Oostema Farmstead

We had a great stay here - sites are nice, close to others but still good privacy. Everything was clean and well taken care of. Great outdoor shower Loved the meat that we bought. Would definitely come back.

When I read about this place on the Dyrt and realized it was a good place to spend the night before boarding the ferry to Orcas Island (and with a 10% Dyrt Pro discount!), it was a no-brainer to stay here. This is a working farm with beef cattle and an extensive garden. Glen and Lisa welcomed us when we arrived around 5 pm on a sunny day in August. 

The sites are on grass, and each has a fire ring and picnic table. The tent sites are located behind the RV sites. We had originally reserved a tent site as we did not need electric, but the site assigned to us had low-hanging trees and would have been a problem for our pop top. We could have made it work but Lisa put us in Site 4. The only thing that might sway me from a 5-star review is that the sites are close together with no real privacy between them, but since Glen and Lisa have thought of everything else campers might need, I’m sticking to the 5 stars. 

There are two porta potties that were very clean, an outdoor shower stall, and a utility sink stocked with hand soap, dish soap, paper towels, and a garbage receptacle. There is even hot water, a welcome amenity. Although we didn’t use it, laundry is also available. Ice and firewood are available, and you can purchase meat. I opted to pay $3 to fill a basket from the garden and my yield included tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and fresh herbs. There is an information cabinet with brochures for area hikes and other activities as well as restaurants. 

After dinner, I took a walk around the property and along one of the roads lined with cornfields on either side; this was a chance to digest my dinner and take some photographs of the surrounding mountains. The next morning before leaving nearby Lynden, we made sure to stop at Just Desserts for a triple berry pie and HUGE cinnamon rolls, one of the recommendations in the information binder.  

This was a peaceful place to stay, and Glen and Lisa were very welcoming. We’d love to return.

What a fantastic place to camp.  If you can grab site #1.  It is a little separate from the rest and looks out over the raspberry fields.  Site is all grass with a great table and updated hookups.  It's all level.  The people there are nice - they sell some great meat from their grass fed cattle.  There are fantastic gardens where they let up pick some fresh veggies.  It's close to Lynden, Bellingham and the coast right near the Canadian border.  If you have time drive east to Emerson or Demming - great ride through the farmlands....

We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow, were meeting friends in the area, as well as Mt. Baker. We were in site 6 for 4 days in early September. Most of the campsites are nice and grassy with trees, but fairly close together. Ours was gravel and apart from the others, but did not have a sewer hookup. The whole campground was very well maintained and cared for. They also have meat(Wagyu), veggies(in season), eggs and merchandise for sale as well. Terri enjoyed visiting with the animals and harvesting from their small garden. The owners, Lisa and Glen, were very friendly, accommodating and responsive. AT&T coverage good, ranging from 3-4 Bars of 5G with speeds up to 18 MB/s. Their WiFi was respectable with speeds up to 1 MB/s, but we did have to reconnect a couple of times when the service stopped working. We were able to get DISH coverage on all three western satellites at our site. There were 12 OTA channels to be had with our fixed omni antenna.

This place is absolutely amazing! The hosts are super sweet and accommodating, the property is beautiful (soooo many flowers), and the animals are really cool to visit. The campground is kept in perfect condition. Also, we needed an extra night for our stay and the hosts let us stay in their backyard. I’ve felt completely taken care of here.

Lisa and Glen are amazing hosts!! We arrived later than we anticipated and they met us with flash lights to guide us in. We awoke the next morning to a beautiful view of mountains and farmland. Lisa gave us a tour and let our children pet/feed the cows, goat, and pig. The kids loved it!! We like that there isn’t rows of RVs and Trailers stacked on top of each other, you have space to wonder and spread out. We had friends from close by towns come and sit with us at our camp fire till late in the evening and it was great. We definitely recommend this place and will be back.

If you need firewood, they have it ready to purchase. Water and electricity for 30amp and 50amp. Close to grocery, gas and restaurants, if you want. They book up fast so plan your trip early.

Campground review: 5 out of 5 stars

As a Ranger on the Dyrt, I sometimes receive compensation for reviews like this one.

The Oostema Farmstead Inn is a pretty unique campground.  It is located on a working farm. There were chickens, cows, calves, a heron (I think it was nesting near the driveway), a raspberry field, a garden and even a cat wandering around.  If you are looking for a fun farm-style getaway, this is it.

I spoke with the camp host, Lisa, who told me I could explore the Raspberry Fields and the Barn where the calves were.  I did see signs that you needed permission, so bear that in mind when you go.

The campsites themselves are essentially located behind the Farm house, and we were able to set up wherever we wanted.  I chose a spot by two trees and Lisa brought over a picnic table for me.  Since the sites are in the backyard, and you can choose where to set up, you do see other campers.  They also allow RVs.

They also have a cabin you can rent, and they were kind enough to let me poke around and take a few pictures.  They have a port-a-potty, which was very clean, and a sink with soap and drinking water.  No showers, though they did mention the idea of setting up a cold shower.  There is a hot tub on premises, but it is not for campers to use.  They have a fire pit with wood available, which was perfect for us.

The Oostema Farmstead Inn Campground is located close to Lynden, just a 5 minute drive from downtown.  Because it is situated off the main road, while you could see cars in the distance (Lynden is a bit flat), they were not disturbing the quiet of the farm.  There is not hiking within walking distance, but there are some parks and a river nearby you can drive to.

When I booked the Campground, Lisa was very responsive to the questions I had about bringing extra vehicles and very accommodating.  She gave good directions to get to the campground, as GPS doesn’t quite get you there.  They put a sign up on the road where GPS directs you, and it is a little small but visible, at least during the day.  When you get to the end of the driveway, there is a sign for the “tiny house”, I chose to ignore those directions, and continue around the house – which it turned out, was the right decision.

All in all, this was a delightful stay and I would recommend checking it out!

Product Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, from time to time I get to test products. At the Oostema Farmstead Inn, I tested the Ice Mule Cooler Pro.

What I loved about camping with my Ice Mule Cooler.

The Ice Mule Cooler Pro is a backpack cooler.  Which meant, when I was walking from my car to my campsite, and over to the fire pit, instead of lugging a bulky cooler around, I just swung this one on to my shoulders, and off I went.

 I also decided to put this cooler to the test.  Several hours before camping, I filled the cooler with ice and all things that needed to be kept cool.  Then I left it in the car, parked in the hot sun.  When I arrived at the campground, I opened the cooler to see that the ice hadn’t even really begun to melt.  By the next day, leaving it out, there was still a lot of ice.  This cooler really works.

I also like the fact that you can roll it down, so you can compact it and it has an air valve to vent out the air.

Some details on the one I have: It can carry 23 liters, the site says it can hold up to 18 cans plus ice, and it weighs 3.2 pounds.  It is insulated and they have MuleskinET for the exterior fabric and MuleSkinEV for in the interior layer.

Now that I have an Ice Mule Cooler, I won’t be going back to those bulky standard coolers.