Best Glamping near Bow, WA

Partnering with Wanderlust, there are now glamping campsites in the south end of Moran State Park and they are amazing. We got to "peek in" and see them right when they launched and they look amazing. Unfortunately, there is a waitlist to obtain one of these 5 beauties.

Each site comes with a nice canvas tent, queen size bed, dresser, big chairs to sit by the firepit with basic amenities - coffee - water etc provided.

Note the tents are not on the lake like other sites but tucked in the woods with glimpses of the lake.

We are already planning our trip next summer - just need the waitlist to open soon!

(photo courtesy of wanderlust)

I reserved a "family campsite" for tent camping with a friend this past week. The campground has a great location and is easily accessible from all that the San Juan Island has to offer. The sites are large and well appointed, ours was in a nice wooded area, had two picnic tables, a nice fire pit with grill and multiple flat spots for our tent. The sites don't offer a ton of privacy and we were surrounded by large groups of families, which was a bit noisy. We arrived at this campground after spending the 3 prior nights in the backcountry, so we were pretty excited to take advantage of the bathhouse and shower facilities. We may have just caught the campground at a bad time, but we were shocked to see how filthy the bathrooms and showers were. The showers were ice cold and looked like they hadn't been cleaned in weeks. The price was also rather steep ($66/night for the most basic camp site offered) but understandable considering the lack of availability for campsites during the high season on the island.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this campground to a family looking for fun activities for the kids while staying on the island. The resort also offers many other types of accommodations that I would be interested to try in the future including cabins, airstream trailers and "glamping" canvas tents!

Stayed for two nights at a tent site. It was lumpy and very unkept. It really needed some basic clean up landscaping. For the $100+ each night - I was hoping for something a lot nicer. Only almost filled portable toilets near the tents. Trash cans were overflowing.

The focus is more on the lodge, cabins, yurts, and rv sites. Those looked pretty nice.

We were told that because of a Jazz festival - the cost included admission and so higher - Surprise - it was free! and awful! Would have left but there are very few tenting campgrounds on the island.

Won't go there again - even at the other accommodations.

Really disappointed.

Campground Review:

A two hour drive from Seattle will land you at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal where you'll be just a boat ride away from beautiful Orcas Island. The Doe Bay Resort & Retreat has several options for camping including cabins, yurts, space for campers and tents. You can camp out in the woods and see the local wildlife (lots of deer and otters!) and there are plenty of trees to hang your hammock. There's also a restaurant, and a concert hall on site. If you're lucky enough to be there during a show it is life changing. Don't forget you are in Wa. and it rains more often than not, so come prepared with tarps and rain gear. All in all this is an amazing spot to camp and I highly recommend checking it out.

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Product Review:

During my camping trip at Doe Bay I used the Eno DoubleNest® Hammock and Atlas™ Straps for my relaxation in the woods. The Eno Hammock is super easy to set up (goes up in a matter of seconds), comfortable to nap, lounge, or sleep all night in, and doesn't swing too much if you tend to get sea sick! It comes in a variety of colors and there's a single nest option as well on Eno's website. The material is durable and comfortable to lay in by itself, or cozy up with a blanket! Give one a go if you're looking for a lightweight and comfortable way to lounge.

Birch bay is a noce hidden gem on Washington's northwest coast. Lots of biking and hiking up and down the beach there is plenty to do locally. Birch bay has a wonderful assortment of gift shops and restraunts.

This is one of the most popular locations in Washington State and easy to see why. Both fresh and salt water experiences are within a few steps away with amazing sunsets and breathtaking views. Plenty to do for each family member. The only downside is the cramped feeling in most of the sites and the difficulty of monuverability for trailers and campers.

I love this place! Camping right at the water or off in the woods. Lots of biking and hiking. A small bar is on site with good food, craft beers, and cocktails. A pier into the sound. Crabbing, bouy anchors. Fort and battery tours. a real gem in Washington.

This is our go-to family camping area for october-June trips. It is never too cold and it has a lot to offer. The campgrounds are within walking distance to a beautiful sandy beach complete with tide pools! We also like to hit up the local drive in movie theater for a little classic entertainment (Blue Fox Drive-in) and cheap greasy cheesy fry delicacies ;). Beautiful views and small hikes along the coastlines. Definitely an iconic Washington coastal camping area, but without the long drive to the penninsula.

Visited on a beautiful spring day. No idea how I always get so lucky with washington weather. We went during the tulip festival at Anacortes nearby so that was a definite plus. The bridge is very scenic, so this is a great place to visit even if only for the day. I should've done some research into why they named it deception pass because it was exactly what I expected. There are multiple recreational water activities to do, but I didn't do any as I found the Springtime sound a little too cold for my liking.

I was a volunteer camp host for this park for a month. It’s a busy place on the weekends especially. The system in Washington is sometimes showing how overwhelmed and understaffed they are, and this park is so severely understaffed it’s sad. Many folks do not understand how to cleanup and leave no trace. As volunteers, we learned a lot about the area, the fight with the Tulalip Tribe to have the land, the desecration of indian burial grounds, the full sale of the land by a private owner to the state because of a haunting and a family curse... there’s a ton of local drama in these lands. If you’re a ghost nut, this place is for you - ask the campground staff for the history.

