We had a wonderful stay until we didn’t. After a relaxing week of camping, we were prepared to stay another week when we had an encounter with an individual who was acting out of sorts (wandered to our campsite, wandered to the front gate, and stayed in the restroom/shower house for close to five hours invading space of others and making restroom and shower use uncomfortable). This individual was wandering freely through the campsite without a reservation, making paid guests uncomfortable and the Army Corps of Engineering Staff at the front gate knew it. We asked the kind camp host volunteers for help. They called the front gate for help on our behalf. Despite three calls for help (1. to the front gate attendant, 2. To speak to a Park Ranger who we were told was coming but did not, and 3. a call to law enforcement, this individual was deemed:
- Not to be a current guest, but may get a reservation - by John- Corps of Engineer gate attendant
- Not being under the influence of drugs but possibly intoxicated by law enforcement.
In both situations - with John, the Army Corps of Engineering front gate attendant, and with law enforcement, despite the fact that this person had no reservation and did not belong, was allowed to stay on the grounds and never once was escorted to the front gate to ensure the story being told aligned with reality.
Gate attendant, John, was dismissive of our concerns. He even chuckled in front of us on the phone with both the Park Ranger and law enforcement when we insisted he call for help. He said on the phone this was not a big issue.
So, as paying guests, we were treated with less dignity and respect than a person who wanders in either by foot or by boat who does not belong. We also learned in the course of our very frustrating afternoon that this type of thing occurs - non-paid guests come to the sites from the lake and squat on campsites.
Our frustration - our safety was not considered or taken seriously and we were laughed at with concerns. The Camp Host asked Army Corps of Engineering Staff, John, if we could move to an overflow site next to them so we would feel more safe. John again dismissed the concern and said, “It’s been handled”.
We chose to cancel the remaining 8 days of our stay and leave because this individual knew where our campsite was and we felt unsafe. We also realized that if we had any other concerns, there would be no help.it wasn’t a problem for the Army Corps of Engineer Staff. For a place that locks the gate at night, this does not make sense.
We lost money on the cancellation due to Recreation.gov’s cancellation policy but the individual who hadn’t paid was turned loose at their free will to wander around and possibly get a site. The individual still may be there.
Disappointingly, we will never return because when we needed help, there was none. The safety and security of the paid guests was not the first priority.