Idea to help with Skid Row

Hi Nevada MP goers. Let me preface this by saying that I love Red Rock canyon. It's gorgeous and has some of the best climbing and best climbing variety that I have ever experienced. However we all know that the situation at skid row is a little gnarly. Many of us love to climb at your crag but we obviously all cannot live in Vegas.

I personally have a van and travel around in it occasionally. I promise I'm not a yuppie tech bro with a Unimog. I just worked hard all of my life and this is what I wanted to spend the small amount of money that I have on. I will admit to staying at skid row. It sucked, people were honking all night and it felt dirty. However as everyone knows there are no good options around Vegas. Casinos are terrible. Hotel and AirBNB prices are erratic and depend on the lastest boxing match or Kpop group coming through town. Many of the tech people can afford AirBNBs but that just drives up the housing prices for the rest of you that actually live there.

Here is my suggestion. If you have a place in Vegas with a reasonably flat and safe driveway, why don't you offer it to the climbing community for a small fee? If you want to provide access to your shower or kitchen that is even better and you could justify charging more. AirBNB could definitely implement this idea but that would probably suck. Maybe we can just coordinate it here. Lets discuss! Open to feedback.

Skid row has had people living there all summer. It's not just climbers that stay there. At least twice this summer law enforcement has removed people, tents, and towed vehicles.  The surrounding community files complaints about the situation there quite frequently.  Be careful if you are planning on staying there. 

Karthik G wrote:

Here is my suggestion. If you have a place in Vegas with a reasonably flat and safe driveway, why don't you offer it to the climbing community for a small fee? If you want to provide access to your shower or kitchen that is even better and you could justify charging more. AirBNB could definitely implement this idea but that would probably suck. Maybe we can just coordinate it here. Lets discuss! Open to feedback.

Because it would be illegal (against zoning regulations and no business permit), then there is also added liability for the property owner. Further, it will likely piss off the neighbors. 

There are already alternatives one just needs to be willing to do some research and drive. 

Sounds like you’ve gotta make some friends bro

There are no good options?!? There are about a dozen RV parks in the Las Vegas area. And there is the RR Campground. I’ve been staying in legal RV places in LV on my trips there for 15 years. The Skid Row crowd just doesn’t want to spend money to camp. They want it to be free. Livin’ the Dream! And they want it to be close to the park. You really think they’d drive to Henderson for a driveway to park in?  

What's the point of hating on yuppie tech bros? lol If those are the ppl ruining it for you then maybe don't try so hard to distinguish yourself from them in a negative way. What you're looking for hipcamp does I'm pretty sure but why not just go to the BLM a half hour away instead of going into the asphalt hell that is Vegas? Just don't leave anything out there, ppl steal shit around there. 

Living in a vehicle around red rocks is a drag and just not worth it if you're living in your rig fulltime,  in my opinion/experience, although I totally could have been doing it wrong by living at the nearest planet fitness lol. Sort of funny that you stayed at skid row as a part timer on what I'm guessing was a short trip instead of the campground(which I hear is its own logistical nightmare), the BLM, or an RV park. 

Yikes ok, I get it. I guess my view of the situation is a bit off. I stayed there for a couple nights because a buddy told me it was chill and only found out later that there were problems. Other times I have stayed in airbnbs and hotels. I did try to get a campground several times but there were no spots.

I’m not trying to hate on tech people, I have just seen anyone who mentions they live in a van get absolutely flamed on this forum. Sounds like I’m contributing to that now though. It’s hard to win on mountain project unless you onsight 5.13 or can make a good meme.

Maybe I’ll just stick to Joshua Tree. Appreciate the discussion though

phylp phylp wrote:

There are no good options?!? There are about a dozen RV parks in the Las Vegas area. And there is the RR Campground. I’ve been staying in legal RV places in LV on my trips there for 15 years. The Skid Row crowd just doesn’t want to spend money to camp. They want it to be free. Livin’ the Dream! And they want it to be close to the park. You really think they’d drive to Henderson for a driveway to park in?  

I do believe that it’s tough to generalize. Those people definitely exist. I personally would be willing to pay to park my rig somewhere safe and relatively quiet. I’m sure there are others as well. Everyone on the forums says there are other options but it all feels kind of hush hush. Can you recommend an RV park in Vegas? I personally have never stayed at one. What amenities do they offer and for what rate? Do you have to reserve in advance? 

Karthik G wrote:

 I personally have never stayed at one. What amenities do they offer and for what rate? Do you have to reserve in advance? 

This is where Google comes in handy.

Karthik G wrote:

I’m not trying to hate on tech people, I have just seen anyone who mentions they live in a van get absolutely flamed on this forum. Sounds like I’m contributing to that now though. It’s hard to win on mountain project unless you onsight 5.13 or can make a good meme.

Maybe I’ll just stick to Joshua Tree. Appreciate the discussion though

Man don't worry about the haters they're just jealous or messing. RV parks are like koas I think so they often have water, laundry, toilets/showers, playgrounds etc but the drive too and from the BLM is probably more enjoyable/scenic than the ride to and from an RV park. Although, for me, the planet fitness had better views of mountains than the BLM lmao if you don't have to leave stuff at the BLM I don't think you have to worry about getting ripped off other than when you're parked on the loop.

