Tried a new campsite in Shenandoah last weekend and noticed the fire rings are all rusted out

Two of the rings had holes big enough to drop a log through, and the grates were completely wobbly. Has anyone else run into bad conditions at national park campgrounds this season?

2 comments

2 Comments

perez.christopher5d ago

my buddy hit up Big Meadows last month and said the fire pit at his site was basically a crater lol. the grate had one leg missing so it was resting on a rock and the whole thing wobbled like crazy when he tried to cook. he ended up just tossing his hot dogs straight onto the coals because the grate was useless. also said the ground around the ring was all muddy from people splashing water on it, so the whole area was just a mess.

seana144d ago

lol that sounds about right for Big Meadows honestly. I went there a couple years ago and my fire ring was so rusted out it had a hole the size of my fist in the bottom. all the ash just fell through and left a big mess. had to use a flat rock to try and block it but that just made everything worse. the whole site just felt beat up and neglected like nobody maintains it anymore. kinda makes you wonder where the campground fees are actually going.