Best Tent Camping near Kelso, WA

I love this campground.

Specifically, I love site number 10.

There are 23 sites at this campground, though sites 10-23 are reservable, leaving sites 1-9 ‘first come, first served’. To get to the campground, you’re going to be working on the far left side of the Welcome Center parking lot. They have allotted several parking spots there, as well as a huge parking area for other cars and trailers. Once you park, grab your gear and hike on down that path straight ahead! If you have. A lot of gear they have three carts available to haul everything out in one go.

The trail to the camp is about 1/4 mile, it’s dirt in some places and gravel in others. The trail is very easy, you go down a ways, and then hit a gradual short climb to the few station. If you haven’t paid online (reserved spot), you will need to fill in the information on one of the provided permits, write down your car infix, put the fee in, and drop it in the box. (Right now the sites are $11/night). Place the white top copy on your dashboard (yes, you have to hike back out there. I know, I know.) OR: You can skip all of that, set up camp in your chosen (non-reserved) spot, and go pay at the welcome center drop box. Saves you a trip.

When you’re done with all of that and want to find your spot, there are two trails; one on each side of the fee board. The left goes through sites 23 and up. The right side starts with site 1. It's just one gigantic loop so whichever way you choose will lead you to the right spot.

I was in site 10, and took the left: this ended up being the long yet scenic choice.

There are communal fire rings in the back section (which is great for groups!). There are no trash cans: pack it in, pack it out. There are pit toilets available: aka, outhouses. The doors lock, there's hand sanitizer provided. Going into the pit toilets, and then coming out really makes you appreciate the fresh air of the great outdoors.

The tent pads are a typical woodsy mix of pine straw, leaves, and loose gravel. Sleeping pads are a blessing, but so are nicely stacked lead piles in a pinch. Tent stakes require a little oomph, I just use the ball of my shoe to push it into the ground.

If there's one thing you want to pack, it's bug spray. It's not overly buggy, but the mosquitoes are there, and you don't want them to dampen your experience! Be on the safe side.

There are no food storage lockers, you cannot leave food out on the tables. You are still in the wilderness, and you are in bear/cougar territory. Hang your bags, or go throw your food back in trunk of your car. Best case scenario is you wake up to some trash pandas ransacking your site if you leave food out.

Overall, this has become one of my favorite spur-of-the-moment camping spots and I come back twice a week.

The tent sites are very large however they have minimal grass or shade. RV sites are very close to each other. There are two bathrooms of one toilet, shower area combined. The shower is coin operated so unless you plan ahead with quarters you are out of luck. It has a card option but does not work. The bathrooms are also not clean. There are 2 portable toilets that were very clean. They advertise quiet hours after 10 pm but it is not in-forced. There was a group partying until 1am next to us. Neighboring property was also blasting music into the morning. There are many other options in the area I would look into one of those.

Being a new visitor to WA, we wanted to spend our first night in the middle of nowhere and this did it.

A bit of a climb for our truck camper so 4x4 was handy. There were some lower tree branches but easy to (delicately) pull to the side to get by. The road is 1 lane, gravel but nicely maintained. Not many areas to pull over so go slow and prepare to back up if necessary.

It's first come, first serve with no hookups or trash service but there is a bathroom. There's a couple spots for a bigger truck camper like ours and a handful of secluded tent sites you can walk to from the parking area. The tent sites we saw had a fire ring (fire ban in place right now) and a picnic table all nestled in the trees and ferns. There's 1 main place to fish from and several little nooks as well. There's a LOT of old, picturesque trees/ stumps in the lake, hence the name. A gentleman we met said the lake is stocked and our son caught some rainbow trout (approx 8 inches) so we put them back to get bigger for the next person.

There's also paths to enjoy a walk through the trees.

As far as cell service, we had great Verizon signal and there's a cell tower over the top of the trees so that explains that. 🙂

You need a Discovery Pass to camp here but it's either $10 a night at various campgrounds around WA (so I read) or $30 for the annual pass.

Enjoy and please pack it in, pack it out. It was a really nice campsite so let's keep it that way. Thanks!

Snag Lake Campground (360) 577-2025 https://maps.app.goo.gl/VmQbRypN42ciJemCA

Campground Review: Brooke Creek Hike-in Camp

Brooke Creek Hike-in Camp is one of 3 campgrounds within Stub Stewart State Park, and the only one that really feels like you’re actually camping out in the woods – because you are.

The tent only hike in camp isn’t a long haul from the parking area at the welcome center – it’s about ¼ mile and the trail into the campground is mostly gravel. There are carts available for hike in campers to use at the campground trailhead if needed. Note that if you’re using a cart, that the walk in is uphill.

The campground area is wooded and each site has a picnic table. There are pit toilets and a water point. There are not fire pits in the sites—the fire pit areas are shared in central places in the campground. Some of the sites have a lot more privacy than others. I was camping in an unusually warm mid-week in May so the campground was mostly empty.

I chose Site 1 because it had a good place for my hammock. If the campground had been full, I’d have picked a site a lot further in since the first few sites are right along the single trail that all campers/hikers would be using.  Some of the sites can be reserved in advance, and some are always open for walk ups.

The self-registration is at the campground, NOT at the trailhead, so you’ll have to hike in, register, and then return your camping receipt to your car. If you’re paying with cash, bring your money on the first hike in. You can also pay with your credit card number.

There are lots of trails directly accessible from the campground including the Banks-Vernonia Bike Trail as well as other hiking, biking and equestrian trails. I had a nice run on the Bumping Knots Loop.

Product Review: The PRIMUS LITE+ Backpacking Stove

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get to test and evaluate quality products from amazing sponsors. On this camping trip, I tested out the Primus LITE+ backpacking stove. https://primus.us/products/eta-lite-7?variant=38436885010

I’ve been in the market for a backpacking stove for awhile, looking for a lightweight and simple to setup option, so I was excited to get to test out the Primus LITE+. I opted for the .5L pot because I often camp solo (there is also a PRIMUS LITE XL version with a 1L pot available), Also, you can purchase the XL pot separately as an accessory which will give me more options when camping with a partner.

Here are my opinions on the PRIMUS LITE+ after using it for one camping trip to make dinner and breakfast:

PROS:

Boils Fast: The PRIMUS LITE+ stove is incredible at the most basic things it needs to be good for: boiling water fast! In under 2 minutes start to finish you can assemble the stove and bring your water to a boil. Plus, fast boiling means you aren’t using a lot of fuel.

Size/Weight: The whole stove system packs into itself and is about the size of a large mug including the fuel canister. I can fit the entire thing into the side pocket of my backpack. With the canister it weighs about a pound.

Pot Versatility: The pot that comes with the PRIMUS LITE+ locks to the stove giving it a good wind shield, and allowing you to hang the pot to boil if you don’t have even terrain. The XL pot which is sold separately also attached to the same setup.  If you aren’t backpacking and want to use another pan or pot, there are small pegs which screw into the stove top to allow you to use any cooking set up. The pegs are stored in the handle of the stove so you don’t lose them.

Accessories: I haven’t gotten it yet, but the LITE+ has a coffee press attachment so you can brew a cup straight in the pot. Always a bonus when a simple attachment means one less thing to carry for your perfect camping setup.

CONS:

Fuel Canister:  The smaller canisters needed if you want to pack your fuel into the kit  aren’t as readily available at places like Target or Walmart where I can more easily pick up my camping fuel when I’m on the road to camp. If I want to pack it all in to the pot, I’ll need to shop in advance at REI or a specialty outdoor store that carries the smaller canisters.

Insulation: The insulated sleeve on the pot makes it easy to hold and to drink from, but after just a couple of uses it was already getting pretty dirty with coffee and soup debris. It isn’t as easy to keep clean, and since the handle is actually part of the insulation sleeve, you can’t effectively use the pot without it.

