Camping+off-roading trails in WA (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Aug 31, 2016
Threads
46
Messages
502
Location
WA
Question for WA State Mudders. I plan to take my boys along with couple friends who drive their own trucks from out of town on a road trip and wondering if there are camp sites near by or within an off-roading trails you recommend.
 
Question for WA State Mudders. I plan to take my boys along with couple friends who drive their own trucks from out of town on a road trip and wondering if there are camp sites near by or within an off-roading trails you recommend.
We hit all kinds of logging roads and explore and camp all the time. You could also hit the Naches trail and camp or the WABDR trail.
 
@purdytj and I did sections Section 2 of the WABDR last weekend. Left Rimrock Lake on Saturday morning and arrived in Ellensburg on Sunday at 3pm. 70+ miles of no pavement. I downloaded the gps tracks from Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR) and used the compass 55 iphone app. You can also buy the Butler map. We took the main route and did not have to take any of alternate routes. Someone with a chain saw was probably ahead of us by a day or so. We made it without damage. Very minor pin strips. Anything wider then a LC may have issues. TJ picked up a nail in his tire and I have a big sidewall gash on one of my new KO2. I was not watching my right, rear. It is still holding air, but will probably replace before the next towing/camping trip. Based on other online reports the snow must have just melted. Only saw 2 other trucks and a few Motorcycles the whole two days... And then we were stuck in I-90 traffic with the everyone else in WA for 4 hours.



IMG_0529.JPG
 
Lake Chelan is a very cool place to visit but not over any summer weekend without reservations. If everybody can rough it, there are a ton of forest service campgrounds in the area. Any of the high roads will be plenty rough and extremely scenic. Shady Pass between Twenty Five Mile SP and the Entiat valley, Cooper Mountain Rd to the east of Chelan are two possibilities. Bring recovery gear and a chain saw because there are still hazards above 6000 ft and check with the ranger station always, for closures.

I am staying at the Chelan RV park since my wife has business here. It is insanely busy, with water toys piled high and rug rats everywhere... I miss my dead LX450, I and my dogs get absolutely beaten to pieces on the back roads in my Ram 3500. It will get traded or sold next year and I will get a 200, and all will be right in my world again.....

The area around Lake Wenatchee is great but more likely to be crowded during the summer since it is closer to Seattle.

I am assuming you are in Puget Sound since you didn't say different. Many members seem to forget that there is a dry half....

John Davies
Spokane WA
 
Looking forward to doing some of the WABDR on my next road trip to the PNW. Also some of the Oregon version. Possibly this coming September.
 
Lake Chelan is a very cool place to visit but not over any summer weekend without reservations. If everybody can rough it, there are a ton of forest service campgrounds in the area. Any of the high roads will be plenty rough and extremely scenic. Shady Pass between Twenty Five Mile SP and the Entiat valley, Cooper Mountain Rd to the east of Chelan are two possibilities. Bring recovery gear and a chain saw because there are still hazards above 6000 ft and check with the ranger station always, for closures.

I am staying at the Chelan RV park since my wife has business here. It is insanely busy, with water toys piled high and rug rats everywhere... I miss my dead LX450, I and my dogs get absolutely beaten to pieces on the back roads in my Ram 3500. It will get traded or sold next year and I will get a 200, and all will be right in my world again.....

The area around Lake Wenatchee is great but more likely to be crowded during the summer since it is closer to Seattle.

I am assuming you are in Puget Sound since you didn't say different. Many members seem to forget that there is a dry half....

John Davies
Spokane WA

Thanks for sharing and yes plan on taking 3 trucks with rec gear. Chelan was definitely on the list of areas we would like to check out. Now that you also mentioned that there is an RV park, I am contemplating the idea of renting an RV trailer to tow with my 200 to an RV park.
 
