I would be interested in knowing about your favorite camping destinations. Where they are and why you like them so much. Got a secret spot or found some great places you've staked out in your travels? List them here and share your rambling camping adventures in the great outdoors. It's a big country and there are many EOC members anxious to get out there and discover what you already know.

Here are some sites, mainly in the order that they came to mind:

Gold Bluffs, Redwood NP, California
beach dunes camping, with bluffs inland, elk, nearby forest of Sitka Spruce and Redwood

Dead Horse Pt State Park, Utah; hiking in pinion pine country; great over views of the Canyonlands part of the Colorado.

Cape Scott Provincial Park, BC; northwest tip of Vancover Island; 50 miles of gravel road, 3 miles of easy hiking to San Joseph Bay; beach camping, with sitka spruce forest inland; bear boxes; water from small stream around a bluff

Premier Lake Provincial Park, BC; edge of the Canadian Rockies; terraced car camping sites; good hiking in the park

Gold Stream Provincial Park, BC; outskirts of Victoria; dry NW forest camping; great hiking.

Ruckle Provincial Park, BC; Salt Spring Island; former farm; most sites are walk in, on grassy slope over looking the ferry route to Vancouver Island; good hiking along shore among madrona trees.

Silver Falls State Park, Oregon. Damp Pacific NW camping, beautiful waterfalls.

Cape Disapointment State Park, Washington; camping just in land from the beach dunes near the mouth of the Columbia River; Lewis & Clark history; hiking on beach and nearby bluffs.

Kananaskis Provincial Park, Alberta; Alberta side of the Canadian Rockies; sights equal to those in nearby Banff.

Wells Gray Provincial Park, BC; large park with lots of lake paddling and camping; known for its waterfalls.

Good thread Miss Ellie. My east coast camping experience is mostly Virginia and is dictated by dog-friendliness. And I'm a car camper who likes to shower, everyday.

If you have a dog, love to car camp (w/showers), hike and/or mountain bike (40 miles of trails), fish or laze around a serene (no motorboats allowed) lake, or would prefer a dog-friendly log cabin to camping, then hands-down:

Douthat State Park, near Clifton Forge, VA (30 miles west of Lexington, VA, on I-64) http://www.state.va.us/dcr/parks/douthat.htm

If you want to stay within a couple hours of DC: Westmoreland State Park on the Potomac River, about an hour east of Fredericksburg, VA, has camping and cabins (some on a cliff overlooking the river). Or Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park.

The Virginia State Parks system is fantastic and extremely dog-friendly (cabins and camping).


MAINE:As of last October, I'm a big fan of Blackwoods Campground in Acadia National Park. HUGE campsites, very nice facilities. Short walk to the Atlantic Ocean. Absolutely a fantastic campground in the middle of a wonderful national park. And for lobster lovers, Bar Harbor is just a few miles away.

WASHINGTON STATE/Mt. Adams/Goat Rocks: a really lovely primitive campground right on Walupt Lake. Did a great hike up Nannie Peak a couple years ago, the trailhead is at the campground. For this place, I'll handwash. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/campgrounds/sites/walupt-lake.shtml

Here are some favorites:

Glacier National Park- mountains, glaciers, bears. Big country. I like the Many Glacier area. Back country is really nice here too. Visit Park Cafe near St. Marys for outta this world pie!

Big Bend National Park- go for Cottonwood Campground. Lonely shady place on Rio Grande. It has water, but no elec, no generators, no gas for 40 miles, no cel phone service. Big views, big canyons, mountains, desert, this is a big place.

Yosemite Valley- Yes, the valley is way overcrowded, but it is Yosemite. Just avoid Camp IV/Sunnyside unless you party all night, cause the climbers who stay there do stay up all night.

Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. You gotta take a bus in (sorry no E) but the view is world class. Be prepared for bugs and bears.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge-Lawton, OK. Granite hills, rise out of the grasslands, with nice clear streams. Big herds of buffalo, elk, and longhorns. Great rock climbing. Camp Doris is a decent campground and park has good hiking. Visit nearby Meers for a Meersburger. A great midwest destination.

