You've Been Warned

[jimmoore13]

For those who cherish boondocking, here's your sign:

Headline:
Dispersed camping is out of control in Chaffee County. Officials are seeking solutions.
An explosion in visitors and degrading outdoor ethics are wrecking natural areas.

Story:
https://coloradosun.com/2022/02/04/d...eid=629c24a190

We all have to do our best to protect our access to public lands...and that might include a bit of pick-me-up in the wake of others who haven't the brains they were born with.

[cmulvey]

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

For those who cherish boondocking, here's your sign:

Headline:
Dispersed camping is out of control in Chaffee County. Officials are seeking solutions.
An explosion in visitors and degrading outdoor ethics are wrecking natural areas.

Story:
https://coloradosun.com/2022/02/04/d...eid=629c24a190

We all have to do our best to protect our access to public lands...and that might include a bit of pick-me-up in the wake of others who haven't the brains they were born with.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

We all have to do our best to protect our access to public lands...and that might include a bit of pick-me-up in the wake of others who haven't the brains they were born with.

It's not just boondocking sites. We've picked up more cigarette butts, aluminum cans and tabs, plastic bottles, etc. than I care to count at state campgrounds. At one COE campground, we were walking the beach by the lake and picking up cans and bottles when we ran across one camper who was doing the same thing.
It's kind of discouraging to see how people can't be bothered to pick up after themselves. We were taught to leave a campsite better than we found it ... and unfortunately, that's not hard to do.

[Backcountryboondocker]

While their ideas, plans, rough drafts, meetings, and conversations might alleviate the problem there, the overall problem is not going away. The overall problem is not enough campgrounds, the availability of cheaper campgrounds, and the overall prices of campgrounds. Turning a once designated dispersed camping area (Free and First Come, First Served) into a paid and now reservable campground only turns another dispersed camping area into the main go to for the people who can’t get a reservation or who do not want to pay to camp. Closing one area just means another will get over run over time.

[Openroadorer99]

I tried but cant post a picture.
The 20 year old kid, living with his 17 year old girlfriend, behind me, in the uncles 5ver, and his stepdad works for the park/park monitor, is interesting.
A couple days ago, i hear slam, bang, slam, like always, look out the window, she opens the door, tosses the supersize stuff on the ground, and they leave. I took pic's of it and had to go for a walk to cool off.
The guy next to me, got a nasty note for a couple dog food cans on the ground his dog plays with.
On my walk bumped into the other park monitor, showed him the pics, mentioned about the speeding and noise again about the kid, he sais he will go check i out and take pic.
So what happened, was the stepdad went over and threw trash away, in the always outside gargage can, problem is, that the garbage can had the kids, laundry on it waiting for mommy to come get it, and he tossed it on the ground , where it sat for days, and still some there, to toss the garbage out.
A month ago, the AC cover blew off and into the side rode, he just drove around it for weeks, till someone picked it up and put it by the camper.
So i can relate to trashy, leaving people.
I need someone to let me know how to post pic's.

[HangDiver]

The dispersed camping issue in Chaffee County is very real... It is largely compounded by fairly large homeless camps on BLM land (Its worth noting that nearly 80% of Chaffee County is on public land).

When we lived on a hillside just outside of Salida city limits, we were in constant fear of a wildfire resulting from the open bonfires that were lit at night at various nearby campsites. Eventually Allstate canceled our homeowners insurance (not just ours but the whole neighborhood) due to the risk.

When my wife and I camp we almost always boondock/dry camp so I see both sides of the issue.

[MR.M]

Really sad to see the new people moving to Colorado not care for the land . California re locators etc don't seem to care . Move to Colorado in 84 and over the last en yrs have seen major changes to the bad . what's with people ? used to be only some people would leave messes along the rivers where they fished now it's everyone . lots of out of state people come and just don't care .

[EddieL]

Originally Posted by Backcountryboondocker

While their ideas, plans, rough drafts, meetings, and conversations might alleviate the problem there, the overall problem is not going away. The overall problem is not enough campgrounds, the availability of cheaper campgrounds, and the overall prices of campgrounds. Turning a once designated dispersed camping area (Free and First Come, First Served) into a paid and now reservable campground only turns another dispersed camping area into the main go to for the people who can’t get a reservation or who do not want to pay to camp. Closing one area just means another will get over run over time.

I disagree with you. The overall problem is ignorant slobs who don't care.

[Homebrew]

Originally Posted by EddieL

I disagree with you. The overall problem is ignorant slobs who don't care.

I agree!
People don’t read and follow the rules of the campgrounds.

I Read the rules and campground policies as soon as I set up with my first beer! Which is in the first 30 minutes.

It’s sad that these free sites are being abused and misused.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Homebrew

I agree!
People don’t read and follow the rules of the campgrounds.

