By Gail Marsh
Do you always read the campground paperwork? That was the question posed during a recent night around the campfire. What followed was a conversation about surprising campground rules that folks around the campfire had experienced.
True confessions
Bob began, “Usually when you arrive at a campground, you’re given your site assignment, map, and a list of campground rules. Do you read those rules? Every time?”
I admitted that we’re usually so excited about finding our campsite and getting set up that we sometimes fail to read all the CG’s paperwork (e.g., rules).
Joe said, “We’ve been surprised by a few campground rules over the years. If you’re new to camping or haven’t camped extensively, some rules might catch folks off guard.”
Surprising campground rules
What followed was a lively discussion about campground rules. The “fairness” of some rules was questioned. Many folks around the campfire wondered about the rationale behind some regulations. Other restrictions were criticized as “overreach” or “silly.” However, it was argued campgrounds have a right to make their own rules. Here are the campground rules folks around the campfire mentioned. Read the rules and decide for yourself.
- Number of persons allowed. Even if your RV can sleep eight or more, the CG may limit the number of persons per site. Or you may be required to pay for extra guests, like in hotel situations.
- RV age. More and more campgrounds are adopting what’s called a ten-year rule. This means that if your RV is more than ten years old you are not allowed. This restriction hopes to prevent unsightly or rundown RVs from staying in the park. (If your rig doesn’t meet the age requirement but is in good condition, you still might be able to reserve a spot. Try sending a photo of your well-kept RV to the CG management for prior approval.)
- Additional charges for electricity. When you’re camping in an area where you’ll use excess electricity (e.g., for air conditioning) you may receive a bill at checkout time that reflects your electricity use. We’ve learned to ask about this when making reservations. It’s also a good idea to take a photo of your electric meter upon arrival. You can use the photo to dispute any overcharges.
- Guests. Some campgrounds restrict the number of day guests that visit you. Other CGs charge a fee for outside guests that enter the CG. During peak season, some CGs will issue no guest passes at all.
- Restricted breeds/pets. Certain breeds or size of dogs may be restricted. Exotic pets are usually not allowed.
- Pet enclosures. Fences, kennels, and other pet enclosures are sometimes disallowed.
- Drying clothes. Many campgrounds restrict campers from hanging clothes outside to dry.
- No glass. In some CGs you may not have glass bottles or containers anywhere outside your RV. (Hmmm. Guess you’ll have to enjoy that cold one inside your rig?)
What do you think? Does a campground have a right to make and enforce rules? Can you add any surprising CG regulations to this list? Please respond in the comments below.
Last week’s Around the Campfire
##RVT1081
There needs to be a set of standard rules. If campgrounds want unique ones like they should be listed separately. If people don’t follow all the complicated set it is as much the campgrounds fault as it is the campers.
Fortunately campgrounds vary with the geography and their proximity to attractions. Both often influence the type of guest the campground attracts, hence the ‘rules’ that help maintain the campground in the mode desired by their owners/operators. The final choice of patronage rest with the camper.
At a new campground in Michigan they did not allow the patio mats to save their grass.
This is not unusual. More and more of the nicer parks have this rule. It not only saves the grass, but eliminates muddy areas. Some have a rule that you cannot park a vehicle on the grassy area. Again, it stops muddy ruts.
We were at a campground like that in Wyoming. But, a grassy area in a campground is a rare commodity there, so we completely understood.
Private Campgrounds have every right to make any rules they want.
If their rules are NOT posted on their website then ask for them in advance of making a reservation. The way to combat ridiculous rules is with the wallet and don’t stay there.
The rules listed don’t seem out of line at all.
We were going to book in one spot that did not allow outside BBQing! I phone them and asked if this was in fact true. Who doesn’t want to occasionally BBQ a meal? They told me that was an old rule that they hadn’t got around to changing and not to worry about it. My wife reads and adheres to every campground’s list of rules and said, “not a chance we are booking there”. I called them back and let them know we would not book our month there unless this obscure rule was amended. They never did, so it is what it is. We booked elsewhere!