Chaco Canyon Nat Mon near Farmington NM. Isolated canyon with Anasazi ruins. The ruins are as nice as Mesa Verde with zero crowd. Long drive in on gravel road (made for the E). Campsites have water but no store or gas.

Monument Valley (http://http://www.go-utah.com/utah/monument-valley/tribal-park.html), UTAH...Incredible sunrise...:)
P.S. That's me chillin' in the chair...
P.S.M. You can drive all around the Monuments......

And the Grand Canyon (http://www.nps.gov/grca/) is sweet... Hard to take it all in..8)

Good thread Miss Ellie. My east coast camping experience is mostly Virginia and is dictated by dog-friendliness. And I'm a car camper who likes to shower, everyday.

If you have a dog, love to car camp (w/showers), hike and/or mountain bike (40 miles of trails), fish or laze around a serene (no motorboats allowed) lake, or would prefer a dog-friendly log cabin to camping, then hands-down:

Douthat State Park, near Clifton Forge, VA (30 miles west of Lexington, VA, on I-64) http://www.state.va.us/dcr/parks/douthat.htm

If you want to stay within a couple hours of DC: Westmoreland State Park on the Potomac River, about an hour east of Fredericksburg, VA, has camping and cabins (some on a cliff overlooking the river). Or Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park.

The Virginia State Parks system is fantastic and extremely dog-friendly (cabins and camping).


MAINE:As of last October, I'm a big fan of Blackwoods Campground in Acadia National Park. HUGE campsites, very nice facilities. Short walk to the Atlantic Ocean. Absolutely a fantastic campground in the middle of a wonderful national park. And for lobster lovers, Bar Harbor is just a few miles away.

WASHINGTON STATE/Mt. Adams/Goat Rocks: a really lovely primitive campground right on Walupt Lake. Did a great hike up Nannie Peak a couple years ago, the trailhead is at the campground. For this place, I'll handwash. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/campgrounds/sites/walupt-lake.shtml

Some day we'll run into each other, as the only campground on your list I haven't been to in the one in Washington State. All others I've been there, and yes, of course with my dog vinnie. Who else?

Before I head to green mountains I'm stopping at the Meet in East Brimfield, MA - CT line for two days of camping (May 19 and 20th) which is really two days of E-Talk. There is a 5 mile kayak trail as well, but I'm camp bound w/vinnie.

No bugs that early as well. yeah!

All the places you mentioned are great. Like you said, Dog Friendly too.

Drop me a PM if your going to Acadia again and I'll make the trip.
Oh Hell drop me a PM for anywhere in New England and I'll make the trip.

Always Camping......
jurn

Drop me a PM if your going to Acadia again and I'll make the trip.

Doubtful that I'll get back up there this year, though I was entertaining the notion a couple weeks ago after running into someone we met up there. They recognized Gidget (we were bikejoring on the Mall).

Small world. Small dog world.

:-)

ALBEE CREEK CAMPGROUND: HUMBOLT REDWOODS STATE PARK

This is a place very far away and unknown to most. But by far Albee Creek is a secret jewel of campground and undoubtably one of the best in the entire state of California.

The campground is located 5 miles west of Avenue of the Giants in Humbolt Redwoods State Park and is situated partially in meadows and partially in the forest. In the evening deer travel through the old apple orchard that occupies part of the meadow. It's excellent for stargazing and wildlife viewing. The drive out the Mattole Road to the campground is especially breathtaking because it winds through the "big trees" of the Rockefeller Forest. The road is narrow and winding and passes through the largest "Old Growth" coast Redwoods in the world.

The Campground: It's tiny with only 40 campsites but has solar showers and restrooms. The sites are nestled between towering Redwood trees and a beautiful meadow.

