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DesertHawk

Las Cruces, New Mexico

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Posted: 10/28/09 09:07pm

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Maybe you can find something to help in this composite of two old posts:

We have stayed at Birch Bay State Park in Washington twice over the years, used it as a base for going to Victoria, Canada. Once on the way out of Canada, once before going into it. It is a 194-acre camping park with 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch Bay and 14,923 feet of freshwater shoreline on Terrell Creek. The park is rich in archeological significance and offers panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands. Very nice park, neat views, neat seafood in the area.

We enjoyed a short stay at Sequim Bay State Park, a year-round, 92-acre marine camping park with 4,909 feet of saltwater coast in the Sequim "rainshadow," just inside Puget Sound on the Olympic Peninsula. The bay is calm, the air is dry and interpretive opportunities await visitors.

To get to Sequim from Birch Bay, we did take a ferry to Port Townsend. Can't remember route at this time. We also took a ferry from an island (Bainbridge Island, it would seem), which we drove to from Sequim, to Seattle. Bough some fresh pawns at a small country stop & shop and some smoked salmon from some guys selling it from their van along the way. Got some crab boil at a Super Market in Sequim. Oh, was it a feast! We went to the Aquarium in Seattle and rode a tram to close to the Space Needle.

Anyone of these PARKS must be neat, they are along the coast no less, what could be wrong?

After staying a few days at Sequim Bay, we spent a night at the Olympic National Park Campgroud at a Temperate Rain Forest site, can not remember the name, etc. instead of finding one along the coast. It seems the Rain Forest area was on the Pacific side of the Park.

We stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory Visitor Center and enjoyed seeing them making cheese.

But before leaving Washington, we stopped at Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers 27 miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Visitors enjoy beachcombing and exploring the area's rich natural and cultural history. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall. It was very nice. Some sites are on the beach or very near it. Activities at the park.

In Oregon
We found a nice campground around the Oregon Dunes NRA which extends for 40 miles along the Oregon Coast, but can't remember the name. The dunes were Very neat to hike into, but we found the campground was to far from the beach. This was in the lower part of the state. I believe it was a National Park campground, along the 101 with dune drifting down into it. We saw a deer, an owl, the kids played in the sand.

Like the Washington state parks, there are Oregon State Parks all along the coast. They are all good for both a short stay or longer. Good spots for a one-nighter while covering the miles and Good places to stay for several days and deeply relax in a quiet, beautiful, interesting spot. We stayed a 2 I believe. One was Beverly Beach State Park, very nice, near New Port.
Bullards Beach State Park might be the other one, or one close to it might be it. We may have walk to this one along the beach from where we were.

List of Parks

Fort Clatsop a Lewis and Clark National Historical Park was neat to see, our young kids loved it. It is near Astoria. No camping there.

The bridge over the Columbia River is neat to cross at Astoria as well. We stayed a couple of nights at a state park located just outside Ilwaco at the very southwesternmost corner of Washington. Camping facilities include 190 standard campsites, 60 RV sites and 4 primitive campsites. It was called Fort Canby State Park when we were there, but is now: Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers 27 miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Visitors enjoy beachcombing and exploring the area's rich natural and cultural history. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall.

The campground was Walking distance to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse which began operating in 1856, and is now the oldest lighthouse still in use on the West Coast.

Links to info & trip reports of California to Vancover BC via Coast and other areas.

On our second trip we drove over to Portland from the New Port, OR area so we could go by Mount St. Helens Area and stayed at a Forest Service campgournd not too far off the interstate.

Redwood National and State Parks to see the Redwoods just inside CA before getting into Oragon. RED WOODS

Many State Parks in Oregon.
South Coast
Central Coast
North Coast
We stayed at the one just north of New Port, very nice area. We also stayed at one south of there. I believe any of them would be great.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (US Forest Service) for over-night stays from the mouth of the Siuslaw, to Cape Blanco at Coos Bay. Dunes
Forest Service
Oregon Coast Coast

Washington Coast Hwy 101 like the Oregon coast, any park would be neat.

Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) was very nice when we visited it many years ago. Campground

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was neat to see. Mt.St.

Park

Portland Waterfalls. Falls
Nice drive up the Columbia River from Portland. We stopped at one falls on the drive, not sure of the name now. But is away from the coast.

On one trip, we went inland for a side excursion to see Crater Lake in OR. CraterLake and Shasta Lake in CA. Shasta
Camping

We traveled mainly on 101, except for the trip to San Simeon to Big Sur to Monterey and over to Half Moon Bay. And of course to Crater Lake and Shasta.

There were several lighthouses alone the way which were neat to see & photo and great views of the Pacific.

If you go up towards Half Moon Bay, there is a neat lighthouse to see at the Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park. Half Moon Bay has a nice state beach with camping as well. PARKS
PARKS 2

[image]

My painting of Pigeon Point Lighthouse

[image]

My second painting of Pigeon Point Lighthouse

* This post was last edited 10/16/10 11:53pm by DesertHawk * View edit history

">DesertHawk- Las Cruces, NM USA
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tiptoe tommy

Seattle

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Posted: 10/29/09 12:01am

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If you haven't been there, I highly recommend Silver Falls. A very nice wooded campground and an amazing lush canyon with several amazing falls.

In the fall/winter we also love Cannon Beach RV. A short walk to the beach, this campground has a great community feel to it and a wonderful indoor pool and hot tub. Stay in the fall and you get a 2 for 1 coupon you can use in the spring.

At this time of year I would just drive through Ft. Stevens until you find a spot you like. Cape Lookout SP is another standout on the coast.

Family that loves to camp as often as we can! Two kids, 16 and 13

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lp1980

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Posted: 02/28/10 02:28pm

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Another thought might be camping on the Rogue River in Southern Oregon. Take a mail boat trip up river, it's a fun day and the area is beautiful. Lots of areas nearby to hike, or fish.

kidscamp2

idaho

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Posted: 03/03/10 06:15pm

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Timothy Lake has great view of Mt. Hood and the lake is fun for kayaks.

mrsluvsun

Washington

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Posted: 03/02/10 10:08pm

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We love Richardson Lake which is a Lane County park. The sites are big & the park is very clean. We travel from North of Seattle to camp there. Great place!

EPenney

Galt, Ca

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Posted: 03/01/10 02:02pm

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Ditto on Champoeg SP southwest of Portland. Stayed there for a week a coupke of years ago, and enjoyed the stay.

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bccsrc

Molalla, Oregon

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Posted: 03/01/10 02:09pm

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hausfrau wrote:

Near Cottage Grove:

Schwarz Park near Dorena Lake (Corps of Engineers)

Very clean campground on the banks of the Row River near the dam. Rode our bikes from there around the lake for a beautiful ride and views. Fished with no luck, but we want to try again!

Site 58:

Wow! That sure does bring back some memories. We used to go there almost every other weekend a few years ago.

I need to put this on my list of to do's....

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