Joe Smith
For Spring Creek Campground - Buffalo National River: Just wanted to clarify to 'Joe Hobbiston' who decided to give my review comparing Spring Creek Campground to a police state: This review is JUST THE FACTS of my stay. Call it subjective all you want, but there's no reason to give it one star, just because you don't like what it says. I encourage everyone to look into the man who was shot in the back and killed at SCC in 2017. That was a direct result of their policies of parking at the entrance and walking around with no lights or anything to identify them. Tactics like that fit the definition of 'police state'. So, Joe Hobbiston, go ahead and give my review one star. That doesn't change the facts. This campground should be avoided, unless you like police-state tactics and the risk of being shot in the back for defending your family from the Gestapo sneaking around in the dark.
Posted Jul 13, 2022 by Joe Smith from . This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
Joe Hobbiston
For Spring Creek Campground - Buffalo National River: Nice campground, but beware - it can resemble a police state. We were there this past weekend - Sep 21-22, 2019 and at about 10:45 p.m., we heard a vehicle pull in and stop up at the entrance to the campground. No big deal, we thought. Someone getting back to their camp late after dinner or whatever. Then, about 11:30 as I was putting our dry food in our vehicle to keep it away from the critters, about 10 feet in front of my vehicle, a flashlight suddenly came on, pointed directly at my eyes. It was a park ranger who had been creeping around the campground in total darkness, with his flashlight off. Apparently we weren't supposed to have our vehicle where it was. He said there was supposed to be a sign, but we have been there a few times each summer the past few years and never saw the sign. In fact, we were there this past Labor Day weekend and had our vehicle in the same spot and not one ranger told us we couldn't have it there. I had seen a ranger earlier in the night, so I wonder if it was the same one who decided to come back after dark and sneak up on us to see what we were up to, using the vehicle as an excuse. I have no idea how long he had been standing just at the edge of our campsite, spying on us. He may never have even made his presence known had I not walked over to my truck. The missing sign is of no concern to me. It's the fact that the park service considers it 'routine' to park at the entrance and walk through the campground. What they don't say is whether it's 'routine' to do so without using their flashlights or announcing their presence until they have to. In 2017, a camper was killed - shot in the back - by a ranger who had done his 'routine' walk through without a flashlight and walked into the guy's campsite out of the darkness. Do a web search for the incident - it was in 2017. You'll find some interesting information about the tactics the rangers use. I just have to wonder if we would have been hassled a little more if the ranger hadn't recognized us from some volunteer work we did in the past, or if we looked like we could be 'undesirables'. Just some food for thought and forewarning for anyone considering camping at Spring Creek campground.
Posted Sep 23, 2019 by Joe Hobbiston from . This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
