We recently moved back to the midwest after living in Washington state for 8 years. Time to start exploring! My husband and I had both previously been to New Salem but our children had not. Nor did we know there were hiking trails! The hiking trails are located on the road up the hill directly across from where you turn off of the highway to drive up to the village. There were really no signs to let you know they are there bit once you reach the parking lot all the trails are properly marked and well kept. Definitely worth the visit if you are checking out the other Lincoln sites in Springfield!
RANGER REVIEW: GREEN GOO
Campground review: This small campground is located about 45 minutes inland from the Washington coast on the bank of the Columbia river. It was more than adequate for our end of the summer camping trip. The beach access was remarkable. The campground welcomed tents,rvs, and even had yurt village set back in the hillside. They sold their own espresso from a coffee truck (which was quite good by the way) and also sold fire wood on-site. Amenities also included clean restrooms and a free shower house! This is a great place for water sports or fishing on the Columbia. Sandy bottom shores abound!💜🤗
Gear Review:Green Goo
As a Ranger for the Dyrt our family will occasionally get products to review. This round we were testing GREEN GOO products. On this trip we tested the Outdoor Travel Pack. Consisting of smaller versions of GREEN GOO originals. We used the Bugs Be Gone Spray and First Aid Salve. Seperate to this set we also tested the GREEN GOO Skin Repair Salve which we have been using for a while now at home but was nice to have especially after having spent some time in the sun.
Review:Green Goo Bugs Be Gone Spray
We loved this! My son and I used this a few wks ago at scout camp also around horses and it kept the biting flies at bay. This stuff is 100% natural so I'm all about that. We used it again this trip at the river in the evening when the bugs came out and were not bothered. Just wish the bottle were bigger.
Review:Green Goo First Aid Salve
This product was honestly a lifesaver for my 2 yr old this trip. Both of my kids were playing in our campsite and she tripped and fell in thorny ground brush. She had tiny slivers all in her hands and was really hard to calm down. I tried to just pull then out but it just made it worse. After remembering I had the salve packed away we tried this on her hands and they wiped out easily with a towel. I was really quite impressed. So I highly recommend having this on hand if you have little people who are active.
Review:Green Goo Skin Repair
I have been using this at night around my eyes for a few wks now and I love it. It's a multi purpose salve so it's pretty great. However this trip the kids and I used it for minor sunburn relief and I found it worked equally well for that. I would just recommend keeping it in the cooler as it is a salve and will melt if it gets too warm.
We stayed here as part of a camping trip for my son's cubscout troop. It seemed like a moderately used small campground at the time. My visit was a year ago. They have a large shelter used for weddings. Adirondacks that didn't seem used much, a tent camping area and cabins. We tent camped. They also have restrooms that have since been updated since my initial visit. It's a decent basic campground with a small stream running through it.
I've backpacked sections of the AT twice in my life. Once when I was 18 and again when I was 27. This was my first experience. The Icewater Spring shelter location is spectacular! And great for beginning or experienced backpackers alike. Staying in a shelter is a unique experience because you never know who you will meet on the trail. I loved this specific shelter especially because a few of us actually slept out front and woke to the sunrise and snow on our sleeping bags. It was an experience I'll never forget. Check this one out for sure! Happy camping!
We stayed here on our way to hike a section of the AT. Great trails surrounding and leading up Mount Pisgah which is beautiful with seasonal streams. Great amenities in the campground.
Love this place!! We camped here once when I was growing up and i can honestly say it was one of my most memorable family camping trips. I remember checking out the petroglyphs and climbing what seemed like a million stairs to the top of the rock formation. But I specifically remember all of the turkey vultures when you were climbing all of those stairs! Wisconsin state parks has a really great junior ranger type program for kids my parents checked us out an interpretive backpack loaded with fun park activities that kept us all busy the whole weekend. Would love to make it back there someday. This park has an incredibly interesting history.
I formally lived in northern Wisconsin and we would camp here quite often. Huge lake. Most sites are lake front with steps leading right down to your own private beach! This campground is very popular and busy but it is mostly local people and my experience has been they're all respectful. If youre looking for a less busy experience fall might be a better time or a weekday in summer. Don't forget the bug spray! Those northwoods bugs are lethal🤣
My parents brought me here while visiting a few years back. They enjoy going to the nearby ever popular brewery. I also did some quick research and happened to discover that the Leopold center (as in Aldo Leopold) is also nearby so that was amazing to check out..anyway onward to the site review. The sites were all large and private mostly wooded which was nice. The beach wasn't very maintained upon our visit it was hard to say if it's like that all the time. Overall good location from Madison or Chicago. Private sites. Good for families we enjoyed ourselves!
