Wilderness Camping (Rant)

T1DCarnivoreRunner

My state's department that manages state parks and forests and such put an article online with a link to it about winter activities, including primitive camping. I commented about a couple of places that I have wilderness camped in the winter, but that I am disappointed at how few places are available for wilderness camping in the state. I even suggested a specific area of a specific park as a great opportunity for an additional campsite. Camping in state parks is only allowed in designated areas, and that means car camping almost everywhere. I added that, if they couldn't add additional camping spots, maybe they could allow dispersed camping with some reasonable restrictions.

The department responded to my comment with a statement about how camping is restricted to designated areas (yep, it was clear in my comment that I knew that) and listing both places that I mentioned already as places where one can backpack camp. *Facepalm* They clearly didn't listen. SMH

This is why I have to travel so far to enjoy multi-day wilderness expeditions.

beemerphile1

You expected a reasonable response from a civil servant employee?

Any national forests in your area?

I am in NE Ohio and the closest disbursed camping is about 100 miles.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

The closest National Forest/Grassland is about 350 miles away, and another in the opposite direction about 400 miles away. There are no National Forests in my state.

jenglish712

Ouch, that stinks. It has never occurred to me that there were states without wilderness areas.

iplayoutside19

I'm pretty sure Iowa is a lot like Kansas in that most of the land is used for agriculture. And if you actually want to use it for recreation you better be a hunter or fisherman. The thought of actually walking around to see nature is something only Boy Scouts and those tree hugging socialist hippies do.

On top of that. The Anyone associated with the State Department of Wildlife (and Tourism is in Kansas) is overworked, underpaid, and is ignored by their bosses unless it's to rubber stamp their anti-environmental/conservation agenda, and worst of all the majority of their interaction with the public is drunk knuckleheads in the car camping area who want to blast AC/DC at 3am, get in fights with other campers who my like AC/DC just not at 3am with their kids in a tent, and generally make an *kitten* out of themselves. So I get why they might be a little short with you.

All that being said. What I've noticed in Kansas is that Governing bodies of wilderness are open to building trails as long as they don't have to mess with it. A local Mountain Bike Group has built several trails on public land that was not being used for anything. And they just got approval to build another one. They have trail building days once a quarter. Sadly I wish I had more time to donate to this cause. But it's not in the cards right now.

So, my suggestion would be to find a trail group, whether they're hikers or Mt Bikers and see what they're working on. Find some like minded individuals and then "call" whoever is in charge of that area and see if they've been approached about building a trail or a backcountry camping area, or at least see if they'd be open to that. They may have conservation reasons for not doing that.

Last time I talked to a Ranger at Tallgrass Prairie Reserve they said they were in the process of studying how much a backcountry camping area would impact the environment and that a backpacking loop was a possibility, but they weren't ready to go forward. You just never know. That's why you have to have a face to face conversation with them.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

iplayoutside19 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure Iowa is a lot like Kansas in that most of the land is used for agriculture. And if you actually want to use it for recreation you better be a hunter or fisherman. The thought of actually walking around to see nature is something only Boy Scouts and those tree hugging socialist hippies do.

On top of that. The Anyone associated with the State Department of Wildlife (and Tourism is in Kansas) is overworked, underpaid, and is ignored by their bosses unless it's to rubber stamp their anti-environmental/conservation agenda, and worst of all the majority of their interaction with the public is drunk knuckleheads in the car camping area who want to blast AC/DC at 3am, get in fights with other campers who my like AC/DC just not at 3am with their kids in a tent, and generally make an *kitten* out of themselves. So I get why they might be a little short with you.

All that being said. What I've noticed in Kansas is that Governing bodies of wilderness are open to building trails as long as they don't have to mess with it. A local Mountain Bike Group has built several trails on public land that was not being used for anything. And they just got approval to build another one. They have trail building days once a quarter. Sadly I wish I had more time to donate to this cause. But it's not in the cards right now.

So, my suggestion would be to find a trail group, whether they're hikers or Mt Bikers and see what they're working on. Find some like minded individuals and then "call" whoever is in charge of that area and see if they've been approached about building a trail or a backcountry camping area, or at least see if they'd be open to that. They may have conservation reasons for not doing that.

Last time I talked to a Ranger at Tallgrass Prairie Reserve they said they were in the process of studying how much a backcountry camping area would impact the environment and that a backpacking loop was a possibility, but they weren't ready to go forward. You just never know. That's why you have to have a face to face conversation with them.

Yes, very good assessment. Believe it or not, I was talking to someone last summer with the Sierra Club who had been in contact with the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve about trying to make backcountry camping available there. Great minds...

Even though you cannot camp there, the grounds are open 24/7. So you can do night hikes (I have under a full moon).

beemerphile1

midwesterner85 wrote: »

The closest National Forest/Grassland is about 350 miles away, and another in the opposite direction about 400 miles away. There are no National Forests in my state.

That sucks.

iplayoutside19

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Yes, very good assessment. Believe it or not, I was talking to someone last summer with the Sierra Club who had been in contact with the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve about trying to make backcountry camping available there. Great minds...

Even though you cannot camp there, the grounds are open 24/7. So you can do night hikes (I have under a full moon).

I was aware of that. That's actually how I got on the backpacking conversation with the Ranger. If the grounds are open 24 hrs, it seems it would lend itself to backpacking. And with 40 miles of trails there's got to be some where to do it.

I actually need to go take advantage of that. It's not like I don't have the gear. I also have a small telescope that would fit in a day pack.

cindytw

I would not want to go winter camping at all so I never looked into it. But I am sorry you are finding frustration instead of resources! The best I can do is early October...when it goes below 40 at night, our huge summer tent is no help! I would have to get all new gear, and a tent that will fit a dog crate!

undergloom

Stealth camping: it's a victimless crime.

fabnine

^^^We need a like button just for posts like this one.

Thanks for the smile.