You know what sounds good this weekend? Heading to the mountains. Or a forest. Or a lake. Anywhere to escape the heat that is forecast.
If you’d also like to go camping but don’t have reservations or a firm plan, here are some ideas to get you a spot.
Go early: If you arrive early at a campground, you have a much better chance of getting a spot. If your whole group can’t go, consider sending a single person ahead early to save a spot. (Read below for more information on official campgrounds.)
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Most of the campgrounds are open. An exception in our area is Gold Basin, which is still closed for a safety review. See a full list of campgrounds here. Your best bet for checking on how full campgrounds are likely to be is to call the district the campground is in and ask. (The individual campground listings at the link above include links with contact information for the appropriate ranger district.) You can also try dispersed camping.
Consider dispersed camping
The Forest Service has many areas where you can camp that aren’t official sites. The Mountain Loop Highway is a good example. These sites won’t have any facilities, so be prepared to bring or treat your own water. And know that you won’t have a toilet, so know how to properly deal with human waste. Drop by or call a ranger station to check on details and check out this list of dispersed camping areas in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Consider backpacking
If you’re the backpacking sort, you can get away from the crowds. It’s early in the season, but a shocking number of trails are snow-free, giving you plenty of options. The WTA is a great place to start for ideas on where to backpack.
National parks
National parks will also fill up quickly, but if you can go early, they do have many first-come sites. Details: Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park and Olympic National Park.
State parks
Near us, Camano Island State Park has 88 camping sites which are first-come, first-served. Check out state parks all around the state here. That link includes information on whether each park takes reservations or if it’s first-come, first-served.
Snohomish County Parks
As of Monday, Squire Creek Campground near Darrington had about 15 spots that were not reserved, and reservations are no longer open. You could get a spot there, and the area could be very nice in the warm weather. It’s heavily forested and near a creek. Other county campgrounds are already booked.
Fires
Fires are banned in many areas now. Here’s a roundup:
- State land: Fires and charcoal briquettes are currently banned in all state parks. Self-contained cooking stoves are allowed. Details. Fires are also prohibited on most state land. Details.
- Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest: Open campfires are banned throughout the forest, except in designated developed campgrounds.
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Fires are banned on WDFW land in Eastern Washington. Details.
- Olympic National Park: Fires are banned outside developed camps and within a few other camps where the fire danger is extreme. Details.
Parking Passes
A Northwest Forest Pass is required for parking at some trailheads in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. For state land, you will need a Discover Pass.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
