Camping in the Pacific Northwest

[AnJ]

Hello fellow campers!

We've been camping for 10 years or so and have noticed a significant change in the style of camping etiquette. It seems that the new 'norm' at campsites is 1-2 families/parties per campsite due to the limited availability of them, often with loud music that can be heard 3-4 sites down, yelling/loud voices, etc... similar to a party atmosphere. Most of our camping has been at provincial/national/state parks.

We've come to the conclusion that maybe we need to change our camping style. We live on a farm and camping has always been a means of accommodation while travelling, a way to enjoy nature and relax. For those of you that have tried boon docking, what resources do you use to find good sites? Has anyone in the Northwest bought a Harvest Host membership- is it worth it? Do you find that your camping experience is a more peaceful one at the rec. sites, etc.? Private campgrounds?

Thanks in advance for any experience or knowledge that you can share.

[Ruthe]

I have to tell you that I don't think it's such a big change. 30 years ago we were dealing with the same issue. In national parks it's usually a lot better, in my experience. State parks, you never know.

[Lisa M.]

Just returned from camping at a county park. I'm finding those to be the worst--too close to civilization and people who don't know how to behave. And camp hosts who do nothing! Generators ran 24/7 on both sides of us with bright lights hanging on one side, loud music, yelling and laughing until almost 2am, and one group next to us brought the biggest flat screen TV I've ever seen (hence the generator to run it). It certainly wasn't the peaceful weekend away we were hoping for.

[Iowa Dave]

The worst two campgrounds for noise I’ve experienced was a private one in Chamberlain SD and sadly a state park in Iowa. Both were basically without supervision. Now I prefer remote Forest service installations with a camp host and Corps of Engineers or Bureau of land reclamation with hosts. I always talk to the camp host or park ranger if I can. Today as we checked in to a Corps Facility the rangers were putting a young man wearing two heavy silver bracelets connected by a chain, into the rear seat of a pickup. Man it’s quiet here tonight.
Iowa Dave

[EdColorado]

Camping, particularly in the summer, is often a family affair. Kids do tend to get rowdy at times. Not you or I when we were children, of course, but other kids.

. “The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households”

Socrates.

It seems that some things never change.


For boondocking sites there are several internet sites. Here are just two that have disbursed camping options.

https://www.campendium.com

https://www.ultimatecampgrounds.com

There are more. Just Google ‘free camping’ in the area where you would like to go and see what comes up.

Now boondocking potentially brings its own set of issues. Since there is no camp host, there are no rules. Loose dogs, loud generators, drunk people , huge smokey fires, etc.

As I type this, we are parked all by ourselves in an open field near the rodeo grounds in Buena Vista, CO. Just us. As quiet as can be. The only loose dog is ours.

Enjoy your travels.

Ed

[padlin]

I've noticed this on holidays, you would have loved the State Park on Cape Cod on the 4th of July.

I don't camp on holidays, or even summer weekends anymore.

[TZBrown]

We have noted that if the campground has electric and showers it will usually have more noise, so we try to avoid them. Also the big rigs frequent those camps, with our smaller units they can't get into the remote or small sites we can

With about 270 Watts of solar and careful water management we can go 10+ days between tank dumps and refills. We don't use a microwave, but watch as much tv as we want for news and such

Some of the planning sites we have used:
PublicLands.org
https://www.fs.fed.us/ivm/ this one has been quite helpful
https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm
https://www.recreation.gov/
https://www.allstays.com/ not as helpful as others
PublicLands.org
https://www.atlasobscura.com/ this one is fun for finding the out of the way attractions

Good luck in your quest for better and more quiet camping

[Farther]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Today as we checked in to a Corps Facility the Rangers were putting a young man wearing two heavy silver bracelets connected by a chain, into the rear seat of a pickup. Man, it’s quiet here tonight.

Just out of curiosity, what Corps facility was that? FWIW, while a Corps Ranger in the '70s, one of my duty stations was Chamberlain.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Farther

Just out of curiosity, what Corps facility was that? FWIW, while a Corps Ranger in the '70s, one of my duty stations was Chamberlain.

Hood Park near Pasco/ Richland Washington. A beautiful facility, well run, immaculate restrooms. $12 per night with geezer pass. Electric and showers.
Iowa Dave

[salmo7000]

I use this site all the time: https://freecampsites.net/

It has an interactive map and can be very useful. It does not, however, include every option there is. National Forests and BLM lands in the Pacific Northwest allow "dispersed" camping at undeveloped sites, many of which are small and can accommodate only 1 trailer or RV. If you can score one of those, you would likely have it to yourself. Some of them (but not all) are included in this website. Obviously, knowing where they are is key, and learning would require lots of exploring.