I get it. Guests are paying for the privilege to park and connect and are (usually) not residents. Your property, your rules. But a note to private campground owners that rules need to be well thought out, clearly expressed, uniformly enforced, and fairly stable. I’ve seen campgrounds where they may as well have reserved a spot on an office bulletin board for ‘rule changes this week’. Oh, and if you have a web site, post those rules on the site BEFORE I make a reservation!
One campground that I stayed at allowed dogs, but only in their campsite. They had a public dog area near the entrance, but you were not allowed to walk your dog through the camp ground to get to the dog area. The dog had to be transported there. Since I have a class c camper, driving my dog to the dog area was a no-go; however, I found out that I could use a stroller or a backpack to transport her to the pet area. Good thing she’s only 20 pounds!
We were at a place like that. My wife was carrying the dog and one had to go down a rather steep path to get there. My wife ended up falling and falling on the dog. The dog healed faster than my wife. The rule book stated that even dog urine in the grass was hazardous to one’s health. That place even had sub-rules to the rules. We decided that would be a one night stay!
With today’s campers, more rules would be good, plus enforcing those rules they have. A campground should have any rules they want; if you don’t like it, don’t stay there. I read the rules before I reserve, so one could hope they list them all.
Every time I see the 10 year rule I think about Tom Hanks. About a year ago he sold his 1992 Airstream trailer for over 200K.
He was lucky he found a bigger fool than he!
I’d like to see a new rule at ALL RV parks: NO OUTSIDE MUSIC
Really?
Should be able to play your music just dont have it SO LOUD that you can hear it 2 spaces down!
Nor should i have to hear it next door. Same for people & their outdoor TVs and/or projection screens.
Especially outdoor TVs/projection screens!!! It’s a campground! NOT a drive-in!
I’d appreciate a campground that does not allow dogs…the majority of my bad experiences at campgrounds have been around them barking, being unleashed and not being picked up after. I am a dog lover, but irresponsible owners are a scourge in campgrounds.
I hear you. People need to be respectful of how loud it is and time of day. All campers come with outside speakers now. This will be a hard one.
Rules! This is why I only do stealth camping. These so called camp grounds are really getting out of hand these days. Let’s take the Ten Year rule. How many people can really afford to purchase new equipment every few years? Heck my pickup truck is 27 years old and still runs great and does every thing I need it to do including hauling around my 20 year old truck bed camper. I’ve been all over the country including Canada and Mexico the last 30 years or so and I can tell you the spirit of camping has been for the most part lost. Today it is Class Warfare plain and simple. The whole idea of getting out there and camping is to leave the rules, discrimination, and all the pettiness behind. Instead people bring all that horsepoo right out there with them and the campsites just follow suit. Now I’m not knocking anyone who might be well off and can afford high dollar equipment. It’s your money, enjoy it. But remember there are those of us who also enjoy camping for camping.
Amen Bob. I so whole heartedly concur!
Unfortunately, as the common sense declines in the camping community, the rules must become more invasive and stringent.
Just as more rules and laws have not helped in the whole of society they will and have failed in camping parks. People act like this every day in their everyday life and then go out into a camping park and act even worse. The ME mentality/ I paid for this so I can do as I want is destroying society as a whole. Enforcement in general is a joke these days for many reasons. What is lost is Respect, Honor, and just plan Decency. No Laws, Rules, or Enforcement can bring any of them back. No I’ll stay out of the camp sites and stick to Boondocking and stealth camping. There is still some civilization out there but it to is getting smaller and tighter with each passing day.
Irresponsible people are also leaving garbage and dog **** everywhere at boondocking/free federal, state “campgrounds”, not to mention the hiking trails throughout our country as well. There are rules in those places that people don’t follow for the same reason they don’t follow the rules in established campgrounds. No place is safe from indecency and disrespect these days, unfortunately. To keep our natural spaces free and open, I recommend picking up after these obnoxious and nasty “campers/hikers”.
