Camping on Ashley National Forest has been a tradition for many local families for years and while that is not likely to change, times have changed and all are expected to follow the same rules. Ashley National Forest has a stay limit for dispersed camping of 16 days at a single location and campers cannot return to the original site for 30 days. After the initial 16 days a camper needs to be moved a minimum of 5 road miles so that others can have a turn at popular locations. The penalty for violating the rule includes fines up to $5,000 dollars and up to 6 months imprisonment. But what is the big deal? Well, in their own words, Ashley National Forest has “been discovered” and the number of people enjoying dispersed camping has increased year after year leading to the need to enforce stay limits. In 2022, there were over 350 unattended trailers recorded on the Forest. Over 100 trailers were identified that exceeded the 16-day stay limit in one location. As a result, 47 trailers were issued Federal Violation Notices. The owners of these trailers resolved their cases by paying a fine without a court appearance and moved their trailers. The owners of three trailers were required to appear in Federal Court in Vernal and each pleaded guilty and paid a fine. One owner who had been warned previously was prohibited from being on or camping on the Ashley National Forest for 12 months
