Lost 5 more formerly awesome camping spots in Colorado...

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Boort

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Sorry to say that leave it better than you found it is just not getting through to all of the Front Range Newbies. Saw this in my notifications today.

22 years ago Maxwell Falls was a beautiful place to camp and relax about 90 minutes west of Denver. Took my the SO there a number of time for a relaxing afternoon loop hike with a waterfall as the reward at the end. Used to be nice to relax on one of the large boulders at the bottom of the falls and let your feet soak in the cold water rushing past. Well then it got noticed by the "5280" crowds, repeatedly trashed, and now it's off limits to camping for 5 years.

Another loss on the list is Rainbow Lakes Road. while I never camped along he road I'd camped at Rainbow Lakes Campground and would hike out to the lakes.

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Road

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Sorry to say that leave it better than you found it is just not getting through to all of the Front Range Newbies. Saw this in my notifications today.

22 years ago Maxwell Falls was a beautiful place to camp and relax about 90 minutes west of Denver. Took my the SO there a number of time for a relaxing afternoon loop hike with a waterfall as the reward at the end. Used to be nice to relax on one of the large boulders at the bottom of the falls and let your feet soak in the cold water rushing past. Well then it got noticed by the "5280" crowds, repeatedly trashed, and now it's off limits to camping for 5 years.

Another loss on the list is Rainbow Lakes Road. while I never camped along he road I'd camped at Rainbow Lakes Campground and would hike out to the lakes.

Boort
.
I hate to see it, though have to say it's been happening for years. The number of negligent crowds seeking outdoor recreation in numbers has only increased since the virus crisis began. It will keep increasing now, too, as restrictions are lifted and summer temps beckon.

The unfortunate part has long been that those who are the worst offenders of creating compacted soil, over-trodden flora, hundreds of new campsites and fire rings, not to mention over-traveled trails and creation of new trails by too many vehicles in convoys, are those who ignore warnings and often think "Oh, this one time won't matter, right?"

Every time matters.

Groups have more impact than if the same number of campers use the same site separately at different times. Convoys of more than 4-5 vehicles or more at one time have more impact than if the same number of vehicles hit that trail separately. The damage is long-lasting and permanent in places.

Even on this site, years ago, there was a notion "It's only the desert, we can't hurt anything; this will be epic!"

It behooves us all to be diligent and persistent, though diplomatic in spreading the word in camp, on social media, and on forums like this, that WE ALL need to be good stewards of the land.

We ALL need to firmly believe in, and regularly model for others, a foundation of "low-impact land use and responsible recreation."

Or those lands will continue to be more and more restricted and prohibited from us all.
.
 
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MOAK

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The only part of OB’s mission statement I’ve always disagreed with is that adventure/overlanding is for everyone. There’s a lot of people that don’t deserve to be in the backcountry and there is no amount of education that will alter their entitled world view.
 

Boostpowered

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Get used to it. Every other small suv commercial is promoting a way for people to get out in nature. Maybe a state or national park but not forrest. I've been blocked by a crossover stuck on trails they shouldn't be on quite a few times, although it's a bit annoying I do enjoy that look of fear in their eyes when they realize they are really stuck and all the frantic hand winch is getting them nowhere fast. It is even funnier when they pull out a hi lift only to realize they don't know how to use it or that it will be of no help to them due to a lack of anywhere to attach the jack. 9 times out of 10 they know better than me and refuse help getting out I guess having a roof rack makes you qualified to offroad. Then in their attempt to get out they cause alot of damage with street tires aka all terrains that just spin and make ruts and in those run you'll usually find floor mats, pieces of wood, clothing, miscellaneous trash that they put under their tires to attempt to get traction and just leave behind cuz now its dirty and these city folks can't handle mud.

Also As long as there is meth there will be a pontiac Aztec or geo metro type vehicle out in the backwoods up to no good
Around here.

You can try to clean up trash and fill ruts but it's futile when you realize 100s to 1000s of people are at a spot every week doing the same thing over and over.

The reality is overlanding is a commercialized version of old fashioned car camping and offroading mixed, I've seen it promoted enough that this is sort of a joke now. Alot of complaining about trashed trails yet inviting and welcoming new folks to this past time.


All this from someone in texas who lived through our offroad shutdown back in the 90s thanks Sierra club. Things will not get better only worse more will b shut down and you'll find yourself offroading illegaly just to off road then you'll have to lobby and fight for the parks dept to start building offroad parks that require a daily fee and a special yearly sticker to use the areas, then those areas end up being built for side by sides and dirt bikes rather than ohvs, no camping in these parks either.
 
