HONEYS TRUMP VOTING ROUGH CAMP — Hotel in Butte City

This RV park policy and website update clearly indicates that a guest (established or new) might be met with violent force for a late arrival....

Granted, this "dog park/field camp/RV park" is the host's private property, but so is every other independently owned RV park out there, right? By limiting access to the park during overnight hours, including for established guests, and with the threatened violence, I highly DO NOT recommend staying here!! If you are looking for free camping, plenty of other dispersed camping is available in the general vicinity.

On the surface, the campground and host seemed pleasant and sufficient. We arrived in early evening, and after disconnecting our towed vehicle, we prepped to leave the park to visit a nearby hot spring, telling the host that we'd miss the 9 pm bonfire and all, but would see him later that night or the next morning.

After a nice soak, and observing of the stars on an amazing dark night with no moon, we returned to the camp at 3 am. Dimming my car headlights, I went to open the gate quietly to enter the park, yet I was met at the gate by the host and his dog, indicating how rude and inconsiderate I was, and that I'd ruined his night's sleep and he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. The host has a series of driveway alarms and signs and cameras, creating a circumstance that no established guests could come and go from his RV park without awakening and disturbing the host.

On arrival the previous evening, the website and signs all indicated that the host preferred new arrivals to not check-in in the middle of the night, but to arrive during daylight hours. Otherwise, signage indicated that established guests could come and go, as long as we opened and closed the gate behind us.

The next morning, just after 9 am, the host knocked on our door and told my partner that we needed to pack up and leave and that the "armed man was getting more and more annoyed by our presence", implying that if we stayed any longer, that the host might respond with armed violence and force. My partner asked how long that we had to pack up and depart, and the host just repeated that the "armed man was getting more and more annoyed by our presence." We packed up and left within 30 minutes.

Apparently, the host took a "survey of current campers" (maybe 3-5 other guests) while we were out that evening, and elected to change his access policy to indicate that the front gate of the RV park would stay locked from 10:30 pm to 7 am every night. This policy would have denied my access to my home (I am a full-timer).

His website (which was changed between when we arrived and the next morning when he ejected us) now includes the following: "Too many times in 2024 (around 10 so far by July) I've had people set off the driveway alarm at 3-4 in the morning. And while I can turn off the alarm sometimes, I can't turn off the Aussie Shepherd. I personally think you are very rude if you come into a camp that time of night with your lights on and wake up others. So on July 5th I took a vote amongst the nights guests on what would be reasonable, and while I started out on the "let me shoot them at the gate side" the campers felt that closing the gate to all traffic at certain hours would be more reasonable. If you try to sneak thru it during those hours and set off the dog or alarm, my side may win the argument that night. So if you need to be selfish enough to wake me or others in camp up with 3 am charades, you need to camp elsewhere for my medical issues and your health."

The host can establish whatever policies and rules he'd like, but it creates a circumstance whereby any prospective guests should highly reconsider their options when looking to stay in...

Update: came again in ‘24, on fifth of July. Meant to hit 4th of July, but had car issues. Scar’s old dog Ruby had just passed away, and he was pretty broken up about it. He has recently planted some rows of tree to serve as windbreaks and campsite delineation: they should look pretty good as they grow.

We were disappointed by Craters of the Moon - we brought our dog, and it is off limits. Scar gave us directions to a big cave that isn’t on the maps. It was pretty epic.

Can’t say enough good about Scar.

Original 2023 post:

Patriotic with a sense of humour, and the best service we’ve encountered. We have never had a campground sing the Stars and Stripes at sundown, or say the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning. If you want to enjoy being in America, this is the right place!

It’s one downside is that it doesn’t have running water - you have to go to the free public RV dump next door. There’s a shortcut for tenters, so it is not a big deal.

This is the best dog-friendly campsite we’ve ever seen. Think of it as a dog off-leash area merged with a campground.

The price for this is that there are some rules. You can’t leave food or waste around. Dogs will eat it - and one of his has bad allergies. When he asks you to drive very slowly, it is part of what enables the off-leash area (as well as being a good test of character for potential guests). So the host’s rules need to be taken seriously - there is meaningful thought behind them.

About service: the host actually brings in water for showers. He literally keeps a beer fridge for campfires. The hilariously-painted old busses in the photos keep a library, showers, and spaces for travellers in difficulty. He greets you coming in, makes sure you are settled, and makes sure no visitors are unpleasant neighbours.

Needless to say, the character of the man who makes this happen is an attraction in itself. Scar seems to have been through the wars, in every sense. It’s part of the reason he has a lot of care for dogs and people in trouble. If you think of this trip as being about meeting a new friend, you won’t be disappointed.

We’ll come back if we can, this year or next - apparently Arco’s 4th of July is epic.

PS: If you’re a Canadian, Scar apparently cannot text you back to confirm. Try leaving an email address.

PPS: don’t miss the donations can on the way out. It’s beside the gate. Scar won’t ask, so you have...

Save yourself the trouble of fitting in to this guys narrow views and rules. You can boondock anywhere with better amenities and be able to pour pasta water out. We use iOverlander (its an app) to find free camping all over the place. Though I suppose if you enjoy the company of nationalistic misogynists, by all means stay here.

Edit, after owners reply: Ha! I have no direct evidence that you are racist, but if you suggest it, who am I to deny you. Btw, Kelly is a gender-neutral name, and I have a wife. Draw your conclusions as you’d like 😂 and decide if you still like the comment you left. P.S. Bud Light is disgusting beer, but not for the reasons you dislike it.

2nd edit (after owner’s smart edit to his reply): maybe just try loving people without limits. Love them if they disagree with you, love them if they are trans, love them if you don’t even like them. If you were a kind person, I wouldn’t mind not being able to dump out my pasta water. I couldn’t disagree more with your politics or ideas. I definitely don’t like you. But I wish you well. I still don’t recommend folks stay with...