This was truly one of my most memorable campsites I’ve ever stayed at. After a glorious hike up Roan Mountain and back down I crossed the road and hiked out along the three balds and found a few lonely trees to hang a hammock between. The Appalachian Trail is frequently referred to as The Green Tunnel because of the amazing wormhole effect of trees, rhododendron and other vegetation that shroud your views. But not here! There was an evening thunderstorm over an adjacent mountain, a beautiful sunset, a full moon to howl at, and a sunrise that can’t be beat. The hike back was in and out of the clouds. Pure bliss!

Pro Tip : Please do not skin or scar trees. Bring your own firewood.

So the camp store, swimming pool and café are closed Memorial Day but the visitors center is open year round. I stayed on Loop A which has very nice and clean restrooms and spacious showers with hot water. There is Lee Creek on one side and access to three trailheads from Loop A. The new Devil’s Racetrack Monument multiuse trail was completed in the last two years and is all sorts of fun whether you are hiking it or biking it. The addition of this trail does not show on some maps so please get careful instructions on how to hike it. I recommend going up Yellowrock to see the overlook (tip: go straight at the four way intersection with unmarked Devil’s Racetrack). On the way down turn left and hug the cliffs. There is one place where there is a Y intersection. Go straight (not right which goes back down to the Outlaw Trailhead in Campground Loop A) or you will miss the good stuff. Devil’s Racetrack eventually crosses the very wide and straight Outlaw Trail and if you go sharp left you will also end up back at Loop A. This hike is one of my top two favorites in the park, Devil’s Den being the other.

There is a backcountry loop called the Butterfield Trail which is a strenuous 15 miles and extends outside the park. Both hiking and backcountry camping on this trail require a free permit that must be obtained and turned in at the visitor’s center. There is no backcountry camping in the park but there are three sites along the trail outside of the park. Be mindful of hunting season and wear bright orange on any trail exiting the park system!!!!

There is an RV campground with hook up, a horse campground with manure bin, picnic areas galore and 20 miles of trails to explore!! Such a beautiful park!!!!!

Had to take the long road to get home and did not waste an opportunity to stay at my favorite campground. As a walk in you pay $20/night for an available non-reservable campsite. C Loop has showers and D Loop does not. Bears were active but did not bother me in the least. I could hear them turning over stones in the night hunting for bugs, and I saw two small bears 25’ from my tent in the morning. I did as they recommend and put ALL scented items in the provided bear boxes, sleep in clothes I did not cook in or eat in, and I had only water in my tent. They couldn’t have been less interested in me. Next morning I hiked Black Balsam and Tennent Mountain Loop. Gorgeous!!! The chicken salad to go from the Lodge store was fantastic! Don’t go anywhere near this place without stopping here!

Desoto State Park is a beautiful park with great hiking and waterfalls. The primitive camping area has a keyed gate. Make sure you arrive during business hours so they can get you registered and give you a key. They will also give you a big card with your last name on it that you will put on the campsite ledger board once you have driven through the primitive area and picked from available sites. This ledger board is halfway along the gravel road once you have let yourself through the gate and is also where the common area is. In the common area there are pit toilets, a large covered pavilion, rentable cabins, picnic tables and stone fire rings. Campsites are well marked, each has a trash can (not bear proof since no bears), and a stone fire ring. At registration you will also receive the gate code for the improved RV park so that you can use the showers and do laundry. When you leave you can put your gate key in a Dropbox outside the office.

I drove into this RV park and there was a large sign that said “Absolutely no tent camping. Call for an explanation.” So the next closest campground I found was Desoto State Park but primitive camping is locked so arrive during business hours.

Brushy Ridge Road is Forest Service Road 75 and is in decent condition. There are several pull off campsites along this road on the way up to Dolly Sods wilderness but this primitive group of three large unmarked campsites with stone fire rings is before you get to the Bear Flats Plateau and the Red Creek camp grounds. It is a 2.5 mile, 2000’ climb to get to the trailhead for Bear Rocks Trail in Bear Rocks Preserve which is about a half mile past the entrance to this unmarked group site. I camped in the middle of these three large campsites that are each about 100 feet away from each other. Firewood was available on a self serve honor system (put $5 cash in the box for each bundle you take) at the farmhouse across from the turn on to Brushy Creek.

Stevens Gulch Road (321) is a dirt road off of I-70 west of Denver in the Arapaho & Rosevelt National Forests and the Pawnee National Grasslands. It has amazing scenery and access to gorgeous hiking trails to summit Gray’s, Torrey’s and Kelso Peaks. It is a fairly mellow SUV road with plenty of space to pass other vehicles and you will occasionally see passenger cars as well. The road leads to a large parking lot that fills up fast with car overflow parking spilling down both sides of the road. There are pit toilets and bear proof trash cans at the parking lot. The road continues past the parking lot a very short ways to some dispersed campsites by a river that have stone campfire rings. Definitely filter this water as there are uphill toilet paper gardens along the climb to summit.

I stopped at Yokum’s Store to get my camping permit (make sure you arrive during business hours) and drove to the Lower Campgrounds by the river. I couldn’t figure out why I was the only one picking a choice spot by the river. The first night was great. I had a little trail down to the waters edge and sat on giant boulders to eat my meals. I should have checked the weather. The skies opened up, a large limb fell on my tent and the water level began rising. I was so scared I went and slept in my car somewhere else. Later I learned this area is prone to flooding. It’s a great campground Uber close to Seneca Rocks if the weather is good. I would camp here again.

