How to Handle Bad Neighbors When Camping

Nothing ruins a camping trip like a bad group of neighbors, am I right? As a large family to camps full-time this has always been one of our biggest struggles. If you find yourself stuck next to a bunch of party animals or grumpy geese who just won’t keep it down or stop bothering you then you’re not alone. This is something everyone deals with, probably more than you realize.

Move Away From the Neighbors

Sometimes the best thing to do, and the easiest, is to just try strategically placing your own site further away from the bad neighbors. This isn’t always possible, especially on busy weekends, during holidays, or in the midst of the busy season. But you can always reach out to the campground. Sometimes you may have to wait a day for a new site to open, but there are usually some opportunities to move away. If that’s not possible, then that’s when you have to find other solutions.

Kill Them With Kindness

First off, try the friendly approach. You don’t even have to be that friendly, but decent. We always smile and try to be friendly. Sometimes a good ole “How are you doing?” makes all the difference in the world. Some people love to talk and others want to camp to be alone. Read the room and make your best judgement. You don’t want to be the bad neighbor either.

Also, NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT’S COVER! Seriously though, some of the nicest people are in the oldest, junkiest campers, and the same goes with nice RVs. You’ll find a mix of people from all aspects and this is where you can’t judge anyone.

If There Is Too Much Noise

Sometimes neighbors can be great, until it’s time to go to bed. They could be loud or stay up late partying. If it’s about too much noise, which does happen, you can pack some earplugs or use a white noise machine to drown them out. This is a link to our FAVORITE white noise machine. If you’re camping without power, this is another great option.

If there is too much noise, sometimes you can wander over and politely ask them to keep it down – chances are, they may not even realize how much noise they’re making. If that doesn’t work, see if the campground has a number you can call to report the disturbance to the camp host. This is really something that should be done as a last resort though. Don’t cause more issues with the neighbor if you don’t have to. They’ll know it’s you, especially if you already spoke to them about the noise. Most places take noise complaints seriously, especially late at night.

Remember, It’s ALWAYS Temporary

When all else fails the thing we always try to remind ourselves with is – it’s only for a night or two, or a week, or even a month. It will be over and you’ll have much better camping opportunities in the future. Grit your teeth, stay positive, and before you know it, you’ll be packing up and heading home to peace and quiet.

The key is to stay calm and avoid escalating the situation. With a little creativity and patience, you can survive even the worst camping neighbors. Now go enjoy the great outdoors (as quietly as possible)!

One thing to remember though, this is short term. It’s always short term. One of you will inevitably leave and that’s when sometimes it’s best to just ignore the situation and be patient.

You also have to remember that some of these people are vacationing or weekend warriors. This could be the vacation that they’ve been waiting and planning for. Don’t be too annoying to them about the noise, don’t accidentally turn yourself into the bad guy. A little partying never hurt anyone, especially if it’s just for a vacation trip with the family or friends.

Don’t be scared though, bad neighbors aren’t a constant in camping. We’ve met some of our closest friends at campgrounds and I wouldn’t change a thing in our camping travels. So give people a little grace, take a deep breath, and don’t be the bad neighbor. Sometimes it’s best to just join in on the party and make some new memories and great friends.

Follow along on our journey! Check out our Amazon Storefront for awesome camping products that we use regularly. We also have a shop with great camping shirts, mugs, and other fun items. As well as an ETSY shop with more fun things that we’ve created along the way. Happy Travels!! Thank you for your support!

As an Amazon Affiliate we may make a small commission from product links at no extra cost to you. This does not change our views and we would never share a link that we don’t personally approve of. This small commission helps us keep our website alive and we appreciate each and every one of you! Happy Travels!!

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