This is one of two campgrounds at Fort Worden, which I prefer over the upper (Forest) campground. This is one of those campgrounds that gets big points for its location and views, and not so much for its privacy or beauty. It's a long, flat, open area along the beach and mixed in with the beach vegetation. The sites are pretty close together, so you don't get a lot of privacy. You do have the beach, lots of trails, a scenic lighthouse and that salt sea air. You do get lots of fog in the morning sometimes, and a pretty steady breeze off the water. You need a Discover Pass for day use. These are required at pretty much all county and state campgrounds in Washington State. They cost $30 per year.

Even though I grew up on Orcas Island, Moran State Park remains to be my favorite state park in Washington.

It offers so many different things from miles of hiking trails to swimming holes, cliffs to jump from, fishing, boating spectacular views and so much more!

There are three loops you can choose from; North End, Midway, and South End. Every loop is well kept, and has its own perks. My favorite is the South End due to all of the sites being on the lake with private water access! But you truly can do no wrong with whatever site you end up with!

If you have a chance to explore Morans beauty, I highly recommend you do so.

Do remember before booking a site that there is an hour long ferry ride to Orcas from Anacortes. You will need reservations in the summer. The camp ground is about 40 minutes drive time from the ferry. No worries though, plenty of sites to see along the way.

I said lovely in the summertime even though I was a bit chilly! Tropical girl in the north. Despite the cooler temperatures at night the weather was just wonderful when we stayed at Deception Pass. There were so many activities. Some trails walking distance from the campsite to gorgeous beaches while others we drove to get to other trails and scenic lookouts. I loved every minute staying there. We spent two nights at Bowman Bay right next to the beach. The facilities are nice and well maintained. I really appreciate the Washington state park system and their nice campgrounds. We walked across the Deception Pass bridge and hiked up Goose Rock which is the highest point in the park. Just a heads up for anyone afraid of heights, the bridge is super thrilling!! And the views! Even I felt butterflies walking across.

Another day we explored the tide pools at Rosario Beach and went paddle boarding close by. We saw seals and sea otters playing. Really one of the highlights of the trip!

Campsite Review: When exploring the San Juan Islands in North Eastern Washington I suggest you definitely take a moment to visit Deception Pass State Park where camping might seem a little pricey, but your park admission is included in the cost of the campsite. This is a great location to start of your trip if your spending time up in the North Eastern portion of Washington. This campground is composed of several different loops with setups on both sides of the pass for every type of adventurer. There are over 300 different campsites and several that are hike/bike in only, as well as your standard drive up and RV. These sites are spread into different areas of the park, and we stayed in one of the lower loops of the Cranberry Lake campground where many of the sites have open drive ways, but then are really set into the old growth trees. Ours was a drive in which was a little uphill and then set back into the underbrush so you were nicely separated from your surroundings and felt pretty immersed in the forest. You get a decent flat area for your tent(s) with a standard picnic table, and fire ring. We checked in a bit later than expected and were in need of a shower. Thankfully there are pretty decent showers at this campground, though some restrooms were much nicer than others. Make sure to check out a couple before you decide which one to use. We found that the ADA showers were much cleaner and nicer than the regular shower by our site (#172). In order to use the pay showers you have to use a token (2 for a dollar) instead of quarters or dollar bills like most other places. You can get the tokens from the rangers or they have some vending machines on the side of the little camp check in area. There are plenty of excellent hikes you can access throughout the park and watching the fog roll in and out can be pretty awesome.

The one thing that you’ll probably read over and over again is about the jets from the nearby base…. Yes, there are jets and yes, they are loud, very loud. Bring ear plugs. Even if you’re a heavy sleeper, the way the noise bounces around through the valley makes them extremely loud. You never know how late they’ll hang around so just be prepared. They stopped fairly early (around 9:30pm) when we visited, but the flyover time seems variable.

Amenities: standard picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets, potable water, & Pay Shower Prohibited: pets off-leash

Nearby Hikes: Goose Rock trail and Deception Pass Bridge and Beach Trail

We used this campground to not only hike around and explore the park, but also as a jumping off point to kayak around the island (where we picked up a hitch hiking baby harbor seal) and to head out on some whale watching trips. This is a really incredible area with lots to explore.

Gear Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get the opportunity to test out products and what kept me warm as explored the northern waterways was the Coldpruf Zephyr crew top and pants. Coldpruf has designed their clothing to own the cold and yes, they do. I was kept quite warm with these base layers on. The only drawback I had with this gear was the length of the pants, not in the legs, but in the back rise… While they fit perfectly in the waist and leg length was perfect, the pants still came a up a little short in the back and I could not pull them up and prevent plumber’s crack while wearing them. I have other pairs of ColdPruf base layers which fit perfectly but these pants just came up a little short…Some of the features that I did like about this specific design was:

• How lightweight, and unrestrictive the top felt. Really strong sturdy seams and didn’t mess with my mobility as I was paddling the kayak.
• A really breathable base layer with the vented mesh underarm sections. This is usually a breaking point in wearing a base layer when doing activity as you can’t cool off the areas you need to while still staying warm.
• I really liked the length of the top, this really helped to sort of counter the shortness of the pants.
• The stretch of the material in both the pants and crew top were great for hiking and kayaking.
• Designed and Knit in the USA!! Awesome.

I give the ColdprufZephyr crew top and pants 4/5 Stars!