Claiming a first come campsite

mich800 wrote:

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

Not sure why one would do it any other way. Set up, go pay the tube, have fun you are done.

Problem is that if you pay the money in the tube no one who comes after you knows what spot you have paid for!

The quote is from BLM "Camping equipment and/or a recreational vehicle is set up at the site to clearly indicate the site is taken."
So that is the BLM policy for their campgrounds.

I go to the office see whats open drive thru pick 3 then back to the office most of the time we get are first pick. after you PAID no one can take it.

mowermech wrote:

sherpaxc wrote:
Ok, so here is a question I'll be dealing with this summer.
3 families meeting up in a campground. Half of it is first come first served. We are arriving on a Monday from different parts of the country. Would it be kosher if the first family went ahead and claimed (and paid) for 3 spots knowing that all three will be occupied by the end of the day? It's a very popular campground in Colorado which is why we are arriving on a Monday in hopes of there being 3 sites available.
Thoughts?

I don't know about where you are, but around here some USFS campgrounds have reservable "Group sites" for large gatherings. If a local campground has such, it might be what you need to do. Just reserve the "Group Site" (or area) for your family.

According to the rules previously posted, ("At least one camper must occupy site on first night and campers may not leave equipment unattended for more than 24 hours.") each site MUST have a camper the first night. IF your family members WILL arrive before dark, you have complied with the rules as they are written. If all else fails, put up a pup tent and let one of the kids sleep in it. The rule has been complied with!
When in doubt, ask the Camp Host for guidance!

Well that was kind of my thoughts as well. If I know for a fact that they are just a few hours behind me, I really didn't see any harm in going ahead and paying for the site for them. According to the rules that so many people on this thread are adamant about following, I would be within the rules. Ultimately, I'm a reasonable person and will just go straight to the camp host and ask. I just brought it up for discussion. It's a really small campground and is very popular. I'm not even gonna mention it. But it's my all time favorite spot in the U.S. Hopefully arriving on a Monday will increase our chances. It's just 3 trailers.

FIRST COME FIRST SERVE is pretty self-explanatory… the actual person renting AND occupying the site, is there to take possession

and pay or register the site… then mark the site as occupied…







Anything less is holding of the site and not folloing the rules of FCFS…

We left a chair it a State Park in OR.The camp host told us that it would be OK but..If it was gone and the site taken by some one else,when we returned with the trailer,that it would be "too bad,how sad"
The trailer parked at an RV park about a mile away,and we were out and about
checking out the area.
Fortunatly,when we returned with the trailer,about an hour later,the chair was still there and we had the site for a week.We were "newbies" at the time and the site was an easy back in (which I really needed) and there were other sites available.

TUCQUALA wrote:


Leaving tomorrow morning for a site that hopefully will be available and won't have the usual drop in's after we set up!! Maybe the snow predicted will slow down or discourage some of them!! If taken, there many other sites to choose from, which is why I wonder why they feel they can squat next to you!!

Is the road to the lake open, "Tucquala"? ;)

Fortune Creek's my favorite d.c. spot along there...

This happens in the true boondocking, dispersed arena!! Have had persons drive into a campsite that we have "occupied" to leave their camper for the next weekend or whatever. When refused, they act like the site is their private, not to be used by anybody else, campsite. The first come idea sometimes goes out the window.

Another trick we see in the local Nat Forest sites is someone hauling their rig up a week (and sometimes more!!) early and leaving till the big weekends. Again, against NF rules, and not enforced around here. Many are left for more than the 14 days that rules state, and are only occupied some weekends.

I'll also say that these "campers" also some of the worst for trash left around the site and in the fire pits.

Leaving tomorrow morning for a site that hopefully will be available and won't have the usual drop in's after we set up!! Maybe the snow predicted will slow down or discourage some of them!! If taken, there many other sites to choose from, which is why I wonder why they feel they can squat next to you!!

sherpaxc wrote:
Ok, so here is a question I'll be dealing with this summer.
3 families meeting up in a campground. Half of it is first come first served. We are arriving on a Monday from different parts of the country. Would it be kosher if the first family went ahead and claimed (and paid) for 3 spots knowing that all three will be occupied by the end of the day? It's a very popular campground in Colorado which is why we are arriving on a Monday in hopes of there being 3 sites available.
Thoughts?

I don't know about where you are, but around here some USFS campgrounds have reservable "Group sites" for large gatherings. If a local campground has such, it might be what you need to do. Just reserve the "Group Site" (or area) for your family.

According to the rules previously posted, ("At least one camper must occupy site on first night and campers may not leave equipment unattended for more than 24 hours.") each site MUST have a camper the first night. IF your family members WILL arrive before dark, you have complied with the rules as they are written. If all else fails, put up a pup tent and let one of the kids sleep in it. The rule has been complied with!
When in doubt, ask the Camp Host for guidance!

ddndoug wrote:

Dolph wrote:
I always left my ex-wife sitting in a chair at the site as a marker that we were going to occupy the site, in the next few days.

Maybe that's why she's your "ex-wife". LOL

:B


Doug

I'm wondering how long she has been sitting at the last site?

sherpaxc wrote:
Ok, so here is a question I'll be dealing with this summer.
3 families meeting up in a campground. Half of it is first come first served. We are arriving on a Monday from different parts of the country. Would it be kosher if the first family went ahead and claimed (and paid) for 3 spots knowing that all three will be occupied by the end of the day? It's a very popular campground in Colorado which is why we are arriving on a Monday in hopes of there being 3 sites available.
Thoughts?

Absolutely NOT right , not moral and just wrong!
"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. "
and thanks to the above poster for that quote.