JONG WA Camping Question

[LegoSkier]

So we are finally moved in and have all our stuff back (including our camping stuff). So we need to GTFO of the city and camp for a night this (labor day) weekend. Question is where?

Criteria are within about 2 hrs of Seattle, in the mountains, and good for a 3 year old (so probably should be a developed campground).

White River in Rainier NP looks perfect but is first come-first served. If I show up there Saturday or Sunday afternoon looking for a place to camp for the night what are my chances of getting a space?

Other suggestions?

[haydukelives]

In general the first come places go to the guy standing at the door when the office opens

[PNWbrit]

You might be asking a bit much for a space to be free at white river getting there that late. It's been a crazy busy all summer.. crusty old life long locals saying "never seen it like this before" busy.

Lots of other spots along 410 or over the other side of the pass another hour? Sawmill Flats is nice.

It's close so the worse you face is a drive home?

[TAFKALVS]

If you want to camp in the Leavenworth area, and want primitive, PM me, I know of some good spots but don't want to put them out for the world at large to see.

For developed camping, be aware everywhere is going to be super busy.

Around here for developed camping, I'd consider the campgrounds in the upper Icicle (Rock Island, Chatter Creek) or if the recreation closure is lifted (fire danger but we've had a ton of rain), Little Wenatchee River Campground at the head of Lake Wenatchee is fantastic. Good short hikes nearby too. (and it's free! with a pit toilet!) Might be slightly outside of the 2 hour drive time but also further from the hoards.

[Buster Highmen]

So we are finally moved in and have all our stuff back (including our camping stuff). So we need to GTFO of the city and camp for a night this (labor day) weekend. Question is where?

Criteria are within about 2 hrs of Seattle, in the mountains, and good for a 3 year old (so probably should be a developed campground).

White River in Rainier NP looks perfect but is first come-first served. If I show up there Saturday or Sunday afternoon looking for a place to camp for the night what are my chances of getting a space?

Other suggestions?

If this doesn't work, try googling "Olympic Peninsula County campgrounds"

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...54062234220520

I know some nice ones on this list that have had available sites during busy times, ping me for specific names.

Another option we take is going past White River on 410, over Chinook Pass and down along the American river and eventually the Naches. There's a tons of spots along the way with most people going up to Bumping Lake leaving the riversites for us. (edit) This is a more on the order of 2.5+ hours drive but there's lots of pullouts and oooh-ahhh locales for 3 yo respites.

[AK47bp]

Red Mountain in the Salmon La Sac area and there are a bunch of sites past Rosyln, east of the cascades so more dry and firey.

Ohanapecosh campground in Rainier has an awesome waterfall, silver falls

Colonial Creek in North Cascades (if the fires out)

Lake Wenatchee is awesome for kids (playground and boat rentals) but need to reserve a spot. Gets pretty windy there too


Worshingtonians love camping so usually need to reserve the holiday weekend spots in advance for the state parks. If you go to a national park where its first come first serve just get up early and grab a spot. If you arrive after 10am on a holiday wknd most good sites are gone.

[snoqpass]

Lake Wenatchee area is closed
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_...prd3848859.pdf
http://www.fs.usda.gov/okawen

Plenty of dispersed camping east of the pass along I90

[NoPostholio]

flowing lake has some great campsites

[dtown]

We liked the Marble Creek Campground on the Cascade River. About 2 hours from town, off the beaten path a bit as its East of Concrete on 20. You can fish and hike nearby, campsites are far enough apart but not too far from the car.

Edit: check regs on fishing

[ridinshockgun]

Kind of thinking the same thing, and so is everyone else this weekend. I too know nothing about camping in Washington, other than I really liked a campground on the Little White Salmon we camped at last year when we did a PDX/Hood River/White Salmon trip from NC. We are thinking of heading up towards Whistler but still haven't made up our minds yet.

[plugboots]

Drive a little further, stay in the Methow, eat in Winthrop, buy some stuff at the Mazama store. They need your $.

[TAFKALVS]

Lake Wenatchee area is closed
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_...prd3848859.pdf
http://www.fs.usda.gov/okawen

Plenty of dispersed camping east of the pass along I90

They just lifted the fire closure.

[ridinshockgun]

Drive a little further, stay in the Methow, eat in Winthrop, buy some stuff at the Mazama store. They need your $.

Any favorite hikes in this area? (Have to stay out of the park as we are stuck with the dog this weekend)

[Bronco]

Check out the Heather - Maple Pass Loop at Washington Pass. Hard to beat this one: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-re...-09.5846810938 It's just outside of the park so dogs are ok.

[plugboots]

I've prolly done every day hike within 50 miles of Winthrop and Mazama. We have dogs, so avoid the park.
Go to Winthrop Mountain sports and buy a few Green Trails Maps for these. I'm doing all these from memory due to lack of looking it up time so distances may be off.

Short nearby hikes with great bang for your short hike buck: (lots of along-the-river hikes or through-the-woods hikes we don't do.)
Goat Peak lookout - 5 miles out and back, Lightning Bill may be up there, great view of the whole valley including the 12 mile drive up to the TH.
Aforementioned Maple Pass - 6 mile loop. We do it clockwise, as the steeper part is then on the up. Great view of Cutthroat, and Liberty Bell.
Cedar Creek Falls - 4 miles out and back, can do it on a bike. Pretty falls some dude named Teva? kayaked it!! Can do a side hike to ridge and Mudhole Lake.
Driveway Butte - 6 miles out and back. Usually hot as hell, but with great view of where Early Winters Resort was going to go on Gardner and Sandy Butte
Copper Glance - 6 Miles out and back. Butt kicker steep even on the old jeep trail part to the old mine, (bring flashlight), lake has small Cutties, scramble to peak if you want at the end. A favorite.
Cutthroat pass - 4 miles out and back to the lake, continue to the pass for a 12 mile out and back. I bike this. Most crowded hike in the area. Beautiful Lake tiny Cutties.
Blue Lake - 4 mile easy out and back. Boring hike to a beautiful lake. Even without cartilage I will run this. Tiny Cutties. SUUUUUUper crowded.
Mudhole Lake - 6 miles out and back to a pretty lake, but can scramble over the ridge to Varden for biggish Cutties, this is off the Cedar Creek Falls trail.
Robinson Creek - keep going past the bridge and it opens up. Only creek hike I like 'cuz the Cutties are cool.

Further away but worth it: Tiffany loop, (great for a picnic). Scatter Lake, (great scramble to the peak, super steep finish to lake), Louis and Williams Lakes, (flat horsey hikes but great Cutthroat fishing), North Lake, (cool lake, old miner's cabin and mine, old fire lookout foundations, etc.

Hart's Pass (really Slate Pass), hikes -
- Slate Peak - little over a mile out and back. I do this with non-hikers
- Ferguson Lake - 6 miles out and back. Down to a creek, cross over it then up and up to a lake with average size cutties.
- Silver Lake - 6 miles out and back, pretty lake small cutties. No big climbs.
- Loop over Robinson Pass back down to Middle Fork Pasayten River - Great loop hike through mountains, with views the whole way.
- PCT is there, but from this point it mostly avoids the ridges and better views.

PM me if you want with specifics.

[ridinshockgun]

Nice! Thanks - PMed