Making Reservations When making camping reservations, there are plenty of books that can point you in the right direction. However the most reliable way to find a place to camp is either word of mouth or parks.wa.gov. This website will cover it all. You can look at all the different campsites (with updated pictures or even live web cameras), make a reservation, and even get pricing and cost for campsites. Some of the most popular places to camp in the state are found on both the west and the east side of the mountains. If you are looking for a place to camp where you can hike into the woods, swim in the ocean and see wild life from both habitats, then Salt Creek is the place you are looking for. The area was purchased from the Federal General Services Administration after being surplussed at the end of World War II. The site was used during World War II as a harbor defense military base called Camp Hayden. The remnants of World War II Camp Hayden are preserved on the site - two concrete bunkers which housed 16� cannons and several smaller bunkers. The campground is open year round. There are 90 premium campsites, with two camp host sites, located on a bluff above the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Approximately 72 of the 90 campsites have 54
a view of the water. When staying at Salt Creek the standard campsite fee is $17 per night for Clallam County residents and $20 per night for non-county residents. You are allowed two vehicles per campsite. However, make note that you are only allowed six people per campsite. For those of you with pets, they are allowed but must be kept on a leash no longer then eight feet. This campground is fully equipped with a fire place, picnic basket, an area for tents as well as open fields with play grounds for children. Eastern Washington camping is a bit different with warmer temperatures and varying wildlife. One of the best places that a person can camp on the east side of Washington’s mountain ridge is Sun Lakes. Sun LakesDry Falls State Park is a 4,027-acre camping park with 73,640 feet of freshwater shoreline at the foot of Dry Falls. Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of North America. Carved by Ice Age floods that long ago disappeared, the former waterfall is now a stark cliff, 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide. In its prime, the waterfall was four times the size of Niagara Falls. Today it overlooks a desert oasis filled with lakes and abundant wildlife. This haven offers not only camping but golf, fishing, boating, hiking, and swimming. When camping at Sun Lakes there are many options available. These vary from sites for standard tent camping at $23 per night for the off season and $35 per night June through September. If sleeping on the ground is not for you, then Sun Lakes also has cabins that can range anywhere from $97 to $190 per night.
Photo courtesy of prlog.org