Campspreading

[TechWriter]

Today I experienced my first obvious example of "camp spreading" . . . where the people at a campsite keep expanding the space they occupy.

On the first day it was just a travel trailer, mom pop and kid with a couple of lawn chairs. Later in the day more adults and kids, a dog or two, more cars, more lawn chairs, and a canopy tent. Next, games like bean bag toss were set up.

On day two, the lawn chairs and games moved outward.

By the end of the day the bean bag toss game was about 100 feet away from the camp site and they were playing catch across sites. It was fun to watch.

Anyone with similar stories?

[mdcamping]

travelnutz wrote:

We always scour our site for any trash or dog droppings even if they were not from our dog and then most always take out the collapsible rake always carried and rake the site earth into a small pile next to the CG road for easy pickup and leave the site cleaner than when we had arrived. We have been thanked so many times by the management or workers and it has paid us back so many times over. When we call for a site often they made sure we got a really good site and we so appreciate it as it's a 2 way street of respect. They knew we were very responsible campers and they wanted us there! What's not to like???

X2, well said

Our actions are similar, keep and leave a clean site, be respectful and the pay back is another reservation for the next season!

Mike

[travelnutz]

Fortunately, We haven't ever in our 54 years of camping/RV'ing experienced any "campspreading". However, have had very loud party'ers or drunks a few times and a couple times with unruly undisciplined kids next door to our sight a few times. We do approach the neighbor and politely explain and ask them to cool it and only once did they not stifle it. I reported them to the management and they stopped by to observe and the people were made to pack up and leave. Problem solved!

We always scour our site for any trash or dog droppings even if they were not from our dog and then most always take out the collapsible rake always carried and rake the site earth into a small pile next to the CG road for easy pickup and leave the site cleaner than when we had arrived. We have been thanked so many times by the management or workers and it has paid us back so many times over. When we call for a site often they made sure we got a really good site and we so appreciate it as it's a 2 way street of respect. They knew we were very responsible campers and they wanted us there! What's not to like???

[pianotuna]

Techwriter,

That's why I'd love to have massive solar and camp off the grid whenever possible.

[mdcamping]

Once a year we do a get together with 4 or 5 families. Do a bunch of the things mentioned, picnic tables put together, board games, lawn chairs, EZ ups. Everybody gets a long and everyone is respectful, just a good time! :C :C

Mike

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I will happily share part of our site with a large family whose kids sort of "ooze" over the line - I've met some really nice people under these circumstances 🙂

The only time I ever objected, was when we were stuffed into a makeshift site that was so close to a camping cabin, that people passing between us and our picnic table bumped into our motorhome and made the dogs bark each time it happened. Rearranged the picnic table and chairs to block that (and didn't stay long)

Otherwise - we're camping. I don't expect solitude or silence when we stay in campgrounds 🙂

[WTP-GC]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Typical inconsiderate ignorant people. Why I boondock 100% of the time. I dislike other humans near me.

I have my space, you have yours, stay out of my space and my face.

The story isn't about someone intruding into the space of the OP. I, perhaps more so than most, dislike people being near me and I love my "isolation". But we've experienced similar circumstances before and people who do this aren't always inconsiderate. You can run and play and party across the entire campground and in/out of adjacent empty sites and still not be a bother.

We've camped in large groups before where our "spread" goes over 10-15 campsites. We do notify campground management that we're in a group, so if there's an empty site somewhere in our block, they should probably not put someone in that site if they can place them elsewhere. If it's full, we do our best to be considerate, but when 50 plus people are moving back and forth between our block of sites, it can difficult to not be a disturbance.

[Crowe]

Typical inconsiderate ignorant people. Why I boondock 100% of the time. I dislike other humans near me.

I don't see where the OP stated the campsite they were playing over was occupied. I could easily argue that boondockers are just as ignorant by camping in undeveloped areas where they may disturb wildlife, run amok or start a forest fire by being negligent.

I have my space, you have yours, stay out of my space and my face.

I respectfully suggest the opposite. Sounds like you should just stay home.

[Trekkar]

dewey02 wrote:
I've got a different version of camp spreading.
It was at a USFS campground. The people pulled into the site. Immediately, they got out a pole saw and started cutting branches off trees. Then they got out a weed wacker and started mowing down vegetation that wasn't tree sized. I'm not talking just grass, but vegetation that was waist to shoulder height. Probably doubled the open area of the camp site. This was a forested campground with lots of vegetation between sites (which we prefer so as not to be a big open area). Of course, there was a site and trailer for a campground host, but he/she was not there the entire time we stayed at the campground.

The camper must have been somewhat local, because he came back and started unloading firewood at his site and stacking it between trees. He probably had a full rick of wood stacked up before he was done. Fortunately, we were leaving the next day, so we didn't have to contend with whatever other modifications or actions he took on.

I had a very similar incident at a NFCG several weeks ago. Camper had yellow "crime scene" tape along the sides and front of the campsite. (no registration ticket on post) Tons of gear, but other than the tent, it was household stuff. I suspect he was living there.

[Dutch_12078]

We were at a NY state park campground over the 4th of July week. Our site was in an elevated section that overlooks the rest of the sites, and it was fun to watch the folks that came as a group with 3-4 adjoining sites setting up all sorts of camping equipment and games. One group had 4 picnic tables pushed together under a long white tent, the sort seen at parties, weddings, etc. What really amazed us though, was watching everyone pack up to leave. In every case, picnic tables were returned to their proper sites and all trash was picked up. One group even raked the 3 sites they had occupied. Very refreshing to see folks taking responsibility for the park conditions. The only thing we saw left behind was some firewood left by the fire pits for the next occupant.

[dewey02]

I've got a different version of camp spreading.
It was at a USFS campground. The people pulled into the site. Immediately, they got out a pole saw and started cutting branches off trees. Then they got out a weed wacker and started mowing down vegetation that wasn't tree sized. I'm not talking just grass, but vegetation that was waist to shoulder height. Probably doubled the open area of the camp site. This was a forested campground with lots of vegetation between sites (which we prefer so as not to be a big open area). Of course, there was a site and trailer for a campground host, but he/she was not there the entire time we stayed at the campground.

The camper must have been somewhat local, because he came back and started unloading firewood at his site and stacking it between trees. He probably had a full rick of wood stacked up before he was done. Fortunately, we were leaving the next day, so we didn't have to contend with whatever other modifications or actions he took on.

[bikendan]

that's why we refuse to camp during the summer, weekends and holidays.
less chance of these kind of idiots, during the off-season.

[Old-Biscuit]

CG right at entrance to Devils Tower WY

We had taken a drive and when we came back there was a mini camper-van parked in site in front of our 5th wheel and 4 folks were sitting at the picnic table of the camp site.

Stopped in roadway and then spent next 20 minutes doing 'pantomime/charades' in an attempt to explain it wasn't their camp site.
They were from Japan and didn't speak any English.

[SidecarFlip]

Typical inconsiderate ignorant people. Why I boondock 100% of the time. I dislike other humans near me.

I have my space, you have yours, stay out of my space and my face.