Another resource, if you're planning to camp in Montana, is the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks website. http://fwp.mt.gov/fish/guide/fasGuide.html

These sites, which are for river and lake fishing access, often include camping areas. I have found these sites USUALLY don't have the scene you describe. Especially if you go during the week.

I agree 100% with you, I hate that scene, I camp to get away from music and noise and tons of people. This is the reason we usually boondock.

Best of luck!

[EdColorado]

And the internet is the blessing and the curse.

Your recent boondocking ‘discovery ‘ via the Internet has already been discovered by tens of thousands of others.

[TZBrown]

Originally Posted by EdColorado

And the internet is the blessing and the curse.

Your recent boondocking ‘discovery ‘ via the Internet has already been discovered by tens of thousands of others.

Very true, but because Boondocking has no facilities many are not interested, and the smaller sites the big rigs can't get to.

We have moved to a different site even when boondocking because of an obnoxious generator runner. We were near Quartzite (desert) and the big rigs could get there also

[EdColorado]

This morning we were driving around checking out some of our favorite disbursed camping areas for future use.
Then we came across these signs posted on more, and more, of our favorites.

Last month we were around Hurricane/Virgin Utah. All BLM land. In the past you could camp pretty much anywhere. Now the BLM has established a limited number of clearly marked camping spots. Those are the only places you can boondock anymore.

As thousands more seek the solitude of disbursed camping, resource destruction becomes a greater problem. Areas trashed, toilet paper blowing around, broken glass, shotgun shells, on and on.

There is a popular hiking trail in our area with a convenient pit toilet. No more according to a news report. It’s locked with a sign saying that too many users were ignoring the request to not dispose of trash by throwing it in the pit toilet.

As tends to be the case, the few ruin it for the many.

Enjoy what’s left because in a few more years it too, will be gone.

Ed

[Upfisk]

We use the Ultimate Campsites app with 40,000 sites across the US. Recently we went to the fairgrounds in Republic, WA as suggested by UC. That was a mess with dirty bathrooms. Yesterday following another UC suggestion we went to the fairgrounds in Plaines, MT. What a gem! We tend to prefer dry camping with pit toilets or better. Every couple days a campground with a shower is nice.

We also rely on I-overlander.com and freecampsites.net. We have never stayed at a Wal-Mart, although a couple Hwy rest areas have provided us a nights lodging. The UC app is $3-5. All the other apps are free. Paying $30 to join a group that provides nothing and asks you to purchase $30 of stuff for a visit makes no cents to us.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by salmo7000

I use this site all the time: https://freecampsites.net/

It has an interactive map and can be very useful. It does not, however, include every option there is. National Forests and BLM lands in the Pacific Northwest allow "dispersed" camping at undeveloped sites, many of which are small and can accommodate only 1 trailer or RV. If you can score one of those, you would likely have it to yourself. Some of them (but not all) are included in this website. Obviously, knowing where they are is key, and learning would require lots of exploring.

Another resource, if you're planning to camp in Montana, is the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks website. http://fwp.mt.gov/fish/guide/fasGuide.html

These sites, which are for river and lake fishing access, often include camping areas. I have found these sites USUALLY don't have the scene you describe. Especially if you go during the week.

I agree 100% with you, I hate that scene, I camp to get away from music and noise and tons of people. This is the reason we usually boondock.

Best of luck!

Similar to the Montana three S philosophy for dealing with nuisances, I usually go with the Carolina three C rule for campsites, camp, cook and clam up. On a beautiful lake tonight for $7.50. Getting ready to cook with Miss Barbee Q. She’s an old girlfriend, made in the USA, American steel and aluminum, American charcoal and American Beef. 49 years of camping and marriage today with Rita. The Escape is better than the Wenzel pup tent with no floor and a broken pool cue for support. But the love is the same.
Iowa Dave

[gbaglo]

Hope that Barby came with instructions.

[Iowa Dave]

I think you know by now, nobody reads the instructions anyway. Blindly on they rode, ready to charge the enemy hamburger, spatulas at the ready. For they were men from Mars.
Iowa Dave

[azjack]

See you next month.
Jack and Nancy and Murphy

[gbb]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Similar to the Montana three S philosophy for dealing with nuisances, I usually go with the Carolina three C rule for campsites, camp, cook and clam up. On a beautiful lake tonight for $7.50. Getting ready to cook with Miss Barbee Q. She’s an old girlfriend, made in the USA, American steel and aluminum, American charcoal and American Beef. 49 years of camping and marriage today with Rita. The Escape is better than the Wenzel pup tent with no floor and a broken pool cue for support. But the love is the same.
Iowa Dave

Happy Anniversary! 49 years of camping and marriage, a blessing for you and an inspiration for us. I like your Carolina 3 C rule also.
Happy Camping
Buddy & Suzanne

[emers382]

Congrats Dave and Rita on your 49th. Beth and I celebrate 45 on Saturday.