Campground or Boondock?
- Thread starter Kelly
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Given those strict 2 choices I choose boondock. I have some great memories of "primitive" camping with the scouts and that brings back some memories.
I avoid commercial campgrounds like KOA like the plague. Like others have said I do not want to be right on top of others. I want room for myself to actually enjoy my time.
Now there are some state/national parks or forests which offer something in between where you get a spot assigned to you, but there is not a ton of people and it is not on top of each other. So it's not exactly primitive camping, but its also not like a traditional campground.
Another thing I do is I try to reserve spots further away from the water/shower facilities if you go to a more traditional park.
I avoid commercial campgrounds like KOA like the plague. Like others have said I do not want to be right on top of others. I want room for myself to actually enjoy my time.
Now there are some state/national parks or forests which offer something in between where you get a spot assigned to you, but there is not a ton of people and it is not on top of each other. So it's not exactly primitive camping, but its also not like a traditional campground.
Another thing I do is I try to reserve spots further away from the water/shower facilities if you go to a more traditional park.
We have been doing campgrounds but are working towards dispersed camping. The primary factor is the wife is a city girl at heart so I have been inching her towards camping. We have been very lucky with the campgrounds we have stayed at. Going off season is the biggest factor, at Blue Heron (Big South Fork National River) there were only three other rigs and we met two of them. The main purpose for campgrounds is, like noted above, showers.
Its really a learning process for many. If you are just starting out its best to use the campgrounds until you are sure you have the right gear to support disperse camping. This is the way we have gone about getting started in Overlanding. We recently stepped up our game to where we now have the gear that will allow us to do disperse camping for a max of three days (water supply). Our next trip will include several nights a campgrounds which will give the wife the chance to get comfortable with this new setup, which includes a RTT. After that we will start doing a night here and there of disperse camping. But . . . I don't see us breaking away completely from campgrounds, they will replace hotels as our refresh stop.
One thing I noticed when researching campgrounds is most are geared towards Class A and C rigs. They may have tent areas but they are so far from the bathhouse its almost like disperse camping. I always look for campgrounds that have multiple bathhouses so its not more than a few minutes walk if the wife has to get up in the middle of the night. Its all about doing what is necessary to keep the wife happy while moving toward our goal (also makes for better breakfasts when she's happy).
Its really a learning process for many. If you are just starting out its best to use the campgrounds until you are sure you have the right gear to support disperse camping. This is the way we have gone about getting started in Overlanding. We recently stepped up our game to where we now have the gear that will allow us to do disperse camping for a max of three days (water supply). Our next trip will include several nights a campgrounds which will give the wife the chance to get comfortable with this new setup, which includes a RTT. After that we will start doing a night here and there of disperse camping. But . . . I don't see us breaking away completely from campgrounds, they will replace hotels as our refresh stop.
One thing I noticed when researching campgrounds is most are geared towards Class A and C rigs. They may have tent areas but they are so far from the bathhouse its almost like disperse camping. I always look for campgrounds that have multiple bathhouses so its not more than a few minutes walk if the wife has to get up in the middle of the night. Its all about doing what is necessary to keep the wife happy while moving toward our goal (also makes for better breakfasts when she's happy).
Influencer II
No one answer for me.
In my neck of the woods, all the nice spots for camping are already established campgrounds, from state parks to national forests. There are county parks as well but they start looking like KOAs. Our state parks are pretty good with the campground layouts and seldom will you see party-ers (most campsites get reserved a year ahead so majority are avid campers). The National Forests get you a similar experience, yet there are a lot more primitive sites, typically great location, and the experience gets you closed to dispersed camping. I find the national park camper crowd is even more a decent crowd. And then there's dispersed camping on state/national forests. I've honestly only done one dispersed camping here in MN, not by choice -- i was on a group trail ride. For our weekend trips around here, I definitely prefer my family to be in either a national campground or a state park .
Now when i go on longer trips, I tend to lean on dispersed camping. But I do quite a bit of research since my goal is not just to get a place to sleep for the night but to also find a spot where I can easily say, I need to be back here. My recent ones are in SD and MI. Both had been great experience as far as view and remoteness is concerned and my wife and I have already thought about going back at those areas. A friend joined us once and they were so hooked they said they don't want to camp in established campgrounds anymore. But let's be honest here, it took some work to find those spots to make sure it comes out as a positive experience. They may be singing a different story if we ended up in some dump. The other reason why i do dispersed camping on long trips is so we have the flexibility to sleep wherever, and not have to worry/stress about reaching a campground in time, etc.
In short, it's all about the location for me.
In my neck of the woods, all the nice spots for camping are already established campgrounds, from state parks to national forests. There are county parks as well but they start looking like KOAs. Our state parks are pretty good with the campground layouts and seldom will you see party-ers (most campsites get reserved a year ahead so majority are avid campers). The National Forests get you a similar experience, yet there are a lot more primitive sites, typically great location, and the experience gets you closed to dispersed camping. I find the national park camper crowd is even more a decent crowd. And then there's dispersed camping on state/national forests. I've honestly only done one dispersed camping here in MN, not by choice -- i was on a group trail ride. For our weekend trips around here, I definitely prefer my family to be in either a national campground or a state park .
