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Readers Respond: What Has Spoiled One Of Your Camping Trips?
Responses: 18

By David Sweet, About.com Guide

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I've been on camping trips that weren't necessarily spoiled, but they sure weren't very pleasant. I've been on camping trips where I was attacked by mosquitoes, bombarded by wind and rain, evacuated because of flood and hurricane and invaded by thieving raccoons. I've had noisy neighbors in the next campsite, and I've met inconsiderate camp hosts. I've been to campgrounds where the bathrooms were unsanitary, and I've been camping when I suddenly got sick. Lots of things can happen. What has spoiled one of your camping trips? Tell Your Story

Worst camping trip

I went camping with my family and in-laws on a Memorial day weekend that went very very wrong. To make a long story short, my brother in law stole beer and firewood from the neighbor's campsite and then when he was caught proceeded to call his mother every name in the book. My husband couldn't stand hearing his mother degraded, so they had a knock down drag out fight, which ended in my brother-in-law and his cousin leaving the campsite. Meanwhile, my sisters-in-law are bawling, and all the other campers are staring at us. We couldn't find the cousin, but he turned up safe and sound two days later. My brother-in-law came home with us and everything seemed to have ended well until he robbed my husband of $10,000 worth of climbing gear in an attempt to get revenge for their fight. That was a camping trip we will never forget!
—Guest Susan

Good Times Gone Bad

If you camp often you will at sometime have problems with nature and if you plan well you can solve most of these before they ruin your stay. It is sad but you can not plan for people who are inconsiderate of others nor park attendants who are idiots and do not know how to deal with people. My family has not been to a corps park in several years because of bad attendants .
—Guest Ricky

Manager/campground

We camped at a campground that was on a small island in Pennsylvania. The manager looked like he just walked out of prison, tatoo's on knucles and arms, black leather vest over dirty white t-shirt. My brother and his girl friend came up to spend the day with us and although there were no campers anywhere around us, and none due in, he told them they would have to park across the road from the campground on the side of the road. They left. You couldn't sit outside your camper because of the rabbit's, they were ALL over the place, Came up to the camper and messed on ground, just a very nasty place. Needless to say we packed up and went home.
—Guest Sqdancer51

Rain...

I have gone camping once before where it rained the entire day, from 5am to after midnight. We had nothing to do and just decided to head out, so we packed up in the dark and rain. Everything was soaked and we were exhausted.
—Guest Jess

Last Desert Trip

Our last winter desert trip. Out of about 35 people, we ended up with 8 injuries. The worst was a broken wrist and neck for the same person. But, all ended well. I was told I did a great job on our friend, who split his chin while riding out in the dunes. For the last trip for the winter season, it went well. We all had a good time. Even with injuries.
—0711Lisa

Worst Camping Trip

We were camping at Crystal Lake in Iowa, which is where we camp often. They were dredging the lake that year (yippee, it was really needed). Apparently I was allergic to some of the little parasites that were dredged up and I broke out all over my entire body and my eyes swelled up into huge puffballs. That really ruined the rest of my trip.
—Guest jrsurohlfs

Bad Camp Experience

Too many electronic devices. Camping is suppose to be quiet. Exceptions are weather radio and GPS. Do it the Boy Scout way.
—Guest Bob

Bad Camping Trips

Of all the camping trips I have taken over the years only two stand out as spoiled. Many years ago my family and I were at our favorite campground and my younger sister got so constipated she had to be admitted to the hospital. The "porta potties" were too much for her. I remember one weekend at the same campground that stopped before it started. By the time we got to our campsite (where our tent camper was already set up) a tornado had gone through and left everything in a terrible mess. No one was hurt, but the weekend was over.
—Guest steved

Lousy Thieves

Recently, we stayed in a park next to where our daughter was attending a Scout event. In the morning another camper asked if we had seen anyone taking things out of the camp kitchen. Many campers lost food that night including us. Apparently, it is a regular occurrence at this park - well thanks for telling us after the event. We travelled for 3 months and never encountered this problem. It was locals, not other campers.
—terriblycluttered

Party Goers

My husband, 11 year old son and I just wanted a quiet weekend. Well we got neighbors, no problem, but they just kept coming. All night long they partied with loud music and yelling. I looked at my watch, it was 4:30am and they were still at it. Must have been over 50 people. Worst night ever. We called the rangers the next day and they came, found drugs and weapons, gave tickets and kicked them out.
—Guest Alicia

Ruined Camping Trip?!?

Well would it be when my car battery kept dying and AAA kept having to come to the campground to jump my car? The AAA guy ended up eating dinner with us a few nights. Or was it the first time I took my kids camping, my first time in nearly 35 years, and we got the typical Pacific northwest weather - downpour, rain rain rain. Of course we were only to stay one night, because the campground was full, but after it started raining prime campsites opened up and we stayed 10 full nights. The rain only lasted one night! My kids were troopers! Wearing ponchos, helping to move our tent to another site and all of our gear. They love camping and say they sometimes miss the fact that we usually end up with sunny weather.
—momconom

Managers & Who Do The Rules Only Apply

We have camped in a new and beautiful motor home near our daughter, son-in-law and children in the mid-Michigan area that was gated (fine), but they also charged 6.00 per person any age to use the pool including our 6 month old grandchild. That's greedy! We then went to Merril,MI, and the rules about drinking, drugs and sex only apply to those who don't go there and stay home. This park with a lake put so many campers, tents and motor homes in that it was a problem to move and the stench of everything was unbearable and not a good place for the grandchildren ages 5 to 12 years. The managers took the money from these drunken druggies wearing thong bottoms and topless with booze in their hands and the stench of marijuana was overwhelming. We will never go there again, nor will we recommend it to anyone.
—Guest SIOLSON

Water Leak

Probably my worst trip was the first one with our new used motorhome. During the middle of the first night, we found water on the floor and discovered the water heater was leaking, so we spent the next day finding plumbing parts to bypass it so we could have water in the camper. Oh, and the camping pads were on about a 20 degree slope too.
—ebraith

My Aching Back

Two years ago, just when we were leaving, my son asked me to pack his scooter. I bent over and out went my back. I tried toughing it out, drove 200 miles to the camp and my wife set up the camp. I sat and watched and directed. I woke up even more in pain, and we had to leave after one night of a week long trip. I was flat on my back for two weeks.
—Guest mudman55

Barking Dogs

Many years ago, we camped at a state campsite where our neighbors had several dogs. Most of the day they were gone, dogs tied up, barking the entire time they were gone. They came back, ate, left again with the dogs barking well into the night. (We mentioned to them about the dogs prior to them leaving a second time, and they were angry we said anything to them. These people had no consideration for the rest of the campground.
—Guest Kathleen Kennedy