Best Glamping near Parker, WA

My son and I are from the area and have been Boondocking all around Washington State for over a year now in our old RV's. My son purchased a panel truck to convert, and my shower is on the fritz, so we decided to give Yakima Sportsman Campground a try. We needed the advertised shower facilities as my son had court in Yakima the following day. Not ONE of the FOUR showers worked!! The camp host was a pleasant enough man, but had no idea (apparently) about the shower issues, and the Ranger wasn't due back until Wednesday. This was on Monday...the week before LABOR DAY! The campground loses at LEAST one star for being located in YAKIMA... I've been living in Parker since 2011, but my mother is from Parker, and the house I lived in has belonged to my family since she was a child (she passed last year at 78 years old), so I believe I've earned the right to say Yakima is the LAST place on the planet that I would bring my family for vacation. It's safer in COMPTON, California. I was raised in the East Bay, near Oakland, and used to travel frequently to the LA area for work, so I have a reference point for comparison. In fact, I'm Boondocking in preparation for a move back to California next month. Besides the dangerous location and the non-working showers, this would have been a 4 star visit, the sites had power and water, we're level and adequately spaced apart, and mine was the only "sketchy" looking vehicle around.... Which is appropriate, since I'm a little "sketchy" myself... Lol! (Blame it on the RAP... WEST SIIIIIIDE!!)

Spartan accommodation? Check. You're camping in a field, with thousands of other "campers." Be ready for wookies (depending on the show you're going to), dust, heat, wind. Several different levels here from Standard (zero frills with gen pop) to Glamping ($$$$).

Come prepared, chill out, and enjoy the show - a lot of the show will be your fellow campers. Can't recommend some sort of canopy enough - shade is a cheap luxury at the end of the day, especially if you're there for a three night engagement.

We typically pay up for Gold level RV camping even though we roll in with a tent, canopy, and SUV. Less riff-raff, closer to venue entry, calme vibe all the way around (quieter). Reasonable shower and decently serviced potties.

You can go find the party - if you camp in the party you can't leave it.

Cheers! See you at DMB this weekend!

This place is pretty cool. It’s close to Yakima and great for a place to visit while you’re in “The Palm Springs of Washington”.

I visited with friends from Victoria BC. It's our tradition to rent an RV and drive down to Washington at least once every few years. This Spring we did just this, getting to the Yakima Sportsman State Park with little hiccups. The site was average, but not clean and our neighbors looked like the greasy type. We still had a blast because instead if renting an RV we bought a used cheap one and got it cleaned from Auto Detailing Victoria before hitting the road. Most of our camping was done on the road, so this campsite was actually a relief to us even if it wasn't great. Better than camping in a parking lot!

I strongly think that Washington State has the best places to camp and hike. The Pacific Northwest has a large array of amazing camp grounds and hikes, and I love it!! I recently wanted to hike within the Goat Rock area, and decided to stay at the Walupt Lake Campground so I could be closer to the trailhead. I left Friday evening after work and headed to the campground. There wasn't as many people as I expected, but the weather forecast was calling for some rain. I went in the beginning of September, so was bummed that I wasn't going to see the fall colors (usually the end of September-beginning of October is when this happens). The campground was great, and I was glad that I stayed here. Because we got here around 7:00pm, we really only pitched our tent and grabbed a quick bite to eat. I didn't tour the campground because it was already getting dark. We woke up early in the morning and headed to the Goat Rock Wilderness. We spent the entire day hiking (13 miles to be exact!). From the top of the hike we were able to see Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier. It doesn't get any better than that!! I would highly recommend this campground if you are just looking to camp, but also if you have a hike you want to do in the area early in the morning. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: Amber 28 Gregory Pack

As a DYRT Ranger, I was able to test the Amber 28 Gregory Pack. I was pretty excited to get to test this pack, because I have a few other Gregory Packs and have been eyeing this pack for awhile. During my 13 mile hike I was able to test this pack. 

3 reasons why I love the Amber 28 Gregory Pack:

1. Comfortable- I love how comfortable and form fitting this pack is. I love packs that don't sit right on my shoulders. This pack gave a little room between by shoulder and the pack which is great! I like being able to carry the weight of the pack by my hips, and this pack allowed that.

2. The space and pockets- I appreciate a pack that allows me to pack multiple items (10 essentials!). The pack had plenty of room, and extra zipper pockets. I was able to utilize all the space in this pack, and it still didn't feel heavy.

3. Breath-ability- The back of this pack has a wire meshing and pads to help with the breath-ability. I do sweat a lot when I hike, so I like this component of the pack.

Overall, I would highly recommend this pack. It comes in a few colors as well which is always nice :) You can find the Amber 28 pack here:

https://www.gregorypacks.com/packs-bags/day-packs/amber-28-77831XXXX.html?dwvar\_77831XXXX\_color=778315590&cgidmaster=packs-day-packs#sz=18&start=37

OK. Some friends and I arrived the day before the first of 2 shows by Dead& Company. We had Big Rig Gold camping tickets. First off they searched every vehicle for guns(I get it) but the dogs would alert if there were any, right? So why do they have some 20 something enter my RV afterward and search it while I'm being FRISKED! Here again wouldn't the dogs work for this. Second it wasn't an organized ordeal getting in at all. You have all these big motorhomes and travel trailers you know are coming so they water the grass? Yes alot of people got stuck in mud and had to be towed out. There was a paved road(for the staff) right next to where we had to enter. I guess they count and we didn't. Personally I think whoever was in charge of Big Rig Camping entrance should be fired. I sounds harsh but it was a complete cluster F%#k! Ok then we get in and it's a beautiful campground with a staff that didnt seem to have the slightest clue of where peoples awnings would be in relation to the sun in 90+ degree weather or how to park vehicles accordingly. I had to argue with the kid to park so we wouldn't fry in the sun for 3 days. He kept telling me"So you can get out easy". I finally told him"I know how to drive" and after 5 or 10 minutes he FINALLY gave up and I parked correctly for the weather. So finally all is well(I thought) LOL. 5 in our party with 3 vehicles and three disabled ADA customers. Day 2 time to go in. The regular ADA gate as shown on their website map is closed off and we have to cross several lines of people(At least the other customers were helpful-to the extreme) to get to the ADA entrance into the venue. Finally got there and all went well. Day 3 the same thing crossing through all the other people in line to get to our entrance(ADA gate on map still not open) Then someone obviously decided all the disabled people had to be searched AGAIN after the front gate fiasco. I felt like I was being punished for being disabled. The search relulted in all the cripples baking in the sun with no shade and warm water to drink(That is if you brought your own). All in all another Cluster F%#k. LiveNation obviously doesn't care about their customers since they practically have a monopoly on large venues. Tickets were grossly oversold. I went in 2019 and there was no problem finding a place to sit on the grassy hill to watch the show then. This time it was standing room only and still hundreds and hundreds of people kept coming in until it was so crowded it got very uncomfortable with no real air circulation due to it being so crowded and 90+ degrees. Before LiveNation they used to have misting stations for people that overheated. So crowded my wife fainted(I've been with her 22 years and have NEVER seen her faint or wilt in the heat in the slightest. She's always lived in central Washington and is used to the heat. Thank God there was a nurse behind us that took charge and helped her. Kudos to the medical staff that did get there once a customer dialed for help. 911 I think. Once they arrived they acted in a very efficient and kind manner and checked ALL her vitals right down to blood sugar levels at the medical tent. They gave her 2 IV's of saline and the Doctor made sure she was OK before releasing her. They then gave us a ride back to our campsite. The medical staff was amazing! The rest of the personel NAH. LiveNation ruined yet another venue. I will NEVER EVER go to another LiveNation venue, I'm done! For the prices they charge, what you get in return is pathetic.

This state park is in a wonderful area, however it is not the best kept.. it seems like they planted grass instead of letting the wild grass grow, but they dont really maintain it.. The bathrooms were nasty to say the least, and the sites seemed overpriced for what you are getting. Near to the campground there is a wonderful little marshy pond that has plenty of water fowl and frogs to enjoy watching. wish that the camp grounds were better taken care of though

im not sure if its always crowded because i go there on weekends, or if it is always crowded, however this place is a fun place to go boating and fishing, usually when i go the waters are rather crowded, but still a fun place to camp fish and boat

quiey but easy to get back on the road

Close to town, nice , quiet clean park. Rangers are very helpful.

Not what I was expecting. Not ideal for tent camping, and the river was nowhere to be found.

This is a State Park that requires a Discovery pass for day use and parking. If you pay for a camp site the parking is included. Some sites don’t have any privacy but other have plenty. The showers are by tokens 2 for $1, each token gives you 3 minutes of shower time. Plenty of things to do around town.

This is one of my favorite campgrounds!! As a Tacoma resident we have a lot of clouds. I head over to Yakima for my sun. This campground never disappoints!

There are lots of spaces for tents and RVs. Clean and well maintained bathrooms. There is plenty of space for kids to play and visibility is high for bike riding. There is a huge group campsite that has bathrooms near it.

The surrounding grounds is a park with playground equipment and a huge field. There are tons of hikes and a small pond to explore...with turtles!

For a state park this was a little pricy. We found out it was about $15 more if you made a reservation. There are pull through and back in sites with ample room. Tables and fire rings at each site. It is a nice campground.

Easy to self check in and nice pond and picnic areas.

Nice

We stayed for two nights at the end of April ‘22. Passing thru on a coast to coast trip. A typical state park facility and the staff was attentive to the campers. Bathrooms were the usual. There were some sketchy younger folks who looked a bit questionable, but I probably did when I camped in college. My partner found one guy staring at our sewer hose. I don’t remember doing that myself…. It’s on the north side of the valley, so you have to get back on the interstate if you are there to visit wineries. Walmart and Target nearby. April was in the low 50s, but we came back for a picnic in July and it was 102. Lots of shade available.

Unable to access due to park entrance gate closed.

Fire pits were nice plus a park bench each. Bathrooms clean, showers were still winterised sadly (cold only). Trains were slightly noisy during the night.

Very nice place to stay, helpful staff 👍

I would not return unless many changes were made- my first time here and probably my last

They have great bathrooms and showers picnic and covered areas, great play set for kids. Clean water electricity dump area and full hookup pull through areas

So my partner and I had chosen to stay here for a few nights, we didn't reserve online, when we got there the ranger allowed us to go see which spot we liked, because there was a lot open. We chose spot 64 the one way in the back for tent campsites. When we got there, there was 3 others tents up in the area, spread apart of course a good length too. I read that there was a "Homeless" problem, but I didn't see one homeless our whole stay...besides myself lol I bought a power station and had to charge it at a RV spot #15. There I charged my phone and laptop. I did leave my shampoo and conditioner in the showers and those were taken, who can blame em, they were good ones. Lol my own fault. Anywho...bring some shower sandals because the showers are dirty...but they are FREE. Bathrooms are nice and clean. We didn't get bothered once, we got left alone, and even though we looked like the crazy tweaker tent there, cuz we had tarps over our tent....but it was raining. Lol A skunk did cross our path and ran behind our tent...but that's all the action. During this time it was $25 a night for tents. It was close to town but not TOO close....BIG park. For dogs and kids...good park

This park is very well taken care of being a state park. However, the infrastructure is old. My RV surge protector indicated an open ground on both our sites. When we asked about it, the rangers just told us it's an outdated system, but there shouldn't be much to worry about.

We stayed here a few days in July and loved it! The river is so beautiful with the waterfall cascading down into the river directly across from the campsite. There is a shallow part near the shoreline where the kids had a great time playing in the river. The river itself is wide and very fast moving. The campsite we stayed in was fairly close to the next one, but we were camping with friends in the next one so it was fine. But be aware, some campsites are very close together. There is some road noise, but mostly you just hear the river.