Now when i go on longer trips, I tend to lean on dispersed camping. But I do quite a bit of research since my goal is not just to get a place to sleep for the night but to also find a spot where I can easily say, I need to be back here. My recent ones are in SD and MI. Both had been great experience as far as view and remoteness is concerned and my wife and I have already thought about going back at those areas. A friend joined us once and they were so hooked they said they don't want to camp in established campgrounds anymore. But let's be honest here, it took some work to find those spots to make sure it comes out as a positive experience. They may be singing a different story if we ended up in some dump. The other reason why i do dispersed camping on long trips is so we have the flexibility to sleep wherever, and not have to worry/stress about reaching a campground in time, etc.
In short, it's all about the location for me.
Benefactor
Like @Lifestyle Overland Boondock until supplies and a need for a "real" shower dicktates a campground. On short trips, we sometimes need to stay the first night in a camping ground (arriving late at night), so we can get a backwoods permit for the rest of the trip (required at some National Parks). Bureaucracy and logistics make choices for us sometimes.
Steward I
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I think camping away from the crowds makes us feel more comfortable and more in touch with nature. To each his own!
Dispersed camping 100% now. I'm done with commercial campgrounds unless I'm in an unknown area and arrive at night. If we stay we just pack up as soon as we wake and leave. A lot of camp showers are vile and not even worth it. Wife and I have resorted to paying for a $50-70 motel when required to shower / shave, do laundry if they have the facilities, rest one night then go back out. If I had my way I would never stay at a camp ground again.
Enthusiast III
We used to do a bit of both, but prefer dispersed / boondocking above all else.
We found through our experiences that everyone has a different idea of what camping is or what it should be. If you come across a solo camper while you are out, they are usually very quiet.. don't slam vehicle doors, music (if any, is very low), etc. For every person you add to the group, the annoyances tend to grow exponentially. Another thought you could equate to this discussion is that of boating.. some folks like the solitude and self-reliance of a sailboat. Others, like speed boats with 25 speakers strapped around the rails blasting whatever song you don't like and a skier in tow. Can't say the latter group is wrong.. just different. We relate more to the sailboat mindset. We seek the solitude that seems to get harder and harder to find.. at least in California anyway.. The final straw for us occurred a few years back... we decided to go to a boat in / 4x4 campground in Northern California (Gold Lake OHV). We got their early and settled in around 2 pm. Shortly thereafter, everything that tends to make us crazy started to line up for a perfect storm of annoyances. I won't go into all the details, but I will give you the bullets...
We found through our experiences that everyone has a different idea of what camping is or what it should be. If you come across a solo camper while you are out, they are usually very quiet.. don't slam vehicle doors, music (if any, is very low), etc. For every person you add to the group, the annoyances tend to grow exponentially. Another thought you could equate to this discussion is that of boating.. some folks like the solitude and self-reliance of a sailboat. Others, like speed boats with 25 speakers strapped around the rails blasting whatever song you don't like and a skier in tow. Can't say the latter group is wrong.. just different. We relate more to the sailboat mindset. We seek the solitude that seems to get harder and harder to find.. at least in California anyway.. The final straw for us occurred a few years back... we decided to go to a boat in / 4x4 campground in Northern California (Gold Lake OHV). We got their early and settled in around 2 pm. Shortly thereafter, everything that tends to make us crazy started to line up for a perfect storm of annoyances. I won't go into all the details, but I will give you the bullets...
- Truck load of screaming kids arrive. Set up in the spot right next to us.
- Another group rolls in and starts letting off the big bore pistols in a non-shooting campground with all those kids running around.
- Convoy of 4x4 come in around midnight to an already full site nosing around for a place to squeeze in.
- A group of twenty somethings arrive to the full site and lands their group in a posted no camping area. Music blasts and the party begins.
- A bit later in the night, a couple from the twenty something crew decides to get it on while the sounds of their exploits echo across the calm waters of the lake, followed by another tribe member heaving up her guts, also against the tranquility of a lake setting.
- All capped off by finally getting to sleep and the wife waking up and looking out at the morning lake scene only to see another twenty something doing his best cherub fountain impression right into the lake off a high rock. Just perfect.
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Definitely for the solitude and self-reliance. However, something is to be said about being at a campground with hot showers in the colder months. Something I was definitely thankful for here recently while in the mountains of Colorado. That was the only way I could get warmed up in the mornings. But I was planning on staying in the boondocks/dispersed campsites nearby if it wasn't for an access issue.
Enthusiast III
A bit of both really.
I prefer remote or dispersed camping if I am camping in a different spot each night. Setup camp for the night, take down in the morning and move on each day.
If I'm traveling to an area where I'm planning on spending a few nights in the same spot then I would rather go to a state park or state forest campground but never a commercial campground.
