We received this letter last week from reader Garry C. about people cutting through his campsite. We hear similar comments and complaints in Nanci’s Campground Crowding, Comments & Concerns column each week, but this time Garry is asking for your opinion. We’re sure most campers and RVers have experienced this at least once, but most likely a few times. Read Garry’s email and then leave a comment with your answer: What would you, or do you, do if/when this happens to you?
“My site is not a public trail!”
During a recent stay at a campground, I noticed my neighbors cutting through my site to get to the restroom. At first, I let it slide but it never stopped! It became a regular occurrence. And the worst part was that the bathroom was just around the corner without them having to cut through my site! And it wasn’t just the same people, either, it was multiple different people! My site is not a public trail!
“It felt invasive. My campsite is my ‘home’ while I’m there and I enjoy the little bit of peace I can get (which is hard to find these days).
It left me wondering—Do some RVers not realize how important personal space is, or is this just a common campground problem? How do others handle this without coming across as unfriendly? Do you put up a visual barrier, like ropes or cones, or do you address it with the people directly?
Anybody have any advice on how they manage situations like this? I want to maintain a positive campground vibe, but not at the expense of my own comfort. I’m tired of this! Help!
Your turn
What advice do you have for Garry? Please leave your comments below. We, Garry, and we’re sure plenty of other RVers, will appreciate it.
Have a campground complaint? Want to get something off your chest? Have a question like Garry’s you’d like our readers to answer? Send it to us at editor(at)rvtravel.com.
##RVT1185
Let me run this idea by you.
Make a private “game” out of it for yourself. Greet each trespasser, & tell him/her that you’re conducting a survey about why people don’t realize they are encroaching on a private space when they go through a site someone has paid to live in. Write down their answers, and invite them to walk through. Then, after you’ve had enough samples, read their replies. The end result MIGHT be that 1. your perspective changes, 2. theirs changes, 3. you make new friends.
What can they possibly say that will change your perspective? That it’s okay for you to walk through the camp site? Are you going to make friends with someone you just told to not walk through? Just like market research surveys or poll takers, are you going to participate?
Thank you Betty for your input and opinion!
wow thats a great one
I do something similar. I jump up and enthusiastically greet them. Ask them how their day is going, and then ask them what their campsite number is so we can come over and visit with them for awhile. Usually results in some puzzled looks, but it does cut down on repeat offenders!
I don’t even know what’s more offensive anymore – the ones that cut through on the “living” side of my RV, or the ones that cut though on back/utility side, which tells me they know it’s wrong but they just don’t care. The concept of private space and property (though rented) has seemingly gone out the window anymore. My husband has begun seeking sites that aren’t even remotely close to whatever amenities a campground has to offer, just to alleviate this problem.
I think that, of all of the transgressions one can commit while camping, this is the most annoying. Sometimes it is children, and I usually give them a heads-up to go around and not cut through. Adults cutting through is different. They should know better. Saying something to them should make them aware and stop the practice, but that means you have to sit outside the entire time, playing guard. Not ideal. Maybe a big sign “Beware of dog” ? Maybe parking your vehicle is such a way as to block the entrance? Maybe following them back to their site and walking through it, repeatedly?
To each their own when it comes to the worst camping transgressions….mine is dogs barking and loud music! As far as cutting through, we try our best not to park near bathrooms, trailheads and stay out of the inner part of the loops. Other than that, I would probably not say anything, unless they are literally walking THROUGH our site. Cutting a corner? Meh.
Ask staff to pound in signs at each end to advise the public it is a private site, go around.
Then “bark” at anyone entering the holy lands…
We usually try to avoid a camp site that is near a bathroom. Just to avoid this type of thing. But it’s not always feasible. But if you had a choice of camp sites, then you should probably anticipate that you will have people in your site. Not everyone is equally respectful, or even aware, of how sensitive this might be to others.
I lay out enough camping apparatus (chairs, hammocks, tables, stoves, etc.) so as to block any short cut routes. Generally this is pretty effective. I haven’t had to resort to trip wires or claymores yet.
Bear traps.
🤣🤣🤣👍
Bear spray.
Just kidding, maybe 🤔
Put up some yellow police tape.
Yeah! Yellow crime tape! That will get their attention!
I find that a strategically-placed string of LED lights works quite well in this scenario. I place them either off the ground or on the ground (depending on campground policies) in a way that defines the borders of my campsite. It seems to keep the critters away too. I hope this helps. Good luck!
Stay at a Recreation.gov campsite. The website will say they’re sold out for weeks but you’ll be the only one there if you can snag a FCFS site…..
If that doesn’t work, try to pick a site away from “people areas” as a lot of folk just don’t camp enough to know the ins and outs of campground etiquette. If it’s a hot button, just boondock. It’s easier than stewing over your exclusive access to a little patch of gravel you’re just renting.
