So Much for This Trip

At a majority of BLM-managed locations, where it is possible to adhere to public health The national parks are NOT closed, but many of the things that we go to see or do in them ARE closed. No shuttles, no visitor centers, etc. I think I heard that there is one park that had closed due to COVID-19, maybe somewhere in the Rockies, but I didn’t read it first hand, so I don’t know for sure. So you can visit, you just can’t stay there. I wonder about BLM land. I’ll have to look that up.

The BLM website says, “At a majority of BLM-managed locations where it is currently possible to adhere to public health guidance, outdoor spaces remain open to the public, while many facilities will be closed.”  Also, the good news is that entrance fees have been waived for the time being.  This includes National Parks.  State parks are managed by each state and have their own regulations.

For those of you with camping plans and closed campgrounds, you might want to look at “Boondockers Welcome.”  You have free access to private property for a short stay.  The fee to join is very reasonable, and there’s are accommodations all over the US.  We haven’t used it for several years, but we had everything from a suburban driveway to a spot out in a field on a ranch in rural Oregon.  You have to supply your own water, power and toilet facilities, but it worked great for us and we met some fun folks along the way.

Keep your distance and keep your health.  And thanks, mobiltec, for your posts.  This is nothing to ignore.  The best possible outcome would be to be able to say, in a couple years, “Gee, we overreacted.”  That would mean that we DIDN’T!

There may be BLM campsites (mobiltec knows a lot about them) that don’t really have designated sites, pit toilets, no hookups of any kind. Sometimes water is available, but sometimes it’s true dry camping. We love camping this way. Probably not many are near national parks, but they can be amazing experiences. Good luck with your planning.

It all is kinda stinky. We have had to cancel plans to visit family overseas for my “fatherland’s” national day. We’ve been many times before, but this would have been a first, Bummer, but only residents can get into the country, and even then they are under a mandatory 14 day quarantine. People can’t go to their cabins because if they get sick, the local medical facilities couldn’t care for them adequately. I guess there’s a lesson here... If you think of “escaping” to somewhere there isn’t the virus, there really isn’t anywhere and if you went and got sick, would you be able to get the care you need? Yup, stay safe and stay well, everyone!

Florida state parks were closed except for day use only, but now they're all completely closed. People can't be depended on to stay apart, or in small groups. I follow a kayaking group online and they're in a huff because all boat ramps and access points are closing, but the few folks who get on rivers say they see groups of 10-12 people flotilla-style (all grouped together as close as you can get).

Plenty of pics of spring breakers (NOT locals) partying too, until law enforcement has to force them to leave and they shut down all public beach access.

These people make it impossible for responsible folks to go out and get fresh air in recreational areas.

I live by a national forest (no BLM land in this part of the country), we make go boondock in the woods just for a change of scenery.

Here we have another difficult aspect to the Covid-19 problem, not related to camping. Our town's population goes from about 5000 in winter to over 30,000 in summer. On my road there are probably about 50 homes, of which maybe 8 or 10 are normally occupied in winter. The whole of lower Cape Cod is the same. Drive around at night and you can see house after house that is unoccupied. Since last week we've begun seeing people who own second homes escaping from their primary residence in NY,CT,and NJ by coming here. Our entire infrastructure is seasonal, and we barely have adequate resources in the best of times in the off season. There is a very strong sense of resentment brewing. We depend on those people for our livelihood in season, and appreciate them spending money and using the services we provide at that time of year, but now they are adding an unwelcome burden to our already stretched medical and first responder personnel,not to mention they may unknowingly carry the virus. The grocery stores are pretty sparse as well. Our demographics are primarily lots of retired and elderly people who are vulnerable. A tricky social issue for sure.

Our follow up to last summer's Newfoundland trip isn't looking promising, but we are still hopeful.
Stay safe my fellow VTT folks!