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Noheaperture
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PostWed Apr 24, 2019 8:09 pm 
My wife isn’t a fan of running 60 miles over a few days in the mountains like myself (I take enjoyment in the suffering), so I’ve been looking for some spots in the mountains I could drive to and set up camp, I’ve been having a difficult time wording this in my internet searches which leads me no where. I’m aware there are some spots near mount rainier that have great views of the near by ranges and am open to really anywhere within a few hours of Seattle. Just want to slowly get her out in the mountains with me and she agreed as long as we can drive. Eye roll...

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Brockton
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PostWed Apr 24, 2019 9:06 pm 
If you don't need to be all by yourself, the Deer Park Campground in Olympic National Park has great views.

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Cyclopath
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PostWed Apr 24, 2019 11:52 pm 
Camp at Colonial Creek on Diablo Lake. There are a few spots near the beach.

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MyFootHurts
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PostThu Apr 25, 2019 12:21 am 
Drive up the FS road that leads to the Glacier View trail (Copper Creek rd?) Just before the trailhead is saddle in a clear cut with a great view of Mt Rainier. Looks like it gets used as a campsite regularly.

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Waterman
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PostThu Apr 25, 2019 5:04 am 
Harts Pass, high alpine although it is a bit of a drive. Late summer into fall.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost
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RichP
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PostThu Apr 25, 2019 6:36 am 
Chumstick Mtn is a drive up and old lookout site. Great views of the Entiat and Stuart Ranges.

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Apr 25, 2019 9:39 am 
Chumstick is one of the closest and most impressive... Other players: Boundary Butte near Leavenworth- Great view of the Icicle and locale. Caveat...haven't been up there in a long time and the land access issues around Lworth may have swallowed up access. Entiat Ridge - The same ridgeline as Chumstick, there are numerous places to pull out and enjoy a great view, particularly in the stretch E of Chumstick above Swakane Canyon Jumpoff Mtn - Rimrock Lake area...this is a long rocky road from Windy Point area on the Tieton, but it is little visited. The top is a plateau, not a peak per se, but you can still access the abandoned lookout and there are numerous view camps. Timberwolf Mtn - Drive right to the top at 6300, great view of the William O Douglass Wilderness and Mt Aix, with Rainier peeking over the Aix ridgeline Miner's Ridge, S Bumping lake area - Eye busting view of Rainier, axle busting road. It's not full on 4x4, but you'd better be comfortable with careful tire placement and rocks...and have some clearance. Not suitable for the legendary Prius in the backcountry game. Cleman Mtn, Naches - fairly rocky road, but long, long ridgeline with a couple very nice pullouts in the ponderosas looking south to infinity Quartz Mtn road, Manashtash. 6200ish on top, road is OK, actual campground (Quartz Springs) with a couple sites and pit toilet a mile or so prior to the top. Raven's Roost...cannot camp right at the top, but the view are staggering. Longish access, not particularly savage. Tons of dispersed sites on the way up. Sweetgrass Butte, Twisp: Decent road and gentle summit with fantastic views of the Pasayten and west to N Casc Park Cooper Mtn, Chelan: great views of the lake The Chumstick Peak Beater: Crane Mtn, Oregon - This is more than most are up for, but it's amazing. Like Chumstick, drive right to the tippy top and park on the footings of a former lookout where every step is downhill when you open the car door and climb out. Unlike Chumstick...add 2500' to your elevation, this road goes to 8347'. Views worth the drive, with the lakebed to the west 4300' vertical feet lower. Mt Shasta on the horizon. Overnight stay reveals a mind busting starscape, at this altitude you are above a good proportion of the lower tropospheric haze. The milky way was so bright I kept catching it out of the corner of my eye as it rose, mistaking it for car headlights in dust from someone coming up the road. 15 miles SE of Lakeview, OR.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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RichP
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PostThu Apr 25, 2019 10:26 am 
Great list there, MtnGoat. up.gif I would add Bethel Ridge. A rough spur goes to the top but it's not too bad.

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Apr 25, 2019 11:33 am 
You bet! I have a ton more, but didn't want to post a novel. Yet.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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kenjo
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PostMon Apr 29, 2019 4:49 pm 
A few miles north of Chumstick is Sugarloaf Lookout. If the access road gate is open (lookout will be staffed after about July 7) there is a good camping spot near the lookout...also close to the outhouse. Decent road, mostly. Great views from Stuart range to Lake Wenatchee to Glacier Pk, etc.

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Schroder
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PostMon Apr 29, 2019 4:54 pm 
Lion Rock north of Thorp. Great views of Stuart and the Enchantments.

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RichP
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PostMon Apr 29, 2019 5:11 pm 
Schroder wrote:
Lion Rock north of Thorp. Great views of Stuart and the Enchantments.
That's a good one but make sure you have a car with good clearance. I went up there couple of years back and there are lots of rocks sticking up in the road.

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Schroder
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PostMon Apr 29, 2019 5:15 pm 
RichP wrote:
That's a good one but make sure you have a car with good clearance. I went up there couple of years back and there are lots of rocks sticking up in the road.
Did you come up Reecer Road? It's paved to within a mile of the campground. It's one of the highest paved roads in the state as far as I know. It's pretty rough the other direction via Blewett Pass.

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RichP
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PostTue Apr 30, 2019 6:39 am 
Schroder wrote:
It's pretty rough the other direction via Blewett Pass.
That's the way I drove up. I wanted to check out Table Mtn too. You are right about it being good the other way. Now I remember how much better it was toward Ellensburg thinking I was a dummy for going the way I did..

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Foist
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PostTue Apr 30, 2019 1:25 pm 
Twin Lakes near Mt. Baker is a spectacular high-elevation campground. It even has tent pads, an outhouse and picnic tables. If she's willing to hike *a little* from there, you can take her up to the Winchester Lookout and even sleep in it (first come first served). But two caveats there: 1) it's generally only melted out in August and September. Sometimes there is still snow blocking the campsites even in early August. 2) the last few miles of road are very, very rough, with steep dropoffs. I have made it -- but only barely -- in a CX-5 and in a Forester (which both have 8+ inches of clearance). That would be the absolute minimum of clearance to even attempt it.

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