had my fill of campgrounds

We find peace and quiet RV camping where the majority of folks don't want to camp - the desert. This type camping definitely keeps the partying and crowds at bay. Oregon has some incredibly serene, beautiful, and secluded desert areas in it's Central to Eastern parts.

We have something to do in the desert because we hunt for rocks there. However we also enjoy just putting out the awning, setting up lounge chairs, and kicking back with some cold drinks and a book. Our RV also has long range Internet access to keep up on the news if we wish and maintain family contact. We carry DVD movies along for evening entertainment when not sitting outside looking up at the stars. In poor weather we cuddle up inside with books and movies. We live in the trees, so do not consider them as a necessary treat whenever we're out and about camping in the RV.

When camping over a weekend, I fully expect to be subjected to noise at 1 AM. It's inevitable, like death and taxes. To that end, I always have a supply of foam earplugs on hand.

The folks who make me nuts are the ones who get up at the crack of dawn, turn on a radio and start making as much noise as possible. Don't they realize that some of us want to sleep off the previous night? :D

Niner, you are right that the quiet hours are supposed to start at 10. But large groups of drunk young people sometimes don't follow the rules. (Older people who have consumed even minor quantities of alcohol usually fall asleep before 10 -- please don't ask me how I know that.) And it is not a good idea to politely ask the party people to be quiet -- they are surprisingly disobedient. And there is no ranger on duty, and the campground host is already asleep, with earplugs firmly in place.

This scenario has only happened to us twice (both times in the local mountains of Southern California -- imagine that!), but it is not pleasant.

fly-boy wrote:
The folks who want to be loud and party all night are not being rude. In fact, they probably went out into the woods to do it because they follow the laws in place at home... These folks have just as much right to do that as you do to move to another more remote campsite.

It has been my experience that getting into remote/undeveloped sites is your best bet.

Really? Ever heard of campground quiet hours usually between 10PM and 6AM? USDA regs for USFS campgrounds, generally where we have "woods" since I see you are from Southern California.

Oasisbob wrote:
We actually had a drunk guy walk into the side of our HTT in the middle of the night....

Nah, probably just fell against it as he was urinating on your tires. :B

Jim, although I do not like campgrounds, I still use them from time to time. In national parks, there is usually no other choice. For an overnight, I sometimes don't have time to hunt for boondocking. And in a very rainy climate, I sometimes prefer a gravel pad to the deep mud of boondocking. Rarely, but it happens.

Bob

Welcome to the fold. It wont be long before you wonder why any one would use a campground.

We swore off state parks completely and many other campgounds...we especially avoi oing out on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day when the "seasonals" decide to bring out their trailers that they only tow on these 3 holidays and most are not safe setups

We have a fifth wheel that is completely self contained and that is the way we use it...we camp in many different parking lots whether they be a Walmart, casino, etc.

Yes- and don't forget to consult the local MVUM (motor vehicle use map). It will tell you what roads are off limits for what vehicles.

Forest camping rules vary widely. Our local regulations say I must stay within 30 feet from the road but I've read where other districts allow 300 feet.

Oasisbob wrote:
So I can camp anywhere not posted other wise? Really? Thanks guys

I presume you're talking about on National Forest (USDA) land, right? I want to make sure, because there are many Federal/State/Local agencies with jurisdiction over public lands, and I guarantee you that every one has its own rules!

Per National Forests:

Strictly speaking, and by Federal Law, one can camp anywhere on such lands unless forbidden/restricted by the Ranger District. But they don't have to post the prohibition at every wide spot in the road, if you know what I mean. It's up to us to check on the rules of the Forest we're on/in and to abide by them.

As recommended earlier, check with the District Office of the forest you're in. I do this as a matter of course anyway, not just to stay current with the rules, but for up-to-date info on road conditions and other hazards that often change unexpectedly. And anyway, I like the idea that someone knows I'm out there and at least generally where I am. This last especially since I often camp alone and without any means of communicating with the outside world.