Campsite Squatters

Unless they are violating the time requirement, I don’t see the issue.

Freep wrote:
Have any of you noticed people leaving their trailers in great campsites on BLM and USFS land during the week and then showing up on the weekends to camp?

I have seen on first come sites with 2 week stay an extended family takes over a site one moves out and another is waiting to move in and when that ones over another family member or friend is there to occupy the site. When that one is leaving the original rig is moving back in. All legal, always someone games the system.

A few of the campgrounds we frequent have a rule that the site must be physically occupied each night. A camp host verifies this each night or early morning. A tow vehicle, or in the case of a tent, a car must be at the site.
I suppose a trailer and tow vehicle could occupy the site and not have anyone actually there. The camp host wouldn't be able to determine that, although it would look pretty odd that there is no activity at the site all day or evening.

Been going camping to Sierra Ice House Road area and from about 20 campgrounds, there is 1 who is on peninsula and free to add.
So at least for 30 years campers left there mid week to be occupy on weekend is normal thing.
Same thing I observed at Emerald Bay campground at Lake Tahoe, where people would pay for whole week, only to have beautiful spot for the weekend.

This, IMHO, is not right, but better than the scams used to game the res systems. At least the CG is getting the money.
It also is evidence to me that the well off are more likely to rip people off than poor.

It sounds like they're getting free storage for their trailer, they don't have to tow it to/from the CG and have a great place to camp on weekends.

JRscooby wrote:
This, IMHO, is not right, but better than the scams used to game the res systems. At least the CG is getting the money.
It also is evidence to me that the well off are more likely to rip people off than poor.

Who said the people doing this are rich?

I know if I had a cheap hunter special camper, I'd be a lot more comfortable leaving it out in the middle of no-where unattended as opposed to a $80k 5th wheel with all the bells and whistles that could easily be stripped during the week.

Seen it for years, mostly in the higher elevations of Utah.Asked rangers and they ho hum about it.When you see grass growing around the wheels it's obivious the rig hasen't been moved in months. Pisses me of but there's nothing I can do about it. A lot are for hunting camps.Some nice rigs just sitting. They usually are pulled out before the snows.

It happens a lot here and always has. Unfortunately they are not breaking any laws other than taking the chance their units could be broken into. For us, it's disappointing to head early to one of our boondocking locations only to find someone parked there and the unit empty till just before we are going to leave.

hotjag1 wrote:
A few of the campgrounds we frequent have a rule that the site must be physically occupied each night. A camp host verifies this each night or early morning. A tow vehicle, or in the case of a tent, a car must be at the site.
I suppose a trailer and tow vehicle could occupy the site and not have anyone actually there. The camp host wouldn't be able to determine that, although it would look pretty odd that there is no activity at the site all day or evening.

Campgrounds yes, but FS land as in dispersed or BLM land, same, have different rules.