Best Tent Camping near Arlington, WA

We stayed here on a Thursday through Sunday and enjoyed every day. Important to note there is no running water and no electricity and smaller RVs and smaller trailers will fit and that's it. It's really more of a tent camping place. There are 23 sites about three-quarters are reservable the rest first come first served $14 a night $7 for extra cars. Fire Rings picnic tables and nice pads for your tent in every site. The best ones of course are on the river side with number 9 and 12 being the prime reservable spots. There are two sets of bathrooms for the entire Loop so depending where you stay it can be quite a walk in the night! They are pit Vault toilets and original out houses complete with natural smell. The campground host keeps everything nice and clean. Firewood is sold in the camp ($6) but several places on the way in sell it for less from local people.

The Red Bridge campground is on the very scenic Mountain loop Rd in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It's a very beautiful drive. Nestled in some great trees, there are 13 sites with shade, right along the river. The camp host was very nice and sold firewood on site. There are no hook ups, and no water spigots so be sure to plan accordingly. There are bear proof trash cans and vault toilets available. Each site has a tent pad, picnic table and fire ring. This campground provides ample hiking, fishing and I saw people kayaking plus its not far to a hike to some glacier caves! Also check out the old red trestle bridge just outside of the campground. At $15 a night you have to see this place. 
I highly recommend Red Bridge campground.

Great place to bring your LQ (any size rig) and camp with your horses. There are a few non-equestrians, but we need to keep this a place for equestrians because we are losing more and more campsites.  Trails are well maintained and extensive.

No water or electric at the camp, but you can drive down to a creek and pump or collect water for your horses. You will be boondocking.

High-line poles are available to high-tie your horses. We set up a portable corral and were fine. Picnic tables and fire rings are also available.

No manure pile or wheel barrow. There is a vault toilet and I got cell service on my phone.

These campgrounds are about a 4 mile hike in from the trailhead. Plenty of wild berries, flowers, and ferns along the way. We had fun just relaxing under the Big Leaf Maple trees. Each campground has a flat tent site. Some also have fire pits with grills and picnic tables, but not all. There is a pit toilet and urine diverter on site. There are also a couple bear boxes to share, as bear (and deer!) roam this area. The lake is lovely, though it was a bit too cold in June to swim. There is a small floating dock on the lake. Spectacular views of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan - be sure to watch the sunset. Boaters frequent this lake so there is a bit of motor noise, but this doesn't bother me. Dog-friendly campsite. This made for a very relaxing overnight backpacking trip!

We had sites 28 and 30 for Labor Day weekend. Site 30 had a nice flat tent pad but was overall smaller. Site 28 took a little more effort to set up our family’s tent on level ground, but was overall more spacious and so our group also used that site as our kitchen/campfire area. Both sites have a view of the lake down the campground loop and are relatively close to the vault toilets, which was fine except for the morning we left when wind off of the lake carried unpleasant smells our way. Overall the lake is beautiful, and there’s great access at this campground. Would absolutely recommend and/or go back, just be careful with site selection!

There were SO MANY available campsites when we got there. About mid afternoon. The ranger was super friendly and welcoming! The bathrooms were nice and had showers that require tokens that you can buy with your site at check in. The sites vary in size and shape but most of them are decently private/ spaced apart. The site next to us never got booked, probably because it was small, but it was nice for us because it was only a few bushes away. Sites include a picnic table and fire ring with grill grate . There was a trail to the beach not far from us and it was super nice. Although there are plenty of signs that require dogs to be on leashes most people did not adhere to those rules, so keep an eye out if you're bringing the doggos. Very family friendly, very cozy, very nice stay!

Campground Review

My three-year-old and I backpacked in and it was amazing. Crazy crowded and crazy loud with the military jets overhead (Naval Air Base nearby) – but beautiful none the less. It’s good to note that the jets do shut off around 5 pm and there is plenty of quite time from that point on. But be prepared during the day for some ear splitting noise - I would actually advise ear plugs!

We hiked in for the adventure, but also because all the drive-in sites were reserved. They have several secluded campsites set aside for hikers and bikers, and they were totally worth the work. We ended up in site #233 and it was perfect. Totally tucked away in the trees with soft ground and simple surroundings. If you plan to hike or bike in and use these spots, get there as early as you can. All the sites got used and several folks who showed up toward evening didn’t get spots. We walked around to see all the drive-in spots and there are some pretty nice ones, but none as secluded as the hike/bike spots. The hike in from the northern park boundary is amazingly beautiful and it sure makes you appreciate the spot once you get there.

There are trails everywhere from the campsites, but most importantly down to the beach and Cranberry Lake. I must say it’s quite amazing to sleep amongst the tall trees of the forest and then meander down to the beach to play! Cranberry Lake has a designated swimming area where the water is super shallow and just perfect for the kiddos.

Amazing beauty and well worth the experience!

Product Review

Green Goo – Multiple Products

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time – on this trip I tested the amazing variety of salve and such from Green Goo. I made sure to take the salve for Dry Skin, Foot Care, and Pain Relief – all great stuff for backpacking! One feature I really like about the salves is the tin, they are perfect for stuffing in a little side pocket of your pack and don’t add much weight at all. It was heavenly to rub the balm into sore muscles and feet after we set up camp and recovered from the hike. The foot care stuff is especially helpful for me since my heels crack so bad. This stuff has really made a difference for my heels like nothing I’ve tried before. My daughter is a pretty rough and tumble little adventure seeker and has never been without some sort of scrape, scratch, or bump from climbing everything and running everywhere – the Skin Repair tin gets multiple uses daily – and it really does help heal her up quick. Overall – this stuff rocks, I’m totally sold on it and can’t wait to try other products from the company!