Amount of people at campsite

Most stateor federal i have seen are 8. And if you talk to them and all family ok it. Trying to keep partiers out.

RVMike wrote:
We typically camp with 8-10 friends. Always use one site. Once at South Carlsbad in Ca we had 10 people with a max of 8 per site and had 2 campsites next to each other. We where having dinner in one site when the ranger told us we had to many people and had to move. Since the sites had no bushes between them we just moved the tables together at the site line and continued our dinner. Ranger was not happy but others around us laughed so hard the ranger left and never came back to our site.

That's a great funny story!

We typically camp with 8-10 friends. Always use one site. Once at South Carlsbad in Ca we had 10 people with a max of 8 per site and had 2 campsites next to each other. We where having dinner in one site when the ranger told us we had to many people and had to move. Since the sites had no bushes between them we just moved the tables together at the site line and continued our dinner. Ranger was not happy but others around us laughed so hard the ranger left and never came back to our site.

Great answers

GaryGus wrote:
Oftentimes in our experience, the site limit is for adults. Your children are not counted in the number.

I've noticed that as well.

downtheroad wrote:
Oh boy, you have pushed my "rant" button.
Oregon State Parks allows up to 8 per site and no limit on pets....so we have camped a number of times next to complete insanity.....morning, noon and through the night.
They do charge for extra cars.

Ya, I know, we have wheels and can move on down the road if we don't like it....but still....

We've been in Oregon for the past week at various state parks, and I noticed that rule - very surprised. Made for some very full campsites on the weekend.

Michigan State Park CG's allow 6 per site unless all the kids are in the same family and you have proof like a copy of their birth certificates if asked.

A dozen or more years ago, we had a local family we personally know that had mom & pop and all seven of their kids on one site 2 away from us at P J Hoffmaster State Park. Had a Suburban and about a 30' TT and 2 of the older boys pitched their pup tent behind the TT. Stayed Friday night, Saturday night, and left around noon on Sunday. Well behaved kids!

Yup. Be civilized and everybody ignores "minor infractions." Make waves and expect any excuse to be used to full advantage.

When hosting at the NFS campground each May, I try to be open and friendly and helpful to everyone. Push comes to shove, the only enforcement I have is to tell someone they have to leave, if I can't get cooperation. And if that doesn't happen, I have to call LEO, and that means a night in jail for somebody. Never had to do that, although a guy this year came really very close for refusing to keep his two big dogs leashed. Park Super was on site at the time and was fixing to summon LEO himself when the camp host in that area and one of the interns who was in uniform managed to get the guy to back down. Funny thing is, he wrote a formal complaint about the rude host trying to get his nice family in trouble. Sent that letter to the super who almost called LEO. Super congratulated the host for being the first host to get a formal complaint in the super's 18 years in the job.

Mortimer Brewster wrote:

darsben1 wrote:
In my experiences if the campsite is relatively quiet rangers will not bother anyone. If they have to respond to a complaint then the rules are enforced

Well said! It's about quality, not quantity.

Exactly. The rules are made for a reason. They just don't make rules to make rules. If you have a lot of people, there is generally more noise and mayhem - and THAT is what the rule is trying to prevent. If people are behaved and quiet, Park Rangers will generally grant them some leeway.

darsben1 wrote:
In my experiences if the campsite is relatively quiet rangers will not bother anyone. If they have to respond to a complaint then the rules are enforced

Well said! It's about quality, not quantity.