RV Snowbirds looking for a place to stay!  Campers know before you go camping

Campers Etiquette – Is there such a thing?

RV set up on campsite

RV set up on campsite. Photo: C. Brown

What is etiquette in a campground?  Well, it’s the respect for others that starts upon your arrival at the Campground.  It doesn’t matter who you are, how much money you have or do not have, what fancy toys you have – It is a respect for the fellow camper and the campground.  The last thing you or the Campground want is to have Mr. and Mrs. Obnoxious spilling out into the park.

What is a common problem operator’s encounter?  I spoke with a campground owner recently and the screening of perspective guests is key to everyone having a good night’s rest and a great camping experience.  She says if someone is booking a group of “young adults without children”, then it’s generally a no-go for them.  Of course this does not mean they are turning away all “more than two adult” parties without children, it just means that they carefully consider it.

I myself have stayed at many campgrounds which includes private and provincial and even some recreation sites and the rules are somewhat similar:

Pets Must be on a Leash

Pets Must be on a Leash.

  1. Each person/vehicle/guest must register.
  2. Make yourself and others in your party familiar with the campground, look at the rules and the site map.
  3. Quiet time – (10:00 PM to 7:00 AM) times may vary at each campground. This is the one that is very troublesome for a lot of campers.  Small children wake at early hours because they are put to bed so early, PARENTS, please keep them occupied quietly until the posted quiet time ends.  Allowing the children to scream at 5:30 am really travels through the park, especially in quiet campgrounds located near water.  And this goes for the night owls too.  Our voices carry and can be heard further than the neighbouring campsite.
  4. Pets must be on a leash at all times. Noisy, unattended pets will not be tolerated. And remember to mention the breed of your dog when booking, as some parks restrict certain breeds – and please understand that each campground has different rules pertaining to which breeds they do or do not allow, no one is singling you out.
  5. Campfires are not permitted in every campground, this pertains to wood and propane firepits, so please check with the park you are booking to make sure they are permitted. And if wood burning campfires are permitted, use only the supplied fire rings and do not move them.  The campground has deemed that ring area the safest for your campfire enjoyment.  The tossing of anything other than wood into your fire is not permitted, this includes your unwanted food scraps.  They may not all be incinerated by the time the fire is out and this attracts unwanted pests such as mice and raccoons. Also, the burning of plastic cups, cutlery, cigarette butts, bottle caps is not a great practice either.  These items, not only do they not completely burn up and send toxic fumes into the air for you and your family, but they remain in the fire pit long after you are gone and someone will have to remove this debris.  Remember to keep the fire small and under control. Under the Wildfire Act regulations, campfires cannot be larger than 0.5 meters by 0.5 meters – roughly a foot-and-a-half by a foot-and-a-half. Please obey current fire bans.  Also the transferring of firewood, from campground to campground is shied upon by the BC Government because pests in your firewood can destroy our forests.

    Keep Campfires in Fire Ring Provided

    Keep Campfires in Fire Ring Provided

  6. Alcohol is only permitted in registered campsites.
  7. External speaker systems are not allowed at most parks – but if they are, keep it in your campsite by turning the volume down as the rest of the campground may not enjoy your choice of music.
  8. Generators are another area of concern for a lot of campers, not just you – the owner of the generator – but the surrounding campers. Last thing they want to hear is an extremely noisy machine interrupting their quiet time.  When choosing one ask for a demonstration so you know what you’re getting yourself into. Also remember placement of it – try to situate it as far away from your neighbours and follow the parks usage times.  Every campground has certain usage times, usually twice a day.

Always be courteous and respectful of other campers as “It’s always a great day to #CampinBC

Published: May 24, 2018
Last Updated: June 6, 2024

PoMoDee by PoMoDee

PoMoDee (Darlene) is a Social Media Manager at BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest are managed by Darlene. Darlene was born and raised in British Columbia and resides in Port Moody. Darlene is an avid camper, who has been camping since the age of two and still enjoys the serene setting of a campsite. Interests include crafting, crocheting, photography, writing and everything Beach.