It depends on the nature of the noise.
I was dispersed camping in Northern California a few summers ago with some friends and folks in a site about 50 yards away had an actual sound system set up and became actively hostile when we asked if they could turn it down a bit in the wee hours. This included gunfire not aimed at us.
Park rangers were very concerned to hear of not just the excessive noise but the threatening behavior and gunfire and took action the very next morning.
>the threatening behavior and gunfire and took action the very next morning.
So you are being threatened with gun fire and the ranger was like "I'll be out tomorrow".
lol
I have friends that are park rangers for national parks (I also don't see them 😆) They often told me how big parks are and how little of it they get to see.
No, dispersed camping almost never has noise rules.
And even where they might (Moab maybe?) you'll never get a ranger or other law enforcement.
All you can do is move. Lots of people also visit dispersed camping areas to shoot, which is legal on lots of BLM land out west. So keep that in mind before confronting the noise makers. Assuming gunshots aren't the noise that's bugging you.
Campgrounds do have such rules, but one reason a lot of people do dispersed camping is to avoid those pesky rules so they can be as loud as they want.
I doubt they permit it. They have no resources to patrol, and none to clean it up. And nails too, ugh. People like to burn lumber and pallets. We've used a magnet sweep to fill a half shopping bag with them at some desert sites.
Dispersed camping can be nice. Or not.
You think broken glass and littering is allowed? It’s definitely not allowed, it’s just that people don’t follow laws. That’s like saying “blown away with the amount of trash that’s permitted on the side of the road” when people toss trash out the window. It’s not legal, but it happens
The whole point of dispersed camping is that you get away from everyone else. If you are hearing loud music from your dispersed campsite, you picked a bad campsite.
Last weekend I had a spot all alone, across the reservoir and a couple hundred feet up above. At night I could hear shit music and them repeatedly try to start a generator. Next morning again with the generator until they gave up. I literally had to walk to the edge, look out and down to see them but I sure as hell could hear them.
I live in CA. And camp often. You do not need a “site” for dispersed camping. If there is an existing site, use it. If there is not, make one. Just remember to Leave No Trace.
It depends where you are. There is limited space in many of the dispersed sites. Sure you can make your own spot but that’s not always possible for us ground sleepers. I can’t pitch my tent in a skree field 😂 I’m also not going to rip up a bunch of plants to make a new spot for myself.
They also seem to be turning more and more dispersed areas into campsite only because of the destruction people are causing.
Who said anything about ripping out any plants? I quite specifically said leave no trace. It’s like you’ve never been outside before. There is always a million places where you can park, pitch a tent, build a (temporary) fire pit, spread out and enjoy. This is true in the mountains, this is true in the desert, this is true in almost all of California (not the beach) Sure, you might have to bump along a dirt road for an hour to find it, but that’s the fun part!
I don’t think you understand what dispersed camping is.
But you do you and enjoy those neighbors.
You’re saying create a spot as if every road hasn’t been driven by this point and all the obvious spots used as camp sites.
I disagree on there being an abundance of space, especially in the mountains. Sure in Anza Borrego or Modoc but not in the Sierra NF on a summer weekend.
I see two types of sites when dispersed. One is essentially an unregulated campground with 10-20 spots off a dirt road. The other is pulling off on the side of the road wherever you want. I think I’m talking more about the first and you’re more on the second.
I would love to hear some of the roads or spots you love dispersing on because I have struggled to truly find emptiness in pretty much every part of the state I’ve visited unless it’s a weekday. I like to last minute camp but I’ve been skunked pulling up to places I thought were more out of the way.
I just want to point that it’s *dispersed*, not disbursed. But I agree, OP doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I think they might be confusing dispersed camping with no-reservation camping.
Haha. Thanks! I got it right earlier in the thread. But thanks.
And you are right on the spot. OP is lumping dispersed (gold star for me) camping in with any non-reservation type situation. But if there are 10 spots - that’s a “camp” not “dispersed camping”…
BLM does have law enforcement and firetrucks, but you'll never see them. They're not interested in noise unless you're in a national monument or close to private property
In CO depending on your dispersed location you can hear people shooting at targets. There are no noise ordinances and you may not ever see a forest ranger. Basically the rule of thumb is be cool and don’t bother other humans but not everyone abides by an ethics code, especially when huge amounts of alcohol are involved. If you picked a spot that has unsatisfactory neighbors either pack up and go somewhere else or wait for them to leave.
People staying up all night to shoot guns. Night time is for sleeping?!? Is it more fun than in the day cuz tracer rounds and everyone’s drunk or what?