I Read the rules and campground policies as soon as I set up with my first beer! Which is in the first 30 minutes.

It’s sad that these free sites are being abused and misused.

Even if the rules aren't posted just using common sense should work. Do like you do at home. Don't dump your garbage in your yard and if you don't have a toilet then use a shovel.

[Underthedog]

Unfortunately, trashing up the place probably IS what a lot of them do at home. A long time ago I worked home improvement and you would not believe how some people live.

[Backcountryboondocker]

Originally Posted by EddieL

I disagree with you. The overall problem is ignorant slobs who don't care.

This is 100% true and I agree with you. But on the same aspect, do you think ignorant slobs who don’t care is a new thing?

I spent a lot of time in backwoods Appalachian country when I was young. Drive through the backroads there and you’ll see now (even 30 years ago) ignorant slobs who don’t care. Either at their property, or the “free” sites down by the river.

Yes the ultimate responsibility comes down to the people who use the land and camp in the area. But… we see how that goes. It’s going to happen no matter what unfortunately.

[NJKris]

Remember that episode of Mad Men when they finish having a picnic? They just picked up the picnic blanket and shook all the empty cans/bottles and trash off it and left. Ahhhhh, the good ol' days. Shame on you, Betty Draper!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roREnVhd_og

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Openroadorer99

I need someone to let me know how to post pic's.

Instructions for the full website are here. Mobile apps may be slightly different.

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...html#post49621

[colomap]

Yep - we are screwed here in Colorado. I've been here 20 years. It isn't just campers/squatters. I now focus on my good memories of this place.

Our largest peaks - the 14ers were a place to get some solace (now have hundreds or thousands of hikers daily and have shuttle buses and are on the verge of permit systems)

Cool places in the backcountry like the Conundrum hot springs (accessible by a nine mile hike in) were great places to visit and now have been so abused they got closed.

Rocky Mountain national park was accessible - now you need a shuttle to get to Bear Lake (and dont even get me started on bivy permits).

Rock climbing crags didnt used to have lines 3-5 people deep on every route (think Canal Zone crag near Golden).

Shows at Red Rocks were accessible and averaged around $50 (now sometimes in the thousands to sit up close). Everywhere else is bad too - I just tried to get tickets to Pearl Jam at Ball Arena and average price is around $1000/seat - and those aren't resale tickets - those are artist presale pricing.

Average craft beer now at any brew pub is closing in on $10/pint (and don't forget that new mandatory 20% "service fee" popping up everywhere). And I went to the Mission Ballroom recently for The War on Drugs and beers were $15.

Terryall reservoir was a place to boondock freely without anyone around - now it's a freakin zoo with Razors (side by sides) and way too many people shooting guns off everywhere and creating their own campsites.

The Colorado Trail (which I was a segment adopter for for many years) is now overrun - especially with mountain bikers. And remote trailheads like Little Scraggy are now pay to park. (note - I have nothing against the bikes but trying to walk my dog on the trail anymore is pointless - last time I went out to segment 3 I must have had to sidestep 500 bikes - with a dog)

If you try to go see the fall colors at Kenosha Pass in the fall expect to be stuck in traffic on HWY 285 for HOURS.

Skiing? Don't even get me started...

I could go on about this for hours. This place used to be a beautiful playground and now it's a train wreck. I can't wait to get out.

[TitanMike]

I spent the month of January boondocking all over various sites in SW AZ and CA. All on public lands supervised by BLM or Forest Service.

The one thing most notable was the total lack of any oversight by the agencies. No Rangers of "Police" patroling or for that matter even visible.

The exception was when I drove through Joshua Tree NP where I had to stop at the entrance.

I wonder why anyone would be surprised when they see public lands trashed when the land managers aren't even paying attention on a regular basis what's happening. Only time there is a response is when the trash gets too deep and then their only response "we'll be closing that area"

Here in WA I went last year's entire summer season (May thru Sept) camping on our public lands and encountered only ONE "Park Ranger/Forest Service "Cop" People are pigs because they get away with it.

[jbflag21ds]

We offroaders have been fighting this for years. It's always a handful of bad people that ruin it for everyone. Most of us fix and maintain trails, carry out a bunch of extra trash, help resource managers with gates, blockages, signage, etc. But still places get shutdown because of a few idiots who then migrate some place else and the cycle starts over again

[Nick Danger]

Not trying to "one up" you; but, rest assured that your location isn't the only one suffering from this dilemma!

[NJKris]

This makes me so angry to hear of. I'm finally getting closer to the point in my life when I will be able to travel West and visit all the wonderful places I've heard of throughout my life, and this is what I have to look forward to.

[Homebrew]

X2 , My concerns are people dumping there composting toilets in the National forest and BLM lands, will they start smelling like truck stops ?