Camping only for the rich, now.

[PNWguy]

Took my girlfriend for a UTV ride up to the area just past Laird Park in the Idaho woods about 25 miles from my house.

This area is an awesome recreational area with Forest Service, State and private land all dispersed and interconnected.

The private land is owned by the Potlatch Corp, which is a major timber company in Idaho. They have allowed public use of their lands for decades and in this area, the only camping spots are along the rivers and creeks; pretty much the only flat areas in the mountains.

There are dozens of prime camping spots there and they have been first come, first serve since I was a kid. No cost.

Well, apparently the company was bought out by a larger company and is now called PotlatchDeltic.

On our ride today, we were looking for a good spot to camp and invite the girlfriend's family for a nice group camp trip.

I noticed new signs at each camp spot saying that they were now available for private leasing from the company. What??

I stopped at one spot that I used to take my kids camping and there was a group of about 6 or 7 nice new RVs and new $60k pickups. I pulled up and they immediately rushed over and confronted me asking what business I had there.

I told them I was just showing my girlfriend where I used to camp as a kid and took my kids. They abruptly said that it was now their spot and they reserved it online and that there is only one spot open in the entire area available.

I asked how much it costs to reserve a spot. They informed me that they are for the entire year and this one was approved for 8 RVs and was $2600.

They said the last one available was for a single RV and was $500.

WTF??!!

So, basically the corporation decided to tell generations of locals that have been camping here for decades that making money was more important than good stewardship of the land and being a good neighbor.

And now, you have to buy a "recreational permit" to even hike or take an ATV into their woods.

I'm pretty majorly PO'ed at this development.

Just another fond memory of my childhood ruined and destroyed by greed.

Oh, and the best part? Every single one of the campers/RV/$60k pickups had Nez Perce county license plates; where PotlatchDeltic headquarters are.

They basically came in and kicked out the local riff raff and let all the rich bubblegums that work for the company take over.

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[eklarsen]

Welcome to the future

 

[Kruel J]

It's privately owned land. Not sure why you feel that you deserve to be upset........

 

[Geardo]

Same thing happened in WA. Really bums me out. It has totally changed my recreational patterns. I shoot a lot more than hiking/camping and fishing like I used to.

 

[Kruel J]

A lot of big timber companies that own land used to be pretty laid back about letting the public use it. The problem is so many leave garbage behind or worse. So they started charging people to use it to deter the general population from destroying it.

It is, afterall, their land and not yours.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Honestly? Maybe it could be a good thing... I mean... have you seen the mounds of trash left by irresponsible people in National and State Forests, as well as along the areas of popular hiking trails???

On one hand, boo that a company decided that only company shareholders or similarly wealthy people can make use of the land and enjoy the access without the public's "interference"... on the other hand..it may be better for the property, if it is not being logged logging makes good money, but what to do to make the property bring income between logging seasons or some such? Why not make it paid access, prepaid, prepared camp sites for those wealthy enough or in debt enough to enjoy....

Again, not saying you're wrong or right, it may simply be a symptom of treating the lands as resources to make income from.

 

[Dungannon]

It's called capitalism. Weyerhauser started doing this several years ago in Washington, and lots of people were upset they couldn't camp and hunt on someones commercial property for free. Being a good neighbor cuts both ways, and it starts by respecting the property rights of others.

I wish we could roll the clock back on some things, but I totally understand why in this age of homeless encampments, treating the outdoors like a garbage dump, etc. that commercial property owners are trying to reduce risk, liability and avoidable maintenance costs all the while increasing revenue from their lands. If I owned a huge chunk of land I'd feel the same way.

All in all, I'm surprised it's taken this long for corporations to react. It used to be that woodland owners managed their land on a sustained yield basis with little or no government restrictions, locals that might use their land for other purposes either worked in the mills or for businesses that supported the local economy, and folks still asked permission even when they were sure the answer would be yes.

 

[Kruel J]

It's called capitalism. Weyerhauser started doing this several years ago in Washington, and lots of people were upset they couldn't camp and hunt on someones commercial property for free. Being a good neighbor cuts both ways, and it starts by respecting the property rights of others.

I wish we could roll the clock back on some things, but I totally understand why in this age of homeless encampments, treating the outdoors like a garbage dump, etc. that commercial property owners are trying to reduce risk, liability and avoidable maintenance costs all the while increasing revenue from their lands. If I owned a huge chunk of land I'd feel the same way.

All in all, I'm surprised it's taken this long for corporations to react. It used to be that woodland owners managed their land on a sustained yield basis with little or no government restrictions, locals that might use their land for other purposes either worked in the mills or for businesses that supported the local economy, and folks still asked permission even when they were sure the answer would be yes.

 

[User 1234]

I understand OP's point; that private landowners used to allow honest recreational users to enjoy the land. And I don't think the OP ever said that the landowner shouldn't have the right to charge for access, but rather the very high prices which they choose to. Sportsmen (and women) of limited means and retirees could benefit from some flexibility or generosity by the landowner, who in this case makes its money from the timber not the camping. Maybe a polite letter to the landowner asking for an adjusted price based on limited income and providing some assurance that no trash would be left behind would produce some accommodation.