All this started when people started believing Dr Spock instead of using their common sense. When they started wanting to be a friend to their offspring instead of being a parent. Society has gone downhill from there.
Dogs on a 6’ max leash when walking your dog!
Don’t allow unattended pets leashed or unleashed or on a tether line. No loose dogs!
Just a few that are on the rules Always!!!
Most people don’t read the rules, please do, will make camping more pleasurable!!
My last rv was 2 years old when I bought it, brand new. No miles on it other than the miles put in by delivery company. I’m getting gyped 2 years? . That 10 year rule gotta go. I have a friend that has a half million dollar coach that’s 12 years old looks like new.
We lived in a place in Washington State for a year. They sited a neighbor once for having two spatulas hanging from their BBQ. They had a rule of no bike riding. I rode my bike to work, so had to walk my bike about a quarter mile to the road. They threatened to kick us out (and it wasn’t an idle threat) if we didn’t. Of course, all the owner’s friends flaunted the rules regularly. I won’t name the park, but it is located just south of the Arlingon, WA airport.
2 spatulas? Hilarious
Well, of course. One just must assume that one of the spatulas had been stolen from someone else in the park. Why else would someone have 2 spatulas? That’s in the campground owners guide – after all, there are rules for making rules. You can get around it if you just explain that one is for flipping hamburgers and the other is for picking up after the dog.
Love it!
Perhaps they were required to be matching? Mismatched spatulas is just tacky…
Several large campgrounds in Califonia, no smoking or vaping ANYWHERE on the property.
Then I hope that included campfire too
The rules listed in the article are common ones and not unreasonable. Some places go the extra mile to be ridiculous and sometimes downright inhospitable. My decaying memory fails me but one place in Phoenix threatens to expel you if your dog pees on their site defining border rocks (painted white). Really? In the same campground cats roamed free. And they weren’t kidding. It was a large enough place that you could walk a city block or more to get to a dog run, and there was no grass or plants anywhere-all gravel and pavement. And guess what objects they placed inside the dog areas? Oh, you guessed it! ROCKS! That won’t confuse your dog much.
Another park had a list of rules that read like a POW camp, I’m not kidding. Every other rule began “you will be asked to leave if” or ended “will result in your expulsion”. And it was one of the longest lists I’ve seen. Can’t remember details now but some of them were just dumb.
/rant
Of course RV park owners have the right to make & enforce rules that guests must follow. Any RVer with some years under their belt can tell stories of “slob” campers who ruin the experience for everyone else. If a camper didn’t read the rules & regulations that’s his mistake. General rule: act in a reasonable manner and you’re NOT likely to have a problem. As for some items mentioned like drying wash or animal pens, those folks should know to ask beforehand or, read the rules carefully. If they fail to do so, shame on them.
Campgrounds absolutely have a right to impose rules and enforce them. It is their property and you are a guest. Unfortunately, most campgrounds are lax about enforcement of even the most common sense rules. If you don’t like their rules, find another campground.
Every place I’ve stayed that had a 10 year rule just asked me to text them a pic of my ’04 Southwind and then approved my stay. They just want to keep the junkers out. I have no problem with that.
I also like the rule against dog fences and cages.
We once stayed at combination mobile home park/RV park in Phoenix. There were rules posted on a 4’x8′ sign just outside the office. Two caught our eye:
1) Children under 45 years of age must be accompanied by an adult park resident.
2) Swimming pool users with incontinence issues must wear diapers.
And they were serious.
Hey, it’s their campground, so they get to make the rules. Ideally, read the campground’s rules before reserving. See one or more that seem silly, excessive, or otherwise bothersome? Call to make your reservations and discuss the bothersome rules before booking. Sometimes (usually?) the rules were made for good reasons. Either way, understanding why a rule is present may make it easier to accept and follow. Alternately, express your displeasure and find a different campground.
