Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we will earn a commission on the products or services you purchase using the links. There is no additional cost to you and the earnings help keep this website running. Read the Affiliate Disclaimer for more information.
We were inspired to make this video about campground etiquette after a recent campground stay. For the most part, we’ve had very positive experiences at campgrounds. Minor issues have come up, but nothing that would deter us from staying at a campground until recently.
Hopefully this video can serve as a reminder to treat others the way they want to be treated. Let’s keep camping fun and enjoyable for everyone. It’s as simple as treating every neighbor with respect and following the rules.
Campground Etiquette
Respect other people’s property by not walking through their campsite. When a site is reserved, the entire site belongs to the occupant. It is now their front, side and backyard. Don’t walk or run through their campsite without permission.
Ask the owner for permission before walking up to check out their camper. If someone has an interesting camper, ask the owner if you can check it out. Don’t walk into their campsite and start touching their camper or taking measurements.
Book sites that are next to each other when group camping. When possible, try to book sites that are next to each other for the entire group. Some campgrounds offer group camping sites for this purpose. Don’t sandwich another campsite if it can be avoided.
Look after pets. Pick up after them and don’t leave barking dogs unattended. Keep dogs on a leash for their safety and the safety of other dogs.
Be mindful of noise. Gatherings around the campfire are expected but be mindful of how much noise is being made. Loud music and screaming will carry throughout the campground. Know when quiet hours are. Each campground will have different hours.
Leave it better than you found it. Help keep the places we all enjoy beautiful by leaving it better than you found it. Especially camping on public land.
We camped every summer growing up, and these etiquette rules we just “knew” without being told. Of course, there were people who didn’t abide by the rules, but they were the exception. Maybe it’s an introvert thing, but we’d never consider walking through another camper’s site – it would be like walking into their house and crossing through their living room.
I also get the poster who mentioned generators. Living in Florida, generators come on after hurricanes, and we all get the necessity and put up with the noise. But when camping they should be off during quiet time for sure.
We usually find that people are respectful but with all the new RVers out there we’re seeing more examples of of bad behavior at campgrounds. This weekend there was a particularly egregious example of someone leaving their dog to run free which caused a problem for a number of others with dogs including our group. We also had some neighbors from the big city who thought it was okay to stay up talking in escalating volumes until about 2 in the morning.
Thanks for sharing this video, Kait and Joe.
Thank you for the video.
Sherri and I are new to your experience and have a question. Last weekend we visited a camp site in southern California (our home state and area) and noticed a lot of camp ground misbehavior. Not all, but enough to have second thoughts about converting to a full time life style. Have you had experiences in the same way, where you have to leave to find peace? Is this normal? – or just big city problems and the further out you go the better?
Thank you,
Will and Sherri
Hey guys!
Sorry to hear about your experience at the campground. You’ll find that in general, campgrounds get a bit more rowdy on the weekends because everyone is trying to get away and have a good time before they have to be back in the office Monday morning. Typically the weekday crowd (mostly full timers) tends to be much more respectful. We’ve seen the “weekenders” around big cities and also out in the boonies. We prefer to boondock https://weretherussos.com/pros-cons-rv-dry-camping-boondocking/ and have found that we much prefer to do that than stay at a campground. I’d suggest taking some time to try some other places and get more of a sense of what different places are like, especially during the week. The nice thing about being in a RV is that if the place you’re staying is really not doing it for you, you can pack up and go somewhere else. We’ve done this a couple times and love that flexibility.
Very good article. Good Etiquette begins at home. We’ve become a nation of spoiled brats who don’t care about anyone but themselves. My opinion is it all began at Woodstock an has gotten worse year after year. No respect for others or the law.
Great video – a lot of things to think about!
Another consideration – when coming into a campground after dark, cut your headlights as soon as possible, and certainly don’t leave them on while unhooking and setting up. We were at a campground with a one-way loop, where the front of each rig faces the back of the next site, and some late-comers to the site behind us left their headlights on and engine running for probably a half hour while they unhooked and connected their utilities. It was totally unnecessary in that it didn’t illuminate what they were doing at all, but it did light us up pretty well!
I have been a full time motorhome dweller only 4 months. I stayed at a beautiful casino free parking last night in Snoqualmie Washington. I parked next to a truck and trailer. These neighbors went into town Walmart and bought a 4,000 watt generator for about $350. When I complimented then on their purchase I had no idea they were going to run it all night long. I believe the quiet time, (turn down the music) etiquette should apply to generators also. Thank you so much for your articles.
Bill – quiet time at campgrounds does apply to generators and they are not allowed to be run all night. Many people will buy the smaller Honda generators which are dead silent and those I don’t mind – but cost a LOT more.
Hi Joe and Kait! This was a great video and I can’t agree more with everything you said. While reading these replies, I noticed the reply about generators. I was not aware of these smaller Honda generators that are dead silent. Could you elaborate on this please? I had no idea that you could get a silent generator. Even at a higher price, I would be very interested in buying one as I find them very annoying to hear, and have avoided getting one because of it, but of course, there are times we just need one. Thank you for your time and trouble, I love your website. You guys are very professional and contributed greatly to our experience of buying a small trailer.
Hi Elizabeth – the gold standard for quiet and reliable generators is Honda. If we were to buy one, this is what we would get https://amzn.to/39gqIh7
They aren’t silent (no generator is), but they are very quiet in comparison to others. If you can put enough space between you and a neighbor, they shouldn’t hear it at all…and if you run an extension cord and put a vehicle or something between your camper and the generator, there will be very little noise. I’d equate the noise to more of a low hum from inside than the loud rattling engine noise you get from other generators.
I am so glad finally someone agreed with me on the “walking through campsite” issue… most people just say ” what’s the big deal, its camping “…. we also have seen alot of issue with people running their “construction” generators day and night
I wonder if people are that inconsiderate of others in their “non-camping” time as well. Most fulltimers, longtermers don’t do this..
I think that when people go camping, there isn’t the same sense of personal space and they realize that they’re only around for the weekend so who cares if they disturb their neighbors. We agree that full timers are much more considerate because we understand that the RV and campsite are your home and not a playground or shortcut to the bathroom.
Great YouTube on Camping Etiquette! I found this article about birds while camping and thought I’d share it with you. http://bit.ly/2aYGPnv It is a good read in light of being aware of your surroundings and the needs of those around you.
Enjoy your YouTube channel!
Julie
Thank you Julie! We’ll check out the article.