Coastal Access, Mattole Road to Punta Gorda: One of the other great features of the Mattole Road from the campground is that it traverses through the Kings Coastal Range to Punta Gorda. Here you will find the old Lighthouse which is no longer in use but can be climbed up into for a spectacular views. Black sand beaches and coastal jeep trails for hiking or driving speckle the area and you will find hardly any people. Continue the drive to the lovely town of Ferndale where you will find a quaint collection of Victorian homes that alone are worth seeing.

Animal Life: Racoon, Grey Fox, Stripped and Spotted Skunks ( why you should keep your dog on a leash ) Our friend's big young Malamute slipped his collar one night wandered around all my himself until he found his first skunk. The stench was so bad that it woke us all out of a dead sleep at 4:00 in the morning. It was so intense that I actually thought there was a skunk was inside our tent! Nope, it was just Honcho the Malamute arriving back at the campsite. Poor dog. (Poor us!) We spent the better part of a week washing him in gallons of 100% tomatoe juice (which we had to travel 40 miles to find) in the nearby Eel River until he turned pink! Other critters are Black Bears, Wild Turkey, Bobcats, and Coyote.

Albee Creek is far off the beaten path but well worth the effort of getting there. It's a place like no other and offers you both river and ocean access. Take your lawn chair and park it in the holy water of the Eel River and fish or take a surfboard and head down the road to the coast. Pedal your bike through the Redwood forests or just hang at the campground and watch the silent deer parade as they walk (some will even sleep through the night) in the tall grass of the apple orchard behind your tent.. best of all.. "Hardly anyone knows about it!"

Good thread Miss Ellie. My east coast camping experience is mostly Virginia and is dictated by dog-friendliness. And I'm a car camper who likes to shower, everyday.

If you have a dog, love to car camp (w/showers), hike and/or mountain bike (40 miles of trails), fish or laze around a serene (no motorboats allowed) lake, or would prefer a dog-friendly log cabin to camping, then hands-down:

Douthat State Park, near Clifton Forge, VA (30 miles west of Lexington, VA, on I-64) http://www.state.va.us/dcr/parks/douthat.htm



Hiker Chick: I'm going to head to Douthat in a few weeks with some friends for my first Element camping trip - What park of the park do you recommend for car camping, etc? Anything I should know before I throw the Trek on the rack and head west?

- Tom

Jackson - There are three campgrounds at Douthat: A, B and C.

A is on the lake and definately the one to go for. My second choice would be C -- one of the spots in the 20s, which are on the creek.

You can't reserve specific campsites but you can reserve a spot (they assign when you get there) in a specific campground.

Enjoy! Post pics!


There's a Kroger's supermarket in Clifton Forge (about 8 miles from Douthat). There's a small campstore and a restaurant at Douthat Lake.

You'll love it.

Colorado, my friends...you are all missing out! lol...seriously, those other spots look amazing. I will say that taking my new E (well, new to me) into the BLM public lands in Colorado has been amazing. The cool thing about BLM is that any of that land is free to roam....many "jeep" trails that an AWD element can handle, and many caves, hot springs, and high mountain passes (BLM or national park) can be accessed. I cannot talk about my "secret spots", but if you live in CO or are visiting, I can have you follow me...just not going to spit it out for ALL the public..lol.

:???:

Colorado, my friends...you are all missing out! lol...seriously, those other spots look amazing. I will say that taking my new E (well, new to me) into the BLM public lands in Colorado has been amazing. The cool thing about BLM is that any of that land is free to roam....many "jeep" trails that an AWD element can handle, and many caves, hot springs, and high mountain passes (BLM or national park) can be accessed. I cannot talk about my "secret spots", but if you live in CO or are visiting, I can have you follow me...just not going to spit it out for ALL the public..lol.

:???:

I love Colorado and it pains me to know what I'm missing. But those of us who are altitude-deprived, must make do.

I watch the Capitol Dome at sunset and pretend it's alpenglow.

It's pathetic.

