Campsite stakers.

[petrel]

I feel the same way about all of Florida for the entire winter! It isn't fair that the snowbirds get to hog the entire state for the whole winter, so us vacationers can't escape the cold for a few weeks here and there!

In all seriousness, I get what you are saying, but if no rules are broken and the bill is paid to the facility owner's satisfaction...

[Crasher]

If I'm a park owner, and someone wanted to pay for a site for a period of one week, one month or the one season but only use it on weekends, I'm ok with that. That's less wear and tear on the facilities with the revenue of full occupancy. What park wouldn't want that??

[Bigceasar]

Nice policy, but how could it possibly be enforced? People leave their sites to sightsee, shop, eat out, hike etc. How much intrusion into a campers use is okay? I wouldn’t want camp hosts or Rangers peering into my windows or knocking on the door at 2am to see if the rig was occupied. And if I took a multi day trip, hike or tour I sure would be irate if my rig was towed off my paid for site.
A site that is reserved and the renter doesn’t show is one thing and policies that would release the site would be easy to implement. One requiring on site rigs to be occupied daily is much more problematic.

[Steverino]

IMHO the key here is public vs private.

Private - that's up to the owners, it is literally their business.

Public - that's a resource to be shared by all. Often the rates are much lower, too. It's one thing if there's little demand and anyone who wants to can get a site at that time. If the opposite is true and all sites are booked, there should be rules enforced that you must occupy a site, or pay a significant upcharge, or some other penalty.

Unlike a private campground where the point is that the owners rent out spaces to make money, a public campground's reason for existence is to allow the public to access outdoor spaces for their enjoyment / recreation. Therefore, if a public site is being held with no occupancy, it is not being used for its intended purpose.

[Old-Biscuit]

WE could be mistaking as 'not occupying' our CG Site.
We leave early AM to go adventuring, exploring, sight seeing, etc and return late

Our RV is for sleeping in....rarely just hanging out in CGs


I agree with others----sight paid for so they can come/go
RV parked on site/monies paid/nobody seen---is that any different then RV parked on site/monies paid and folks present???

[dvspl]

This doesn't seem like an issue to me. To those wanting to stay during the week, it seems selfish that others would deprive them of the use of that site during the week. To those that are only able to camp during the week, it seems selfish that they have to reserve a full week in order to be able to enjoy the site during the weekend when they're available. Both sides have legitimate perspectives.

[Backcountry1]

For all the “They paid for it, it’s their site, they can do what they want” people, here’s a question; If those same people removed their rv from the site all week but didn’t cancel the site, effectively making it a vacant spot, are they still good and ok?

Disclosure; I’m fully in the “I paid for it, it’s my site to use as to how I see fit” crowd.

[Marine359]

Private CGs can and should do what they want as far as occupancy. But, IMO, public CGs belong to the state or county or city, or federal government for the enjoyment of all. These CGs do not make money. In fact, the taxpayers of that jurisdiction are subsidizing campers who believe they have the right to prevent others from equitable enjoyment. Therefore if you’re keeping someone else from reserving a space by just parking something on it with no intent to use it, then you’re abusing a public resource. If it’s a real problem, citizens can petition the government authority that owns the CG and request existing regulations be enforced, or request a hearing to modify the regulations. I’m not with the: “ I paid so I can abuse crowd”.

[dizcom]

If it's a free site and you're just leaving your stuff there so no one else can use it, that's very different from having paid for it and just not being there.



They do enforce the rule about unoccupied sites with stuff on them. When the crews come around they throw everything in the site into the dumpster. Reserved sites are different, paid or not. While that reservation is active, that site is yours. No one will bother you. Don't leave your stuff in a reserved site past your reservation though, or it's going too. Staff is so short that they have time for only one or two passes through a campground per day. They have zero time to look for you. I've watched some fairly nice gear find it's way to the local landfill.

[TravelSolo]

I think it sucks that people do that, but if it's not against the rules then I have to tolerate it.

About the half the campgrounds I have used had a nightly occupancy rule. I am sure that if you communicated to the host about what your plans and that you would not be back until the next morning or whatever then they would be fine.

Also private vs public resourcing. Private can do what they want and I can choose to not do business there however public sites are public and should not support was is essentially squatting

The NFS has this rule
• Leaving camping equipment unattended for more than 24 hours
without permission. 36 CFR 261.16 (i).

[dbircky]

Originally Posted by baraff

Part of the problem is the Senior Pass makes these sites so inexpensive that it's worth it to them to spend $45 for the week to have a guaranteed site for the weekend.
It's abuse of the system and it's going to ruin it for the rest of us.
What are your thoughts on this?

Absolutely agree, making cheap campsites even cheaper simply leads to this kind of activity. I’d like to see that if a person hasn’t checked in by a certain time or hasn’t occupied the site by a certain time, the reservation is cancelled and made available for others.
I don’t know how you could check if there’s actually people on the site if they leave their equipment on it. I’m like old biscuit, up and gone early and often back after dark. $45 a week is very cheap RV storage by the way.

[CamperLifer]

If you want that campsite, reserve it before the other guy. 6 months out.

[Mudfrog]

Staking out a site doesn't work at campgrounds with a reservation system that allows the reserving of specific sites. But a couple of the parks we visit do have some "first come" sites that could possibly be staked out. Granted, there is a rule that requires actual overnight occupation of the site,, but who knows how well that rule is enforced.

Imo, it would be disrespectful for a person to grab a first come site on a Thursday but then not actually use it until Friday.

[MO Fred]

IMHO… this is a subject that needs no debate. You pay for it and it’s yours. If you have a problem with it, reserve the site to your liking before the other guy does.