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BY R. SCOTT RAPPOLD, THE GAZETTE
This is the story some people don't want you to read.
Locals have their own favorite camping spots in the woods, and they don't want you in them.
And federal land managers have crowds to deal with on summer weekends, and they would prefer that a newspaper story didn't send more people to the most popular and accessible camping areas.
"We have some areas that are pretty heavily used by the public for dispersed camping, and I don't want to direct people there," said Leah Quesenberry, recreation planner with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
But like it or not, Front Range residents are going to venture into the woods this summer to camp. And in a down economy, people may be looking to save money by staying closer to home and avoiding campground fees - $12 to $19 a night, plus $9 to reserve a site in advance - by finding a spot in the forest to plop down a tent or pull up an RV.
It's known as boondocking or dispersed camping. And you can do it just about anywhere on BLM land and in national forests.
"The whole national forest is open to camping," said Frank Landis, a recreation planner with Pike National Forest.
Technically, it's not the whole forest. Camping is prohibited outside campgrounds in two areas locally: along Colorado Highway 67 for a few miles north of Woodland Park and around Rampart Reservoir.
With last summer's exorbitant gas prices, forest officials saw an increase in people camping closer to home, and Landis expects the trend to continue this summer.
"I think we've seen a lot more people take advantage of what's in their backyard, whereas before maybe they would have gone to the Western Slope to camp," Landis said.
But keep in mind that the rules are different from using a campground, as is the experience. Here are some key differences:
• You might not be able to have a fire. In dry years, the first fire restriction put in place is for campfires outside of developed campgrounds, and violating it can cost you $300.
• There probably won't be a toilet. Take a shovel.
• There won't be a bear-proof box like in some campgrounds, so put food in your car.
• Take out your trash with you.
• Use an existing campsite and fire ring - there is usually an existing circle of rocks for fires.
• Take your own water.
• Camp at least 200 feet from bodies of water.
People should also ensure they are using a legal road - many mountain tracks were created by off-highway vehicles and travel on them is illegal - and that the land is not private property, which intersperses federal land.
If it's a summer weekend in a popular and accessible area, such as Rampart Range Road near Woodland Park or Texas Creek west of Cañon City, be prepared to make new friends and be serenaded by the sounds of the nearby road.
For truly "dispersed" camping, slap on a backpack and trek a few miles from the road.
And if you think you'll miss amenities such as running water and a pit for a toilet, most national forest campgrounds open for the year on Memorial Day weekend. Make reservations at www.recreation.gov.
Campground fees in the Pike and San Isabel national forests have increased $1 a day from last summer's rates, the first increase in three years, said Neal Weierbach, recreation manager for the forests. He said the agency awarded a new contract to campground operator Rocky Mountain Recreation, and the increase reflects "the cost of doing business."
He said campground reservations for the summer have been good, despite the economy.
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