Vandals Hit the Park

Lo and behold some of the so-called campers here at Devils's Lake State Park decided to get intoxicated and totally wreck one of the bath houses here at the Park last night.

After throwing all of their beer cans in this bath house they took matters one step further and broke out windows and ripping fixtures off the walls.

These most sinful blokes were in the 20-25 year age. They came to "camp" with the intentions of getting drunk and trashing the Park. This is most sad. :(

Now people can see why a mark of a true camper is not interested in coming to a Park for the reason of getting intoxicated. My point was most manifestly shewn to be true.

ministercreek....and everyone else,

One of my favorite areas to hike and camp is Cherokee National Forest, the great Hiwassee River flows through it.

In this national forest alcohol possession or consumption is not permitted or tolerated, if you are caught in possession or intoxicated you go straight to Polk County jail, game over.

Many of the hikers, rafters, and fishermen there have no tolerance for it either after having to put up with it in other areas. They will report you, the reputation the area has keeps most of the drunk and wayward going to other areas I guess. Good riddance I say!

Ohio State Parks have an no alchohol rule in effect, Praise God. So does Mississppi.

Wisconsin alloweth drunks into their State Parks. What I pointed out is the result. Sad.

People come up to Devil's Lake State Park from other States due to the fact alchohol is allowed at the Wisconsin State Park System. They come here to party till they drop and to tarsh the buildings. I should know-I clean the same. None suffered in Illinois State Parks as far as I know.

Ok I like to have a couple drinks sometimes when backpacking after a nice day while i'm sitting around the fire before I hit the sack. Does that make me a vandal or a otherwise a bad person. I think not, just because I have a drink now and again. You are categorizing people that drink are all bad and the ultimate evil is alcohol. This is not true the people that are slobs, vandals, azzholes, immature, etc are the same people drunk buzzed or sober regardless of the situation.

I spent the better part of 6 days last week backpacking around state forest land and I covered around 25 miles. I had a bottle Honey Wild Turkey with me. I brought the bottle and all of my other non burnable trash home as well as some other trash I picked up along the way.

Basically I am saying alcohol doesn't make you a ignorant immature slob. Just like guns don't kill people kill people.

sorry mike068,

I didn't mean to include those of us (me too) that can enjoy a drink peacefully as part of our experience. I understand what you are saying, but alcohol is a problem in many front country campgrounds and I would just as soon see it prohibited in those areas as have to put up with it.

In the back country I seriously doubt a Ranger is going to chase you down and search you for alcohol if you are behaving yourself, in fact I've had them tell me so. You know, read between the lines.

It's hard to tell one group of people they can drink, but another group they can't of course. So they prohibit alcohol in some places and enforce the law when needed. At least that's been my experience, how is it in places you go to?

I'd say it's the combination of alcohol coupled with easy car access which turns regular miscreants into ignorant immature slobs. Devil's Lake State Park must have some wheeled access allowing the drunks to drive in and stumble out with their booze. Closing the roads would probably prevent 90% of the inebriated rolling couch potatoes from becoming state park vandals.

Tipi,

That is definitely the case in places where I've seen this become a problem, they can drive right up to a campsite after maybe paying a small fee on the honor system. Sometimes the Rangers make their rounds and sometimes I guess they are too busy.

Devil's Lake State Park must be a maned campground and most likely the park rangers or park employees have normal patrols. Or at least when there may be an issue of some kind happening, the occupants that are causing the disturbance should be asked to leave. If they wont leave let the State Police do there job and they should be arrested. Then part of there retribution should be cleaning the state park they dessicated doing all the nasty jobs the employees cant stand doing first. Just like in another post on this forum stiffer penalties need to be used. And no you can't tell some people can and some can't have alcohol but you can have some extremely simple rules especially for a manned state park (like a lot state and private campgrounds already do).

Simple Rules:
1) Public drunkenness & disorderly conduct will NOT be tolerated at any level.

2) At 10pm noise discipline will be in effect and is a park wide noise

3) limit the amount of alcohol per person of legal age (like a lot of places already do)

Rule like these need to be implemented and enforced by employees as well as citizens using the facilities. As I said in another post on trailspace here, people are no longer made to suffer the consequence of there actions. But the problem is that we all (people that didn't cause the problem's) are made to suffer for the consequences while the ones that caused the problems continue to cause more problems. Personally I am sick and tired of the problem and hearing people wine about it but wont do anything about it.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"

mike068 said:

Ok I like to have a couple drinks sometimes when backpacking after a nice day while i'm sitting around the fire before I hit the sack. Does that make me a vandal or a otherwise a bad person. I think not, just because I have a drink now and again. You are categorizing people that drink are all bad and the ultimate evil is alcohol. This is not true the people that are slobs, vandals, azzholes, immature, etc are the same people drunk buzzed or sober regardless of the situation...Basically I am saying alcohol doesn't make you a ignorant immature slob. Just like guns don't kill people kill people.

Mike,

No one is accusing you of any wrong doing. No need to feel defensive. Please accept my sincere apologies if you took offense at what I posted.

I'm just referring to a situation that took place here at the Park I happen to work at...and the kind of souls that come to the same. Less than desirable souls I may add.

These kind of blokes make everyone look bad it doth appear. Lord I hope not.

mike068,

I agree with you in theory, but until we bring back the whipping post, your three rules will be ignored by the majority of trouble makers which is why some places have prohibited alcohol completely after exhausting all efforts to enforce the rules.

There have also been several alcohol related drownings in my area so that is another reason, some people just do not have any common sense, seems to be getting worse too.

I do agree that law enforcement is also a civic duty, the police or Rangers can't be everywhere.

mike068 is right !

That could happen to anyone, having few drinks and become a vandal. It depends on the people , how they react under the influence of alcohol.