I agree j tree is waaaay better and you don't have to worry about wet rock. I only climbed 3 times in red rocks out of the 30ish days I was there this spring.  I'll be in jtree this fall/winter/spring if you are looking for a partner and are alright hanging out with a tech bro yuppie, although I doubt I make enough to really fall into the category that people would be envious of. 

Drove past skid row tonight.  There are at least 3 semi-permanent tents up.  Probably not climbers.

I tossed a $5/night idea to a friend about a skid row replacement.  She laughed and balked at the idea.  "You think that crew would actually SPEND $5/night!?"

Charlie S wrote:

I tossed a $5/night idea to a friend about a skid row replacement.  She laughed and balked at the idea.  "You think that crew would actually SPEND $5/night!?"

I know it’s just a thought experiment, but there can’t possibly be any $5 dollar solutions. I’ve paid ATM transaction fee’s higher than 5$. People always say “I’d be willing to pay for a safe quiet place to park my rig” but they are leaving out the rest of the sentence: “as long as it’s near the park, has wifi, has excellent customer service, showers and privacy, free coffee, bathrooms nicer than starbucks, more free food than costco, a discount on gas, free ice, and many tesla chargers. A pool and workout facility would be a nice bonus, but I’m not picky.”

How much would anyone want to rent out there yard or driveway to the dirtbag crew? I think after 2 days of that I’d be willing to pay someone more to leave than they’d be willing to pay to stay. 

I'm sure the days of free camping are numbered at Skid Row. That area is slated to become a parking lot for entitled soccer moms so that they can indulge in a little electric scootering along the new, tony paved bike path that Save Red Rock is bulldozing from Summerlin to Blue Diamond. Known as "Heather's Legacy Trail", it's the fevered dream of the local bike shop owner's advocacy group and they care not one iota for the desert tortoise dens they are paving over nor the homeless bums they are displacing from Skid Row. 

And seriously, I suggest the original poster just stay in Berkeley so he can make his own hometown a little worse, pooping in a dark corner of whatever seedy parking lot he called "home" rather than trashing Las Vegas with his cries for free or extremely below-market rent that no one else has ever had in world history. Red Rock is overrun and by not finding a way to pay in to in the local economy in return for the privilege of being here, that should be a sign for you to move along.

The suggestion that you think I'd accept like, $5 or $10 per day for you to park in my driveway, come inside and touch all the things in my kitchen, take a dump in my bathroom and get your bodily sleeze in my shower, is baffling and it really gives me the chills.

I always stay at one called the Oasis. (So I’ve never researched any of the ones above). It has a great location near the corner of the Strip/15 and Blue Diamond Parkway. It’s pricier than most of them but it has great amenities. Excellent private bathrooms with great hot showers. Of course, Every site has water, sewer, electric. I use both the hot tub and the gym (good place to stretch) on extended trips there. 

The Campendium app lists others free camp spots that don’t show up on google, including other public lands free areas. Anyway, your idea about people offering others a driveway/ land to park on etc is already a thing. One of my dry camping apps has a locator for them. If you do some research for rv apps you’ll find one that has a lot of boondocking info. I think you just need to google boondocking apps. I looked into them when I traded in my class C for a class B.

Edited to say, I looked at a bunch of different apps when I got my class B, but mostly out of curiosity, since I never intended to go to a nonpay area to camp. Anytime I’m passing thru an area, it’s super easy just to google for pay rv parks locally. When I’m going to a popular location, I always reserve something ahead of time. 

And seriously, I suggest the original poster just stay in Berkeley so he can make his own hometown a little worse, pooping in a dark corner of whatever seedy parking lot he called "home" rather than trashing Las Vegas with his cries for free or extremely below-market rent that no one else has ever had in world history. Red Rock is overrun and by not finding a way to pay in to in the local economy in return for the privilege of being here, that should be a sign for you to move along.

Well that is one of the meanest things that I have ever read. I’m really sorry for offending you. Just so you know I’m writing this while pooping in a toilet in a house that I pay way too much to rent a room in. 

Karthik G wrote:

Well that is one of the meanest things that I have ever read. I’m really sorry for offending you. Just so you know I’m writing this while pooping in a toilet in a house that I pay way too much to rent a room in. 

Not too much obviously, as you're paying it.... i assume.

Yo dawg, how much for me to poop in that toilet? How’s about $3.50 for a day pass?

And y’all got somewhere to charge my phone?

Rprops wrote:

Yo dawg, how much for me to poop in that toilet? How’s about $3.50 for a day pass?

And y’all got somewhere to charge my phone?

At those prices you can easily save for the 4$ bucket available at Walmart and even the tolite lid they sell to put on top! Until then, go get some free plastic bags from your nearest dog park. 

Honk honk!

Law enforcement is currently removing people, tents, and vehicles. That's twice in the last two weeks. 

Looks like skid row was officially cleaned out with "no parking" signs installed there now.  I heard it was a crash involving a vehicle pulling out on to the highway that caused it.  Anyone have any more info on what all happened or is that it?  There's been a thread on Vegas climbers about it but I'm not on FB any more.