RE: Speaking of Skyline Dr. & " bear rules" ....

[Danusmom]

 We ll be camping in Luray, VA which is ~5 miles from Skyline Drive in the Jellystone campground.  We ve never camped in an area where bears were a concern --just chipmunks & squirrels, and rarely the racoons.  So, please " bear"  with me as I ask the following questions:
 
 Can I still keep food in the PU fridge?  Can I store food in the 4.3 cu.ft. fridge in our AAR?  Or, should I put the 4.3 fridge inside the PU?  Should all food be kept in the cab of the truck all the time?  Or, just at night?
 
 Thanks for your input.
 
 Peace be with you all.

[mike4947]

 Danusmom
Mom, the best advise is what ou get from the park personel. They know what problems they have and will give you the rules for food in their area.

[HersheyGirl]

 Danusmom
When we were at Shenandoah NP, we went into Luray and visited Jellystone campground.  It was pretty far from the park and the mountains, so I would guess that they might not have alot of trouble with bears, but you never know.  I kept all food in the van at all times, except when we were eating.  I also kept food in the fridge.  All dishes were washed up and put away or taken with us if we left the campsite.  I made sure that the kitchen was clean before bed.  We did keep toothpaste and other smellables in the camper, but in ziplock bags.  We had some bears visit us at night, but they didn t come to the camper, at least that I know of.  Other people are more strict with the rules and others are more lax, so go with what the campground rules say and you should be safe.  Have a safe trip.[8D][8D][8D]

[tlhdoc]

 Danusmom
Call the park ahead of time and see what they say.  If they tell you to keep the food in the car then you should do it.  You may need to take an extra cooler instead of the extra fridge.

[vjm1639]

 Danusmom
Never heard of a bear problem at Jellystone...(well, except for Yogi...  [])    The bears seem to have plenty to eat in the mountains.
 
 
 The rangers at the campground will tell you if it s any different.

[Danusmom]

 Danusmom
I emailed the campground per Mike s suggestion.  Here s the reply I received:
 

Hello. We have not had a problem here with bears entering the campground. It would be safe for you to keep your food in your pop-up fridge. Storing a fridge under the awning in the screened-in room would be fine. You can basically keep the food where you want to. Flies on the other hand, you could have a problem with! See you this (soon)!
 
 Yogi Bear s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts
 P.O. Box 191
 Luray, VA  22835
 (800) 420-6679
 http://www.campluray.com
 fax (540) 743-2111

 Peace be with you all.

[Joe Buskirk]

 Danusmom
Danusmom,
 I am heading down to Jellystone in Luray, Va this weekend for a week.  Aug. 16-23.  Will be at site 8.  When will you be going? I now feel better about the bears, never want to encounter one.

[Gone-Camping]

 Danusmom
I m far from an expert on bears (perhaps I should park the trailer and spend a night at the Hol Inn Express), but would think the more populated areas like Luray would tend to be bear free. Bears are usually on the timid side (at least the bears around here) and prefer to stay in more remote area s, which explains the problems up in SNP and not down in the valley.
 
 Also, I understand the Jellystone at Luray is " Linkspot"  enabled campground! If you get the chance, takes some pictures of the place, I d like to try out the Linkspot access to see how well it works. Jellystone/Luray is one of only 3 in Virginia!!!
 
 For those that are curious, [link=http://www.linkspot.com]Linkspot[/link] is a wireless broadband internet service designed specifically for use in campgrounds. While I don t want to go to one of these places and spend my evenings posting here on PUT, it d be nice to be able to  check-in  while still at the campground too!!!

[vjm1639]

 Danusmom
The bears are smart....they know there s no hunting in Shenandoah Park!   []    
 
 We use to stay at Jellystone years ago...it s gotten too cramped and has too much " stuff"  (waterslides, peddle boats, etc...) for what we normally want  now.    The number of sites has probably doubled since we use to go there but the size of the campground hasn t changed.  We still drive through at least once  or twice a year just to check it out.   It is a nice campground for people looking for more activities though. Has a small pool, hayrides and other activities for the kiddies, (all the " Yogi"  stuff) waterslide, fishing (if you can get through the paddle boats), etc..
 
 It s a nice park it you want the extras or you just have to have the hookups...but the best part to me is being that close to the Shenandoah s!