I always stealth camp anywhere I go. I hate the thought of staying at WalMart, and I never use them even though I shop there. I use truck stops or I park on public streets typically. A week ago on a Wednesday night I was in San Francisco with my girlfriend in my 2005 Chinook. I found that it was okay to park overnight at the parking lot of Baker beach in SF. It was quiet and dark. I was fast asleep at 4 AM when I was awoken by some very loud music. I got up and got dressed, pissed off I stomped on the floor of my RV and purposely set off the alarm. (Siren goes off and park lights flash) Their music stopped momentarily as I made my way up to the drivers seat to drive my RV in to a nearby neighborhood so my girl and I could finish resting. As I left I could see it's a bunch of dudes smoking while standing next to their car a few spats away from my RV. Ever had this happen to you while stealth camping?

Hate to tell you this, but that wasn't smart on your part. Baker Beach is part of the GGNRA, and is patrolled by park rangers. Parking there isn't really stealthy. Not to be preachy, but I don't think overnight camping is allowed. Those guys should not have been there either. You're probably lucky they weren't there to cause trouble. I grew up in SF and I generally have a pretty good street sense. Head across the bridge over to the more isolated parts of Marin towards Point Reyes if you want to stealth camp.

So what's your complaint?Kids out to party are looking for the same kinds of out of the way places where people won't complain about them.If you want quiet hours, pay up for a campground, then you call in the management if people are disturbing the peace.

So your pissed off because someone else was doing something they weren't supposed to do and it interrupted you from doing something you weren't supposed to do?

I find highway rest areas and truck stops next to highways as the best places to simply overnight. Lots of trucks around keeps the rifraf to a minimum. I don’t do Walmart’s as the6 seem to attract beggars, homeless and general undesirables.

You get what you pay for.. You pay nothing (because you are cheap) you get nothing (issues) in return.

Safety & Security while Stealth Camping | Good Sam Community

toedtoes
Explorer III
Mar 15, 2018
Next time, call the police and tell them you are camped in the parking lot and a bunch of guys are there smoking and playing loud music and it's disturbing your sleep. They'll come out and tell the riffraff to leave.
Rbertalotto
Explorer
Mar 15, 2018
Lots of folks Boondock....We are not cheap, just practical. While traveling, having to drive sometimes miles from the highway and then find the campground and then check in can easily eat hours from your travel time.
Please keep your negative comments civil....There is enough name calling on various forums. No need to bring it here. Thanks
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Mar 15, 2018
You get what you pay for.. You pay nothing (because you are cheap) you get nothing (issues) in return.
Rbertalotto
Explorer
Mar 15, 2018
I find highway rest areas and truck stops next to highways as the best places to simply overnight. Lots of trucks around keeps the rifraf to a minimum. I don’t do Walmart’s as the6 seem to attract beggars, homeless and general undesirables.
jfkmk
Explorer
Mar 15, 2018
So your pissed off because someone else was doing something they weren't supposed to do and it interrupted you from doing something you weren't supposed to do?
valhalla360
Navigator
Mar 15, 2018
So what's your complaint?

Kids out to party are looking for the same kinds of out of the way places where people won't complain about them.

If you want quiet hours, pay up for a campground, then you call in the management if people are disturbing the peace.
Lexx
Explorer
Mar 15, 2018
Hate to tell you this, but that wasn't smart on your part. Baker Beach is part of the GGNRA, and is patrolled by park rangers. Parking there isn't really stealthy. Not to be preachy, but I don't think overnight camping is allowed. Those guys should not have been there either. You're probably lucky they weren't there to cause trouble. I grew up in SF and I generally have a pretty good street sense.

Head across the bridge over to the more isolated parts of Marin towards Point Reyes if you want to stealth camp.

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