[MtnGoat]

A thread on the TT page elicited my remarks on the new Cottonwood Canyon SP on the John Day river. I commented that it was in a neat place, technically brand new, and due to total absence of any cover or greenery, so you completely stare your neighbor in the face 10 sites over, lousy in terms of privacy or appeal. Later I added the abandoned picnic area along Hwy 24 S of Saddle Mtn to the list of saddest official (former or current) recreation sites. I just realized this could be an entertaining topic. Feel free to contribute examples of the lamest, weirdest, nastiest, most barren, or whatever public campground or picnic spot you've ever seen. This should be fun. As always, pictures make it better!

[Malachai Constant]

I will start with three. 1. Brandywine Fall Campground just south of Whistler. A few paved tent sites Sandwiched between the B.C. Railroad tracks and the freeway to Vancouver on a small hill. When trucks go by they hit the Jake Brakes and when a train goes by the ground shakes. Next door to a beautiful falls and some trails. 2. Mowich Lake CG a ring of tent sites on an old parking lot. 3. Fish Pond Lake CG in the Dacks near Saranac Lake 500 sites around a couple ponds in the Summer completely filled and having Espresso, Gormet Ice Cream, hot showers, and firewood service. Actually quite nice. The ponds are part of a chain of ponds and lakes with short portages and locks in some cases.

[Randito]

The Sunshine Point campground in Mt Rainier -- since the floods in November 2006 much of the campsite has been incorporated into the riverbed! In terms of "funky smell" that might have to go to Camp Muir -- nothing is beats than being downwind of the "barrels" on a warm summer day.

[NacMacFeegle]

I contemplated starting this thread myself, should be fun! Here's campgrounds mentioned in the Trail Talk Thread: A picture of lovely Cottonwood Canyon Campground:

And a few screenshots from Google Earth of Harry Gardner County Park campground (I've neglected to photograph it in person for obvious reasons).

On the left is the quiet riverside park, lush and pleasant. On the right is what followed the "improvement" of the park; The camping area was shaved of all but a few trees, the few they left and replanted are mostly dead or dying, and for some reason they found it necessary to cut many of the trees around the picnic area and the playground. The spaces in between the sites are devoid of cover, and there is little more privacy than at the Cottonwood campground. The woods North of the campground were supposed to a day use area when the plans for the park were originally layed out, but apparently some genius decided to open them to camping sans limits on duration of stay. Now the this area has been colonized by semi-permanent tents and shanties, the inhabitants of which have large files of firewood, extensive laundry lines (and other signs of long-term habitation), and invariably own leash-less dogs that run wild throughout the park. Add the illegal motorized use of the adjacent wildlife area and you have what is perhaps the worst campground/park in Washington. In the previous thread I also mentioned the Catfish Junction campground in Eastern Oregon, but I also don't have any photos of that, and Google Earth pics really don't do its awfulness justice.

[Voxxjin]

You mentioned the most barren, i would have to pick this camp site in New Mexico near Roswell. Brantley Lake State Park. I camped there on my way up to Washington. Just me and the dogs. The tree in the picture is the tallest thing around for miles.

However the sunrise the next morning was pretty awesome.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I've been in a few out in the open, no cover, good view of your neighbors campgrounds before. Can't even remember the names of all of them. One near Redfish Lake in Idaho. One in Yosemite NP on the road towards Glacier Point. Actually all of the CG in the park were terrible from what I could tell. At least 2 different CG in Yos. you could probably see at least half-a-dozen different camp sites from any particular spot. Another bad one in Montana, I think it was a state park. Just a big open grassy area, again no cover and no privacy. Banks Lake SP near Grand Coulee is another one that provides good views of other campers. What's worse, a CG with no cover so you can see others, but at least some physical distance between campsites, or a CG with a little row of shrubbery or something between each site, but you're keenly aware other people are like 5 or 10 feet away from you? I've definitely encountered some of the second type at state parks on the Oregon Coast. Oh, forgot another doozy in Western Montana, literally RIGHT off of I-90 just east of the Idaho border. Stopped to check it out, but the idea of constant freeway noise lulling me to sleep wasn't appealing. Found another CG a teeny bit further west and north of the freeway 10 miles or so that was mucho better. Oops, there is no Banks Lake SP, I meant Steamboat Rock, saw someone else mention it below.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

This is an interesting topic. I've never been a "let's go car camping" type, it's always a means to an end for me. I used to despise car camping, but I've softened up a bit over the years. Still it's just about being conveniently close to hiking trails, or finding a place to stop along the way during a road trip. There is such a broad spectrum when it comes to campgrounds. Most are decent enough, some are terrible, some are great. In very general terms I often am underwhelmed by CG within National Parks. It seems quite clear most of the time they are trying to cram as many sites as they possibly can into a given area, so privacy and personal space are not priorities by the land managers. I'm sure there are exceptions and some excellent CG in NP's, but there have been many I've seen that I've not been enamored with.

[Schroder]

Emigrant campground in Death Valley

[Daryl]

Rainbow falls State park. It's a small patch of trees in the middle of farm fields with nothing around it for miles and miles. If you could cross the river on the bridge you could do a little hiking in the patch of trees, but the bridge was out when i was there (and probably still is). Strange people there too. Basically, if you want to just camp and not leave the campground it's a fine enough place, but that's all it's good for.

[Chico]

[RichardJ]

An interesting picnic spot at White Sands, NM. We got there before the crowds for the sunrise. Growing up in El Paso, I had only been here on weekends when it was a crowded circus. Returning as an adult I was blessed to experience this surreal moment of peaceful beauty for a few hours.

[tigermn]

[NacMacFeegle]

A particular interesting campground that is actually quite thoughtfully designed is the one in Craters of the Moon National Monument; it is a weird paradox of a really nice campground in a place I would have little desire to stay in for the majority of the year. The Good: Widely spaced, secluded sites each situated in its own cozy crater. A few ragged juniper trees add life to the place and there is access to numerous trails directly or within a short drive from the camp. The Bad: This place is an oven, it is so hot during the summer that I would be worried my tent might melt if I left it up during the day! I've considered staying there a couple times in the past, but have never quite been able to bring myself to stop in this desolate place with the nearb cool mountain lakes beckoning so sweetly. So great campground, harsh location, perhaps it would be ideal in the spring. Here's some pics I pulled off of Google (I rarely photograph campgrounds I don't stay at):

[MtnGoat]

I camped at that campground. It was actually one of the more interesting official campgrounds I've ever stayed at. Putting many of the sites in their own little nook of lava is pretty cool.

[seawallrunner]

Worst campground? KOA at Ilwaco WA. Nice grounds for the big RVs, but for us tenters, we had to contend with a very large patch of grass, each site with a campfire pit and ( I think ) a camping table... A long row of tents on one side of the grass, and another on the other side, near the KOA Guesthouse ( with laundromat, pool table, little store, etc ) No privacy from the other campers in tents and... A big old hedge separating us from the highway on the other side. Truck noises all through the night. Most expensive night camping, too. No we are not KOA members. Why were we there? We were doing a tour of Highway 101 early in the season and, up to that point, had been able to show up at campsites ( Ft Ebey, Dungeness, Kalaloch, Ocean shores etc... ) without any problems. Not so Ilwaco. Nothing for miles in state or national parks, on either side of the Columbia. Makes for a good story now, but was not too pleasant then.