sleeping in state park parking lots

[fish_hntr]

What are the restrictions on sleeping in your truck in the marina parking lot at places like Jordanelle or Deer Creek if you have the parks pass? Not a camper or RV, just in the back of a truck or SUV. Do they physically come around and check?
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[RonPaulFan]

When I camped at the way overpriced Sand Hollow State Park, I asked about it. That was years ago, so I don't remember the exact words, but it must have been threatening enough that it influenced me to pay the overpriced rate.

That patch of sand under my vehicle got almost the same price as advertised on a billboard for a St. George motel offering air conditioning, kitchen, breakfast and cable television.

I also remember exploring the alternatives of sleeping in my vehicle. The laws and penalties were such that they are used to get full compliance with their overpriced rates and not have people finding alternatives.

Recently, I slept in my vehicle at Tibble Fork Reservoir after asking about that and they said that I could do that.

Perhaps someone will give the information for other state parks. I'm also interested.

I like the idea of arriving late, going to sleep and being right there to fish before the sun comes up without driving sleepy or being in a rush.
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[catchinon]

Excellent question. I suggest that you call the Park and ask, but my experience is that they seldom answer and never call back (pet peeve). When you find any solid info please share it here.
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[Kent]

I'm confident the answer would be "Not allowed". They don't want the parking lot turned into an almost-free campground. You might have better luck at apologizing than getting permission, but that may be risky.
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[catchinon]

It seems like you could find a pullout nearby where you could crash. Would that work for you?
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[Jedidiah]

Sleeping in any place where other people aren't sleeping is generally illegal. There are public safety issues and legal liabilities involved. You're thinking that you're safe and a law abiding citizen but there is no way for law enforcement to know that and certainly if you started allowing people to sleep in unmonitored parking lots you would start having theft and vandalism not to mention the occasional person not waking up and then becoming a liability because no one checked on him.
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[mme1]

on the pass it says day use only but I think it would depend on the park and how busy it was whether they enforced it.
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[dwayneb]

it is not the job of law enforcement to keep us "safe"....Ive thought about sleeping in my truck just so I could launch before daybreak. The gates usually open at 0600 which is too late in some cases....I say go for it.
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[ditchpickle98]

Your pass answers your own question: Day use only. The FAQ for the State Park Pass states that it's exclusively for day use, and that you do not get any discounts on overnight stays in State Parks.

You'd have a much better chance finding a pullout along the highway next to the park and sleeping there, as someone else already suggested.

To everyone saying just do it and hope you don't get in trouble, I highly doubt you'd be able to talk your way out of a ticket from the game warden when your pass says "Day Use" right on the front lol.

Also, those fees go towards maintaining the parks anyways, so you might as well pay them to do your part in keeping the park up and running. If you're spending the night, you should morally pay the price that everyone else does to do so.[reply][/reply]
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[catchinon]

it is not the job of law enforcement to keep us "safe".

I have to disagree with you on this point. After all, they are here "To serve and protect." I used to drive 500 miles to visit my kids in Montana and I would often begin to drive like a drunk man because I was just exhausted. LE officers suggested that I take a sleep break beside the road. Others would check on me while I was doing so. They weren't trying to bust me, just wanted to know if I was okay and left me alone when they could see I was.

Just my two-cents worth.
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[dwayneb]

You might disagree and that's fine...alot of folks have that same false sense of security.
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[dwayneb]

You can read precedent after precedent the police have NO constitutional duty to protect either you or anyone else.
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[RockyRaab]

No legally mandated duty, perhaps, but they do in fact try to look out for us as much as possible. The motto painted on many patrol cars says "To Serve and Protect."

They do. Both.

I think the question of sleeping in the parking lot has been settled, though. It's a "No."
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[dwayneb]

Yeah ok...bet ya they approach you sleeping in your truck at the state park you will feel like the criminal by the time they are finished.
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[RockyRaab]

Treat you like a criminal because you're there breaking the law? Well, duh.
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[dwayneb]

Well you seem to be a koolaid drinker so good luck....bumper stickers, slogans, whatever else makes you warm and fuzzy to actually think your protected. Many many many citizens have tried to sue police departments for specific incidents where they wernt protected and guess what....courts ruled in favor of the department because that is not part of their charge. Law enforcement officers are there to enforce the law period. Protection is a byproduct of law enforcement...that's as far as it goes. To think your specifically protected is a fantasy....if you think someone sleeping in their vehicle at a state park should be treated like a criminal that is a formulation of judgment. If it's against regulations certainly that individual should be informed and told to leave.. but treat them like a criminal...might as well just throw out due process while your at it....I'm done here....
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[Jedidiah]

I'm definitely with you on all these arguments, and ultimately the purpose of law enforcement officers is to keep laws from being broken. Some are really out there to try to actually protect people, some are maybe just in it for the power. Whatever, people are people.

The problem isn't with you, it's with the guy "sleeping" in his truck who is going to wake up at 3:00 and go around to see what he can steal. You wake up to take your boat down to the ramp and what do you know, your trailer adapter is missing. Some guy decides to go fishing on the courtesy dock and slips on the frost and tries to sue DWR, whatever else happens. The average IQ is 100 which means 50% of the people you meet are below that number and the further down they get the higher potential liability they are. The cops can't always watch everyone, especially at night when they have other problems.
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[dwayneb]

Agree...many folks require protection from themselves...lmao.
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[riverdog]

Catchinon it’s nice the police helped you out when you were an impaired driver. But do us all a favor and don’t drive impaired again. It’s not just yourself that you put at risk of serious injury or death. Letting you off (repeatedly it sounds) rather than ticketing you increased the odds of a bad outcome. This wasn’t protecting anyone. Drowsy drivers and those distracted by cell phones cause almost as many traffic deaths as drunk drivers. The way the numbers are trending those deaths will likely exceed drunk driving deaths in several years.
As for the State Park question- I agree, just follow the rules and pay to stay at a campground go elsewhere. You’re not special.
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[fryman1]

I like to boat camp and have my vehicle and trailer in the parking lots overnight many times. I guess the day use on my pass might not allow for that. There seems to always be other vehicles and trailers sitting overnight as well. Not sure if they are also boat camping or maybe do not have parking room at their campsite.
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