Trailer storage on public lands?

[rando]

We spent the last week hiking in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. While a little late for peak wildflowers, it was great uncrowded hiking and nice escape from the heat.

One thing that was really unusual was the large number of abandoned campers (trailers and fifth wheels) in certain areas of the forrest. This was particularly the case of FR 14 towards Bucking Mule Falls TH in the NW section of the forrest as well as FR17 to Paint Rock and Edelman TH, but was also just generally the case. It was not just one or two trailers here and there, but hundreds of them, to the point where finding an unoccupied dispersed camp site was challenging. Most of the campers appeared to have been there for at least a few weeks based on the grass around them, but not for the winter. I am assuming people use them as a cabin and come up for the weekend. However, we did spend one weekend in the area, and good fraction still did not appeared occupied.

Is this a new trend, or a regional thing in the Bighorns? I have only seen this a few times in CO and UT, and mostly around hunting season. Is this something that happens in your area?

 

[Luckytibbs]

I would like to know what others say because I just got back from Utah and had the very same problem. I could hardly find a place to camp because of it. I understand this to a point but in my opinion it makes for a bad experience as well. And you are right, I never saw anyone come.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

My 2¢... I suspect that people are weekending returning to cities to work, or leaving RVs out there for family and friends, all of which is exacerbated by the pandemic. RVs are selling like hot cakes in the PDX area, and I hear similar on national news.

 

[teledork]

I've been seeing travel trailers left on public land here in Mono County for almost ever. When you are camped nearby and no one is there all night it is rather obvious.

 

[craig333]

I used to see this around hunting season. Sad to see its expanding

 

[rando]

I would like to know what others say because I just got back from Utah and had the very same problem. I could hardly find a place to camp because of it. I understand this to a point but in my opinion it makes for a bad experience as well. And you are right, I never saw anyone come.

Where in Utah did you see this? Seems a little hot in the lower elevations for any sort of camping.

I have definitely seen this before around hunting season as well, but not during 'peak season', not in such prominent and popular areas and certainly not to this extent. Without exaggerating, there must have been 200 trailers along FR14.

Reading the Bighorn NF rules, it appears they are OK with this in hunting season as the 14 day camping rule only applies in mid summer:

From June 1 through September 10 of each year, no person, group, or organization shall camp at, use, store equipment at, or otherwise occupy any single location for a period of not more than 14 days within any period of 28 days. The 14-day limit of stay may be used either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous occupation during the 28-day period. After the 14th day of occupation, campers must relocate to another site at least five air miles from the previous location. Once the 14-day limit of stay has been reached in a given site, use shall not occur again until 14 days have lapsed from the last day of use.

I am guessing this is a low enforcement priority, and hopefully this is a COVID-19 anomaly and not a new trend.

 

[Foy]

We've seen a definite increase in this in western Montana over the last 3 weeks. New trend? Sure hope not.

 

[Luckytibbs]

Where in Utah did you see this? Seems a little hot in the lower elevations for any sort of camping.

I have definitely seen this before around hunting season as well, but not during 'peak season', not in such prominent and popular areas and certainly not to this extent. Without exaggerating, there must have been 200 trailers along FR14.

Reading the Bighorn NF rules, it appears they are OK with this in hunting season as the 14 day camping rule only applies in mid summer:


I am guessing this is a low enforcement priority, and hopefully this is a COVID-19 anomaly and not a new trend.

I was I higher elevation at Fishlake National Forest. About 9500 feet. Then also in Dixie National Forest. I saw it everywhere there.

 

[Charlie]

I noticed exactly the same phenomena in the Bighorns (and all over the northwest) around the same time and later. Huge encampments of 5th wheels and mega trailers, with no one around. A few comments:

- a little later in the season I started to notice that the forest service was posting the regs at trailheads and campgrounds, reminding visitors that the stay limit is 15 days, and that the first day starts when the first person arrives at the camp. After that time, you have to move at least 5 miles away.
- the fine for violation is something like $5000!
- just today I talked to the forest ranger for Nebraska NF, and he said that the regulations require the site to be occupied. And also that NF staffing has really diminished. Implying that it’s difficult to enforce.

 

[Taku]

This is an expanding problem and why a lot of National Forests are rewriting camping restrictions to prevent trailers/campers from being left in the same place for weeks or months. In some areas, families simply rotate through and keep the camp occupied. Some new regs state that you must move at least XX air miles away once you hit the day limit. Around some of the expensive resort towns that depend on lot's of summer help, this has been a chronic problem not to mention a public health issue with the human waste. So, yep, more issues on our public lands.

 

[michelle_east_county]

Aside from this being like a taxpayer subsidy of storage on public land, I'm surprised there's not such a problem of vermin (mice, rats, human burglars and vandals) that people give up doing this.