The KOA located in Steamboat Springs, CO new rule is no pet fences. The check in rule sheet wasn’t updated to this new rule. I put ours up and within a few minutes the host stopped by and explained the why no pet fences allowed. New owners instituted the rule as a blanket policy for an occurrence with two dogs jumping their fence and attacking another dog. Kinda of a bummer with a blanket no fence policy but oh well.
It is always the minority who ends up prompting rules for the majority. And, then, they are probably the loudest complainers about the rules.
We recently spent a long-term stint at a RV Resort with the 10yr rule and to be honest the worst of the RVs were 5yrs old or less. That same Resort had a rule about pet fencing which by the way was the only rule they enforced on a regular basis.
My pet peeve is having rules but not enforcing them. A rule not enforced is not a rule.
Being friends with a campground owner I understand the reason for this rule. He had a back lot filled with old campers of every size because no junk yard is willing to take them. The owners of the camper would pay for a weekend using a bad ID card . When they arrived, they would pull into the lot and leave it behind. The campground owner was stuck with it now.
Then their credit card should be getting fined $10k per day for illegal dumping of waste.
If they didn’t enforce anything else, they need to enforce keeping dogs on leash (not a retractable) and not allow excessive barking. I walk my dog a lot, and have to carry a big stick to keep others away. Attacking my dog is not going to happen if I can help it. The barking is ridiculous and so is the hollering loudly at them to shut up, and the dogs ignore their owners anyway. My dog just looks at them, and will not bark unless someone comes into my space. It’s called dog training.
Nothing personal, but carrying a big stick can be a mistake. All of my totally non-aggressive goofy retrievers over the years (may they rest in peace) viewed somebody waving a stick as an invitation to play. You’ll get more, rather than less attention from some dogs. Ignore them and they would have ignored you.
From past experience, a “no millennials allowed without parent or guardian” rule would have been nice.
“millennials” are as old as 41 now as its defined as being born between 1981 and 1996
And age has a bearing? LOL
We stayed at a campground in York Maine and they came around every night at 10 PM with water to douse all campfires. No campfires after 10. Which I think is early!
Three things come to mind here. First, most people are getting ready for bed and may want to open a window slightly.
Second, I’ve seen a lot of people go inside for the night and leave the fire smoldering.
Third is the noise factor. Not all know that it is also quiet time. People seem to get louder while sitting around a fire. Especially if they have been drinking.
And most camp fire builders leave their fires unattended, smoldering all night, creating unhealthy air quality for other campers. If they don’t extinguish their fires at the required time, then they should be evicted.
Of course, every campground or RV Park has the right to have and enforce any rules they deemed necessary for the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of their guests. Similarly, every guest has the right to choose a different campground or RV Park if they don’t like or agree with the rules.
We took our church youth group to a state park for a weekend of camping. They had no group site available at that time so we got be sites that were together. That first evening we gathered at one site for dinner and a ranger stopped by and started yelling at us for having too many on one site. We were not informed of this rule and apologized but she just seemed to get angrier. Told us if we broke any more rules we would be evicted from the park. She seemed to be checking on us constantly and made our stay very uncomfortable.
Too many tin horn rangers with a Napoleon complex out there. Sounds like you found one.
Fortunately I have only run into one power-tripping Wa. state park female ranger.
I’m guessing because I have a disabled plate and was riding my bike around it pissed her off. LK. Wenatchee.
I didn’t respond to her vile comments towards me, and I haven’t seen her since.
I’m betting others pointed her out.
As long as the rules are not changed while I am camping there and they enforce them for everyone, I don’t have a problem. If you don’t like the rules don’t stay there.
Thank you, Gail! Safe travels! 🙂
Some rules pertaining to campfires in order to preserve safe air quality need to be in place. There are firewood alternatives that include smokeless and odorless manufactured wood that should be required in campgrounds. All campers deserve the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and not the choking smoke of neighboring campfires creating a cloud of pollutants above all others’ campsites. The environmentally safe alternative wood products could also be sold on site at the campgrounds.