Boondocking in a national park lodge parking lot?

realter wrote:
As long as this is an active thread, let me ask another ? Staying a night or 2 in Old Faithful Lodge is on my bucket list. Do those places have parking for oversized vehicles?

Yes, Southeast of the Lodge is a huge parking area. Don't use the parking area on the east side of the lodge as that is reserved for the Commercial buses.

b

The answer is no.

First, it isn't even boondocking. It would be dry camping in a parking lot. But the technical law that you would be violating is, Out of Bounds Camping. Which applies anywhere in Yellowstone and most other parks, including pullouts.

In 1970 there were two people that were illegally camping in the Old Faithful area and one was killed by a grizzly bear. Yes, the LE Rangers I force this very strictly, whether Old Faithful Inn, Lodge or Budget Cabins. Why risk it and incomvenience someone else? Plus how are you going to level out your camper? Typically the Backcountry office issues a permit to place in the window for vehicles being left overnight in a specific area/trailhead. The lodge Concession does the same thing for their guests. Will you have one to place in your windshield?

Enjoy the parks!

b

JimK-NY wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
You will not get away with boondocking in any of the major national parks. I did get away with it in Rainier.

:? I guess this means that Rainier is not a "major national park."

Actually, from his entire post, he did NOT get away with it. He asked the rangers before he parked if it would be OK - they said it was as long as he left very early.

He was given an exception due to a specific circumstance (sunrise photography). Had he just parked there without asking, he would have been sent on his way.

If there is a good reason for an action, most rangers are understanding if you talk to them first. If it's just about being cheap, or you don't bother talking to them first, you will get stopped.

There are a lot of incorrect assumptions here. The rangers did not say it would be OK to park at the sunrise overlook area. They said it was not patrolled after 5pm. Had I parked without asking, the result would have been the same. No rangers would have been around to send me on my way.

BTW, I had actually paid to stay in one of the campgrounds. A vacant parking lot was a whole lot better than dogs and music and crowded conditions.

I don't consider Rainier to be one of the major national parks. It is 17th for the number of visitors, but that is deceptive. It is so close to Seattle that it gets a lot of local, day visitors.

My mistake. I was giving you credit you didn't deserve.

toedtoes wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
You will not get away with boondocking in any of the major national parks. I did get away with it in Rainier.

:? I guess this means that Rainier is not a "major national park."

Actually, from his entire post, he did NOT get away with it. He asked the rangers before he parked if it would be OK - they said it was as long as he left very early.

He was given an exception due to a specific circumstance (sunrise photography). Had he just parked there without asking, he would have been sent on his way.

If there is a good reason for an action, most rangers are understanding if you talk to them first. If it's just about being cheap, or you don't bother talking to them first, you will get stopped.

There are a lot of incorrect assumptions here. The rangers did not say it would be OK to park at the sunrise overlook area. They said it was not patrolled after 5pm. Had I parked without asking, the result would have been the same. No rangers would have been around to send me on my way.

BTW, I had actually paid to stay in one of the campgrounds. A vacant parking lot was a whole lot better than dogs and music and crowded conditions.

I don't consider Rainier to be one of the major national parks. It is 17th for the number of visitors, but that is deceptive. It is so close to Seattle that it gets a lot of local, day visitors.

Kayteg1 wrote:

narcodog wrote:

The oP posted about National Parks,not commercial CG's

Looks to me that you think that those have rules reinforced by people with different mentality?
What makes you thinking this way?
Looks plays significant role in almost every part of our life.

When I first read Kayteg's comment, I thought the same thing "we're not talking about private campgrounds".

However, the point he makes is a good one. If you arrive looking like the Beverly Hillbillies and ask to park in the lot (or any other non-approved location), you are most likely going to be refused. They will likely see you as a potential problem that won't go away once you park.

If you arrive looking like "normal folks" and being able to produce some evidence of your specific request (as in the camera gear for taking sunset/sunrise photos), then you're more likely to get a go ahead.

narcodog wrote:

The oP posted about National Parks,not commercial CG's

Looks to me that you think that those have rules reinforced by people with different mentality?
What makes you thinking this way?
Looks plays significant role in almost every part of our life.

Kayteg1 wrote:
I think the look of your camper has good bearing on the decision as well.
In the past we've been attending RV rallies with our conversion.
Most of the parks had "10-years rule" meaning they would not allow rigs older than 10 years, but they never object to our 30 years old Prevost.

The oP posted about National Parks,not commercial CG's

I think the look of your camper has good bearing on the decision as well.
In the past we've been attending RV rallies with our conversion.
Most of the parks had "10-years rule" meaning they would not allow rigs older than 10 years, but they never object to our 30 years old Prevost.

DownTheAvenue wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
You will not get away with boondocking in any of the major national parks. I did get away with it in Rainier.

:? I guess this means that Rainier is not a "major national park."

Actually, from his entire post, he did NOT get away with it. He asked the rangers before he parked if it would be OK - they said it was as long as he left very early.

He was given an exception due to a specific circumstance (sunrise photography). Had he just parked there without asking, he would have been sent on his way.

If there is a good reason for an action, most rangers are understanding if you talk to them first. If it's just about being cheap, or you don't bother talking to them first, you will get stopped.

JimK-NY wrote:
You will not get away with boondocking in any of the major national parks. I did get away with it in Rainier.

:? I guess this means that Rainier is not a "major national park."