Camphosts

[Helotes2010]

I have just completed a month on the road in my RV. My activities are usually kayaking, biking, hiking so mostly I use State, fed, COE's. My question is I notice that several camp host make themselves at home. IMHO it is not their home. I always try to add to the place such as take a trip around the water and pick up trash etcs. I do not think host should setup feeders (birds, deer, etc) as this takes away from the "natural" setting. Most experts agree that wild animals should not be feed by humans. The same could be said about planters as this may introduce foreign species to the parks. The other issue is the 'junk" that many host have outside their campers.

[Jim Stewart]

Most people who work as Camp Hosts are fulltimers. As fulltimers, they like to make where they are like their home. Most people who would like to keep nature natural are not willing to be Camp Hosts. One persons "junk" is another persons treasure.

We were staying in a State Park once that only had a few sites with electric. I ran my generator to charge my batteries every other day. A gentleman came up to me on the third day and said, "shut your generator off, I did not come to nature to listen to your generator"! I said, "I did not come to nature to listen to you, so shut up"!

Seems like everyone's world revolves a very short distance.

Just my opinion!

[dsbike]

You both have valid points. I believe that the feeders should not be introduced into an enviroment that did not already belong there. But on the subject of the persons junk in the campsite, where do you keep your bikes & kayaks? They may look ugly to someone else. I also travel with my kayaks & bikes. I never thought about this until your post.

[FATMANAR]

I personally think you might be over reacting a little. I know that dragging a big camper or coach into the woods does nothing for the "Natural" settings....Happy Trails

[Elkhartjim]

My first thought was here we go chugging into the pristine forest with our gas or diesel rigs hoping to find a suitable spot to set up camp and oh no...there are those that have gone before us and obtained squatters rights by working at this place. How dare them set up a bird feeder on that tree, that's where I was going to hang my Coleman lantern with all its fumes to ward off those pesky mosquitos. Of course if the right bird comes I won't have to worry about the mosquitos because the bird will eat them. I really don't know why we can't all just get along.

Now where in the heck did I lean that fly rod?

[SKP Kirk]

With the majority of campground hosts and volunteers being full-timers, those sites are our homes. We probably know more about the proper feeding of the local birds than you do and we generally use guide lines about what to put out, if anything. Bird feeders in a park are no different than they are when in your yard or that of your neighbor.

We frequently have two flower pots out, or at times there has been a flower bed at the host site where we have planted flowers. And we also frequently have a tomato plant in a pot as well. The host sites nearly always have the same rules as do visitors and for use to keep our bikes, a canoe and perhaps a park supplied golf-cart at our site is no different than for you to do so.

The COE is particularly dependent upon volunteers.The gate attendants that you see there are not volunteers but rather contract employees who stay for six months per contract. The volunteers are the ones who do nearly all of the tree and shrub trimming, much of the plumbing and electrical maintenance, most carpentry projects and painting and a host of other things. The COE is a part of the Army and there is little budget for them and nearly all are short staffed and heavily dependent upon volunteer help. In fact the COE is making a big push to do more to recruit and keep volunteers because it is the only way that they can keep their parks open. You need to know that not one cent of the money taken in at the gate is returned to the park, but all of it goes into the US general fund to be doled our by Congress.

You may also be interested to know that we just left the Texas State Park that is nearest your home and that they too are very dependent upon help from volunteers and that they have three private RV sites that are for volunteers, only. That park is Government Canyon State Natural Area.

Most park volunteers are told by the staff to "make yourself at home here."

[navyblue]

OP,

If I were you I would worry if you are going to have state, fed, COE parks in the future in the next 2-3 years. If the present morons in D.C. keep spending us into the ground, you may want to start worrying if you are going to afford food and gas let alone go camping. As a 60 year old with a degree in Economics who reads 6-10 financial websites per day, I can tell YOU have NO idea how bad it is. If I can give you and others some FREE financial advice, take EVERY dollar you have in commercial banks and put in Credit Unions. 2010 is going to make 2008 look good

NAVYBLUE

[Bushman512003]

Yes and who is it You cry to if You dislike a fellow camper for what ever reason?Yup The same Man or Woman You are into about feeding the birds and haveing a few flowers.Get a life,grow up,give Your head a shake,Most are doing a job for You with out camp hosts You will pay more and get less..also remember the Host can and will get the boys in charge if needed so again I say give them a chance it is not a great job but it has a reason and the Man doing it has His reason also.

[read & learn]

I just want to say THANK YOU to all the camp hosts out there. It doesn't matter if you do it for a private or public CG. Knowing that there is someone on site we can go to any time is a great feeling.
This past winter we spend some time in the AZ desert on BLM and the camp host worked from Dawn to Dust making sure every one had their 14 day pass. We saw the ranger stop at a few RVs that did not display their pass and off the people would go and get their pass.
So again a big THANK YOU to the camp host.