RAMBLIN' RALPH'S RV ROAMINGS
(2009)
2006 GMC 2500HD w/2001 Lance 845 States Visited Map (plus BC and AB in Canada)
Check
out my interview in Truck Camper Magazine! Original
Interview Sep
'07 Follow-up May
'08 Follow-up Road
Trip 2009 Report
RAMBLIN' RALPH'S SPORADIC BLOG (last
entry 7/7/09 "It's a Small
World After All")
See current year travels Previous years' travels: 2006
2007 2008
I bought my truck and camper in late October of 2005. After taking a few short trips in it, I "hit the road" full-time May 2006 for 6 months. Did it again for 6 months in 2007 & 2008. Now it's 2009 and I'm doing it again! Not all of my nights are spent camping, but most are. I'm not making entries that are repeats of previous campgrounds for this year or when I stay with my kids or friends. Campsite fees are for one night with no discount (and no hookups). However, being the old geezer that I am, I get 50% off at U.S. Guvmint CGs with the valuable Golden Age card, plus free entry to National Parks.. One of the few ways (in addition to retirement) it pays to get older.
CHECK IT
OUT::
Google Map of all campsites this year. Note: The "Ref #"
in the table below corresponds to the number on the "pinheads" in
the map.
You can
email
me here.
If you're interested in music, click the piggie to go to my Hog Time
Music home page. 
Note: Click on small photos for a larger one. Click on
the USA map/flag (
)
to see the actual camp location on a map (+/- 50 ft).
Photo Albums: 2006 - Lassen National
Park, Yellowstone National Park,
Crater Lake National Park, Montana
2007
- Bristlecone Pineforest, Oregon
Coast
2009
- Bonneville Dam (Columbia River)
|
Ref # |
Date |
Location |
Campsite & Other Photos (click links) |
Comments |
|
|
11/5/09 |
Had another great six months of RVing 2009! I stayed mostly in US Forest Service campgrounds. Average campsite fee (including Federal "Golden Geezer" discount) was $8.90. Without the discounts it would have been $12.60. I was camping for 90 nights, not including staying at friends & relatives. Did around 9,800 miles and averaged 11.0 mpg. Thanks for ramblin' along with me. |
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66 |
10/25/09 |
Culp Valley CG, Anza Borrego State Park. 9 mi SW of Borrego Springs,
CA on hwy S22. 3300 ft. |
Primitive, desert CG with no designated sites. In hilly terrain. Clean vault toilet. Lots of nice big rocks. Was here 2-1/2 years ago. Another freebie, $0. |
|
|
65 |
10/24/09 |
Yaqui Wells CG, Anza Borrego State Park. 19 mi E of Julian,
CA off hwy 78. 1500 ft. |
Primitive, desert CG with no designated sites. Sand road runs through flat CG with pull-offs along it. Clean vault toilet. It was a beautiful, warm evening to sit out as the sun went down. Was here 2-1/2 years ago. The price is right at ..... $0. |
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n/a |
10/6/09- |
Doheny State Beach CG in Dana Point, CA. 40 ft. |
|
I usually don't put duplicate CGs for the year in my log. I'm making an exception in this case. The California state budget crisis has caused this CG to increase to $40/night (vs. $25 on my May visit)! Beachfront sites are now $60/night (vs. $35)!! |
|
64 |
10/4/09 |
Steckel Park (County), 5 mi N of Santa Paula, CA on Ojai Rd.
