2025-01-08, 10:32 PM
(2025-01-08, 02:15 PM)DVexile Wrote: Having the designated spots in HITW, Echo, Cottonwood, Marble is pretty much the only way it can work these days and I'm glad they implemented the "designated dispersed" sites. It was getting too crowded and inevitably some moron would pull up 100 yards from you at 9pm and setup camp. Now if you have a site you know the next party is at least a 1/4 mile away.
As to FCFS vs reserved for those designated spots, it cuts both ways. For Echo and HITW it wasn't that bad to go to the VC, but it was annoying for some to be constrained to the hours the VC was open. It was, unfortunately, plain stupid for Cottonwood/Marble where folks entering from the west would have to drive all the way to Furnace Creek and then double back.
The other issue, which has occurred in other National Parks, is that when something is FCFS and then proves to be all full, people start doing stupid things after a long drive at the end of the day. That's one reason Tuweep went reservation only.
I'm just glad there is still plenty of truly dispersed back country camping throughout much of the park. As a bonus, there is the "designated dispersed" which is quite frankly amazingly close to the tourist spots and a somewhat unique resource for a National Park.
I would not mind so much the reserved spots if they were only reservable from sunset to sunrise. The system completely ignores its impact on day use.