Campsite concentration post-Covid lockdown?

[ODB]

Now that lockdowns have lifted, it *seems* to me campsites are not as jam-packed as they were last/year before? Is that just me or are they still tight as ticks in states surrounding Idaho?

Was out recently and plenty of open spots - whereas same time in the past few years every spot was taken everywhere. Thinking maybe since things are open people are less concentrated.

What has been your experience this year in comparison to last few?

 

[Customweld]

Certain places are still pretty dang busy. Still a ton of folks that leave their camps set up for weeks on end. Word is the BNF is going to start enforcing the 14 day rule due to a pile of complaints .

 

[Hnthrdr]

Some areas I go have been hit or miss. Figured 4th of July weekend would be nuts, but it was a lot less camps than I expected. This is in Co. that 14 day thing needs to happen. Bunch of weirdos parking POS campers in dispersed areas and trying to live there year round. Usually lots of drugs and trash around them too

 

[Pony Soldier]

In the few places I have gone, there appears to be fewer in general. During covid there appeared to have been a migration of well to do folks moving to the puckerbrush. I mean well to do by $100,000 camper/buses. I haven't been out much this year so far due to the every day rain in June.

 

[OMF]

Greetings all,

It still seems pretty crowded vs pre-COVID to myself and spouse in some areas. We were recently camping in the Grand Lake area in CO. We encountered 2 large groups of family/friends that took up "camping" since COVID. One group was 7 different families/friends that all had new this year small class A motorhomes. 3 were on their first time out camping. They were entertaining to watch at times, annoying at others....but that's a different topic.

At a recent camping trip in So Cal we ran into 3 families that were new campers. We had a hard time finding 4 consecutive open days at the site due to it being booked. In the past, that particular camp ground was traditionally pretty open during the week. Not anymore since.

@Hnthrdr, I have to agree 100% with you regarding the people parking and leaving campers to hold places etc. While hunting CO GMU 14 this past year, we came across 6 instances of beat up "how'd they get that thing up and in here" campers that were just parked to hold dispersed camp sites. There was fresh snow with no tire tracks or boot tracks around these things. The CPW officer we talked to said he let the forest service know over a month ago but nothing was done. He said it's becoming more and more of a problem on BLM and NFS lands.

 

[CodeMonkey]

I just hope I no longer find a bucket of literal shit at the place I want to camp this year.

 

[Yoder]

I think we are going to see some really good deals on campers in the next couple years.

 

[Customweld]

I think we are going to see some really good deals on campers in the next couple years.

They are already starting here in southern Idaho. “Lifestyle change is forcing us to sale our favorite summer pastime”

 

[Rob5589]

Plenty busy here, lots of campgrounds fully booked through the season.

 

[Crowmangler]

Went yesterday to a local state park kinda place ... 1,500-acre lake, tons of campsites & miles of mtn bike trails. saw 6-8 boats & maybe 50 people total. Usually hopping but almost a ghost town for some reason

 

[tony]

Don't know about campsites but the national parks are insane with traffic.
Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, hundreds if not thousands of people when we were there a few weeks ago.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

NM seems to have stayed about the same. I see a lot more UTVs even now.

There's a ton of people that camp for months at a time where I'm at. They stay on the forest service so they don't have to commute to work.
I understand the reasoning, but it's on every spot nearby. I'd support FS enforcing the 14 day rule.