Pa Open for Camping

I just saw today that although the Delaware State Parks will open for camping on Friday, May 15th.... IF you are traveling from out of state, YOU MUST SELF QUARANTINE for 14 days... that would take DE out of the mix for Memorial Day if true....

GDS-3950BH wrote:
PA might sort of be open for camping unless you prefer State Parks.
Hot off the presses. The yellow area are 24 of the 67 counties in the Northwest and North central part of the state. For all others, looks like sometime in June.........maybe. Sure are using the word "Indefinitly" a lot.

"State park and forest facilities including offices, campgrounds, and the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle in the counties in the yellow phase will be open to the public on May 15.

Cabins in the yellow areas will not open until June 12, to allow returning staff the ability to thoroughly clean them and prepare them for use.

Campgrounds and cabins in all other state parks will remain closed.

With the exception of one restroom in each day use area and marina, all state park and forest facilities outside of the counties in the yellow phase will remain closed until changes are made consistent with Obergruppenfuhrer Wolf’s guidelines for reopening.

The public can still access DCNR trails, lakes, rivers, streams, forests, roads, and parking areas statewide for recreation."

Playgrounds and Nature Play Areas

All playgrounds and nature play areas statewide will remain closed indefinitely.

Interpretive Centers and Ampitheaters

All interpretive centers and amphitheaters statewide will remain
closed indefinitely.

Group Camping

All group camping facilities statewide will remain closed closed indefinitely.


Swimming Beaches

Swimming beaches statewide will be closed until June 6.

Swimming Pools

DCNR is still in discussions with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to determine swimming pool openings, and what the recommended guidance will be for use of pools.

Programs and Events

All programs, events, and large gatherings at state parks and forests in counties that are designated red are cancelled through June 15.

Based on availability, organizers will have the option to reschedule later in the year. No new reservations for these activities are being taken.

In counties designated yellow, any events with more than 25 people will be cancelled. If the event is under 25 people and outdoors it will be allowed to occur, however any indoor events will be cancelled.

Pavilions

Consistent with obergruppenfuhrer Wolf’s guidelines for reopening, facilities such as pavilions will only be available for groups under 25 and will be on a first come first serve basis.

Picnic tables in state parks will be dispersed to allow room to spread out and avoid crowds.

COVID-19 and Outdoor Recreation Reminders

Campsites and cabins should only be used by members living in the same household as part of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

People who live in areas still under stay-at-home orders should not travel long distances for outdoor recreation, and instead should look for opportunities close to home.

My understanding is all Pa state parks will be open on May 22. Cabins and many other things in the parks will not open until later this summer. They haven't really said what will happen with the restrooms.

PA might sort of be open for camping unless you prefer State Parks.
Hot off the presses. The yellow area are 24 of the 67 counties in the Northwest and North central part of the state. For all others, looks like sometime in June.........maybe. Sure are using the word "Indefinitly" a lot.

"State park and forest facilities including offices, campgrounds, and the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle in the counties in the yellow phase will be open to the public on May 15.

Cabins in the yellow areas will not open until June 12, to allow returning staff the ability to thoroughly clean them and prepare them for use.

Campgrounds and cabins in all other state parks will remain closed.

With the exception of one restroom in each day use area and marina, all state park and forest facilities outside of the counties in the yellow phase will remain closed until changes are made consistent with Obergruppenfuhrer Wolf’s guidelines for reopening.

The public can still access DCNR trails, lakes, rivers, streams, forests, roads, and parking areas statewide for recreation."

Playgrounds and Nature Play Areas

All playgrounds and nature play areas statewide will remain closed indefinitely.

Interpretive Centers and Ampitheaters

All interpretive centers and amphitheaters statewide will remain
closed indefinitely.

Group Camping

All group camping facilities statewide will remain closed closed indefinitely.


Swimming Beaches

Swimming beaches statewide will be closed until June 6.

Swimming Pools

DCNR is still in discussions with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to determine swimming pool openings, and what the recommended guidance will be for use of pools.

Programs and Events

All programs, events, and large gatherings at state parks and forests in counties that are designated red are cancelled through June 15.

Based on availability, organizers will have the option to reschedule later in the year. No new reservations for these activities are being taken.

In counties designated yellow, any events with more than 25 people will be cancelled. If the event is under 25 people and outdoors it will be allowed to occur, however any indoor events will be cancelled.