:sad:

O..... If anyone ever gets a chance ZION NATIONAL PARK (http://www.zion.national-park.com/)is incredible beyond words.:cool:

O..... If anyone ever gets a chance ZION NATIONAL PARK (http://www.zion.national-park.com/)is incredible beyond words.:cool:

Very true.

The whole circuit there is nice-Zion, Bryce, and North Rim Grand Canyon. North Rim is probably the least visited of the three and is a much better destination than the south rim.

Agreed on Zion...we are actually taking a trip to MOAB in a few weeks. It is only about 5 or 6 hours from Denver, so I am excited. It will be my first time to Moab in the E! Missouri...I would have to check that out if I ever get to that part of the country! Thanks!

I have some pictures from Moab and sorrounding areas in my pbase galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/paulj3/southwest_2004

The roughest bit of road that trip was Long Canyon, dropping down from the Dead Horse Pt area to the Colorado River.

paulj

wow, thanks so much Paulj...I will take a look, and also post some more camping/adventure trips after this weekend and next, in moab....

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge-Lawton, OK. Granite hills, rise out of the grasslands, with nice clear streams. Big herds of buffalo, elk, and longhorns. Great rock climbing. Camp Doris is a decent campground and park has good hiking. Visit nearby Meers for a Meersburger. A great midwest destination.

I used to love going up there on the weekends when I lived in Wichita Falls, Tx. Friends and I would spend the day hiking and then head over to get a Meersburger. It's been 12 years since I've had one of those...about time for a roadtrip...:)

Well, because were in very select company here, I'll share a place that hasn't been mentioned - which is at the top of my list; - which also includes Zion, the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Paradise on Mt. Ranier, Jenny Lake in the Tetons, and Norris in Yellowstone - to keep things in perspective.

It's Tuolumne Meadows, in the high country of Yosemite. Base camp at 8500 feet, and almost every hike leads up from there. (You can hike to the Valley too). A little store and grill provide some necessities, but this is a place to avoid standard tourist type activities. People do come here from all over the world, it's that spectacular, and the Europeans have seem to have a special appreciation for these mountains. Here you engage nature. Water and spectacular Mountains in every direction. You can hike, climb, scramble over exposed granite, jump in deliciously cold lakes and streams, and to top it off, go on a Sunset walk with Margaret Eissler, a ranger who played flute in the Santa Barbara Symphony for 18 years, and listen to her play as the sun sets.

Then gaze at the Milky Way as you've never seen it before, and...

be prepared for the Bears...:smile:

It's Tuolumne Meadows, in the high country of Yosemite. Base camp at 8500 feet, ......................... go on a Sunset walk with Margaret Eissler, a ranger who played flute in the Santa Barbara Symphony for 18 years, and listen to her play as the sun sets.

Then gaze at the Milky Way as you've never seen it before, and...

be prepared for the Bears...:smile:

Hands down, you win for originality. Or the Ranger, the flute player, does. Very cool.

:)

It's Tuolumne Meadows, in the high country of Yosemite. Base camp at 8500 feet, and almost every hike leads up from there.

A bit to the north is Kennedy Meadows, on the Sonora Pass road. Pleasant area among ponderosa pines, a river, and rocky country. One disadvantage is that the nearby store/lodge is a major horse packing base, so some trails are a bit deep in dust and hockypucks. The narrow, steep (26% grade in places), but paved highway is well worth the drive, especially from the east side.

paulj

Hands down, you win for originality. Or the Ranger, the flute player, does. Very cool.

:)


Let me say that she is quite an attraction. There was another ranger, Carl Sharsmith, who was there for 50 years and CNN made a documentary about him, and his love for the area.

I'm bringing this thread back to life--Spring is here! Lets post some new places:D

looking for eat coast, within 3-4 hours of philadelphia. i'm going with a 2 year old so i want to keep travel time down. thanks

This my absolute favorite place to camp. Its waaay off the grid, known only to few hardcore travelers and surfers, down mexico way. If anyone can figure where this spot(s) is/are, hit me up! :-)

Baja?:rolleyes:

looking for eat coast, within 3-4 hours of philadelphia. i'm going with a 2 year old so i want to keep travel time down. thanks

Shenandoah National Park's Big Meadows Campground -- where I have camped countless times (several dozen nights) is 2 to 2.5 hours from DC. Highly recommend.

Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains (near Camp David) is also one to look at.

Do you have a preference for cool mountain camping? Ocean beach camping?

Lake Sherwood State Park, West Virginia. The nearest town is Neola. Beautiful lake for canoes and kayaks, lengthy hiking trails, some challenging MTB trails, private campsites, and friendly staff. Very leafy, very green!

Baja?:rolleyes:

not baja but is mexico :-) In the middle pic, I had that spot pretty much to myself (except for the owners) for 2 straight weeks!

Shenandoah is beautiful. I lived in NoVa for a few years and drove up through Skyline a few times, never camped there though, always went to Assateague Island in Maryland.

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/fir.shtml

I know it's more than 3 hours, but one of the most beautiful camping spots on the coast. Has everything you need.

For those of use stuck in the flat lands.... Canada is a Camper's dream IMHO. 7 hours to the boarder from Chicago and 2 more hours north and You are in LAKE SUPERIOR PROVINCIAL PARK. The east boarder of the park is lake superior. I have more pics than I know what to do with but that was before a had a digital camera.

The Coastal trail is about 55km if memory serves me. All of the camp sites are down by the lake, many with beautiful beaches.

It's Hike in and hike out no way to get a vehicle to the camp sites.

Here are some links to pictures.

http://www.parkreports.com/gallery/gallery.php?park=Lake%20Superior

Of course Zion, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Denali, Smokey's, Glacier, etc... are all national treasures, but unfortunately they're all 1/2 way across the country from me.

Fortunately there are some fantastic places closer to home

BWCA(W) - 1.09 million acres of roadless, motor-less (mostly), electricity-less bliss. 1000+ lakes, 2200 campsites, 1000 miles of canoe routes, 400,000 acres of old-growth forest, plenty of moose, bear, otter, beaver, eagles and of course walleye, northern, sm bass, lk trout, musky, etc... I'll be there for a week in 3.

Superior Hiking Trail - rugged 244 mile along the north shore of Lake Superior. The trail passes through 7 state parks including Minnesota landmarks Split Rock, Tettegouche and Gooseberry falls.

Being the land of 10.000 lakes, there are also plenty of streams and rivers
connecting them. The lakes are pretty developed, but it's amazing how the character changes on the rivers. I camp and kayak on many depending on where the water is high.

Another favorite place to camp is Bahia Honda SP in FL Keys. Snorkeling on nearby Looe Key is amazing.

hs

thanks for the input. the plan is to have not much of a plan at all. find a direction, start the element and take off. mountain, beach or maybe both who knows. i love seeing and hearing all the places members have been and its time to start taking my little girl on similar adventures. i've always camped and now with a family i want to share it with them. so any places you like or heard of pass them on. i'll be sure to take a lot of photos. thanks

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/fir.shtml

I know it's more than 3 hours, but one of the most beautiful camping spots on the coast. Has everything you need. sounds good

thanks for the input. the plan is to have not much of a plan at all. find a direction, start the element and take off. mountain, beach or maybe both who knows. i love seeing and hearing all the places members have been and its time to start taking my little girl on similar adventures. i've always camped and now with a family i want to share it with them. so any places you like or heard of pass them on. i'll be sure to take a lot of photos. thanks

Shenandoah National Park's Big Meadows Campground -- where I have camped countless times (several dozen nights) is 2 to 2.5 hours from DC. Highly recommend.

Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains (near Camp David) is also one to look at.

