Tripoli Road to become regular campground

That's not the official line, but all the sites will be numbered and jammed together on side roads. Large rowdy groups will probably need to move elsewhere.
http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=31039

Thanks, had been hearing rumors about this, good to see something official!

This will be a good thing if it help to clear up the problem of everyone leaving their trash at their campsites. The sites along the river are some of the filthiest campsites in NH.

Yes it was mighty gross along there years ago with toilet paper and it's related "deposits' river side. Could hardly take 3 steps without stepping in...well you know. One of the more disgusting memories of "over flow" camping I can ever recall.

Hope it all works out for the better !

Drove up there a few times to some of the trailheads and it was awful. One time that was a huge groups of college kids, obviously getting extremely intoxicated.

I've seen it at it's worst...a Saturday night in July. These are not hikers, or people who appreciate the area for it's natural beauty, who are camping the way most think of camping. These are riff-raff party people. They come specifically to drink, drug and congregate. The crowd attracts the crowd.

Would breaking them up send them elsewhere? As a seeker of quiet, unspoiled places in the forest, I always like to know where the crowds are and when. Then I know where they are not. So I see a value in a Tripoli Road situation because I see it as a fly strip attracting pests who might otherwise be elsewhere. Would they migrate to one of the other similar free-camping places in the WMNF?

I agree with FG, here are the comments I submitted.

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It appears that in effect what you are doing is turning dispersed roadside camping into a developed campground - close-together numbered sites of limited size with amenities (toilets, trash removal, fees). Perhaps there is more demand for this than existing developed campgrounds can accommodate, but I suspect that the current users of this facility will instead look for dispersed camping elsewhere (legal or not).

It should be remembered that one reason for originally creating this area was to concentrate and manage dispersed camping. Back in the 70s the first 3 miles of the Wilderness Trail were a real garbage pit, but banning camping there worked because the Tripoli Road area was established where those sort of users could be managed close to the road. Before implementing this project, an alternate dispersed camping area south of the notches with capacity for half this area (say 250 paot) should be identified and prepared or present users will gravitate to other areas (legal and illegal) on their own. Consideration should be given to retaining those existing sites where adequate off-road pulloffs exist - if these tend to fill first that will show what users are really looking for.

As for tree trimming, preventative removing of dead and diseased limbs is a good idea but the overhead canopy is a desired feature of this road and healthy trees should be retained.

Am I the only one that thinks that the party-goers need a place to camp as well?

At least these people are getting OUTSIDE. If they never went camping, then they would be stuck in towns and cities drinking in just bars and would have even less appreciation for the woods than they already do.

I used to party in the woods myself. My group got kicked out of two campgrounds in the Whites 6 or 7 years ago. Since then, most of that group has calmed down a bit and many of them now do a lot of hiking and are respectful campers.

forestgnome said:

...So I see a value in a Tripoli Road situation because I see it as a fly strip attracting pests who might otherwise be elsewhere...

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Perfect analogy. Best line of the week.

roadtripper said:

Am I the only one that thinks that the party-goers need a place to camp as well?

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As long as they shut up during quiet hours, I don't care where they pass out. But let's face it, these people do NOT shut up during quiet hours.

roadtripper said:

At least these people are getting OUTSIDE. If they never went camping, then they would be stuck in towns and cities drinking in just bars and would have even less appreciation for the woods than they already do.

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I couldn't care less if they are getting OUTSIDE. I'd prefer they "be stuck in towns and cities drinking in just bars".

p.s. Keep in mind, nobody (except for the extreme puritanical types) is saying people can't group-camp and do some drinking. It's a matter of keeping things under control, not trashing the place, and not being so loud that they disturb other campers. It's so very easy to follow campground rules and still have a great time and not bother other campers.

I remember the first time I drove through Tripoli Road. I thought I was driving through a refugee camp. I approve of an attempt to clean it up, but also am in the camp that asks, now where will they go? How about underneath an unsightly power line?

Sheesh Billy. Ever make a mistake in life and regret it years later? He posted his errors and admitted his guilt.

Living just 6 miles away there are certain times during the year that I simply will not venture down that road!

It would be interesting if they allowed winter camping and plowed the road!

dug said:

Sheesh Billy. Ever make a mistake in life and regret it years later? He posted his errors and admitted his guilt.

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Good point. I edited my comments above.

Billy said:

It's a matter of keeping things under control, not trashing the place, and not being so loud that they disturb other campers.

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Now if only we could get similar rules in place for online message boards...

roadtripper said:

Am I the only one that thinks that the party-goers need a place to camp as well?

At least these people are getting OUTSIDE. If they never went camping, then they would be stuck in towns and cities drinking in just bars and would have even less appreciation for the woods than they already do.

I used to party in the woods myself. My group got kicked out of two campgrounds in the Whites 6 or 7 years ago. Since then, most of that group has calmed down a bit and many of them now do a lot of hiking and are respectful campers.

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Actually, the point is that they defintely do need a place, or better stated, the rest of the public needs for them to have a place. It's true that some may eventually graduate to a more mature attitude and move on to other things. But there will also be newcomers who hear about the mass party.

These types will always exist. It might be best to keep Tripoli Road as is and just clean up after they leave for the season. I'd definately voluteer to spend a day. We could recycle most of it. I already do this at a particular road gate each spring. It becomes a party spot for locals in the winter.

Nothing wrong with group camping and drinking. I love beer as much as anyone. Don't try to compare the vast majority of campers to the crowd on Tripoli Road. Contrast Barnes Field after a VFTT get-together with the aftermath on Tripoli Road.

So, IMO, it ain't broke so don't fix it.