When it's hot & sunny in WA, it's also fire season.....check first
 
If you plan to bring a travel trailer, this is very nice but it's $50 per day for full hookup sites, I don't know the tent site fee. It's run by the City of Chelan and is right downtown, close to pretty much any tourist stuff you could imagine: boat rentals, beach, go carts, shops, ranger station, parks etc. as I said before it is _insanely_ busy on weekends, not so much mid-week. If you have family members who don't want to go on the forest roads it would be a good place to leave them. The pads are short and you can't spill over onto the grass or they will mow it to pieces ....

Lakeshore RV Park - City of Chelan

This pic shows my new Oliver Legacy Elite II trailer in the foreground, behind the white Ram 3500. Lake Chelan is in the background a couple of hundred yards.

IMG_2214.JPG


Chelan State Park nearby, and Twenty Five Mile SP a ways up the west shore are nice, but being really old State Parks they have tortuous roads, and very limited space for RVs, they pack them in tight like sardines. The lake and mountains are glorious, but there is almost no public access. Everywhere you look are gates and Private Keep Out signs. Kinda like in Puget Sound, IMHO. It just pisses me off.... but drive uphill in either direction and you are quickly in the boonies.

John Davies
Spokane WA
 
Last edited:
If you plan to bring a travel trailer, this is very nice but it's $50 per day for full hookup sites, I don't know the tent site fee. It's run by the City of Chelan and is right downtown, close to pretty much any tourist stuff you could imagine: boat rentals, beach, go carts, shops, ranger station, parks etc. as I said before it is _insanely_ busy on weekends, not so much mid-week. If you have family members who don't want to go on the forest roads it would be a good place to leave them. The pads are short and you can't spill over onto the grass or they will mow it to pieces ....

Lakeshore RV Park - City of Chelan

This pic shows my new Oliver Legacy Elite II trailer in the foreground, behind the white Ram 3500. Lake Chelan is in the background a couple of hundred yards.

View attachment 1486358

Chelan State Park nearby, and Twenty Five Mile SP a ways up the west shore are nice, but being really old State Parks they have tortuous roads, and very limited space for RVs, they pack them in tight like sardines. The lake and mountains are glorious, but there is almost no public access. Everywhere you look are gates and Private Keep Out signs. Kinda like in Puget Sound, IMHO. It just pisses me off.... but drive uphill in either direction and you are quickly in the boonies.

John Davies
Spokane WA
Thanks John. This is helpful feedback. I am planning on going the week after the 4th to avoid traffic and packed crowd around those areas. I will be calling the RV park tomorrow to inquire about fees and availability.
 
@purdytj and I did sections Section 2 of the WABDR last weekend. Left Rimrock Lake on Saturday morning and arrived in Ellensburg on Sunday at 3pm. 70+ miles of no pavement. I downloaded the gps tracks from Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR) and used the compass 55 iphone app. You can also buy the Butler map. We took the main route and did not have to take any of alternate routes. Someone with a chain saw was probably ahead of us by a day or so. We made it without damage. Very minor pin strips. Anything wider then a LC may have issues. TJ picked up a nail in his tire and I have a big sidewall gash on one of my new KO2. I was not watching my right, rear. It is still holding air, but will probably replace before the next towing/camping trip. Based on other online reports the snow must have just melted. Only saw 2 other trucks and a few Motorcycles the whole two days... And then we were stuck in I-90 traffic with the everyone else in WA for 4 hours.



View attachment 1485974
Will definitely check out WABDR. Thanks!
 
We hit all kinds of logging roads and explore and camp all the time. You could also hit the Naches trail and camp or the WABDR trail.
Thanks. Naches is on my to do list and definitely planning on hitting you for company :) if your time permits.
 
Thanks. Naches is on my to do list and definitely planning on hitting you for company :) if your time permits.
forsure, hit me up when ya get some tentative dates and let's put a crew together!
 
We'd be interested in Naches as well.
Awesome, that's three 200's so far, let's grab a couple more and plan this thang!!!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom