Best Equestrian Camping near Milton, WA

This is a pretty nice campground! There are 3 loops, one is dedicated to horses M-F. Both visits I arrived Sunday afternoon and found a few spots to pick from. There’s a vault toilet per loop. No trash, no water, no hook ups so come prepared. There’s a host onsite and they are very kind. You do need a discovery pass in order to stay and just register up front. Was able to get decent sun for my solar so was able to stay for a couple of days with no issues. There’s hiking trails all around you!

Campground

Fairly large campground, free as long as you have a discover pass! Close to town yet still secluded in the woods. Tons of trails for hiking, horses and dirt bikes! Plenty of sites for trailers and tents. Vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings and water hook ups. The camp host even had free bottled water for guest if needed. There was a creek near by with people panning for gold which was interesting!

Product Review

Being a ranger I get to test some products from time to time! Today's product is the LEDlenser MH2 Headlamp!

This headlamp is very impressive! Certainly the brightest light I have ever explored with. It comes in a very nice package with a charging cord, two different colored lens attachments, a carrying pouch and a battery. My only complaint is that the headlamp itself doesn't fit very well in the carrying pouch but I made it work! It was also a little heavy and I had to adjust the strap to fit my head more often then I would have preferred. The brightness of the light made up for the flaws completely!

Spent 7 days (max) here. Camp hosts went out of their way to make it comfortable, clean and quiet. Completely dispersed tent or rv camping with a Washington Discovery Pass ($35 year) otherwise FREE for up too 7 days. Just register campsite upon arrival at front billboard or call ahead with questions or availability. First come first serve. Entire campground has decent roads but go extra extra slow in areas. Their are also couple nice campground public toilets but NO water or power. Bring sewer if able. Pet friendly but rules strictly enforced. I gave it 5 stars due to MY stay was amazing and my dog had a good time too. Thanks Margaret McKenny Camp hosts Ginny and Steve.

This is a very nice, typical Washington state park with plenty of trees, greenery, hiking, pathways and even a lake. There's a camp store along with several large outdoor kitchens that would be good to use for groups. Many of the structures like the kitchens and even bathrooms were built back in the 1930s by the CCC, which is pretty cool. It's just far enough off I-5 to not have the freeway noise, but close enough to be convenient. It's also nearby to Great Wolf Lodge if you're looking for a place to stay near there.

On the other hand, the RV sites especially are basically in a big field with a cement road going around it. The sites have tables and fire pits, but no privacy what-so-ever. The tent sites are slightly better, with more trees, but still very close to one another.

The campground also has glamping available (canvas permanent tents) that looked cool.

Located on the east side of the Olympic Peninsula, Collins campground is a bit off the beaten path, which was what I was looking for during peak season in August.

The Duckabash river runs along most of the sites. There is a good amount of space between most campsites. Each one has a fire ring and picnic table. I was there the fire season, and while it was hard to escape the smoke pretty much anywhere in Washington, it was as bad at Collins.

I didnt see a campground host while I was there, Im not sure if they usually have one. Most campgrounds in the area were very full and quite busy, so I was very grateful to have found Collins . It Wass quiet and the few campers there were kind, quiet, and kept to themselves.

When driving to the campground on Duckabash road you will pass a cabin on your left side right before the paved road turns to gravel. Apparently that is the oldest structure built on on the peninsula. I thought that was pretty cool!

There are some great trails in the area as well. The Duckabash trailhead is a short drive from the campground and took two great hikes there during my stay. I hiked up river and found a lovely swimming hole, frigid, but beautiful.

I also found a great blackberry patch off the 101 which was so great having while I camped, hiked and in my morning yogurt :)

Cant wait to go back and explore more in the area!

Just 20 minutes south of Olympia, WA you can pull off I-5 and pitch a tent beneath towering old growth Douglas Fir and Hemlock trees. This stunning state park reminds us both of the kinds of campgrounds we frequented as kids. 

Most of the campsites in the forest loops are small with limited parking and the narrow roads would not serve larger camper rigs. Our little 15 foot travel trailer made it in without any problem. The feeling of camping under the old-growth canopy is so classic Washington, but the solar gain is pretty minimal. Ironically, the electrical hookup sites, which more easily accommodate the big rigs, are out in a more cleared area where there would be solar gain for days. 

We camped on the closest loop to the full-hook up RV area and were able to get our solar suitcase out into the sunshine on its extension cord for a few hours. The bathrooms in the forest loops are pretty simple ranging from pit toilets to flush varieties with showers. There is a more modern bathroom facility with nicely clean and refreshing showers near the larger RV field. Things to do in this park are abundant. The water is super chill, shallow and warm. 

Only “cartop boats” are allowed in the lake, making it ideal for stand up paddle boards, small kayaking boats, inflatables, canoes, fishing dinghies and just swimming around.  Lightening storms in this part of the world are pretty rare, so very fun to see one over the lake while we were here.  The lake shore has some classic picnic shelters, built by the CCC, that are reservable, offer wood burning stoves, and lots of places to cook for a family get together. 

Hiking and trailing running in the park is wonderful, and with all the loops your efforts can range from 30 min strolls to half-day hikes. The trails are well mapped, and signed making it nearly impossible to get lost. 

Tumwater is about 10 miles away on country roads to the north, and Grand Mound is 10 or so miles to the south. Either of these communities provide the usual suburban supplies for groceries and restaurants. There are also some nearby convenience and general stores where you could pick up some ice and such. During the summer months the park has a small cafe and ice cream shop.

Great place lots of fun but it is not a campground... It's a summer camp for teenagers. I myself went there as a teenager.

It was a quiet place but obviously has a lot of full timers. It took a long time to get set up because of the ridiculously small amount of space I had to maneuver my 33ft RV and my 8ft extended cab truck.

My day

Campground Review:

This park is big, beautiful, and very family friendly. I've been camping in this park a few times and the only complaint I have during a high traffic weekend (like a music festival - TimberFest happens here yearly) is that there are not enough rest rooms! There are plenty of huge camping spots that include fire pits, picnic tables, and room for your car. There are also spots with RV hookups if you roll like that. If you venture across the Shakey bridge there are hiking trails, access to the water, and plenty of trees to hang your hammock in. There are also additional more remote camping spots on the other side of the bridge. You can access the water from both sides of the bridge so don't fret! This park is super close to downtown Redmond so if you are looking for an easy trip, or something a little more remote on the other side of the bridge, this is the spot for you.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I get the opportunity to test awesome products! At Told MacDonald Park I tested out my Belmont Blanket. I've had the opportunity to use my Belmont Blanket Hella Good blanket a couple of times now and it has been a great addition to my trips. The soft side is super soft (and baby friendly) and the waterproof side is great to put down on the grass (or facing up in your hammock) to keep any condensation off of you. The blanket also has a great rustic look to it that all my friends loved. I leave it in the back seat of my car all the time in case I want to go hang out in the sand or grass, or need some emergency warmth. I've owned a couple of other adventure blankets and now that I have this one it has become my go-to blanket. Sleeping in my hammock with it was awesome for an extra layer of warmth - underquilt on the bottom, Belmont Blanket on top! Overall I would highly recommend this blanket to adventurers, campers, and casual picnickers alike. You don't have to be a nomad to enjoy a nice cuddle in this blanket.

Overall we had a good time here, river is close by for water playing, and there is a playground for kids in the park. Grocery store is only two minutes away which makes it super convenient. However, the tent campsites have no shades, so on a sunny day it can get really hot. It's not a place where you can spend much time at the campsite during the day in my opinion.