PARAGON, Ky. — Campers using the Paragon area are being warned that continued problems with garbage, human waste and damage to the surrounding forest could ultimately lead to the area being closed to camping.
Hook Outdoors shared a photograph Tuesday of a U.S. Forest Service sign posted at Paragon warning visitors that the agency is considering closing the area to all camping because of ongoing misuse.
“This sign is posted at Paragon,” Hook Outdoors wrote. “It’s terrible that it has to come to this. But from what myself and others have seen there, I can’t blame them.”
The Forest Service sign lists several problems officials say are occurring at dispersed camping areas, including large amounts of garbage, human waste and toilet paper being left behind.
Officials also cite tree cutting, vehicles driving off established roads and vegetation being trampled.
“The public is complaining about the mess,” the sign states.
The warning does not say that camping at Paragon has already been closed. Instead, it urges visitors to change their behavior if they want camping to remain available in the area.
Among the guidelines listed by the Forest Service are:
Pack out all garbage and unburied toilet paper.
Bury human waste at least six inches deep and more than 100 feet from any body of water.
Cut only dead and downed wood for firewood.
Do not discharge firearms at recreation sites.
Remain on established trails and open roads.
Follow “Leave No Trace” principles while using public lands.
The warning highlights an issue faced by many dispersed recreation areas. Unlike developed campgrounds, dispersed camping locations often have few — if any — facilities, leaving visitors responsible for removing their own waste and minimizing damage to the surrounding environment.
Paragon has long been used by campers and outdoor enthusiasts in the Daniel Boone National Forest region. The Forest Service warning makes clear, however, that continued access is not guaranteed if conditions continue to deteriorate.
For now, the message from officials is straightforward: those who want to continue camping at Paragon need to take care of it.
The Morehead Minute has not independently confirmed that the Forest Service has made a final decision regarding closure of the Paragon camping area. The photograph and warning were shared publicly Tuesday by Hook Outdoors.