We spent a huge chunk of last summer exploring, adventuring, and camping in Washington. We had been to the state for a short visit a couple of summers before, and we knew we wanted to spend more time there. Boy, were we glad we did!
Our time spent in Washington was absolutely magical, and some of my favorite ever travel memories were made there. We also learned a lot while staying in the Evergreen State and I’m here to share some of our top tips with you.
Where to go Camping in Washington
First things first, you’re going to need to figure out where to stay while in Washington. Obviously, there are plenty of the typical private RV parks you find anywhere, but we were on a budget so those types of places were out of the question.
Instead, we spent the majority of our time in the Thousand Trails system, with some boondocking and other unique, low-cost spots thrown into the mix.
Thousand Trails
As I mentioned, Thousand Trails parks were where we spent the majority of our time in Washington.
If you’re on the road full-time, you might want to look into a Thousand Trails membership. Those who are only part-time but plan to spend a significant chunk of time camping in Washington might prefer the Northwest Zone camping pass. Either way, getting a Thousand Trails pass will give you access to a number of parks in Washington.
We have stayed at the vast majority of the Thousand Trails and Encore parks in Washington at this point. Some of our favorites include:
- Tall Chief (stayed through the Trails Collection add-on) – Loved the location near Seattle and the well-kept amenities.
- Oceana – Adored that we could walk down to the ocean.
- Birch Bay – The location near the Canadian border was awesome and the kids loved playing in the woods here.
Free Boondocking
Washington also has quite a bit of free or low-cost boondocking available. Boondocking spots are super easy to find using the filters on Campendium. Just note that some boondocking campsites do require that you display a Discover Pass (more on this pass later).
Some notable Washington boondocking spots include:
- Sahara Creek Horse Camp – A great homebase for visiting Mount Rainier, this is a free dry campground, but does require reservations.
- Lower Sandy Dispersed Campsites – This free campground is out in the boonies but offers a view of Lake Baker, has gravel sites, and is relatively close to North Cascades National Park.
Other Cool Spots
Of course, there are plenty of other amazing choices for camping in Washington. The state parks there are gorgeous and would definitely be fun to stay in, and national park camping is always amazing.
A couple Washington campsites that we found especially intriguing include:
- Hoh Campground – This NPS campground is located in the middle of Hoh Rainforest, offering an otherworldly camping experience.
- Clearwater Casino – This casino has campsites that are relatively inexpensive and is just a short ferry ride away from Seattle.
The Best Things to Do While Camping in Washington
Wondering what to do while camping in Washington? There are a huge number of options, and as long as you spend a good amount of time outdoors and make time to try some Washington espresso! You’re going to have a good time.
That said, we definitely did have a few favorite spots.
North Cascades National Park
A stunning park that is often skipped over, North Cascades National Park is home to some of the bluest water I’ve ever laid eyes on. We enjoyed hiking here and highly recommend checking it out!
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is one of my absolute favorite national parks. This place is just so enchanting. The Hoh Rainforest hiking trails leave you feeling like you’re walking on another planet, Ruby Beach boasts one of the best sunsets in the country, and Hurricane Ridge is stunning.
Mount Rainier National Park
I highly recommend visiting Mount Rainier National Park during the month of July. We visited at the end of July and the wildflowers were in full bloom, creating a scene straight from a postcard. Expect lots of greenery, animals wandering about, and plenty of running water if you visit during this time of year.
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens provided an excellent educational opportunity for my roadschooled kiddos, and was a great addition to the 2023 “accidental tour of volcanoes,” during which we managed to see volcanoes in Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Be sure to check out at least one of the many visitor centers; we chose the one run by the National Forest Service.
Seattle Sights
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of big cities. That said, there are certain cities that I feel the need to see at least once. Seattle is one of them.
Many people visit the Space Needle and MoPop while in Seattle. We didn’t see either, but could see the appeal of MoPop. Instead, we played at the “Artists at Play” playground with a view of the Space Needle, did some shopping at Pike Place Market, and explored the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. All were worthwhile activities.
