Camping rant (Denver, Fruita: home, gated, tax)

[Solidwood]

I was camping this last weekend in a state park I won't name where. But I have camped in many areas in the state and experienced the same thing.
People let their dogs run off leash, play music loudly, and leave the site trashed. It's the general behavior I'm after. The camping experience would be much better if everyone kept it neat and clean. I am most bothered by the trash. There just isn't any reason to it. There are trash cans at all the camps and they are regularly serviced. If the cans are full why not pack the trash out and not leave it. I know there are bears but observations are people are leaving the trash. The bears are meer opportunists.
It's no use looking for other places to camp when the general attitude seems to be to take liberties and leave the mess for someone else. If there is anything that a chatboard can do well it is to connect to others of similar persuasion and hope to make a change. Thanks for your attention to this matter and hope to find you camping in one of our many beautiful parks.

[DOUBLE H]

I'm afraid we will be seeing a lot of it for a while. Last week the headline in the Denver Post was the state facing a $284 million dollar shortfall. Fruita Lake State Park is just a ways from where i live, and there was a story in the local paper about one of the lakes found levels of e coli in it, so they are shutting down that particular lake. I drove down the road and asked the park ranger if they were going to re-open it later this season, and he said no. He told me "Money is a problem - a big problem."

[Recumbent Falcon]

We just returned from two weeks of camping in the area, and Colorado had some of the nicest and cleanest areas and facilities we've visited. One of our nicest vacations. I noticed none of the problems the OP mentioned.

[ramanboy33]

May I suggest next time you camp go off the beaten path a bit.

[jazzlover]

It's just another symptom of our nature-ignorant, don't give a s***, throw-away society. I've been camping for four decades now, and I've NEVER left a dirty campsite. In fact, I usually try to leave a campsite cleaner than I found it.

Personally, I think the Feds and state should ban the big RV/trailer-type camping on public lands. If people didn't have the gigantic vehicles to bring every kind of plastic bull**** with them into a campsite, they might not leave as much trash either lying around or for the land management agencies to haul out. Like they are at home, people are spoiled today into thinking that they need all of that s*** with them in order to have a good time in the mountains. For years, I hauled everything I needed for a humdinger of a good camping trip in the back of a bobtail 4WD like an old Jeep or Scout. Besides, you don't connect with nature sitting in a 27' RV watching satellite TV--notwithstanding what those worthless pimps on the "Go RV'ing" commercials say. They wouldn't know what real "nature" is if it came up and bit them in the butt.

[WhereTheSidewalkEnds]

I agree that rv-ing isn't camping and from what I've noticed, that is who is usually the offender. I don't really get the point of rv's but that's just me. They are loud (generators) and when they are all parked in a row - who can enjoy that?

We usually try and back country camp or take off in our Jeep to get away from all that. There are occasions when we use regular campgrounds and when we do, I reserve in the sections that are for tents only. And better yet - the walk-ins where you have to lug your stuff a more than a foot from car to camp.

I've never had issues with loud music though. Dogs - that's another story. That is a HUGE problem in general - not just camping. I am under the impression that most think that law does not apply to them and it is one of my biggest pet peeves. I have a large dog who gets very upset when she's on leash and another dog comes running at her unleashed. It's an unfair advantage. I have had to kick many a dog to avoid dog fights. And this is when I'm walking her here at home!

[Off Pavement]

Humans are gross. Look along any road side ditch and you will find plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and about every type of trash you can think of... it's not just relegated to some campsites.

My wife and I were campground host volunteers for the US Forest Service a few years ago, and I can tell you from my experience, it was the tent campers that were the slobs! We NEVER picked up after the RVers that came to our campgrounds. It's fine to pack it in, but too much trouble to pack it out was common, and we spent hours every day picking up after slob tent campers and burying their leftover human waste and TP. I HATED burying somebody else's crap for them!

There are plenty of exceptions, but go to Quartzsite Arizona after the winter camping season when 10's of thousands of RV's decend on the desert. You would think it would be a mess based on the comments about RVers above, but that is not the case as far as trash is concerned at least around Quartzsite.

I think most campers, either tent or RV, are pretty responsible. It just seems that there is a general, selfish, I don't care about anybody but me attitude. Motorized recreationists deal with rogue operator problems all the time and subsequent land closures because of irresponsible use by a few.

Someone above mentioned limiting use of public lands by RV's, but RV's are the only ones bringing home their human waste it seems, so perhaps tent camping should be restricted instead?

I'm afraid that the reality of public recreation is that people have got to be tolerant of the 1% that cause the problems. We need to try and mitigate the damage these folks do to our public lands by leaving our campsites cleaner than when we show up. As much as we might dislike picking up the previous campers dog's crap, why not pick it up instead of complaining? It will save our tax dollars a bit if nothing else. Try not tearing up the environment by staying on approved roads and trails when heading into the back country for camping or other recreation... You will get to the same place on your ATV, 4x4, mountain bike, hiking, or even horse will get you, and leave the environment with little to show for your visit.

Multiple use is possible, but it's gonna take a real concerted effort by users to educate their kids and other users about responsible, sustainable use of public resources. Those remote campsites that RVs can get to, and tent campers enjoy and hike to are in real danger from just a few abusers.

[lalahartma]

It's true some popular, or easily accessed spots, are in TERRIBLE shape. I blame on kids partying, but it's more likely morons partying. I like to find some not so easy to access spots and leave them better than I find them. And my dogs can run around without annoying others.

[swcolorado]

My word of advice is...don't camp in a state park. There are plenty of areas in CO where you can go and camp in the National Forest or BLM land and you don't have to share the space

[breaksraver13]

My main complaint are dogs and there stupid ignorant owners.........I can't stand someone's dog coming over to my campsite smelling everything and pissing all over it.........Dog owners really need to be more responsible.