Fistfights, ‘campsite pirates’: Anger boils at crowded Oregon campsites

September 25, 2022

Sunnyside County Park located east of Sweet Home in the Cascade Foothills, is a 160-site campground which features fishing ponds, horseshoe pits and access to the sparkling water of Foster Reservoir.

But this summer Sunnyside was not such a tranquil place as the demand for campsites overtook campground capacity. Tensions also ran high over first-come, first-served campsites. Plagued by the question of who arrived first, rangers had to play mediator and detective to determine the rightful occupant of the site. Two people even threw punches. SJ