It's basically for the security of my campsite. If I leave camp to do things in the area for even a few hours in the boondocks there is no way to secure the camp from anyone stealing or damaging my stuff.
Not saying it wouldn't happen in a campground but at least there is some security with others around than if your stuff is out by itself with no one else around.
I prefer remote or dispersed camping if I am camping in a different spot each night. Setup camp for the night, take down in the morning and move on each day.
If I'm traveling to an area where I'm planning on spending a few nights in the same spot then I would rather go to a state park or state forest campground but never a commercial campground.
It's basically for the security of my campsite. If I leave camp to do things in the area for even a few hours in the boondocks there is no way to secure the camp from anyone stealing or damaging my stuff.
Not saying it wouldn't happen in a campground but at least there is some security with others around than if your stuff is out by itself with no one else around.
Member I
the wife & I like disperse camping. We both deal with the public for a living, the last thing we do not want for our off time is with more public. We want our privacy & like the fact were nomads when it comes to disperse camping. We both do not want to deal with the young adolescent power drinkers & their profanity.
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My wife and I enjoy both. Most nights we boondock. We will pay for an improved camp site, every few nights, to take advantage of amenities (like showers). This is especially true, when the weather is cold.
Like most responding, I prefer "dispersed camping" vs campgrounds. But having said that I rarely plan my travels based on a specific type or specific campsite location. I try to always have an "alternative option" plan just in case the area or specific site has "turn off" as soon as I arrive. This logic leads me to start looking for a place to set up for the night at least 2 hours before dark so that I can look elsewhere if needed/desired.
My experience is that during weekends - we exclusively seek out dispersed sites so as to limit our exposure to crowds. But during mid-week it's not uncommon for us to visit and use "improved" NPS, FS, State or other self check-in campgrounds. Normally that means no other campers, or typically very few.
This routine allows us to make a mid-week refresh of water supplies, dispose of any accumulated trash, and have plenty of water to heat for a body wash-up, wash any dishes, rinse/wash clothes, etc. all without worrying about using to much of our H2O reserves. This also gives us a "treat" using a vault toilet which most of these type campgrounds provide so we aren't digging a hole and squatting... for each and every time "nature calls".
Be forewarned however that after a holiday weekend or during heavy camping seasons the day or two afterward the weekend frequently means the campsites will be trashed, trash cans full, the toilets dirty, toilet paper used up, and so on. By Tuesday night or Wednesday the sites will be cleaned and ready for our mid-week use.
YMMV
My experience is that during weekends - we exclusively seek out dispersed sites so as to limit our exposure to crowds. But during mid-week it's not uncommon for us to visit and use "improved" NPS, FS, State or other self check-in campgrounds. Normally that means no other campers, or typically very few.
This routine allows us to make a mid-week refresh of water supplies, dispose of any accumulated trash, and have plenty of water to heat for a body wash-up, wash any dishes, rinse/wash clothes, etc. all without worrying about using to much of our H2O reserves. This also gives us a "treat" using a vault toilet which most of these type campgrounds provide so we aren't digging a hole and squatting... for each and every time "nature calls".
Be forewarned however that after a holiday weekend or during heavy camping seasons the day or two afterward the weekend frequently means the campsites will be trashed, trash cans full, the toilets dirty, toilet paper used up, and so on. By Tuesday night or Wednesday the sites will be cleaned and ready for our mid-week use.
YMMV
Campground = laundry, hot shower, fill water, chat, convenience store, toilet
Self pay campground = fill water, nice camp location, maybe a toilet, sometimes nobody else around
BLM/NFS/WA/SP/dispersed/etc = great places to camp, convenient!!, nobody around, you might have to work for water refill
Each has a purpose. I went fishing and dispersed camped. Marked locations of hand pumps for refilling water (Colorado is nice). Moved to a self pay state campground for a very nice camp site and stream access to a protected section. Then went to a "campground" to do laundry and such. Each has a purpose. I don't think of a campground as a destination. I think of it as offering some service for the trip.
Self pay campground = fill water, nice camp location, maybe a toilet, sometimes nobody else around
BLM/NFS/WA/SP/dispersed/etc = great places to camp, convenient!!, nobody around, you might have to work for water refill
Each has a purpose. I went fishing and dispersed camped. Marked locations of hand pumps for refilling water (Colorado is nice). Moved to a self pay state campground for a very nice camp site and stream access to a protected section. Then went to a "campground" to do laundry and such. Each has a purpose. I don't think of a campground as a destination. I think of it as offering some service for the trip.
Speaking of no respect, I was boondocking w my friend one night when, at 10:30, just as I’m getting into bed, two vehicles pull up to our spot w full on families and the parents send their kids off to play and they start cracking beers. Tons of noise, flashlights everywhere...
Seariously?!?! There’s a million other spots.
I tried humoring them till I could find out their intentions but my buddy got out of his tent and cursed them out till they left.
Thank god be had the balls. No respect, as Rodney would say.
