[Mugs]

Hey all, So My wife would like to get out on a little over nighter, on the weekend of the 14-16 of sep (some where in there.) She has had a lot going on, and just wants to get away for a bit. She doesn't really want to do any backpacking per se, just maybe a day hike, once at the camp. Plus this will be her first overnighter in a hammock. Neither of us are too fond of the whole "pay for a manicured square and listen to the yahoo next to us get drunk and listen to country music" type car camping. So are there any neat little places with some really cool views that we might be able to drive into and "hang out" for the night. I'm new to the area so please just don't say the "bend on FS15672" If all else fails I guess I'll check out Dash Point park, or go to umtumum creek out of Eburg. Thanks in advance.

[Benzarino]

It's a bit overwhelming to suggest a place for you to go, given that there are SO many spots. It would be much easier if you were to limit yourself to a particular area. Colonial Creek along Hwy 20 is great. Twin Lakes along the Baker Hwy is also fantastic. There must be a hundred sites in the Lake Wenatchee area that fit your description. Come back with an area and I'm sure you'll get plenty of great suggestions.

[Sloman]

or this place. Close Port Angles, Port Townsend, a ferry to Victoria and right on the edge of the Dungeness Wildlife refuge. http://www.clallam.net/Parks/Dungeness.html

[Mugs]

[LewisGoes]

I like the Corral Pass campground. Alpine setting at 6,000', rustic and sees little use. The views from Rainier View Trail are fabulous and you can hike to Noble Knob. Yes, the road in is a little rough but doable. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbs/recreation/recarea?recid=18092&actid=29 http://www.visitrainier.com/pg/hike/45/Corral%20Pass

[contour5]

This subject really needs a sticky... some kind of list prominently displayed...man... same question over, and over, and over! I just answered this question in another thread, like 90 seconds ago. Mugs: Sorry, it's a hard question to answer. And the better the answer- the potentially greater the loss of of secrecy (or obscurity) of the "spot". There are lots of eyes on this board. Specifically: if I name a location here, in this post- there will already be people there when you arrive. Sucks, doesn't it? If I get where you're at, you're looking for a sort of guarantee against the kind of random failures that are potentially inherent to the gray-area enterprise of short-term vehicular-based accommodation. With hammocks. And the wife. It is the very randomness of the enterprise itself which insures that there are no guarantees. Taking the lady friend/wife/honeybaby on a camping trip is a veritable minefield of potential chaos and confusion unless she is a seasoned trooper well acquainted with the harsh conditions of the field. You know, the field... where you poop, in the great outdoors. For starters. If you've already gotten past that part, it should be smooth sailing. I'd rent a cabin at Kalaloch. Buy a really expensive bottle of 15 year old Colheita Port and then drive up into the hills. Forget about the cabin, it's just backup- a prop to create the illusion of normalcy and security. Take three bottles and a huge pile of books. For fuxsake take a huge tent, or the non-existent bugs will just ruin everything. Take lots of lights, blankets and pillows. Candles are awesome if you're careful... Last week I car camped on the Tonga Ridge road. Half mile below the W TH, rough turn off; leads a few hundred yards to a short "Y" (2 decommissioned roads cut by ditches/berms) Awesome view of Persis/Index from the not-so level left fork. Nice, flat, private space created by parking in the entry to the right fork... No water... Might be people there now... or not. You can walk down those roads...wear orange hats. There are no perfect spots, only areas to explore, and possibly find temporarily paradisical locations.

[Benzarino]

Ok, well if you are completely open to anywhere and it just needs to be an alpine paradise, then head to Hart's Pass and the PCT. Sure the road is rough and a bit scary in one spot, but there is no finer camping/hiking in the state. This time of year, it should be pretty empty. Just prepare to be cold at night! You might not want to drive that far, but that's the best I've got. As someone who is new to the area, you can pretty much go anywhere and you'll find your own paradise. If you hate crowds, I would avoid Rainier and I-90, but that's just me.

[Mugs]

[wakerobin]

Campbell Tree Grove out on the Olympic Peninsula is nice, established campground, but is free (or was the last time I was there) also we were the only ones there. You can hike the Humptulips river trail right from camp. It's out there, but it's a nice drive and the trees are amazing. Also, it's a forested area so no incredible views, but peaceful and a nice get away.

[Firestar182]

Not for this trip but if you're new to the area I feel that I must inform you about the San Juan Islands. Go there sometime, it's one of my favorite places. Climb to the top of Mt. Constitution on a sunny day and just take it all in.

[Daryl]

I'll be at Panorama Point on Baker lake this weekend. it's a forest service campground on the lake. No electrical or water hook ups and the lake doesn't seem to be popular with party boaters so there are usually no yahoo's. Just hikers and fishers. You may hear a generator here and there but it's usually not too bad. When we were there earlier in the summer we saw a bear just outside of the campground. There are a few hikes nearby, or bring your canoe/kayak and if you get a good site you can just pull it up to your site.