Anger boils at crowded Oregon campsites – Statesman Journal

Sunnyside County Park is the type of place Oregonians normally go to relax.Located east of Sweet Home in the Cascade Foothills, the 160-site campground features fishing ponds, horseshoe pits and access to the sparkling water of Foster Reservoir.But this summer Sunnyside was not such a tranquil place, park officials said, as the demand for campsites overtook campground capacity.”Campsite pirates” claimed already reserved sites as their own. They tore off reservation tags from the campground’s kiosks and replaced them with their own, leaving the original parties confused — and angry — when they showed up and foundtheir campsite occupied.Tensions also ran high over first-come, first-served campsites. Plagued by the question of who arrived first, rangers had to play mediator and detective to determine the rightful occupant of the site. Two people even threw punches, said Brian Carroll, the director for Linn County Parks and Recreation.“People were literally fighting over campsites,” said Carroll. “What we experienced this year was certainly a general level of increased frustration and anxiety of people not being able to get their campsite. There seems to be less general common courtesy going on.”While fistfights and campsite piracy are extreme examples, interviews with rangers and land managers make clear…
Read More