Proper Campground Etiquette

There's not much that beats camping. For me, I love getting out of the house and away from the daily routine. Many times though, friends, girlfriends and wives aren't enthused about peeing in the woods or not having a shower around. A campground is usually the safe bet-meet in the middle solution.

As a veteran of who knows how many campgrounds, It still amazes me the kind of things some people leave behind. I've seen toilet paper with train tracks, (and its companion) countless beer bottles and bottle caps, bags of chips, bent and broken tent stakes left in the ground, and all sorts of half melted glop left over in the firepit. Camping in a campground or anywhere for that matter, is just not enjoyable when you are  camping in someone elses garbage.

Here's the Groovy Adventures list for proper campground etiquette. Leave the campsite as you would want to find it!

  • Be sure to check and double check your area, get all trash and anything you left behind!
  • Put all trash in the proper trash receptacle!
  • Don't try to burn metal in the fire. It just won't work. This means aluminum foil and aluminum cans. These items will not burn.
  • Only burn wood and paper in fires.
  • Heed ALL campground rules. Many campgrounds have long term residents!
  • When it's late, keep it quiet.
  • Be sure to tidy up after yourself when using the bathrooms or showers.
  • Pitch tents in the proper areas.
  • Be sure to check with the campground BEFORE collecting ANY wood, dead or otherwise, as some campgrounds do not allow collection of dead wood!
  • When collecting dead wood (see above) only collect wood that is dead on the ground, don't cut down living branches!
  • Bring your own firewood, don't rely what may or may NOT be at the campground. Many times campgrounds have wood for sale, but not always!
  • Don't cut through other peoples' campsites to get to your own, or to the bathrooms, etc. You wouldn't want people driving across your front yard as a shortcut!
  • Don't poop near campsites, use the bathrooms!
  • Don't forget to clean up after your pets. Not all campgrounds allow pets, so be sure to check ahead of time!
  • Clean up picnic tables from all food and scraps. Nobody likes showing up to their campsite to find hordes of ants and other bugs.
  • Judy of Mill Creek Campground & RV Park adds:
    If you have any problems at all, please tell the campgournd host right away.  They WANT to have the opportunity to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.  If you wait until you leave to tell them, it's too late.
  • Jane of Sandy Pond Campground adds:
    If you tie rope to the trees for canopes or tents, please cut the rope down and throw it away.  Remember, No glass bottles in fire places or on the beach.  They break and pose a problem for those workers who have to clean the fire pits and the beach area.
  • Trenching around tents is an ankle breaking hazzard for your family but also the next family to use your site!
  • Wayne & Lori of Otter Creek Campground add:
    Be courteous of your neighbors and respect nature!
  • Ed at Alpine Shores Campground adds:
    Drive slowly in the campground, there are usually children playing.
  • Check campground rules before riding dirt bikes, atv's, go-carts and motorcycles.
  • Do not feed the wildlife! Bears don't make very good bed partners.
  • Martha at Southern Gates RV Park & Campground adds:
    Not to camp with Styrofoam since it's so tempting (and caustic) to put in the fire.
  • Check with the park before hanging anything on any tree as it could become a choking hazard at night. 
  • Layton at Vicks Corner World adds:
    Always check with the campground people BEFORE starting a ground fire. Some campgrounds have portable fire pits to burn in so as not to destroy the grass areas and leave burnt plies where ever.
  • Martin at Olema Ranch and Campground adds:
    My pet peeve is speeding. We are a family campground with lots of kids on bikes and running around with their dog or playing games. When you arrive at a campground take your foot off the gas pedal, slow down on the way to your site and as you leave the park. Most camps have dirt or gravel roads and the dust cloud created by speeding through the park is very annoying, especially on a hot day.
  • Another tip is if you arrive very late or are leaving early please do not use your bright lights or day liters and wake everyone else up, also do not leave your engine idling for more than a minute or two, diesel engines are particularly noisy.
  • Finally use common sense and courtesy with both other campers and the hosts or work campers in the park, if you cant find your site ask for directions don't just take any site some may be reserved.
  • Ann Swaim of Peters Pond Park adds:
    Be sure to check out on time. The next camper may be waiting. Many campgrounds have a no earlier than check in and most have a late arrival policy. Make sure you are familiar with these rules.
  • Parents of small children should make sure they are being responsible for them and not asking their neighbors to watch out for their safety.
  • Dawn of Durango Year Round RV Park adds:
    All our RV sites are full hook ups. That is, there is live water coming to the site even in the dead of winter. We do this by having electric heat tapes running from the electric stantion at the site to the water stantion at the site.

    Overnighters pull into the site. The handle is up on the water stantion site. The breakers are all up so that electric is running continuously to facilitate the heating of the water station.

    Many times, these overnighters, assume that they know best. They unplug their units and turn down the breakers - which shuts off the electric going to heat the heat take on the water stantion. ...and even if they turn down the handle on the water stantion, (which we don't like because it puts alot of continuous wear on the freeze tap mechanism four feet below ground level and when something wears out, you need to dig down four feet in order to repair it). But even if they put the handle down, they don't open up the spigots and the water trapped within the valves of these spigots freezes.

If you have anything else you'd like me to add to the list, please email me!