It’s Small: Being small is one of the benefits of the stove, but the .5L mug/pot is smaller than I anticipated. While it’s perfect for a solo trip, you’ll want the 1L pot if you’re cooking for more than one.

Overall, Primus LITE+ is a great stove that’s efficient. I’d opt for the bigger size if I were to buy it again, since it would be more versatile with only a little added weight and easier to fit the more readily available fuel cartridge.

The Dairy Creek Campground at Stub Stewart is a two loop campground. The sites are spacious, but there isn't much character.  The East loop is pretty much an open field. The west loop has a few more trees but still not much privacy or space between sites. 

Dairy Creek is clean and well maintained, and has great access to the trails and disc golf around the park. If you're in an RV this is a good set up. If you're camping with kids, there's a play area here.

There are a few "walk in" sites where you don't park your car next to your tent, but rather in the parking lot next to the grassy area where the open tent sites are. If you're looking for a better tent camping experience that actually feels like it's in the woods, you're better off going to the hike in campground in the park.

The loops are big and there is parking near the bathroom. This is great if you don't want to walk a long way, but it's bad if you've got the campsite near the bathroom with all the cars coming and going.

General: Vista Park, located directly on the Columbia River between Long Beach or Astoria to the west and Kelso to the east. It offers a variety of sites from walk-in tent sites to partial to full hookups to yurts. 

Site Quality: Site 30 was a sweet little site; since it is a pull-through with trees on one side, it offers some privacy, it is tucked away and more private than many of the other sites. While it appears to be a very large site on the map, in reality, it was perfect for our campervan but would be problematic for larger RVs. In my opinion, Sites 27-29 are the most private with lots of trees separating them. Sites 27-33 have their own garbage receptacle at their site while others have a more centrally located garbage/recycling area. If you prefer to be closer to the water, Sites 19 and 20 and V1-V13 would be a good choice. 19 and 20 are very nice as they have a concrete pad, and sheltered picnic table. V1-13 have NO privacy between sites; the same is true for 34-43, which are tent-only sites. The yurts are located on top of the hill, away from the water. Although all of the walk-in campsites had reserved signs on them, not a single one was occupied when we were there on Labor Day weekend. 

Bathhouse: Basic but reasonable. The showers are $.50 for 4-5 minutes. The shower located in the center of the campground was ok but has seen better days. The shower at the top of the hill is better; it had a sign that said it was only open from 10 am– 8 pm but we were able to use it at 8:30 am. 

Activities: Fishing and boating (there is a boat launch). Two playground areas; one in the day-use area (but close enough to the camping sites) and one in the loop with sites 1-15. There is a short but nice beach to walk on and a hiking/nature trail that leads to the beach(the beach is also accessed directly from the day-use area).

There are 8 walk in sites and one drive up site, all first come first serve discovery pass required. Some sites are larger than others, but in ours we were able to fit two 6ptents and one 2p tent. All campsites have a fire ring and picnic table. You’ll still see and hear your fellow campers, but it does seem semi private. Make sure to bring toilet paper, the bathroom seems to never be stocked. Make sure to haul out all trash.

You can’t use motorized boats and can only fly fish in the lake, but a very nice 1 mile hike is adjacent to the day use area. Also very close to Cougar for gas and supplies for emergencies. Driving distance to popular day hikes. No cell service.

I didn't have reservations.  Securing a spot was easy enough using the phone at the ranger station (it was after the rangers had gone home for the day).  Most of the sites had a level spot(s) for a tent.  There was a picnic table and I fire ring.  There was a. very clean bathroom with flush toilet and shower (shower operated on tokens; I didn't use it).  Near to the restrooms was a high flow potable water spigot (which I used to top off my water supply---tasted great). There were lots of families camping (August) and the expected noise that comes with kids playing.  The unexpected noise came from Hwy 504.  I was in the lower campground (closest to the highway) and the noise was omnipresent until about 1030pm and started up again around 530am.  If I were to return to Seaquest, I would make sure that I got a site further away from the highway.