700 ft. |
|
25+ sites, between the hwy and a large river bed. Quite a few large trees. This campground has been improved since I was last here in 2007. Now has a paved road through the CG. Also an area with hookups and paved sites. I'm in the cheap section, with dirt sites. $20. |
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63 |
9/17/09- |
Amador County Fairgrounds, Plymouth, CA for Plymouth
Bluegrass
Music Festival. 1000 ft. |
|
My 4th year at this nice medium size festival. Was on the hot side this year, but some "hot" music, too! |
|
62 |
9/16/09 |
Acorn CG (COE) on New Hogan Lake. 3 mi SE of Valley Springs,
CA. 700 ft. |
150+ paved sites on hilly land. Some trees for shade, but not a lot. Lake very low (23% capacity per CG host). $14. |
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|
61 |
9/15/09 |
Indian Grinding Rock State Park. 1.5 mi NE of Pine Grove,
CA on Pine Grove - Volcano Rd. 2500 ft. |
|
23 paved sites on sloping ground. All sites very shady due to heavy stand of trees. All sorts of various trees and shrubs. A tree lover's delight! Nature trail, also. $25. |
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60 |
9/13/09- |
Boondocking spot (not a developed campground, USFS) south of Lake Tahoe, CA. 2.5 mi SW
of the hwy 88/89 jct and 4.5 mi S of hwy 88 on Blue Lakes Rd. 7500
ft. |
Popular boondocking spot spread out over a large area. A few other campers here, but I got a very private spot (same one as last year). Got down to 25 deg one night (brrrr). $0. |
|
|
59 |
9/12/09 |
Boondocking site (not a developed CG, USFS). 7.5 mi SE
of Markleeville, CA, on hwy 89 & 4 then 0.5 mi S on Wolf
Creek Rd. 6100 ft. |
Nice spot high above a small stream. Although alongside a road, very little traffic on it, since it dead ends in a few miles. Several boondocking sites in this general area, especially at the hwy 4/Wolf Creek Rd jct. Restroom at the jct. $0. |
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58 |
9/11/09 |
Sonora Bridge CG (USFS). 17 mi NW of Bridgeport, CA on
hwy 395, then 2 mi NW on hwy 108. 6800 ft. |
24 dirt sites in scattered pines. Not all sites level. Dirt road within CG rough at times. $17. |
|
|
57 |
9/10/09 |
Robinson Creek CG (USFS). 9 mi SW of Bridgeport, CA on
Twin Lakes Rd. 7000 ft. |
54 paved sites in tall pines on level land. The very nice Robinson Creek is alongside the CG. Many sites on the creek. My favorite Sierra CG. $20. I've fished this creek for 33 straight years in early June with my good buddy Gary (aka Eggs). First time here with my camper. Creek a lot lower than early June. Didn't fish it. |
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56 |
9/9/09 |
Trumbull Lake CG (USFS). 13 mi S of Bridgeport, CA on hwy
395 then 6 mi SW on Virginia Lakes Rd. 9500 ft. My highest campsite for this year, by far! |
|
45 dirt sites in tall pines with sloping land. Sites well apart and very shaded. Small Trumbull Lake on the N side of the CG. $17. Visited today one of my favorite spots in the E. Sierras - Lake Sabrina. Even caught a few fish in the creek in a short fishing session (hear that MT & ID?). |
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55 |
9/8/09 |
Pleasant Valley Campground (County), 7 mi NW of Bishop,
CA on hwy 395, then 1 mi N on Pleasant Valley Dam Rd. 4300
ft. |
Undesignated sites in dirt/grass. There are picnic tables scattered around, but you basically camp where you want to. The well known (for fishing) Owens River runs through the CG. $10. Drove 285 mi today, about double my usual daily max mileage. No campgrounds along the route sooner. Saw a lot of NV sagebrush and straight road. However, I'm now back in my favorite area of CA - The Eastern Sierras! Was last in CA on 6/27. |
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54 |
9/7/09 |
Ward Mountain CG (USFS), 7 mi SW of Ely, NV on hwy 6. 7300
ft. |
Nice CG. 29 sites in short trees (junipers and pinyons, I think). Gravel sites, many with "arc" pull-thru. Slight hwy noise. Only 2 other sites occupied. $8. Stayed in the same CG & site 2 years ago on my return from MT. |
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53 |
