Definition of "Primitive" vs "Tent Only"

wxtoad wrote:
The Fort Worth office was very helpful and it appears the Canyon Lake "Admin Support Assistant" may be eating his words. Here is what Fort Worth had to say:

"Thank you for your inquiry concerning the definition of primitive camping.

In truth, there is not a single officially and universally recognized definition of what constitutes a "primitive" camping area or campsite, at least not within our agency. In the US Army Corps of Engineers program, the word almost invariably does mean that typical campsite utility services are not provided at individual sites. Beyond that, the word is used by the agency, and is understood by much of the public, to have a wide variety of meanings. What is considered a primitive campsite to an RV camper might be considered well-developed to a tent camper, or even to someone who sleeps in his pickup camper. In the many lakes within our Fort Worth District, for example, we have some RV sites without utilities which are referred to as primitive, we have some delineated but unimproved vehicle sites with developed tent pads which are referred to as primitive, and we have walk-in areas for tent camping referred to as primitive at which visitors are expected to park the vehicles some distance from the actual sites and "pack it in."

Because Canyon Park was constructed many years ago with very few level or adequate vehicular parking spots close to the picnic tables and cookers, it is impractical and even dangerous for RVs and camp trailers to attempt to utilize many of the sites in that park. For this and other reasons, overnight use of Canyon Park is limited to tent camping only.

You are correct that clarification of allowable uses at campsites in these parks is needed for prospective visitors to more accurately research public recreational opportunities. Our Canyon Lake staff will be adding this clarification to the lake's public website in the near future."

WxToad

Fantastic follow up by you! Good to see reasonable heads prevail. And FWIW an administrative support assistant named Jim would be a good go-to guy to handle all of the changes with follow up to be sure he did a proper job.