Campgrounds are changing and evolving, some for the better and some for the worse. RVtravel.com readers discuss their experiences and offer tips to help other campers find that perfect spot.
Here are a few observations from our readers. These do not necessarily represent the views of RVtravel.com.
Last week was all about pet peeves
And “pet” peeves seemed to top the list. Barking dogs, not picking up after dogs, leaving them tied up and barking and, worst of all, not having them leashed.
My pet peeves lately have been barking dogs and dogs off leash, too! I am nervous about dogs running toward me when I don’t know them or their intentions. We spend a lot of energy as camp hosts telling people to put their dogs on a leash. While a strong suggestion doesn’t seem to work very well toward getting Fido in control, letting their owners know that both the park and city police will gladly issue them a $250 ticket seems to get results.
By far, well-mannered pets are the norm. It is only the few that stand out and create issues.
Yap yap yap
Ed M. is clear about his pet peeve: “Yapping little dogs. Hate them.”
Non-dog sites
Stan C. says that dog/non-dog sites limit availability. He wrote, “My problem is with dog and no-dog sites in state campgrounds. We have two dogs and can’t reserve a non-dog site, naturally. But a camper can reserve a dog site when they don’t have a dog. That limits our chance of getting a site.”
Non-dog RV park owners
Calina I. writes about their decision to go non-dog in their park. “My husband and I have owned Park At The River in Joseph, Oregon, for the past eight years. We used to love running the park but grew increasingly frustrated about the amount of irresponsible dog owners (and so many dogs!), having to constantly police barking and pick up poop, the grass being destroyed by digging and urine, and even dog fights in the park, plus a kid getting bit.
“We ultimately decided to go no-dogs this year and have seen a 35% drop in business, which is scary, but the peace and quiet is worth it. Mule deer and fox roam the park with no fear of harassment. We stopped RV camping ourselves because of the barking dogs. Now at least our own park is a sanctuary! So we second all those who say dogs are a problem— definitely!”
Dog poop
Larry J. has a “pet” peeve, too. He writes, “Irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up the dog poop. Have been camping for more than 50 years and have seen a horrible increase in the last five years.”
Dogs are not the problem—their owners are
Paula P. wrote this to us earlier, but it bears repeating: “I like well-behaved dogs. I do NOT like dogs that jump up on my legs or slobber on my jeans. Dogs are not the problem— their owners are!”
“Dogs should be taken away from them!”
Dennis S. suggests that dogs should be taken away if owners can’t control them. “There are many people with dogs that should not have them… especially when they have multiple dogs. They can’t control even one, so they shouldn’t have more. They feel entitled to not pick up dog poop and they don’t care if they bark. How sad. Dogs should be taken away from them.”
Trash, trash, trash!
Another pet peeve that several readers mentioned was the amount of trash people leave in their site and fire pit. I have been lucky in that we haven’t seen a lot of garbage left at the site. Not so for Duane…
Disgusting amounts of trash
Duane R. writes about litter everywhere. Did the campers think someone else was supposed to pick up after them? “We went to the Indianapolis 500 over the Memorial Day weekend. I can see why there are so many campgrounds with littered campsites. I would bet at least 10% of all the campers there left their trash out in their campsite, with many of them not even bothering to bag it up. They left, and it appears that they expect the Indy 500 people to pick up after them. Disgusting!”
Now, some questions for you:
- Are you finding campgrounds booked up or is finding a site not a problem?
- What do you like best about RVing?
- What are your pet peeves?
- Are you seeing more permanent and seasonal RV parks?
- Are rising costs affecting your camping style?
- Do you have favorite campgrounds or RV parks?
- What is the most memorable experience you have had RVing?
- Do you have any tips or secrets you’d like to share?
Please use the form below to answer one or more of these questions, or tell us what you’ve experienced with campground crowding in general.
Read last week’s Crowded Campgrounds column: RVers discuss ‘entitled campers’; no regard for others at the campground
##RVT1212b
I agree with Paula P. Dogs are not the problem. The owners are. The dogs are doing what comes naturally.
And it’s not just at campgrounds. We have a couple of neighbors that walk their dogs and don’t clean up after them.
Also, it’s not any different than misbehaved kids that are allowed to run around unsupervised.
Dogs and children have at least one thing in common! If no one teaches them proper behavior we all pay the consequences!
It’s interesting to read these comments about dogs. We enjoy traveling with our two beagles because of all the dog lovers we meet when we walk with them. We can’t go 50 feet without someone wanting to pet them! We get to hear all the stories about their pet dogs growing up. Our dogs are pet therapy dogs, so they are good with adults and children of all ages. Of course, we pick up after them, and any other deposits we see, and they are always on a leash except at the dog park. That’s why we RV so we can take the dogs and meet so many nice people!
Many dog owners tie their dog or put their pens right by the front door of their RV so they can easily let Fido in or out or scold him for barking.
That sounds sensible until you realize their front door is where everyone else’s is and they’re localizing their pet’s “byproducts” literally where everyone else will frequent.
Think about how many dogs pee’d in the area by your steps before you let your toddler roam or walk outside in your socks.
It’s not anyone’s “fault”. It’s just one more thing boondocking avoids.
When our parents took us camping as kids if we got out of hand we got a crack across the you know what and our dog was tied up to our camper and we ALWAYS picked up after him, our dog was kept quiet, we weren’t abused but kept in line now days a lot of people seem to think their kids and dogs can do what they want and couldn’t care less as long as the kids aren’t bothering them, it’s a whole different world out there now from when we were kids, a crack across our behinds hurt but we turned out good!
Those cracks oughta be used more often.
I would happily stay at that mostly no-dogs park.
When I had our Dalmatian she would do most anything for a treat which I carried a few in my pocket. The movie 101 D…. was popular and when I walked her kids would love to pet her. She was very docile and everyone asked first if it was ok so I would give them a treat to give to her. A simple pick up is a glad sandwich bag over your hand: pick it up, take the bag off from the back over your hand and walla – no mess no fuss. She was also always tied on a leash when away from home. She passed at age 16 in 2007 with bad hips – I miss her to this day.
Thank you for the compilation, Nanci! We travel in an RV in order to not have to board dog #3. Campgrounds/RV parks with difficult restrictions (e.g., dogs must be driven to the campground dog park, but otherwise required to be inside the RV) or prohibitions on dogs aren’t considered when we look for somewhere to overnight or stay longer. Our biggest conundrum is limited generator hours at BLM campgrounds, so once our OEM AGM batteries go on life support, we will replace with a robust lithium battery bank. Unfortunately, that is at least a year from now. Have a great weekend and safe travels! 🙂
Those dog folks who cause all our pains, don’t care and never will.
Also we have our 1st forest fire north of Leavenworth, Wa. I went up to a campground close to my home and some nitwits had left a campfire burning. I had to put it dead-out. Also I pulled the aluminum Budweiser cans out of the pit. Just like the bad dog owners. They just don’t care.