve]

People would bitch too much if you billed them after the fact or took their deposit. Better to make them clean it before they leave.

 

[p]

I had an incident last weekend where I asked the campground host to turn off his giant sound system (I can't emphasize enough the word giant) at 12:30 am. He started swearing at me and put his fist in my face saying I was now banned for life. Later that week, people who had reserved for the week were also told to leave. The campground is affiliated with the Lions Club of Alberta. I sent an incident report to all of the clubs executive but have not been told what their actions will be. The campground was called Castle River rodeo grounds campground.

 

[xxxapache]

I vote no for a checkout inspection. The last thing I want is to have wait around for someone to inspect my site.

 

[Susan Premo]

Our favorite campground had a quiet section. No radios or generators allowed at those site. We loved the sounds of nature, of kids laughing and having fun. I wish all campgrounds had a quiet section.

Definitely!