9/3/09- |
Upper Lehman Creek CG, Great Basin National Park. 67 mi SE of
Ely, NV on hwy 50, hwy 487 and park road. 7700 ft. |
|
22 paved sites in many types of short trees and bushes. Sites well apart. Very small creek. Lots of pot holes in the road within the CG. $12. Took the excellent Lehman Cave tour. Highly recommended. Also drove the road up to Wheeler Peak CG @ nearly 10K feet. Fantastic views. Relatively unknown Natl Park, but neat place. Visit it! |
|
52 |
9/2/09 |
Elk Flat CG, Cave Lake State Park. 9 mi SE of Ely, NV
on hwy 50 then 5 mi NV486. 7100 ft. |
Nice desert type CG away from the hwy. 16 gravel sites. Flush toilets. Very quiet at night. Very little shade. Nice views looking out into the hills. I checked out the CG by the lake and it was too busy for me. Glad I stayed here. $14. |
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51 |
9/1/09 |
Angel Creek CG (USFS) 8 mi SW of Wells, NV on NV 231 and side
road. 6800
ft. |
|
Nice secluded CG with 18 paved, mostly level sites in 2 loops. Short aspen trees can provide some shade (varies with site). Nice views from here. Four more miles to Angel Lake and another FS CG @ 8500 ft. $12. |
|
50 |
8/31/09 |
Three Island Crossing State Park (ID), Glenns Ferry, ID. 2500 ft. |
Very nice CG with 82 paved sites in two areas. Lots of grass and big shade trees. Snake River close, but not visible from most sites. Several others here, but no where near full. $21 (water & elec). |
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49 |
8/30/09 |
Sugarloaf CG, Lake Cascade State Park (ID). 6 mi N of Cascade,
ID on hwy 55, then 2 mi W on paved road. 4700 ft. |
Very nice CG with 73 paved sites on a small knoll providing nice views of the lake and surrounding countryside. Lots of grass, but hardly any big trees for shade. Only one other site occupied (besides CG host). $13. |
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48 |
8/28/09- |
Johnson Bar CG (USFS) 4 mi SE of Lowell, ID on Selway Rd. 1600
ft. |
7 site CG with gravel sites on the Selway River. 50 yards of rocks before you get to the water. Scattered trees, so lots of sun. Group CG in a field nearby. $6. Drove 67 miles of the Lolo Pass road today. Very beautiful. Trees down to the roadside and the impressive Locsa River alongside most of the way. (See entry #47 for pics). |
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47 |
8/26/09- |
White Sand CG (USFS) 67 mi NE of Lowell, ID on US12, then 1 mi
S on good dirt road. 3500 ft. |
Nice secluded 7 site CG on the Locsa River. Dirt sites. Pot holed dirt road within CG. Small stocked fishing pond beside CG. Nice and peaceful here. Saw a big salmon tail come out of the water while I was fishing the river. A Fish & Game facility upstream traps them and takes the eggs to raise more salmon. $8. |
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46 |
8/25/09 |
Whitehouse CG (USFS) 62 mi NE of Lowell, ID on US12. 3300
ft. |
Nice CG with 13 paved, level sites on the wide and shallow (this time of year) Lochsa River. Plenty of shade from tall trees, but some hwy noise. $8. Traveled over the beautiful Lolo pass today. Stopped at the nice Forest Svc Vistor Center at the MT/ID stateline. Talked to 2 bicyclists (a guy and a gal traveling separately) whose destinations were both the Oregon coast. The gal started from Virginia! My hat's off to both of them! |
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45 |
8/24/09 |
Lolo Creek CG (USFS) 15 mi W of Lolo, MT on hwy 12. 3800
ft. |
|
Nice CG with plenty of trees and foliage. 20 paved, mostly level sites. The small Lolo Creek between CG and hwy. Hwy close enough for some hwy noise. $10 |
|
44 |
8/23/09 |
Indian Trees CG (USFS) 24 mi S of Darby, MT off hwy 93 on 1 mile
of gravel road. 5000 ft. |
|
Very nice CG in tall pines, aspens and low green stuff. 15 mostly level, paved sites on sloping ground. Got a teeny creek a few feet away making nice music. Same campground and site as last year. $10. |
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8/9/09- |
Had a great visit with my cousin and his wife in Dillon, MT.