Do you have a preference for cool mountain camping? Ocean beach camping?


thanks for the input. the plan is to have not much of a plan at all. find a direction, start the element and take off. mountain, beach or maybe both who knows. i love seeing and hearing all the places members have been and its time to start taking my little girl on similar adventures. i've always camped and now with a family i want to share it with them. so any places you like or heard of pass them on. i'll be sure to take a lot of photos. thanks

Long ago when we lived in Chicago, we would get in the car and drive as far as we could to get away from that rat hole city in the summer. We driven around Lake Superior a number of times. The Canada side of the lake is amazing. There's Sleeping Giant Provincial Park by Thunder Bay, Pukaskwa National Park just past the gold and amethyst mines, and the pictographs of Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canadians are such nice folks. Thunder Bay has some great Finnish restaurants and some of the best donuts I've ever had.

Pukaskwa National Park
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/pukaskwa/index_e.asp

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/slee.html

Upper Peninsula Michigan
Big Knob Forest Campground
On the north shore of Lake Michigan with miles of sandy beaches to walk. This is one of those secret campgrounds I'm only mentioning because I'll probably never make it back there. My SIL would hate me for mentioning it here.
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/wildlife/viewingguide/up/30BigKnob/index.htm

Arkansas
Blanchard Springs Campground, Ozark National Forest
Cave tours and easy backpacking/hiking trail along the river.
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/camping/dow_blanchard.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreation/caverns.html

I like Goose Creek State Park in NC, Lake Russell National Recreation Area in Georgia, and the coastal Florida State Parks on the Panhandle.

Beavers Bend. In SE Oklahoma... this has been my all-time favorite place to camp since I was a 5 years old. My family has gone there time and time again, and it never gets old.

The beauty of Beavers Bend Resort Park is that one is free to explore on one's own or to join in group activities - or to try a little of both. Visitors can choose eagle watches (November through February), trout fishing, fly-fishing clinics, guided horseback rides on scenic trails, or hayrides throughout the park.

A year-round naturalist and a well-stocked nature center make possible a program lineup that includes campfire programs on the banks of the Mountain Fork River, nature hikes, arts and crafts classes and nature films. In the park's Riverbend area water lovers can find yakanoes (a combination kayak and canoe), paddle boats, canoes, and sandy beaches with roped off swim areas. "The clear waters of the 14,000-acre Broken Bow Lake are also a favorite haunt of scuba divers. Other park diversions: golfing, miniature golf, tennis, jet skiing (rentals available), bumper boat rides, boating (party barge rentals available), and canoeing (rentals available).

Beavers Bend Resort Park also draws the serious hiker. Its David Boren Trail offers 16 miles of hiking trails with 4 miles of multi-purpose (mountain bike) trails that wander along ridge tops, over creek bottoms, through tall stands of timber, and into areas so remote one can almost experience what early-day explorers must have felt upon seeing the Quachita National Forest for the first time. Good news for the not-so-serious hiker: the same trail can also be divided into a variety of short and long hikes.

Amphitheatre Area & River Bend Area (located behind Nature Center): Stroll through the amphitheatre and take in the breathtaking view of the Mountain Fork River. Enjoy a picnic lunch or just relax in the shade.

Beavers Bend Depot: (follow train signs inside Beavers Bend Resort Park)
* Riding Stables
* Hay Rides
* Train Rides

www.beaversbend.com

http://www.beaversbend.com/CABIN_01.GIF

http://www.beaversbend.com/TRAIN_01.GIF

http://www.beaversbend.com/CANOE_01.GIF

http://www.beaversbendlodging.com/attractiongallery/brokenbowlake/securedownload-1.jpg

http://www.beaversbendlodging.com/attractiongallery/mtforkriverfloattrip/100_0249.jpg

Beavers Bend====OOOOh Make that an E-Meet and I'm there!:D

Beavers Bend====OOOOh Make that an E-Meet and I'm there!:D

BB is GORGEOUS in the late summer. The spring fed river is always in the 50s, so it feels great when its 90's outside. I am totally down with having it as a EOC meet. Its about a 4hr drive from DFW, close to the edge of OK, LA, and AR.