We like barbecue+beer and have some basic questions about this:1 - Is it acceptable/legal to have a barbecue with beer at all RV Parks, even at state parks and a good rest area ? 2 - At some RV parks firecamps signs and firerings options are showed. Does this means that we can have an barbecue at that places ?Thanks

#1 No, a lot of places prohibit beer. Generally though, if you are minding your business and not bothering anyone else they don't enforce the no beer rules. Rest areas... that is usually considered a public area and its usually illegal to drink in public. Police will usually enforce that law.#2 What do you mean by barbecue? Do you just mean a grill and cooking over an open fire? If so, you can do that just about anywhere (unless there is a wildfire risk).

Every campground has it's own set of rules. Some are more restrictive about open fires and alcohol use than others, so there's no general rule. Rest areas are for resting, not camping. Fires, BBQ's, etc, are generally not permitted. Alcohol use in a rest area would be subject to the applicable state laws regarding open containers, etc.

According to your sig. I see your in Florida. I can't comment on Florida law but here In Michigan most of the State parks are posted no alcohol. Private parks are at the owners discretion. As for rest areas, Most are adjacent to the freeway. There is basically a zero tolerance for drinking and driving In Michigan. If the police conclude that you even look visibly impaired, they will haul you away. So beware of the States laws that you pass through. Not that I condone drinking but do it responsibly and, where applicable, incognito. ;-) Happy camping and Cheers !!!

airton.aragao wrote:We like barbecue+beer and have some basic questions about this:1 - Is it acceptable/legal to have a barbecue with beer at all RV Parks, even at state parks and a good rest area ? No, not at all RV Parks...many are starting to prohibit it....rest areas generally no...2 - At some RV parks firecamps signs and firerings options are showed. Does this means that we can have an barbecue at that places ?Check with the parkThanks

It varies from place to place and depends on whether you staying in a State or Federal or private campground. Private campgrounds make their own rules and they vary widely. We camp mostly in California state campgrounds and have never seen a ban on alcohol. Generally, the rule is you're not supposed to take your beer outside of your campsite, though I seen it done all the time, ie, people walking around looking at other rigs with a beer in their hand. While in your campsite, you can do whatever you want so long as your not disturbing your neighbors. In 10 years of camping, I found most people keep to themselves and don't bother anyone so the alcohol question never comes up. Other states may be more restrictive.As to BBQ, I've never seen any restrictions on it, though private campgrounds likely have stricter rules.

Barbecue + beer: Is it ok in every RV camp ? | Good Sam Community

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Mar 29, 2014
The "no alcohol" rule is posted so the park can choose to have you removed if the need arises. If you are sitting quietly around a campfire you can have the can on the ground next to you and they will not bother you!
NYCgrrl
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
According to the various states' websites, currently, the states you'll be travelling through have no burn bans so you can grill without problems. As others have noted, most state camp grounds have grills or fire pits on site. I'm guessing you are used to grilling with charcoal so buy yourself a Weber Anywhere grill to be sure:

Weber Anywhere Charcoal Grill

For a fire starter one of these will keep you from tasting icky petroleum starting products on your food:

fire starter
Get the smallest one you can find if you opt to buy a Weber Anywhere; larger is better for the camp site's fire grill.
As far as beer...a cup sleeve or Solo red cup is your friend. The alcohol bans some parks have is really meant for those who bring beer kegs, Journey tapes and howl at the moon...

Hope this helps
bikendan
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
Wow, i had no idea so many different state park campgrounds banned alcohol!

there's no such ban in the California State Park's campgrounds, except possibly one or two.
in 35 years of camping here, i've never seen such a ban at any of the state parks we camp at.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Mar 29, 2014
wingsfan20 wrote:
dalejiw25 wrote:
According to your sig. I see your in Florida. I can't comment on Florida law but here In Michigan most of the State parks are posted no alcohol. Private parks are at the owners discretion.

There are only a few State Park campgrounds in Michigan that do not allow alcohol and are posted as such. Like Waterloo and Silver Lake. Most Mich SP's allow alcohol. As a rule, if you keep it to your site and not be rowdy, there should be no problem

Gee. It is not a park rule, it is a state law. Thus it applies to ALL parks.. Enforcement, however varies. The following is true.

Got a call from the park rangers, Car in creek next to bridge. Sen troopers. who found the car, as advertised, driver plastered (inoxicaed) and in no small part due to something I did we automatically checked his parole status with Department of Corrections.. now most drivers that status is "No record found" but this dude was not most.. he was in fact on parole.. Special conditions of parole
No consumption of alcohol
No being in a place where it is served
No possession
No operation of Motor vehicle without written permission of parole agent.
Must submit to chemical tests

And it was still early enough in the evening for me to call his PA too. Which did him a world of good since he was "Smart" enough to refuse the breathalyzer...

Yup. Do not drink and Drive in MI. epically in a state park.

You may wonder what happened to him.> Well since he violated just about every special condition of his parole, as well as some of the standard ones.. He was given some additional contemplative time in a place of criminal contemplation. (Returned to prison). Though a long long way from the primary reason I do not drink booze (Which is that I simply do not like the taste).. This coudl be called reason number whatever.
Tothill
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
Wow some State Parks have tough rules.

Here in BC Provincial Parks, you are allowed to consume alcohol in your site. You are not supposed to walk around with it.

You can cook on a grill/campfire/camp stove etc. But if there is a campfire ban you can only cook outside on a grill or camp stove.

I have hear rumours that some Provincial Parks will have alcohol bans on long weekends, but we have not encountered that.
doxiemom11
Explorer II
Mar 29, 2014
Hmmmm - by barbeque, do you mean that you want large groups of people to come and enjoy the bbq and beer? Such as a bbq party? That would not be what most campgrounds would want. Many parks prohibit alcohol. When we have hosted a parks that prohibited it, we wouldn't bother you unless you were walking around with a beer bottle/can in your hand , or you were visably impaired or causing a problem. Now if you had your beer in a cup, I do not know what is in that cup, so just don't get plastered.
dalejiw25
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
Just a quick FYI for Mi. Campers and Boaters.

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10365_10883-31330--,00.html
chezmoose
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
wingsfan20 wrote:
dalejiw25 wrote:
According to your sig. I see your in Florida. I can't comment on Florida law but here In Michigan most of the State parks are posted no alcohol. Private parks are at the owners discretion.

There are only a few State Park campgrounds in Michigan that do not allow alcohol and are posted as such. Like Waterloo and Silver Lake. Most Mich SP's allow alcohol. As a rule, if you keep it to your site and not be rowdy, there should be no problem

Whew! We've been camping in state parks and state forest campgrounds in Michigan for years and I've never seen the "no alcohol" postings. Thought maybe I missed some fine print somewhere...

It is our camp tradition to crack a cold one as soon as we unhook the vehicle from the camper. Kind of a celebratory toast sort of thing...
dalejiw25
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
"But that is mostly Northern imports, (We call them Yankees) That do that."

Only a southerner (we call em Hillbillies) would actually know the difference between a hot dog and a brat.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Mar 29, 2014
Terryallan wrote:
Grit dog wrote:
Ha, illegal to drink beer or grill food while camping?
I don't even know what to say.......
Can't say I've ever even heard of such a thing! Maybe never read the signs??
No beer....that's funny!

The signs say No Alcohol. Does beer have alcohol in it? If so. It's against "Most" campground rules

And "most" campgrounds aren`t going to know I have a beer!