Now it's back to ramblin'. |
|
Got a lot of fly fishing in, but not a lot of fish. One excellent day floating the Beaverhead River with a guide, I caught 4 brown trout in the 15"-18" range and lost a couple of others that size. |
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43 |
8/8/09 |
Flint Creek CG (USFS). 8 mi S of Philipsburg, MT on hwy
1. 5500 ft. |
14 dirt sites separated very widely. Small Flint Creek runs through the CG. First sites are just below the hwy and the noisiest. Creek has some small fish (I caught one 5" whopper). $0 (not sure why) |
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42 |
8/7/09 |
Montana State Fishing Access CG. 4 mi E of hwy 83 on hwy
200. 4000 ft. |
11 level, gravel sites on the good size Blackfoot River. Minimum shade in most sites. Very close to hwy = noise. $7 (w/MT fishing lic) or $12 w/o. |
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41 |
8/5/09- |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. 17
mi N of Columbia Falls, MT on North Fork Rd (some dirt). Very
heavy washboarding on some parts of the dirt road (If I'd had false
teeth, they would have come out). 3200 ft. |
A primitive campground with 3 gravel sites and a vault toilet. On the N. Flathead River. Where boaters put in and take out. The other side of the river is Glacier National Park. $0. Caught 2 six inch trout on a dry fly (not at the same time :) ). Also, was in the river fishing and heard a splash. A young buck deer jumped in 50 yards away and swam across to the other side. Neat. |
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40 |
8/4/09 |
Tally Lake CG (USFS) 18 W of Whitefish, MT on various roads (some
dirt). 3400 ft. |
40 dirt/gravel sites. Level and well apart. On a 3 mi long lake. Lots of skeeters (I hate 'em). $15. |
|
|
39 |
8/3/09 |
Rexford Bench CG (USFS) 15 mi W of Eureka, MT on hwy 37. 2400
ft. |
54 paved, level sites well apart. Most sites have some shade. About 75% full when I arrived around 5 p.m., then more followed me. Popular with boaters. Dump station $2. $12. Took the Libby Dam tour today. Very interesting. Wish a camera had been allowed. |
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38 |
8/2/09 |
Blackwell Flats CG (COE) 15 mi of E of Libby, MT on hwy 37
then 0.5 mi on Libby Dam road. 2000 ft. |
A wrong turn leads to a nice freebie campground! 6 gravel sites right by the wide Kootenai river. No shade. Quite a bit of day hwy noise from hwy 37 across the river. Saw lots of Canadian geese on/over the river. Tried fishing for a short while from in front of my campsite, but no luck. $0. |
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37 |
7/31/09- |
Yaak River CG (USFS) 8 mi NW of Troy, MT on hwy 2. 1900
ft. |
|
Very nice campground. 44 paved, level sites at the meeting of the small Yaak and big Kootenai rivers. Plenty of shade. CG split into 2 parts by the Yaak. Some hwy and railroad noise. $10 Went into Troy Saturday night for a concert-in-the-park. Was fun, even though it was 95+ degrees, until the sun went behind the mountain. |
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36 |
7/30/09 |
Copper Creek CG (USFS) 30 mi N of Bonners Ferry, ID on hwy
95, then 1 mi E on Forest Road. 2500 ft. |
|
16 paved sites, well apart. Moyie River a short walk. Some slight truck noise from nearby busy hwy 95. Less than 2 miles from Canada! Eh? Nearby sign on road says "grizzly bear country". Yikes! $6. Caught my first Idaho fish for the year. A whopper 6" rainbow. Also visited nearby Copper Creek Falls. Nice falls. Flash: Just before I left Idaho, I caught a beautiful 16" rainbow trout on a dry fly! |
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35 |
7/29/09 |
Meadow Creek CG (USFS) 5 mi NE of Bonners Ferry, ID on hwy
2, then 11 mi N on Meadow Creek Rd (CR34, part dirt). 2400
ft. |
22 gravel sites in 2 loops with good privacy. 1 loop has several sites along the pretty Moyie River. Some train sounds during the day, but very quiet at night. $6. |
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34 |
7/28/09 |
Reeder Bay CG (USFS) on Priest Lake (ID). 36 mi N of Priest
River, ID on hwy 57 then 3 mi E on Ledgewood Rd. 2400 ft. |
24 paved sites with about 10 "lakeside" (lucked out and got one). Beautiful sand beach. Boat noise (hey, it's a lake). Also some road noise. Rained like the dickens again this afternoon. $16 & $18 (lakeside). |
