What's the List's take on overnight trailhead parking, where it is
posted 'no overnight parking'?
I use a W. PA trailhead on my return to MD after late-night Steelers
games. It is close to, but out of sight, of the main road. Last
December, I awoke to see three headlights aimed at my '84. I  figured
it to be a state trooper. He idled outside my rear hatch about 5
minutes, then drove to the end of the parking lot, paused, and drove
off.
I was prepared to use the ole "It was late, and i just needed a safe
place to sleep" explanation. Think that would that work?

kevin

On May 21, 2008, at 12:36 PM, Keith Ovregaard wrote:

> That's the kind of enroute camping I like to do. It takes some
> research and/or exploration time, but often pays off bigtime. Some of
> the most beautiful, quiet and peaceful camping I have ever done has
> been what you call "Ninja Camping". Once I was doing some late spring
> travel and got into some snow at low elevation which kept me from
> camping at my favorite lake 9 miles off the freeway. So I squeezed the
> Westy in between some pine trees next to a day-use area not far from
> the freeway (no camping allowed). I had a great view of a lake out the
> back and because my Westy is white and it was snowing, it was well
> disguised from the local cops.
>
> Unfortunately, many of these places are disappearing. I suspect due to
> trash, over-use and some not-in-my-backyard locals. Several places
> have access blocked with boulders and new signs stating no camping.
> It's a shame, really. So, those of you who frequent places like that,
> please leave it cleaner than you found it, keep the noise down, etc.
> It's amazing how many of the sites are trashed by previous campers.
> Shotgun shells everywhere, garbage all over, trees and limbs chopped
> down for firewood, ruts from some jerk driving off the track... signs
> of ignorance and stupidity, basically. That's the kind of stuff that
> gets these places shut down. But I see some of that happening in the
> established campgrounds, too. Noise, trash, and people behaving badly
> which makes me shy away from campgrounds, at least during the busy
> season. Starts this weekend, by the way. My favorite camping season is
> just ending. Now it's time for the masses to clog the roads and
> campsites. Just too darn many people. Apparently overpopulation is a
> problem that has not been taken seriously (yet).
>
> OK, rants over. Sorry... now back to our regularly scheduled program:
> What tires are best for your Vanagon
>
> Cheers,
>
> Keith O
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM, Scott Foss - Shazam
> <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>> Canping down hunter trails and such is called 'ninja camping' .
>> Depending on the Nat Forest of course.........but in some there is
>> plenty of this.
>>
>> heck.........i just thought of a place on a back road in
>> Washington- two
>> lane paved 'nowhere' sorta road, near Mt. Rainer.
>> The ideal  sort of unofficial ninja camping ,  You turn off the paved
>> road onto the older road..........go a quarter mile so , get to a
>> spot
>> out of site of the paved road.......
>> where others have obviously camped before.............and your
>> view to
>> the non-road side is an open wild river valley.
>> Free unrestricted camping. With wild river water view, . and hardly
>> anyone around.
>> Nothin' wrong with that !!
>>
>>
>> Kim Brennan wrote:
>>>
>>> Most  National FORESTS (as opposed to Parks) have policies that
>>> allow
>>> you to camp anywhere not visible from a main road (but check the
>>> rules
>>> as they vary from forest to forest.) My syncro Westy is frequently
>>> able to travel down hunter trails into nice quiet camping spots.
>>>
>>> On May 20, 2008, at 9:24 PM, Slloth wrote:
>>>
>>>> with you in that we shouldn't spoil the welcoming but...I have
>>>> thought
>>>> about this before.  This country is all about freedom.  Freedom
>>>> this
>>>> and
>>>> freedom that but how many places can you just pull off the side
>>>> of the
>>>> road (out of the way) and just set up camp.  Not very many with out
>>>> getting hassled by the cops or Highway patrol.  We are expected to
>>>> seek
>>>> out some lame, crowded camp site and pay money to stay there.
>>>> Now I
>>>> know there are parts of the country where you can stay over
>>>> night but
>>>> I'm not talking about the dessert.  Sorry.  I feel better.
>>>
>>>
>>
>