Claiming a first come campsite

I checked the rules for several federally operated campgrounds, including National Park, Forest Service and BLM Web sites. This seems to be the standard: "At least one camper must occupy site on first night and campers may not leave equipment unattended for more than 24 hours." The wording was nearly identical for each site.

Trlrboy wrote:
I have several friends that "claim" sites like this all the time. Thee have a small pup tent and two cheap chairs that they leave at the site. One guy even has solar powered small latern that comes on when it's dark that he leaves by the side of the tent. The only time he does this is when it is a free site. If he can pay for the site several days in advance, it's his and I have to agree with that tactic. He gets the site he wants for the weekend and the park gets revenue that they normally would not have gotten because of their no-reservation policy. This is especially rampant in Oklahoma state parks.

I agree if they have paid and do not wish to use it till the weekend. My gripe is with the people that want to hold a site for the weekend and do not pay for the intervening days.

57 Panhead wrote:
My understanding is that on a federal first come first served campground such as NPS or BLM is that unless you are ready to occupy you are not supposed to leave any thing to "claim" the sight. I don't know what to suggest other than that. We arrive and setup and done, if we don't get a "choice" site then so be it.

I will say that it ticks me off to arrive at a site and see a lawn chair or cooler sitting there with nothing else. They are taking a site and not using it for a day or so and to me that just aint right. If you want to be the "first come" then set up and use the sight!

Steve

As long as they have paid for the site...who cares. BUT I have run into situations where they put chairs at a site to hold it and then they move to a more choice site. I asked the ranger if they had paid and he said no. To me that is just not right. JMHO

I have several friends that "claim" sites like this all the time. Thee have a small pup tent and two cheap chairs that they leave at the site. One guy even has solar powered small latern that comes on when it's dark that he leaves by the side of the tent. The only time he does this is when it is a free site. If he can pay for the site several days in advance, it's his and I have to agree with that tactic. He gets the site he wants for the weekend and the park gets revenue that they normally would not have gotten because of their no-reservation policy. This is especially rampant in Oklahoma state parks.

DutchmenSport wrote:
Carry a small pup tent with you all the time and set the tent up if you have to leave. This will mark the spot as taken. Would not hurt to leave a couple folding chairs out too. We've not ever had to do this with a TT, but if in a MH, and you want to leave your site for whatever reason, the small, inexpensive pup tent would mark your spot as taken.

X2

Local favorite CG has two sites I can fit in. I drive up to see if either is open, put a dollar store table cloth out and drop two chairs I got at a yard sale. One at the fire ring, the other in the site entrance with a sign that says occupied. I pay for the site. I run home, get the 5'ver and return. Never had a problem.

Sounds like you folks are talking more about an attempt to hold for days. However, I do mark a site if we're currently driving the campground looking for our preferred spot. This process never takes more than 5 minutes, but I will put out a marker for those few minutes until we decide there is nothing better.

First, I'm looking for a tag proving payment. No tag, check CG host if available. No CG host, no ranger & no evidence of recent occupation like fresh tire marks, footprints, used firepit, in other words, it is midweek & somebody is trying to make a claim, without paying, for the weekend, then I feel the site is fair game especially if other suitable sites are few or unavailable. I'll pay, keep my receipt. The site is mine. If the owner of the cones, chairs, pup tent, whatever comes along with proof otherwise, I'll move with apologies gladly.

tsetsaf wrote:

NCWriter wrote:

57 Panhead wrote:


I will say that it ticks me off to arrive at a site and see a lawn chair or cooler sitting there with nothing else. They are taking a site and not using it for a day or so and to me that just aint right. If you want to be the "first come" then set up and use the sight!

Steve

Really?....maybe they've already been enjoying their paid-for site in a smaller RV ( for days, for all you know), and just drove their RV over to the nearest grocery store, or to visit other areas in the park to hike...or see some local sights, planning to return later for dinner and a good night's sleep???

There is certainly no requirement I've ever heard of that after campers have selected and paid for their sites that they must occupy it continuously 24/7 during the reservation!

To answer the original poster, most of us leave chairs, and some use an orange traffic cone to indicate that we've paid for a site for that night.

We witnessed this first hand at Valley of Fire SP. A family from Germany had stayed the night and were staying the next night but only left their baby stroller while they drove the Camping World rental over to the main area of the park. Some not too nice weekend warriors showed up and decided the site was available and simply pushed the stroller into the road! Before I had a chance there were two other neighbors already righting the wrong.

In regard to the OP question: for nps and fs campgrounds possession by a camping unit is generally required.

This is a bit off topic but wanted to share. We drove to the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada only to find the campground full. We noticed a pickup with a fifth wheel hitch in one site with a tag in the window and across the road a fifth wheel trailer with no pickup. We asked the folks at the fifth wheel trailer who owned the pick up. They fessed up and told us they paid for the site and were saving it for their son. We had driven hundreds of miles and decided to call the park ranger. We got our spot. This saving sites is an unfair practice but who is to say the site is actually taken or being saved? I think the idea of a sign is a good idea if your only vehicle is your camper. If someone takes off work early or takes a day off can end up without a campsite due to someone paying for it and saving it for the children with a chair is not right in a first come first serve campground.

NCWriter wrote:

57 Panhead wrote:


I will say that it ticks me off to arrive at a site and see a lawn chair or cooler sitting there with nothing else. They are taking a site and not using it for a day or so and to me that just aint right. If you want to be the "first come" then set up and use the sight!

Steve

Really?....maybe they've already been enjoying their paid-for site in a smaller RV ( for days, for all you know), and just drove their RV over to the nearest grocery store, or to visit other areas in the park to hike...or see some local sights, planning to return later for dinner and a good night's sleep???

There is certainly no requirement I've ever heard of that after campers have selected and paid for their sites that they must occupy it continuously 24/7 during the reservation!

To answer the original poster, most of us leave chairs, and some use an orange traffic cone to indicate that we've paid for a site for that night.

We witnessed this first hand at Valley of Fire SP. A family from Germany had stayed the night and were staying the next night but only left their baby stroller while they drove the Camping World rental over to the main area of the park. Some not too nice weekend warriors showed up and decided the site was available and simply pushed the stroller into the road! Before I had a chance there were two other neighbors already righting the wrong.

In regard to the OP question: for nps and fs campgrounds possession by a camping unit is generally required.