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33 |
7/27/09 |
Outlet CG (USFS) on Priest Lake (ID). 26 mi N of Priest
River, ID on hwy 57 then 1 mi E on Outlet Bay Rd. 2400 ft. |
|
28 sites on sloped ground. Only 3 sites are "lakeside". Small swim area roped off. Lots of trees have been cut down (for ???). Private property along a small portion of the CG. Major thunderstorm at night with heavy lightning/thunder/rain (made the paper). $14. |
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32 |
7/26/09 |
Mill Pond CG (USFS), 2 mi N of Metaline Falls, WA on hwy 31 then
4 miles E on Sullivan Lake Rd. 2500 ft. Got as close as 10 miles to Canadian border. |
10 paved sites with good privacy. Lots of green stuff around. Small creek alongside. Small lake (the mill pond) nearby $14. |
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31 |
7/24/09- |
Bonaparte Lake CG (USFS), 20 mi E of Tonasket, WA on hwy 20 then
6 mi N on County Road 4953. 3600 ft. |
28 paved sites (in 2 parts) on a small lake. Good privacy in my site, #9, but lakeside ones not as much. Had quite a bit of rain during the 2 days I was here Oh well, it's cozy in the camper playing my guitar, reading or listening to music. $12. |
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30 |
7/23/09 |
Black Pine Lake CG (USFS). 17 mi SW of Twisp, WA on Twisp River
Rd (10 mi) and Forest Road 43 (7 mi). FR 43 paved 1/2 way,
but less than 2 lanes all the way. 4200 ft. |
23 dirt sites on a small lake. Very isolated campground. You'll never hear any road noise here! Sites mostly shaded. Was glad I didn't meet anyone coming up the hill. I'm surprised there are as many here as there are mid-week (maybe 10 sites total occupied). $12. Did my laundry at the very nice "The Washworks" in Twisp, WA today and had a nice chat with the owner and his dad. |
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29 |
7/22/09 |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. 17
mi N of Winthrop, WA on paved Forest Rd 51. 2500 ft. |
|
Nice little spot right by the shallow Chewuck River. It came in handy to cool down from the 95 degree temperature. Put my chair in the stream and splashed cool water on my body. Ahhhh, life is good. $0. |
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28 |
7/21/09 |
Klipchuck CG (USFS), 18 mi NW of Winthrop, WA on hwy 20,
then 1 mi on paved Forest Road. 2900 ft. |
|
45 gravel sites in scattered tall trees and bushes. Sites well apart. Area is loaded with flies. Couldn't sit outside because they were all over me. Bummer, cause it's a bit warm in the camper. The next morning it was moths all over the place! $12. Took a 2 mile (round trip) hike to Rainy Lake today. I think that's about my limit. :) |
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27 |
7/20/09 |
Colonial Creek CG in Northern Cascades National Park. 33
mi NE of Rockport, WA on hwy 20. 1300 ft. |
|
150+ sites in 2 parts, separated by the hwy. I'm in the south part. Dirt/gravel sites, well shaded and separated. Not all level. Many tent only sites. My section is on a shallow part of Diablo Lake. $12. |
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26 |
7/15/09- |
Darrington Bluegrass
Festival, 3 mi W of Darrington, WA on hwy 530. 500 ft. |
Nice mid-sized festival with great music and scenery Weather started off on the hot side, but ended up perfect. Two years ago here, it rained 1/2 the time. Not a drop this year. I deserved it! :) |
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25 |
7/14/09 |
Old Fort Townsend State Park, 4 mi S of Fort Townsend, WA
via hwy 20 and park road. 150 ft. |
|
40 sites total. About 12 sites in the lower "RV section", where I am. Grass sites right next together, with little privacy. However, not many others here now. Easy walk to the water. $19. Took the ferry from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island to get to my next stop. |
|
24 |
7/13/09 |
Sol Duc CG in Olympic National Park 30 mi W of Port
Angeles, WA on hwy 101, then 13 mi SE on Sol Duc Rd. 1700
ft. |
|
82 paved sites in 2 loops. Some sites short and unlevel. A few larger pull-thru sites. Some A-loop sites along the very pretty Sol Duc River. Dense, very tall tree coverage (some with moss). More crowded than CG last night, but still plenty of sites available at 4 p.m.. $14. Walked the 1.6 mi round trip Sol Duc Falls trail before I left. Very beautiful. |
