12 Things You Should Never, Ever Do in Campgrounds, According to Seasoned Campers 

Ever since I was a child, I’ve stayed in campgrounds with my family. As a full-time van lifer for almost a year, I don’t stay in campgrounds often (I tend to prefer dispersed camping when possible), but I’ve quickly learned the ins and outs of what to do and how to act in a campground. Maintaining campground etiquette is important because it keeps you and other campers safe and helps everyone have an enjoyable experience. 

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With that said, here are 11 things you should never do while staying in a campground!

1. Leave Your Trash

Would you like to pull into a campsite to find it covered with trash, empty cans, and dog poop? Probably not! So don’t be the person who leaves a mess for someone else to deal with.

Whatever you pack into the campground, you are responsible for packing out! Most campgrounds also have dumpsters where you can drop your waste before you drive out.

2. Leave Food Unsecured

Food attracts wildlife that can be dangerous or leave you without meals for the rest of your camping trip. Even if there is no chance of a bear encounter, there is still a risk of attracting other animals like mountain lions, coyotes, raccoons, rats, squirrels, birds, or rodents.

It’s best to leave your food secured inside your rig or in a bear canister placed at least 100 feet from your campsite.

3. Burn Plastic and Garbage

When burned, plastic and garbage release toxic (and often smelly) chemicals and pollutants into the air. These toxins harm humans and the environment, and your campground neighbors don’t want to smell these while enjoying their campsite. It can also harm wildlife and leave behind ashes that could contaminate nearby soil and water sources.

4. Walk Through People’s Campsites

It’s campground etiquette to stick to your campsite and avoid walking through others’ campsites (unless they invite you over). Even if walking through someone’s campsite is a shortcut to the bathroom, it’s just poor manners to invade someone’s personal space.

Since I usually camp with my dog on a leash attached to our Sprinter van, she often gets scared or defensive if a stranger approaches or walks through our campsite.

It’s best to respect space, maintain the peace, and say hi to your campground neighbors from a distance.

5. Let Your Dog Off-Leash

Most campgrounds don’t allow dogs to roam freely. Be the best dog parent and camping neighbor by leashing your dog and cleaning up after it (no one wants to step into a mess).

Even if your dog is the friendliest in the world, some people aren’t dog people, are allergic to dogs, might be afraid of dogs, or don’t want to say hello for another reason. My dog gets easily startled by other dogs and would probably whimper in fear if another dog unexpectedly ran up to her.

For these reasons, leash your dog so it doesn’t disturb other campers or animals.

6. Shine Bright Lights

Of course, there’s no rule against using a headlamp, flashlight, or lantern to help you see at night. However, you should avoid shining these bright lights into other campers’ eyes or their rigs.

When possible, use a red light as it is less blinding to the eye. Avoid turning on your vehicle lights at night since these are even brighter. 

7. Play Loud Music

Some people like to bring a portable Bluetooth speaker, play a guitar, or use their phone or a radio to play music at their campsite. I understand the appeal and have done this before while dispersed camping (away from others).

However, when campers are parked close together in a campground, loud music can disturb the peace. It’s annoying for your neighbors who wish to relax, enjoy the sounds of nature, or sleep, especially when you play music early in the morning or late at night. I’ve stayed at a campground where someone did a guitar campfire singalong until 2 am, and I couldn’t fall asleep until their show was over.

8. Leave a Fire Unattended

Fires can get out of control when not monitored carefully. If there are small children around, this could also lead to unfortunate burns or injuries. An adult should monitor the fire if you have one while camping. You would hate to be the person who causes the next tragic wildfire due to your ignorance!

9. Ignore Campground Rules

Each campground has its own set of rules and regulations. At some campgrounds, you can use the sinks in the bathroom to take a “sink shower” or even wash dishes; at others, doing these things is against the rules. Campgrounds may also have quiet hours, check-in/check-out procedures and hours, and campfire guidelines.

Make sure you read the regulations carefully and follow them.

10. Damage Vegetation

When you stay at a campground, you must watch where you step. There could be plants, wildflowers, trees, and other vegetation near your campsite that is fragile.

Don’t drive into unmarked areas, and avoid hanging certain hammocks that can cause damage to trees. Remember to skip the wildflower picking, too!

Leave the spot exactly as you found it without altering it or taking anything with you so others can enjoy it.

11. Feed Wildlife

Although the little ground squirrels and other wildlife might look cute enough to want to share with, resist the urge to feed them human food. When a wild animal eats something outside their normal diet, it can cause digestive issues (or even kill them). It also causes wildlife to be more attracted to human food and scraps in the future, increasing the amount of critters and animals in an area.

12. Smoke Cigarettes

Unless it’s a designated smoking area, avoid smoking cigarettes in your campsite. The scent easily drifts into your neighbors’ campsites, and no one deserves to breathe in the harmful toxins from cigarettes through second-hand smoke.