by AmyH » Mon Feb 22, 2010 2:50 pm
I haven't been on here in a long time, and since I started this thread I figured I would get it going again.
One thing I look for in a free campsite, is a place that will allow me to maneuver the teardrop trailer easily. I have been stuck on forest service roads before and ran into difficulty finding an adequate place to turn around.
This past summer we tried to hit a couple of free sites (can't remember the names right now) out near Big Creek Campground, Olympic Peninsula. They were further north of Big Creek on Forest Service Roads. Turns out they were closed indefinitely due to budget cuts. So, we learned a lesson on that trip, always check to see if the campgrounds are still open. We should have called or checked the websites first. Turned out okay in that we were able to find a spot at Big Creek that worked out nicely for us.
One site that we did find the previous year is Rainy Creek Campground, out near Lake Wenatchee. This is a nice little campground with 10 sites, right along the Little Wenatchee River. There are pit toilets there, but we opted to use our toilet/shower tent the majority of the time. We went in mid-September, after the kiddies had gone back to school. Great little site! If you look at my camping log and check the Cascade Loop photos, you'll see shots of Rainy Creek Campground.
Napeequa campground is out around the same area, along the White River. That is actually where we had planned to go, but we missed the turn and ended up going to Rainy Creek instead. Napeequa only has 5 sites, so you would probably want to get there early before the weekend.
Both of those campsites are accessed by driving on the north road of Lake Wenatchee, past the lake. You end up hitting forest service roads after you pass the Lake. Can't remember the FS road numbers, but if you look at a good Benchmark map or Delorme map, you can find the campgrounds and service road numbers.