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23 |
7/12/09 |
Heart O' the Hills CG in Olympic National Park. 7 mi S of
Port Angeles, WA on Hurricane Ridge Rd. 1800 ft. |
|
105 paved sites in multiple loops. Many sites short and unlevel. A few larger pull-thru sites. Many trees down from past storm(s). Maybe 1/3 of sites occupied. $12. |
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22 |
7/10/09- |
Big Creek CG (USFS) 9 mi NW of Hoodsport, WA on hwy 119. Olympic
National Park area. 700 ft. |
Nice CG in tall skinny trees and bushes. 23 dirt sites, mostly level. Pulled in at 4 p.m. on Friday and got the last site. Unfortunately, my neighbors ended up being very loud til late hours (2 a.m. or so). Luckily I was able to switch the next day to a quieter one. Raining as I left Sunday (the first rain of my trip). $14. |
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21 |
7/9/09 |
Kanaskat-Palmer State Park about 11 mi NE of Enumclaw, WA. 700
ft. |
Nice campground with 50 paved, level sites in tall trees and dense bushes. Green River (popular for rafting) accessible from edge of park. $21 Today I visited the beautiful Mt. Rainier National Park (Sunrise area). Clouds hid the peak, but still lots of beautiful scenery to see. |
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|
20 |
7/8/09 |
La Wis Wis CG (USFS) 7 mi NE of Packwood, WA off US 12. 1200
ft. |
|
100 paved sites in tall trees. Alongside the good sized Cowlitz River. It's right out my back door! $18. Today I visited the Mt. St. Helens National Monument (Windy Ridge area). Clouds hid the peak. |
|
19 |
7/7/09 |
Paradise Creek CG (USFS) 20 mi N of Carson, WA on Forest Road
30. 1500 ft. |
Back in a prehistoric feeling forest! Very nice CG
with 42 paved, level sites in heavy shade. Nice creek alongside.
Only 3 or 4 others here. $17 & $19 (premium sites). |
|
|
18 |
7/6/09 |
Cascade Locks Marine Park CG (Muni) in Cascade Locks, OR. 150
ft. |
Handy place when traveling the Columbia River Gorge. 16
gravel sites. A couple of miles away from Bonneville Dam (which
I'll see tomorrow). Can hear the hum of traffic from I84.
Active train track a long fly ball away produced a bit of
noise at night, but tolerable. $15. |
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|
17 |
7/5/09 |
Trillium Lake CG (USFS) 1.7 mi E of Government Camp, OR on hwy
26 then right on paved Forest Road 2656 for 1.4 mi. 3200 ft. |
A gem of a campground! 57 paved sites with excellent privacy from heavy vegetation between sites. Beside a nice little lake with no motor boats. Fantastic view of the impressive Mt. Hood from the fishing dock at the S end of the lake. $17. |
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16 |
7/2/09- |
Shellrock Creek CG (USFS) 25 mi SE of Estacada, OR on hwy 224
then 7 mi on Forest Road 57 and 0.5 mi on FR 58. 2300 ft. |
Nice small (9 site) CG with dirt/gravel sites, mostly unlevel. Plenty of shade from tall trees (which I made good use of in the hot sun). Nice creek alongside. Lots of greenery from bushes. No room for RVs much larger than me. Better for tenters. My home for the 4th of July weekend. $14. |
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|
15 |
7/01/09 |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. From
Rainbow, OR, about 16 miles S of hwy 126 on paved Forest Road 91. 2400
ft. |
This is what it's all about! Driving along a beautiful forest road and see a dirt road leading to the river (S Fork McKenzie). Take it and find a nice clearing right by the river! And what does it cost? Zippo. Even though it's right by the road, there are no trucks and very rarely a car goes by. What great river music! $0. |
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14 |
6/30/09 |
Crescent Creek CG (USFS) 3.4 mi SE of Crescent Lake Junction,
OR on hwy 58 and 3.3 mi E on Crescent Cutoff Road. 4400 ft. |
|
Small CG with 10 gravel, level sites in scattered tall, skinny pines. Mosquito City! Creek alongside, but hidden by dense bushes. Moderate road noise from trucks. Only one other here Down to 34F at night. $14. Visited the spectacular Crater Lake, OR today. Yowee! Maybe I'll make a photo album later. |
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13 |
6/29/09 |
Rogue Elk CG (County) 27 mi NE of Medford, OR on hwy 62.