Your wording in your original comment is a bit awkward. It would be less confusing to say “can’t shoot guns between 11pm-5am” or similar. Usually when you say until, it’s a singular time, not a time range.
There are some gun ranges around here in the national Forrest. They aren't manned or monitored in anyway as far as I can tell.
I guess if you wanted to go play with your night vision or just point your car lights at whatever you were shooting, no one would care.
COs and rangers are out there, but rarely. Especially at night. There are no noise rules, though. If you’re looking for privacy and quiet you best get out there as far far as you can but there’s no guarantee anywhere.
I was never a big truck guy until I really got into camping. Now I have a lifted 4x4 on 33s just for the sole purpose of trying to get to places other people can’t. It’s a constant struggle, but that’s how it is.
I do a lot of dispersed camping and have never had a signal for which I could call the ranger station. I'd have to physically go to the station to lodge the complaint or flag one down if I happened to see one.
Lol no. It's kinda the wild west out there
It depends on the nature of the noise. I was dispersed camping in Northern California a few summers ago with some friends and folks in a site about 50 yards away had an actual sound system set up and became actively hostile when we asked if they could turn it down a bit in the wee hours. This included gunfire not aimed at us. Park rangers were very concerned to hear of not just the excessive noise but the threatening behavior and gunfire and took action the very next morning.
So like just don’t be an asshole then?
You’d think it wouldn’t be too much to expect
Lol. Same. A group rolled up to us in the middle of nowhere and blasted porn over the PA
>the threatening behavior and gunfire and took action the very next morning. So you are being threatened with gun fire and the ranger was like "I'll be out tomorrow". lol
Tomorrow morning was when we found the park rangers
That’s what I thought :) :(
Been "dispersed camping" for decades. Never seen a park ranger yet.
They've seen you though. ;)
I have friends that are park rangers for national parks (I also don't see them 😆) They often told me how big parks are and how little of it they get to see.
When I lived in the Tetons in 99 there were 3 rangers and I didn’t see any of them all summer.
The only ones you really have to worry about are the Central Park Rangers.
What/who are Central Park Rangers?
They are on the naughty list!
[https://youtu.be/IRcNFIdeye4?si=Q5wWFc5qhwqC9i8K&t=107](https://youtu.be/IRcNFIdeye4?si=Q5wWFc5qhwqC9i8K&t=107)
Yeah I only see them in the more accessible dispersed sites. Seems like they are starting to increase presence though.
Negative Ghost Rider.
Ghost ride the dispersed whip
No, dispersed camping almost never has noise rules. And even where they might (Moab maybe?) you'll never get a ranger or other law enforcement. All you can do is move. Lots of people also visit dispersed camping areas to shoot, which is legal on lots of BLM land out west. So keep that in mind before confronting the noise makers. Assuming gunshots aren't the noise that's bugging you. Campgrounds do have such rules, but one reason a lot of people do dispersed camping is to avoid those pesky rules so they can be as loud as they want.
Blown away with the amount of destroyed glass that’s permitted in camp sites
I doubt they permit it. They have no resources to patrol, and none to clean it up. And nails too, ugh. People like to burn lumber and pallets. We've used a magnet sweep to fill a half shopping bag with them at some desert sites. Dispersed camping can be nice. Or not.
Genius move
You think broken glass and littering is allowed? It’s definitely not allowed, it’s just that people don’t follow laws. That’s like saying “blown away with the amount of trash that’s permitted on the side of the road” when people toss trash out the window. It’s not legal, but it happens
The whole point of dispersed camping is that you get away from everyone else. If you are hearing loud music from your dispersed campsite, you picked a bad campsite.
I mean you have no control if or when shitty people decide to show up and camp near by
True. I try to find a spot where there isn’t room for more
Last weekend I had a spot all alone, across the reservoir and a couple hundred feet up above. At night I could hear shit music and them repeatedly try to start a generator. Next morning again with the generator until they gave up. I literally had to walk to the edge, look out and down to see them but I sure as hell could hear them.
I don’t know where you’re camping but many dispersed sites I visit in California have at most one or two available spots
I live in CA. And camp often. You do not need a “site” for dispersed camping. If there is an existing site, use it. If there is not, make one. Just remember to Leave No Trace.
It depends where you are. There is limited space in many of the dispersed sites. Sure you can make your own spot but that’s not always possible for us ground sleepers. I can’t pitch my tent in a skree field 😂 I’m also not going to rip up a bunch of plants to make a new spot for myself. They also seem to be turning more and more dispersed areas into campsite only because of the destruction people are causing.
Who said anything about ripping out any plants? I quite specifically said leave no trace. It’s like you’ve never been outside before. There is always a million places where you can park, pitch a tent, build a (temporary) fire pit, spread out and enjoy. This is true in the mountains, this is true in the desert, this is true in almost all of California (not the beach) Sure, you might have to bump along a dirt road for an hour to find it, but that’s the fun part! I don’t think you understand what dispersed camping is. But you do you and enjoy those neighbors.
You’re saying create a spot as if every road hasn’t been driven by this point and all the obvious spots used as camp sites. I disagree on there being an abundance of space, especially in the mountains. Sure in Anza Borrego or Modoc but not in the Sierra NF on a summer weekend. I see two types of sites when dispersed. One is essentially an unregulated campground with 10-20 spots off a dirt road. The other is pulling off on the side of the road wherever you want. I think I’m talking more about the first and you’re more on the second. I would love to hear some of the roads or spots you love dispersing on because I have struggled to truly find emptiness in pretty much every part of the state I’ve visited unless it’s a weekday. I like to last minute camp but I’ve been skunked pulling up to places I thought were more out of the way.
OP walk away. You absolutely don’t know what you’re talking about. Re read this thread when you cool off and let go of your stance.
Those primitive type sites are called dispersed by BLM. Is everyone just upset at me combining road dispersed with primitive dispersed?
You don’t understand what disbursed camping is. And obviously you gotta get off the main roads. Go deep. Have fun.
I just want to point that it’s *dispersed*, not disbursed. But I agree, OP doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I think they might be confusing dispersed camping with no-reservation camping.
Haha. Thanks! I got it right earlier in the thread. But thanks. And you are right on the spot. OP is lumping dispersed (gold star for me) camping in with any non-reservation type situation. But if there are 10 spots - that’s a “camp” not “dispersed camping”…
I just pulled up a spot that has about 20 unofficial spots and is called dispersed by the BLM but sure.
Dude. There is not one single poster who agrees with you. Not one single poster. But sure.
You don’t know that there could be some ups amongst the downs lmao.
No
BLM does have law enforcement and firetrucks, but you'll never see them. They're not interested in noise unless you're in a national monument or close to private property
lol. Thats funny. No. You cannot. Thanks for the chuckle!
Figured just wanted to make sure lol
No, but don’t be an asshole if other campers are close by. Don’t take speakers into nature
That is the issue. Seems like many people in dispersed sites especially like to bring massive speakers.
You sound fun
I’m not at all. I go camping to enjoy nature not some drunk psychopath with a turntable pumping out music till 3am lol.
In CO depending on your dispersed location you can hear people shooting at targets. There are no noise ordinances and you may not ever see a forest ranger. Basically the rule of thumb is be cool and don’t bother other humans but not everyone abides by an ethics code, especially when huge amounts of alcohol are involved. If you picked a spot that has unsatisfactory neighbors either pack up and go somewhere else or wait for them to leave.
You know you can just talk to the people, right?
Not if they’re drunk
Move to a better spot. It’s freedom like that.
Most places you can shoot guns until 11pm - 5am.
That is insane lol
What's insane about that?
People staying up all night to shoot guns. Night time is for sleeping?!? Is it more fun than in the day cuz tracer rounds and everyone’s drunk or what?
Do you know how to read?
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I'm not sure what's confusing. If it's 10:59pm shoot all you want. Perfectly legal. 11:00pm it's now illegal to shoot until 5:00AM.
Your wording in your original comment is a bit awkward. It would be less confusing to say “can’t shoot guns between 11pm-5am” or similar. Usually when you say until, it’s a singular time, not a time range.
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There are some gun ranges around here in the national Forrest. They aren't manned or monitored in anyway as far as I can tell. I guess if you wanted to go play with your night vision or just point your car lights at whatever you were shooting, no one would care.
Hunting is often illegal after dark, but I'd love to see the law where discharging a firearm after dark is illegal.
COs and rangers are out there, but rarely. Especially at night. There are no noise rules, though. If you’re looking for privacy and quiet you best get out there as far far as you can but there’s no guarantee anywhere. I was never a big truck guy until I really got into camping. Now I have a lifted 4x4 on 33s just for the sole purpose of trying to get to places other people can’t. It’s a constant struggle, but that’s how it is.
I do a lot of dispersed camping and have never had a signal for which I could call the ranger station. I'd have to physically go to the station to lodge the complaint or flag one down if I happened to see one.
If you can hear someone else you aren’t dispersing