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MazeVX

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The only part of OB’s mission statement I’ve always disagreed with is that adventure/overlanding is for everyone. There’s a lot of people that don’t deserve to be in the backcountry and there is no amount of education that will alter their entitled world view.
Even though I don't like what you saying, I believe it's correct.
With the very limited possibilities we have over here we still can see massive misuse of those. To many people started to go hiking and meeting outside.
I honestly hope that they will be gone when this crap is over and they can go shopping and drinking again...
 
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CR-Venturer

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One thing that helps is having associations that take action on these issues. Here in BC we have the 4wd Association of BC, who has a lot of members (including me) and are involved in massive cleanups, education, awareness and lobbying.

4wdABC has had some huge success in advocating for public access to public land, and has actually been given the management of several sites around the province. They often have a seat at the table when government committees are discussing issues related to land use, and they have conducted hundreds of cleanups over the years, some where they've hauled out trash as big as abandoned trailers and burned out vehicles.

Aside from just generally promoting the "Leave it better than you found it" perspective, their organized efforts make a huge difference in improving public perception and making sure those of us who are respectful and responsible have a strong voice. I definitely recommend joining similar groups where you live.
 

FindAReason

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There should be a bounty system.

Take pictures of people in these camps and provide to managing agency. If they don't clean up after themselves, they end up fined and banned from public lands. The person that turned them in gets half the fine.

There is zero excuse for the fools acting like animals, and there is no reason that as Americans we should not stand up and defend what matters to us.

Even worse are the supposedly upstanding influences in the community that do not abide by LNT, but like to tell everyone they do. These guys are causing more problems than they are solving by attracting so many people while telling them the wrong way of doing things us acceptable. Lifestyle Overland is a prime example of this kind of irresponsible and selfish behavior.
 
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MidOH

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How is it that people don't know how to bury their waste in the woods still? Some hardcore bad public schools in CO?

The rest of that article sounded like ''Were going to come up with any reason to close these places.''. I don't see any pics.

The ''blocking the road'' and camping for free parked on the road, but overloading the nearby campground restrooms one, seems pretty legit though. I agree with that one. I hate it when Overlanders block the roads up.

Dispersed camping and backpacking is 99% leave no trace. If you can't follow that, then this is the wrong hobby for you.
 
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CR-Venturer

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How is it that people don't know how to bury their waste in the woods still? Some hardcore bad public schools in CO?

The rest of that article sounded like ''Were going to come up with any reason to close these places.''. I don't see any pics.

The ''blocking the road'' and camping for free parked on the road, but overloading the nearby campground restrooms one, seems pretty legit though. I agree with that one. I hate it when Overlanders block the roads up.

Dispersed camping and backpacking is 99% leave no trace. If you can't follow that, then this is the wrong hobby for you.
People crapping, not burying it, and spreading their TP all over creation like some horrid party streamers from hell really gets me too. How hard is it to dig a hole to poop in, seriously!?
 

Boort

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How is it that people don't know how to bury their waste in the woods still? Some hardcore bad public schools in CO?
Yes, When I was in school Colorado was like 48th or 49th out of 50 states. Last I'd heard we'd improved to like 39 or 40th. But very little is taught about anything practical anymore (Wood/Metal Shop, day to day finances/balancing checkbooks, outdoors anything) Some schools participate in giving out the Federal 4th grade free pass to National parks or another pass for the "arts" but no actual "outdoor education" to speak of. I think I had 1, 2 night "camping" trip where staying in a tent was optional and was only for 1 night (Otherwise in dorms that slept 3-4 kids) in like 4th or 5th grade. that was the last time anything outdoors was mentioned in school.

I don't think that any of my nieces or nephews here, mostly high school age now, got any outdoor ed.

Generally I find that after 5-7 miles in to the back country the behavior gets better. Once folks have to apply some work to get there they seem to appreciate it more. ... I guess ...

Boort
 
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2dub

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My thought/hope is that yes all sorts of outdoor activities got a huge boost by the pandemic. But may of those people will not continue now that things are returning to normal. Between it just not being for them not having all their internet/tv available and other creature comforts they will go back to doing whatever they were doing pre-pandemic. It might be a good time to keep your eyes on craigslist, ebay or other such sites for good deals on stuff.
 

FindAReason

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I think a big part of the problem is the' "Just get out there and do it!" attitude.

Being outdoors in wild and sensitive areas is not something that you just do without a whole bunch of knowledge and understanding first. Campgrounds where the rangers are tasked with cleaning up after people and keeping them alive? Sure.

But not in the wild where no one will hold them accountable. Hell, as a community we don't even hold our own experienced members accountable when they post videos of themselves behaving badly, let alone teach new people how to behave before venturing out.