1500 ft. |
|
Small CG between the highway and the fast flowing Rogue River. About 30 paved, level sites. I'm right by the river ... yeah! Children's playground. Busy hwy results in moderate road noise. $18. |
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12 |
6/28/09 |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. 8
mi N of Cave Junction, OR on hwy 199, then 3 mi E on Eight Dollar
Road. 1200 ft. |
|
A popular river access area right alongside the clear & beautiful Illinois River. Not many level spots for an RV. Vault toilet onsite. Got this site from the travels of the supreme RVer Tioga George. $0 |
|
11 |
6/26/09- |
Patrick Creek CG (USFS) 26 mi NE of Crescent City, CA on hwy
199. 800 ft. |
|
Nice small CG on the beautiful Smith River. 13 paved, level sites, well apart and well shaded. Right on a busy hwy, so quite a bit of road noise. However, the peaceful river music offsets it some. River access difficult from campground, but easy from picnic area about 100 yards away. Flush toilets. $14. |
|
10 |
6/25/09 |
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, 6 mi S of Crescent City,
CA on hwy 101, then 2.5 mi "downhill" to the campground. 600
ft. |
|
Wow, like camping in Jurassic Park! 145 dirt sites in tall, tall trees and heavy vegetation (including ferns). Sites well apart. Many HUGE old tree stumps (some at least 10 ft in diameter). No hwy noise, since over 1 "crow mile" from the hwy and down in a hole. $20. |
|
9 |
6/24/09 |
Richardson Grove State Park, 60 mi N of Willits, CA off hwy 101.
500 ft. |
Very nice CG in tall, tall trees (redwoods and others). Forget the solar panel. 170 paved sites in 3 separate areas. Plenty of open sites. Slight hwy noise. $20. |
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|
8 |
6/22/09- |
Clear Lake State Park, 3.5 NE mi from Kelseyville, CA. 1300
ft. |
Nice CG with 147 paved sites in 4 separate areas. I'm in the 26 site Cole Creek area, nearest the entry gate. No lake view. Only about 6 others here. Lots of shade and very quiet at night. Flush toilets and showers. Saw deer and wild turkey from my chair. $20. |
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Note: I don't really start heavy ramblin' until mid June. Until then, I'm usually in a campground already listed or visiting friends & relatives. Until then, check out last year's ramblin' here. |
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7 |
5/29/09 |
Santa Margarita Lake Park CG (County). 9 mi SE of Santa
Margarita, CA via hwy 58 and Pozo Road. 1200 ft. |
Parking lot type CG, but a nice view of the lake and wide sites. 60 sites (incl. tent) in four locations. I'm in the small Osprey section. Tried to find a USFS CG in the area, but gave up. OK 2nd choice. $23. |
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6 |
5/28/09 |
Islay Creek CG, Montana de Oro State Park. 7 mi SW of
Los Osos, CA (via Los Osos Valley Rd and Pecho Valley Rd). 100
ft. |
Nice CG in a beautiful State Park on the coast. 45 paved sites in two sections in a canyon. Loads of hiking available along with a beautiful beach cove (see pic). $15. |
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5 |
5/25/09- |
Cerro Alto CG (USFS) 7 mi NE of Morro Bay, CA off hwy 41 via
about 1 mi of one lane, curvy, paved road. Campground sign
at entry road. 1000 ft. |
22 very secluded paved campsites along a narrow road, mostly well apart. Small wet weather creek alongside road. Popular hiking trail accessible from campground. $18. |
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4 |
5/6/09- |
Doheny State Beach CG in Dana Point, CA. 40 ft. |
My usual campground when visiting Orange County. 100+ sites. Very popular. Some campsites right on the sand. I'm the next row back to save $10 (4+ gal of gas). $25. |
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3 |
5/4/09 |
McGrath State Beach CG 4 mi S of Ventura, CA off Harbor Blvd.
40 ft. |
Very nice 145 site CG. Beach a few hundred yards away over sand dunes. $25. |
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2 |
3/26/09- |
Jalama Beach CG (County). 4 mi S of Lompoc, CA on CA 1
then 14 mi off hwy 1 via 2 lane curvy, paved road. 40 ft. |
Very nice, isolated CG on the beach. 100+ sites. Even has a small store and famous hamburgers available. You get to hear the choo-choo train some. $20. |
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1 |
3/20/09- |
Temecula (CA) Bluegrass Festival. |
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Campsite just a dirt lot with other music fans on the main street of old town. Had lots of fun pickin' & grinnin' with my friends. |