That puts it in perspective. Thanks, Vince.👍 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
“… claymores…”
LOL.
They’ll only do it once!
Unfortunately, it is all about themselves nowadays. No one has respect for others, their property, and space. Back when I was a leader in the Boy Scouts, that was one thing we taught the boys and it was enforced with “chores” if any of our troop members failed to abide by this rule.
About the only thing one can do is tell them, if you caught them, your site is not a shortcut. If they ignore you, start walking around and through their site and see if they like it. 🙂
Just goes to show you how disrespectful people have become over the last 8 years.
More like the last 50+ years.
In all the years we’ve been camping this has only been an issue once. We were camped next to a trail in a COE lakefront site. A group of young kids consistently cut through our site while we were sitting outside. I finally asked them nicely not to cut through our site and to use the trail instead.
They complied, problem solved.
We’ve never had a problem with adults but I would treat it the exact same way.
How would putting up signage or private tape work?
Regarding shortcuts through your campsite. I was plagued with this once. It was usually children that predominantly did this. I just moved my bikes and other camping equipment in the path of the offenders. It worked! Cars, lawn chairs, caution tape, rope, rope with a blanket or clothes drying, picnic tables, the cornhole game, etc. also will do the trick. If you are challenged with items use your CLEANED sewer hose (unconnected please) across the path. Shortcutters would think twice before stepping over it.
Get one of those Halloween inflatables that jump when people get close. And Film Everything for YouTube and TikTok!
🤣🤣 That would be funny! Thanks, Steve. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
My pleasure!!
Gotta teach people somehow!
👍😄 –Diane
Post a sign. No trespassing or such.
Too many people feel entitled to do what they want when they want, it’s all me me me. Along with the fact that none of them can read anymore. Campground rules are handed out at check in, but very few are read.
I read this on RV hack page. They bought one of those plastic pet fences and put it up around their patio area so no one could cut through. Easy solve but you would have to have room to store it.
I find if I park next to a 5th wheel that has 1000 watts of color-changing lighting that they leave on all night it cuts down on foot traffic between sites, probably because it blinds people.
I’d ask the campground office to print two signs – start with paper inside one of the plastic sleeves. One that said “Restrooms” and use a permanent marker to draw an arrow. Post the sign at the front or back of your site as appropriate. The other sign, on the restroom side could say “Please do not walk through occupied sites” to avoid people cutting back through your site. While it won’t stop everyone, most will comply. A “No Trespassing” sign only labels you as ‘grumpy’, and it’s not your land to barricade.
As a campground owner, I really like Jim’s advice. I feel bad for my campers when others don’t abide by the rules so I don’t personally have an issue enforcing rules so that all campers enjoy their stay. But not all camp hosts/owners are “on top of it”. Presenting a wonderful solution like Jim’s to the camp hosts/owners is a totally doable option and easy to do. This way I don’t have to keep telling people. If you bring a potential solution to campground owners attention, I bet they’d be willing to do it. Honestly – I wouldn’t have thought of Jim’s solution but it makes perfect sense! Mental note to self! 🙂
having two dogs {golden retreivers}, outside tied , I tell them that the dog will bite them if they cut though the site. it works most of the time
Goldens are not the most scary breed
We had a group of college age young folks cutting through our site at a NF campground. We solved the problem by greeting them each time they came through, asking if we could help them with something and attempting to engage them in conversation. After a couple of our overly friendly greetings, they decided they preferred to use the road.
👍 I like your solution, Debby.😄 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Set up an automatic motion-activated water sprinkler.
Don’t forget the trail cam to watch the results! It is hysterical!
This is why I try to get a camping spot on the outer edge of the campground. There is usually nothing behind me except trees. Once I did make the mistake of my spot being near a hiking path trailhead. Now I’m very careful of what spot I choose.
Having been on both sides of this issue, as camper and someone needing to use the restroom, I have been faced with the question of just how are the folk in the back row to reach the restrooms, which is merely one row away straight in front of them? They would have to walk around an entire loop, sometimes quite long, to reach their destination. Some bladders cannot make the journey. Maybe the blame should be on the campground designers, or the site assigners need to ask if the arrivals will be needing the facilities and assign spaces accordingly.
Go around.
the OP is indicating multiple times by many different people. A single event can be excusable.
There is no excuse if you can’t hold it use your RV and dump when you’re done camping
No excuse. Leave before you have to go (every so many hours) or use a porta potty if your camper has no bathroom facility. Campers don’t need uninvited people disturbing them.
There is rarely an excuse for rude behavior. The folks that express ignorance in behavior need to be gently advised of it.
For Gary C, be careful of talking to the people directly. These days there’s good chance they won’t take it as friendly advice. I’ve been flipped off by pre-teens and worse from their parents. I have a set of cones and a rope I put out if I have people cutting thru my site. This seems to be working for now. Good luck keeping everyone out when your site is in a direct path to the restroom.