Cross Timber’s Trail is technical for the region and is a 14 mile point to point trail along the shore of Lake Texoma. It’s on army Corps Of Engineers Land and there are many free walk/hike in first come first serve campsites. But this is my favorite!!!! It’s way up on a wooded peninsula along a spur that overlooks the lake. Birds flock over and it’s far enough away from the freeway that it’s quiet (with the exception of the occasional fishing boat). The trail is more technical than most in the vicinity and is a great place to do a gear shake down and train for those longer through hikes in more mountainous regions.

My campsite was nestle in the rainforest and even though I was close to my neighbors, it felt very secluded. The campgrounds are located near Kalaloch Lodge which has incredible dining at a reasonable price. Even better, it has a wonderful outdoor patio that overlooks the mouth of the HOH River where you can watch amazing sunsets or go explore beaches laden with driftwood the size of jetliners!! Be very careful though as driftwood this size can shift and be dangerous. Walk south down the beach and you’ll find the cabins, a gazebo and people flying kites or hanging around campfires on the beach. The drive north is beautiful and hugs the beaches. Explore them all but Beach No. 4 has the best tide pools full of sea life. It is imperative that you go while the tide is going out (Ebb Tide) as it is easy to get stranded out on the rocks when the tide comes in. Have a tide chart and know how to use it. This is an exciting place for children to explore. I guess I’m just a big kid. Ruby Beach is the next beach north and has incredible sea stacks. Continue driving north and the road turns inland and takes you to the HOH Rainforest. Hike The Hall of Mosses trail sprinkled with woodland poems and the Enchanted Valley up to the waterfalls. Driving south, visit Lake Quinault resort area with a plethora of things to do. This is a place with visiting again and again.

Wow!!! This was such a magical adventure! You will need a permit and a bear canister (which you can rent from the ranger station) but the payoff is a forever sunset, the scent of healing salt air, the sound of eagle’s fledging their young, giant sea stacks looming in the tide and the alpha wave inducing white noise of gentle waves churning, all while Bambi grazes near your tent. You might even see seals and whales so bring binoculars. I hiked the 9.4 mile Ozette Triangle over two days. I started from my campsite at the Ozette Campgrounds and hiked out Sand Point Trail. Then I explored giant sea stacks and saw petroglyphs along the Ozette River to Sand Point Beach Travel Way. Mt campsite had a rustic pit toilet nearby, a fire ring (burn dead driftwood only!) and a view of a distant sea stack framed perfectly by giant trees. After spending the most restful magical night right on the cusp of the rainforest, I explored northward some (do this during ebb tide so you don’t get trapped between peninsulas) before I headed back along the Cape Alava Trail. I did not want this hike to end. I can see why these are some of “The Best 100 Miles in National Parks” as ranked by Backpacker Magazine. I will go back and include this as part of a seven day of Cape Alava to Shi Shi Beach.

Pro Tips: 1) Take a picture of the current tide chart posted at the trailhead and know how to use it. 2) There are wonderful restrooms at the the trailhead parking lot but there is not a single trash can or dumpster to be found anywhere. I love this! It is a reminder to truly Leave No Trace and pack out everything in an effort to reduce the drain on limited park resources to deal with garbage. So take two trash bags, one for you and one for your neighbor. 3) Get a map and information sheet of the Petroglyphs before you go so you can enjoy this little treasure hunt!

Lovely wooded campground on the Quillayute River. I originally had campground Loop A all to myself so I decided to move to loop E on the river and have some company nearby. The location of this campground is great for adventuring. I hiked from Rialto Beach up to Hole-In-The-Wall. This hike is 3.4 miles round trip and is only accessible during low tide (Pro Tip: get a tide chart at the ranger station and know how to use it). You will also need a National Park Pass to access this hike. There was a magic moment at sunset where the suns rays prominently cast through the rock formation for perfect pictures. Or drive down to Second Beach (not to be confused with 2nd Beach) and hike through the rainforest to get to Hole-In-The-Wall. Then continue on to Third Beach (not to be confused with 3rd beach) for another trek through the rainforest to see some of the most amazing sea stacks. What a great location to base camp from!!!!!

This dense verdant rainforest is dripping with moss, lichen, Goliath trees, flowers, fungus, fauna, cloudy light beams straining to reach the forest floor, trails and oxygen; all adjacent the mysterious Lake Crescent. The easy to access Fairholm Campground Loop Trail is only .7 miles long but routes away from the grounds and is very secluded. The drive around the lake is beautiful with many pullovers for taking pictures and exploring. I encourage you to visit the general store and read the book The Lady of the Lake for a bit of spooky history. Dine at Crescent Lodge for simply amazing food and then hike Marymere Falls (more strenuous) or stay low and explore the natural area. I love this place and it’s vibe so much I think I’d like to be a camp host here someday.

I rooftop tent camped here before hiking Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop. The campgrounds have easy access to the hike/bike trail into Aspen. Restrooms were clean, my site had shade and bear boxes and was easy to get into. I will definitely be back.

Couldn’t find accommodations in Asheville so I drove to a couple campgrounds. Beautiful and fun drive up to Mt. Pisgah Campgrounds. The website showed they were full but they have walk in’s available and are cheaper than reserved sites. I camped two nights and hiked Mt. Pisgah, the Fryingpan Fire Tower, Skinny Dip Falls, Looking Glass Rock, Devil’s Courthouse Trail and other fun hikes. Temps were 50’s at night and 70’s during day. Campgrounds are simply amazing and across the street from the Lodge, restaurant (need reservations) and General Store.