If you camp anywhere in the Olympics let Sol Duc be your home base! Right smack in the middle of Olympic National Park we had access to not only the Hurricane ridge area but were close enough to spend a day at Kalaloch on our way home! The soak in the Sol Duc Hot springs were amazing especially after a hike. We saw some great wildlife and wildflowers on this trip. Sol duc is about an hour from Port Angeles. Happy Adventuring! And remember to practice leave no trace ethics.✌❤
Kind of a bare bones campground but this state park does offer rock climbing (if you have the expertise and your own gear). A few picnic shelters and an amazing CCC lodge that has a cabin rentals and a pretty good area restaurant. The park used to have an interp center but I believe the state closed it do to funding. The trails aren't always maintained it definitely depends on the season but the park itself is not to be missed.
I loved this state park growing up. I remember lovely hikes here in hardwood forests. Sandstone bluffs speckled the landscape. There are a couple fun hike and picnic areas on the bluffs overlooking the river. It's a great stop on your way to Savanna or Galena.
Great PNW experience minutes from Olympia!
Campground review: First off this is not a primitive experience by any means. However this is a really interesting state park that has something for EVERYONE. The campground itself is separated into 3 separate sections. There is a larger trailer loop down by the main entrance, standard tent camping and lastly "glamping" and yes you heard me right. This campground also boasts a beer garden AND a boat house with kayak and canoe rentals. If this is all sounding a little much I understand. Surprisely though the campground was almost completely filled when we were there and do to it being densely vegetated and how it's laid out. Our campsite was very private and spacious. The campground itself was very clean and well kept and rangers were on regular patrol. It was a great fun local escape for us and our kids loved it!! They also have a few trails but we did not check them out this visit. My only complaint would be the restrooms are few and far between for how large the campground is just know this before your visit. Happy Adventuring!
Gear Review:
HellaGood Belmont Blanket
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get products to test- today I am testing the HellaGood Belmont Blanket. Right away I was surprised by how light weight and extra durable this blanket was. Easy to pack in a backpack and bring to the water front with us and made a great blanket to cozy up under after a few hours of paddling. It was also a great additional play space for our kids at our camp site. The bottom is waterproof and the top is a soft fleece like material so I didn't have to worry about washing it when we got home. In the past we have just brought a beach blanket camping but this is for sure our new go to! www.belmontblanket.com
Only a few hours drive from northern Wisconsin. Porcupine Mountains is one of my favorite northwoods spots to visit. I have seen black bear here on numerous occasions. I love to sit on the flat rock shore of lake Superior. The colors of the rocks are remarkable! Check out both lake of the clouds and the presque isle area. Happy adventuring!
Its been a long time since I've camped here. 6 yes or so. The campground is located on a bluff overlooking the Ohio river. The cave has some pretty interesting history it was once a hideout for river pirates. It now seems to be frequented by bikers and locals. It was pretty dirty and questionable during our short stay. My suggestion. More of a day trip location if you have young kids. The history in the location is well worth the visit.
Great little campground close to the monument. All the modern amenities. They also offer cabin rentals which is nice if you dont want to bring all your gear or weather the elements. Personally we prefer a more rustic state/national park style campground. Next time we visit devils tower we'll be making the short drive from Custer.
Stayed a night here on a road trip. Not much to say, it was quiet and not crowded. Most of the people were locals and there to fish only a few people were camping overnight. I would stay here again if driving through the area!
Great state park with clean beach access! This park is nice with wooded spots for privacy and trails to explore. Staff were helpfull. Don't forget to check out the submarine when visiting Muskegon. Happy adventuring!
This was my favorite place to go camping as a kid because you could drive through the water! There's a creek/river that runs through the park and the road runs through it in two spots. There are bridges for pedestrians. But for a 7 yr old Midwestern kid this was exciting stuff. This place is great though the campground never fills up so you can still just drive out on a weekend. Nice trails well kept. Also they have a cute lodge and restaurant so check those out too.
We stayed at this campground as a child and then took the ferry over to the island. I can still remember the smell of fudge and horse manure. The campground is nice wooded and has sites right on the water. Perfect for kayakers or anyone who enjoys a bit of scenery.
Awesome campgrounds! The campgrounds are always clean and well maintained. Close to the beaches. Awesome storm watching in fall/winter! Plan your visit in advance this place fills up fast!