CAMP & HIKE: Icicle Creek Canyon
An outdoor playground in autumn, this little valley stretches like a finger into the North Cascades from Leavenworth and is lined with trailheads and campgrounds.
CAMP & HIKE: Cape Lookout State Park on the Oregon Coast
On the craggy Oregon Coast, a “headland” is a giant chunk of rock that juts out into the ocean, formed over millennia from volcanic lava flows followed by constant water erosion. Some of the larger ones are called “capes”. The coast is dotted with them, all up and down from Indian Point to Cape Ferrelo. […]
CAMP & HIKE: Steamboat Rock State Park
In the heart of Washington’s Grand Coulee desert country is an outdoor lover’s paradise. And your base camp for all of it sits in the middle of an “island” surrounded by your outdoor playground. Cool rocks and unusual birds. Hikes through blooming desert wildflowers. Fragrant sagebrush whipping in the wind. Sleeping under a big sky […]
CAMP & HIKE: Trillium Lake, Mount Hood
On the south side of Mt. Hood at 3,600 feet elevation is Trillium Lake, ringed with fragrant conifers, flower-filled boggy meadows, and a flat, family-friendly, barrier-free loop trail. If you’re looking for a late summer or early autumn overnight camping trip near Portland, this should be near the top of your list. Where to Hike […]
CAMP & HIKE: Beverly Beach and Yaquina Head
I love this year-round central Oregon Coast trip because it combines a really nice campground experience (with yurts!) and plenty of good beach exploring. Devil’s Punchbowl is just to the north of the state park campground, and Yaquina Head Natural Area with Oregon’s tallest lighthouse is just to the south. And it’s right by the town […]
CAMP & HIKE: Moran State Park on Orcas Island
No reservations? No problem. Get our FREE GUIDE to Last-Minute Camping in the Pacific Northwest. Orcas Island is a beautiful patchwork of lush farmland, rolling hills and gorgeous coastline–a whole lot like its sister islands in the San Juan archipelago. One thing that undeniably sets it apart from the others, though, is Moran State Park–5,200 acres in […]
CAMP & HIKE: Silver Falls State Park
At Silver Falls State Park, you’re in the best of both worlds–a stone’s throw from Willamette Valley wine country, and inching up the west slope of the Oregon Cascades. And by “cascades” we mean mountains… and waterfalls. Lots of waterfalls. We are spoiled rotten. In the Pacific Northwest where huge swaths of land are protected […]
CAMP & HIKE: Dash Point State Park
Dash Point State Park sits on Puget Sound just northeast of Browns Point, Commencement Bay and downtown Tacoma. It’s a great recreational destination on its own, and particularly popular with kite flyers and swimmers. It’s also a nice spot to launch a kayak and explore the shoreline to the north and to the south. There’s a jetty […]
CAMP & HIKE: Beverly Beach State Park
Just to the north of Newport is a fantastic but popular camping destination, Beverly Beach State Park. You’ll camp in some lovely woods on the east side of Highway 101, but only a short distance away through a tunnel is a stretch of beach that offers miles of roaming and beachcombing. Just to the north is […]
CAMP & HIKE: Pearrygin Lake State Park and Campground
Pearrygin Lake State Park is a beautiful camping park ringed by Cascade peaks. It comprises over 1,200 acres (that includes the lake) with 11,000 feet of waterfront. Why We Love It: The park’s landscape is open with just a smattering of trees, mainly willows and ash, so campers won’t get much privacy but they will get in […]