Espresso Shacks
This one is kinda silly, but I feel like I have to mention it: espresso shacks. Yes, espresso shacks exist in pretty much every state at this point. That said, I have never seen quite so many espresso shacks as I did in Washington. The tiny coffee shops were on nearly every corner, and even the smallest of towns would have a handful of espresso spots to choose from.
Despite being small in size (most only offered drive-thru service), these teeny little coffee spots served up excellent espresso. Every single one of them. Every single time. This is easily one of my favorite things about Washington, and if you’re a coffee person, you really need to make room in your schedule and budget to experience some of these coffee stops for yourself.
Note: This phenomenon does extend into Oregon to an extent. While the espresso shacks weren’t quite as prevalent there, there were quite a few, and for the most part they were pretty yummy as well.
Saving Money While Camping in Washington
As mentioned before, we were on a budget while camping in Washington. (Okay, we’re pretty much always on a budget.) This meant we had to get creative in order to be able to see and do everything we wanted to see and do, especially if we wanted to continue visiting espresso shacks while we were at it.
Here are some of our top tips for saving money while exploring Washington state.
Reciprocal Memberships
I will always, always recommend reciprocal memberships to anyone looking to save money on vacation. For this particular stint, we used ASTC, NARM, and the “America the Beautiful” national parks pass. Investing in these and sticking to attractions included with your memberships can save you tons.
Free Library Passes
We also found that many Washington libraries offer free attraction passes. Some required you to have a library card, but most had an option for a visitor card, which you could then use to obtain free passes.
We visited the Spark Electrical Museum and Mindport Exhibits in Bellingham with library passes, and we had friends who used the same method to obtain tickets to MoPop.
Discover Pass
Earlier I mentioned the Discover Pass. This is the Washington State Park pass, and in our experience, it is 100% worth buying if you will be in the state for very long at all. The initial cost is $30. This gets you free admission to Washington State Parks as well as free dry camping in many places across the state.
Expanding Explorations into Canada
One of the coolest things about staying in northern Washington for several weeks was the fact that we had plenty of time to hop over into British Columbia to do some exploring. Honestly this wasn’t even something we had planned on doing, but the idea came up, we had passports in hand, we gave it a try, and we ended up loving all that BC had to offer and actually returned there a few times during our stay.
Here are our top picks for things to do just across the Washington/BC border.
Stanley Park
Stanley Park is a huge green space in the middle of Vancouver. The park is home to playgrounds, walking paths, sports courts, and gardens. Our kids loved playing on the playgrounds and wandering through the rose garden while visiting the park. Our friends’ kids had fun riding rental bikes around the park.
Science World
Vancouver’s hands-on science center, Science World is the perfect place to go for educational fun. The museum is part of the ASTC reciprocal program, which is great for those looking to save money, and we appreciate that the whole family can have a good time together.
Burnaby Village Museum
As a history nerd and living history enthusiast, I was absolutely thrilled to find a free living history museum just outside of Vancouver. Burnaby Village Museum does not charge an entry fee at all. It features costumed interpreters and knowledgeable docents who are happy to chat with guests.
We were able to try a homemade cracker from a historic kitchen, ride a historic carousel, and play in a historic trolley car.
Otter Co-Op Waterpark
The Otter Co-Op Waterpark was absolutely amazing. This place is super inexpensive and provides hours of water-based fun for all ages. There is an enormous water playground for younger kids, large water slides for the big kids, a wave pool and a lazy river for the whole family, and a hot tub for relaxing.
We had such a blast here and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a way to cool off in the middle of summer. Just know you have to reserve your tickets in advance and they do go quick!
Clearly, Washington is an amazing place to visit in the summer. We had an exceptionally fun time and will absolutely be back for more summer fun. Whether you’re headed there for a whole summer or for a short stint, we’re confident you’ll love it just as much as we did!
