Eileen

A group of 14 friends and I go camping every year on Memorial Day Weekend and have noticed that families have taken over the campsites.

Does anyone know of a campsite that isn't overwhelmed with children? I have nothing against kids but after being up until 6a drinking and such, waking up to screaming kids is not part of the plan (and I'm assuming we're keeping the children up as well).

Owen O'Neill

Camping is an affordable and enjoyable way for many families to get away and also exposes the children to nature, hopefully helping develop an appreciation for it. I almost sense a "troll" message here with your comment about being up until 6AM drinking. If that's really the case I'd suggest that you find an area offering "primitive" camping. It typically requires that you walk in some distance top the site and bathrom facilities will consist of an outhouse (at most - more often you'll dig your own latrine trench in the woods). You might consider a facility such as the Stillwater reservoir north of Utica NY on the edge of the Adirondacks. All the campsites on this beautiful and undeveloped reservoir are primitive and are separated by 1/8 to 1/4 mile or more. All are also accessible by water (canoe or boat with very small motor are both allowed). The watercraft will allow you to bring those crucial camping necessities (i.e. beer) withnout having to carry it by foot for any appreciable distance. get there early at Stillwater - the sites are free but are first come first serve.

Ruth

I hate to do it, Owen, but I have to respectfully disagree with your suggestion that partiers go into the backcountry. I cringe when I think of all the empties and cigarette butts they might leave behind -- following proper "leave no trace" principles requires a certain amount of sobriety, after all.

As I recall, the campgrounds.com web site allows a rather detailed search, including such things as whether children are welcome. Unfortunately, their server must be down tonight, as I've tried repeatedly without success to access the site. Most "party" camping I'm aware of has taken place on private land, anyway. However, your best bet in finding a place with fewer children is probably to look for a site that does not take RV's and has minimal amenities.

Eileen

After reading the responses, I must defend myself. I did not mean to come off as a children-hating, white-trash boozehound. The thing is, now that my friends and I are getting older, between careers and personal commitments, we don't get to see each other as often as we like. No matter what happens to us or where we go, we know that on Memorial Day Weekend, we are going camping. Sometimes the conversations continue on to the wee hours of the morning and we don't get to sleep until early the next morning. However, we bring recycling bags, burn the burnables and basically leave the capsite the way we found it.

Thanks for the input. I'll check out the website - if it comes back up.

ALF

What do you expect after posting a note that you are, "...up until 6a drinking and such.."? My problem with campsites are not families, but yahoos who stay up until the wee hours drinking and carousing. It almost sounds like you are proud that you keep children up past their normal bed time! Eileen, please let me know which campsites you and your boorish group intend to inflict yourselves on, so that I can be as far away as possible.

K-Rock

Eileen, what exactly do you mean by families? Are you referring to the Brady Bunch type or a type like The Cosby Family? I'm sure you know what I mean. It's kind of hard to believe that a white-trash booze hound like yourself can have 14 friends to begin with, are all of your friends white? What kind of booze do you drink, Budweiser or Colt 45? Anyway, all I'm saying is do not mmmmm, donut.

Owen O'Neill

Ruth - your point is well taken and after rethinking the implications of my suggestion I'm inclined to agree with you. There are those select adults who camp as a group and imbibe but still treat the surroundings with respect. Based on her clarifications of the origianl post, it appears that Eileen and her friends may be of this group. If that's truly the case, Stillwater would e a good choice in that returning every site as much as possible to its natural state is a requirement and all non-burnable trash must be brought out when leaving. Eileen - I regret that the name of the facility escapes me but there is a camping area on private land in the Tug Hill Plateau area north of Syracuse. Every Memorial Day weekend they hold a music festival that is attended by a wide a range of ages. It's alternative acoustic and jam oriented music and I understand the weekend to be a very laid back all-night type party scene oriented around camping and music. It draws just a few thousand people at most - not a real mob scene. There is a large volunteer contingent that helps police for litter and return the area to its original condition at the end of the event. Perhaps worth checking out for you and your friends.

xx

Drinking doesn't imply rowdy behavior.

I remember tent camping once in Ontario next to a group of four people. We went to bed, they were still awake. We awoke before them. Their picnic table was literally covered with beer bottles - no room for anything else to be set down. We never heard them at all.

bpinand

Eileen I do the same thing with my friends every year. There is a great place to stay in Skinners Falls NY on the Delaware river. There are no silly rules about noise and there is very often like minded campers also staying there. It is on the river and right next door there is a place to rent tubes for $5 a day. Drinking and camping go hand and hand in my mind and it's not hard to pick up a beer can. I can't believe all the negative posts you got. Have a great trip and have a beer for me.

sf7307

I'll bet she had a great trip thirteen years ago!