Who cares how they take it; talking direct to the person in my estimation is the best way to solve a problem.
I have had the same issue at times last summer…I did at one point, ask some kids to please go around to get to restroom, but many others kept going through…I found it quite irritating, but like Garry, am not sure what to do about it…when I mentioned it to my friends next to me, they were like “whatever”…but I guess my sense of “boundaries” & my personal space is different than others…
I’ve only had problems with children cutting through my campsite. I walk over towards them (which usually startles them) and say in a fairly friendly tone, “Hey there! Do you know that it’s rude to cut through another person’s campground?” Then I point to where there’s a trail and ask them to please use it next time. And when they do, I wave and say, “thank you!!!”
This be my solution.
The last time we had people go through the middle of our site at the Oregon State Fair. The tall grass had been mowed so we raked the grass into a pile between our RV and the one that kept walking through our site AND pop-up awning. The grass was enough to feed an animal for most of the 11 days we were there.
Store a 100′ rope in a small bucket with some oil. Wearing rubber gloves, stretch 2-3 lengths back and forth between two objects as “fencing”. Hang a couple small signs saying “Please Go Around”. When really obnoxious jerks insist on stepping through or over – permanent oil stains on their clothes!
I would ask the campground owners or managers to instruct campers of proper etiquette during the check in process. If I was staying at that campground for more than a day or two I would ask for a different site.
Dennis, that won’t work at a State Park or NF campground.
I once came out my door and stepped down to the ground and as I started to close the door someone cutting through my campsite just about ran into me. Just ignorant people that don’t know any better. Or should I say stupid people. And for all you parents out there. It’s your job to teach your kids proper etiquette and manners. But if you’re stupid, I bet your kids grow up stupid too.
While camped in the desert, not another camper in sight, I had two people come through my site on ATVs! They drove between my fire ring, set up with our chairs, and our fifth wheel!
To me, barking dogs, unbagged poop and loud music is much more offensive, but I do get the annoyance. At our park, when we have offenders we resort to signage suggesting the best route to the amenity. This usually works
I totally agree with Garry. I have only experienced kids cutting through and can understand they don’t realize what they are doing while playing hard. What I have done in such situations is put a rope around my site and sometimes hang things like towels etc. to make it more visible.
With the attitude of many people these days – I would be very careful confronting anyone over a minor infraction like going across my site- too many people are armed with some device and a simple incident could lead to a major event! Also, with regard to stringing ropes and lites and fences or whatever – I would be careful and be sure these things are lited all nite and have flags on them during the daylite hours – you just might invite a legal bodily injury liability issue if someone trips on your fence or ropes or whatever. (In addition to bad attitudes – people like litigation!).
Caution tape
Crime Scene tape! LOLOLOLOL
It works.
I’m pretty passive aggressive. Normally hang some towels up, or set out some camping chairs, or outdoor rug. This usually works to get the message across.
I asked them nicely to not pass through my campsite again. I ask them to pick up their dog poop as I have dogs of my own to take care of and if you don’t you will be reported to the office and I’m sure asked to leave with no refund. That usually gets them to pay attention.
Many people are lazy & thoughtless. They just go on auto-pilot and take the shortest route. I would just put a few obstacles around the site that would hopefully discourage them from cutting thru.
It might take one Claymore mine to get the message across. Orange cones they trip over don’t seem to do any good.
You wouldn’t believe how many walk or drive into wet concrete on sidewalks or roads I’ve helped work on..
Maybe a pet skunk?
My parents raised me better than that. Boy Scouts reinforced it: entering another campsite uninvited is just plain rude. Too many spoiled, entitled parents are raising spoiled, entitled kids with zero manners or respect for others…
I have only had this problem at one private campground but have had it almost every time I stay there if I am in any but my preferred site. To make it worse, it isn’t only other campers but also staff who are not engaged in a duty at that time, just cutting through to the office!
What worked best for me is to put up my extra 48″ xpen panels to block the route! Also moving the picnic table to block the route.
I spoke to one couple and their reply was that it was only a couple of feet! Yes, a couple of feet that will not inconvenience you too much to walk!
Throw down those little paper snaps kids use during 4th of July. That will startle them. Lol.
Have not tried this yet, but a hand written sign that says, “watch for snakes”
Thank you, Gary and RV Travel! Wow! That is a tough one. An easy answer is avoid being near the rest room. But, some campgrounds assign sites at arrival. Other times, few available sites fit ones rig. So, choosing a site far from rest rooms is not often nor easily done. I would ask people to not walk through. This won’t always work and it requires your presence outside. So, a backup is to arrange your site to most inconvenience someone headed to the rest room (or whatever is the enticement to cut through). As a last resort, appeal to the campground hosts or owner. In the extreme fencing to delineate sites can be installed. Happy new year!