Pavilions

Consistent with obergruppenfuhrer Wolf’s guidelines for reopening, facilities such as pavilions will only be available for groups under 25 and will be on a first come first serve basis.

Picnic tables in state parks will be dispersed to allow room to spread out and avoid crowds.

COVID-19 and Outdoor Recreation Reminders

Campsites and cabins should only be used by members living in the same household as part of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

People who live in areas still under stay-at-home orders should not travel long distances for outdoor recreation, and instead should look for opportunities close to home.

GordonThree wrote:


That said, there's surely national forest available for you to camp in? Being self reliant all you need is an a clearing in the trees, right?

I think you will find that there is only one national forest in Pennsylvania and it has only a few sites available for dispersed camping. It is currently listed as closed.

Mosseater Wrote:
Can anybody explain how me camping 50 feet away from another family outdoors is anywhere near an considered risk?

At this point I agree to some extent some things can be opened up.
But understand the virus is spread through human interaction. It can also be spread by people who don't realize they are spreading it..
When you go camping you will have at least 1 interaction along the way.
Be it checking in,getting gas,getting food,getting firewood somewhere in the process you will have an encounter with someone else. Apply that thinking to everyone in the campground. Every camper had at least one encounter during related to that trip. Add in the idea that you may have brought the virus from your community Dillsburg,PA and spread it to my community Ellicott City Md via the firewood guy or some other mutually encountered person!
Now we can think that is all far fetched except the virus spread from Wuhan, China to the entire world one interaction at a time....None of those interactions were deliberately or intentionally done to spread the virus but they did.
Now at this point I can agree to open things up somewhat, The spread is not as bad as we feared and the hospitals except for NYC are generally not overwhelmed. However there is a risk to associated with allowing camping that is real and not imagined.

mosseater wrote:

Can anybody explain how me camping 50 feet away from another family outdoors is anywhere near an considered risk? I have more concern whether I'll have enough fire wood than I do about contracting covid 19. The media has been holding up the anomalies as legitimate concern for the masses. And the just aren't. This has to stop before we crash the whole economy over a now-diminishing threat. It's insane.

It's about punishing the haves for the sake of the have-nots. Opening a public park only to those who are self reliant is discrimination to those who can only afford to tent camp and need the public bathroom and shower facilities.

That said, there's surely national forest available for you to camp in? Being self reliant all you need is an a clearing in the trees, right?

I can source it if people need it, but this morning the news is officially that we don't officially know how many people have had it because many times the symptoms are non existent or very mild. The antibody testing underway in it's infancy stage already show that total cases indicated by current antibody testing show cases of contraction of upwards of ten fold over what we have "verified". The resulting death numbers, which they have already admitted were trumped up, make the likelyhood of contraction and death about .75% as of now, nation wide. Real numbers to be even lower in the final analysis, taking them somewhere near death numbers of shark attack and choking on food. These are not my thoughts conjectured to support opening up camping or any other business, but are now swiftly showing just how much we may have been hoodwinked.

Can anybody explain how me camping 50 feet away from another family outdoors is anywhere near an considered risk? I have more concern whether I'll have enough fire wood than I do about contracting covid 19. The media has been holding up the anomalies as legitimate concern for the masses. And the just aren't. This has to stop before we crash the whole economy over a now-diminishing threat. It's insane.

The vast majority of cases in PA are all close to Philly. The rest of the state, and it's a huge state, are doing well.

wildtoad wrote:
No miracle required, just don’t hug the guy in the next campsite...

Pennsylvania has a total estimated population of around 12,820,878.

To date, 42,050 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19. This says that .32% of the TOTAL population has been diagnosed with Covid-19, and/or have received treatment.

Of the people who have been diagnosed only 3.7% (1,597 deaths), died from it. The vast majority of these have been elderly, and had preexisting conditions. Not inferring that these deaths should be taken lightly. These are not huge numbers.

When compared to the total population, the number that have died represents a .012% of the population,

I think the numbers point out most residents and visitors to PA can go camping with a good sense that they will make it back home again NOT infected with Covid-19. Maybe a rash from poison ivey or some bug bites. So go camping and have fun.

This makes total sense for folks with completely self-contained RVs. We have been camping in our class B, so we use the dreaded restrooms. That's why we are hoping for a miracle. ;)

Cobra21 wrote:
If people are responsible and smart, it should work.

And here lies the problem. SC gets an F for Social Distancing and the few times I have been out it is very obvious why.

PA gets a C+.