 

[Kruel J]

I understand OP's point; that private landowners used to allow honest recreational users to enjoy the land. And I don't think the OP ever said that the landowner shouldn't have the right to charge for access, but rather the very high prices which they choose to. Sportsmen (and women) of limited means and retirees could benefit from some flexibility or generosity by the landowner, who in this case makes its money from the timber not the camping. Maybe a polite letter to the landowner asking for an adjusted price based on limited income and providing some assurance that no trash would be left behind would produce some accommodation.

$2600. For 8 RV's. For an entire year? That's $27/month per RV.

$500 for 1 RV for a year. That's $41.66/month.

Dirt cheap, TBH. Most state parks charge $15-25/month for a tent. These are RV's.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

That's one reason I would really like to stay in Oregon, there are so many great places to camp on national or state forest for free.

 

[User 1234]

I didn't notice that it was an entire year long lease for $2600 for a space large enough for 8 RVs.

 

[CoastRange57]

It's privately owned land. Not sure why you feel that you deserve to be upset........

We spent the day up at Lost Lake off Rierson Rd close to Spruce Run Campground. Took our kayaks and enjoyed a beautiful day catching a trout on every cast, watch an eagle catch half a dozen fish and great weather. This is on ODF property and is well maintained.

Now for the down side of it, there was a group of white trash Manning lowlifes that were drunk and braying like mules, riding pocket bikes around, dropping mfers so their feral kids could learn early. Whatever. The went down to Spruce Run to see the majority of the campground closed, the usual and obligatory white trash, playing loud rap sh*t as well.

At Spruce Run I sat in the camp spot that my parents loved and I spent many a day as a youngster fishing, exploring and being a kid. It was also just up the bank where my folks wanted their ashes spread and which I did about 15 years ago. It was a nice place, the rushing water of the creek, just a nice place to relax if you could eliminate the noise and sh*thead people. Which brings me to my point,

As I sat there, I thought this would be great to have a spot like this to go to whenever I wanted where I could sit by a stream, relax, read take the grand kids whatever. My first thought was to start looking for a place like this over in Central Oregon where we are moving, be it a purchased property, leased property, group owner ship..whatever
$ 500 a season is a bargain and I would jump all over that one. Just a spot to park my trailer a couple times a month in season and relax without the local trash making it annoying. If I have to pay more for that environment, so be it.

Property owners are entitled to do what they want with their property and to expect to have full complete access to a property simply because it is out in the woods is a bit much. I have seen what woodland owners have to put up with, and I would lock the gates too if that happened all the time.

 

[Flymph]

I thought this was going to be about places that charge $30 a night...

 

[ZigZagZeke]

On the other hand, the railroads were given 94 million acres of public land in return for building their railroads to serve the west. Any excess land was to be "disposed of" by selling it to settlers at $2.50 per acre. The railroads "disposed of" the land by selling it to their subsidiaries, in this case the timber companies. That is how most of the timber company land was acquired. The federal government took back a lot of this land as forfeitures because the railroads either didn't build, or didn't provide the services promised, or abused the public trust in some other way.

So yes, the land is theirs, but only through chicanery and weaseling.

Railroad land grant forfeiture history by George Draffan

 

[USMC1911]

Seems pretty cheap to be able to roll up unannounced and have a spot anytime you want for a year. If you would prefer they could just put in a gate and close it like most everything here in Oregon that's private. Sucks but it could be worse.

 

[Member 5605]

Private property.

Same rules apply to who you let on your property.

 

[Flymph]

On the other hand, the railroads were given 94 million acres of public land in return for building their railroads to serve the west. Any excess land was to be "disposed of" by selling it to settlers at $2.50 per acre. The railroads "disposed of" the land by selling it to their subsidiaries, in this case the timber companies. That is how most of the timber company land was acquired. The federal government took back a lot of this land as forfeitures because the railroads either didn't build, or didn't provide the services promised, or abused the public trust in some other way.

So yes, the land is theirs, but only through chicanery and weaseling.

Railroad land grant forfeiture history by George Draffan

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3743&context=open_access_etds

 

[SUPER X]

$2600. For 8 RV's. For an entire year? That's $27/month per RV.

$500 for 1 RV for a year. That's $41.66/month.

Dirt cheap, TBH. Most state parks charge $15-25/month for a tent. These are RV's.

State park camp grounds charge 15 to 25 a night for a tent site not a month . Unless I've been getting shafted. The last 10 years camping has got spendy . I did some state park tent camping the had full showers ect. I was the only one old-school camping most the others had $500.000 or more motorhomes that looked like a Rock bands tour buss.
The way things are going I might have to camp in Portland. It's cheaper but going plinking will obtain a different result.

 

[CamoDeafie]

$2600 a YEAR??? thats better than what one of my friends landlords charge for the priviliege to hunt his property in Kings Valley ($5,000 per whichever SEASON, per person and only with his guidance.)

Heck I'd try to cough up the $500/ year for single RV spot so I could have a spot to camp, fish, hunt year round, just park a 10ft-20ft trailer "cabin" or something like that there and thats on disability benefits.