A Pacific Northwest Hiking Blog — Pacific North Wanderers

DICK’S Sporting Goods Has You Covered For Fall and Winter

Fall is in full swing here in the Pacific Northwest. The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping, and Halloween is near. It’s time to gear up for cooler, damper weather. We, like many of you, appreciate comfortable, technical apparel that is also stylish. Whether cozying up by a campfire or visiting your local pumpkin patch, now’s a great time to select some new items to see you through the season. We’ve teamed up with DICK’S Sporting Goods to show you this year’s new coats, footwear, and other fall/winter apparel to keep you bundled up and ready for anything.

Camping, Hiking, ReviewPacific North WanderersOctober 30, 2020Washington, Washington State Park, Pacific NorthwestComment

Hiking Baldy Mountain

With 360-degree views at the top and a good overlook around the midway point, the TP Jim Trail on Baldy Mountain can be a little challenging but well worth it. It's only 2-miles to the top, but the nearly 2,000' elevation gain slowed us down quite a bit. However, all that effort does come with rewards from this vantage point: the Yakima River and campground at the bottom, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood visible in the distance, as well as the sparse, hilly eastern Washington landscape to be seen all around.

A Two Day Stay At Twin Harbors State Park

Quickly becoming a favorite part of the state to us, we took our third trip to the Westport, Washington area for two nights. Renting a cabin at Twin Harbors State Park as our temporary home base, we explored the town of Westport and two other nearby Washington State Parks over the weekend. Beaches to lighthouses to a colony of sea lions, we saw a lot!

Camping, Exploring, HikingPacific North WanderersMarch 15, 2019Washington State Park, Washington, Lighthouse, Beach, Pacific NorthwestComment

Cabin Nights And A Hike On Kitsap Peninsula

Sometimes you just need a few days away from the pull of home and work. A chance to rest, relax and explore was what we wanted and what we found. On the Kitsap Peninsula you’ll find Belfair State Park, Scenic Beach State Park and Gold Creek Trail. We spent a coupe of nights in a cabin at Belfair State Park, hiked Gold Creek Trail and explored Scenic Beach State Park. Waterfront, forest, mountain views and starry nights were healing elixirs.

Visiting Fields Spring State Park

If you are looking for a getaway, may we suggest the southeast corner of Washington? Here you will find Fields Spring State Park, an 825-acre park located in Washington’s northern portion of the Blue Mountains. The park lies within forested land and atop a natural spring, from which its name derives. Features of this park include camping opportunities, hiking trails, and scenic views from Puffer Butte. We stayed two nights in Tamarack cabin and loved every moment.

Fall And Winter Camping Inspiration In Washington

The temperatures have dropped, the leaves are falling, the rain is here, and winter is coming. With all of that being said, now is still a great time to get away and spend time with nature. Don’t let the change of seasons get you down, there are opportunities for all comfort levels, from backpacking in with the proper gear to sleeping in a cozy cabin at a state park. If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind, unique, maybe even luxurious experience, there is also the option of “glamorous camping” through Glamping Hub. No matter your preference, there are plenty of late-season camping options favorable for all. We have put together a list of ideas to get you started.

Cabin Life At Potholes State Park

We love the outdoors and like to show off the glorious Pacific Northwest to friends and family. As it goes, we all have differing levels of interest, ability and desire to partake in the adventures nature has to offer. We had a family member come to visit and wanted to share someplace great, that would not take a ton of preparation. We decided to spend a couple of nights in a cabin at Potholes State Park.

An Adventure On Wheels: 2017's Ride The Willapa

The second annual Ride the Willapa took place over the weekend of June 24. The event stretches 22 miles along the Willapa Hills State Park Trail, which starts in Chehalis, mostly follows along the Chehalis River and Washington State Route 6 through farmland, a countryside valley, past Rainbow Falls State Park, and all the way to the town of Pe Ell, then back again for a total of 44 miles. The two-day event is a go-at-your-own-pace ride rather than a race. This ride was a great opportunity for beginners, families, and pros. Along the route was Tour de Farms, first aid and water stations, and the chance to camp out at either Rainbow Falls or Pe Ell High School before making the trip home the next morning. Though we rode this trail during an event, it is open all year round and we recommend checking it out.

Biking, CampingPacific North WanderersAugust 23, 2017Washington State Park, Washington, Pacific Northwest, EventComment

Camping At Saltwater State Park

Saltwater State Park is a park that is easy to access. Close to city and highway, it is an oasis in the midst of urbanity. Trails wind through lush patches of forest, creeks, streams, beachfront, views of the Olympic Mountains, interpretive paths, and camping is just a handful of the possibilities here. As an adult, the noise of air and ground traffic can be a significant annoyance, but as a child....... As a child, you are surrounded by wonder and adventure.

Camping At Pacific Beach State Park

Some of our trips require well thought out plans. Sometimes though, we just need to get outdoors. The work week had been hectic and we miraculously ended up with a free evening. We seized the opportunity and found a campground with open spots. It's been awhile since we paid a visit to the Pacific Ocean, so over the weekend we made a drive west to Pacific Beach State Park. The park is adjacent to the beach and is surrounded by the town of Moclips. It's a 10-acre park with 2,300 feet of sandy shoreline, which makes great for beach combing.

Camping At Bridgeport State Park

Bridgeport State Park is out there in the middle of eastern Washington, which is a region of little rain and desert-like conditions. You would think the long drive out this way wouldn’t be worth it when you could easily find something much closer, on the western side of the state, where nature is more lush and welcoming. We didn’t expect anything great, but hey, we’re trying to knock out a visit to every state park, so we still made our way out there. The park greatly exceeded our expectations and is actually much nicer than some of our nearer parks. We loved it!

CampingPacific North WanderersSeptember 1, 2016Pacific Northwest, Washington State Park, Gorge, WashingtonComment

Exploring Bay View & Deception Pass State Parks

This past week we headed north again. We've seen many people share photos of Deception Pass and we also noticed the signs for it on the drive to Oyster Dome from the previous week. We decided it was time to check it out. We wanted to stay the night but we felt that it was still a bit cold for a tent so we started looking for cabins. The only available cabin at Deception Pass State Park was out on Ben Ure Island and required a kayak or canoe to reach it, which we don't have. So we looked around nearby and found one available at Bay View State Park.

Camping, HikingPacific North WanderersMarch 31, 2016Pacific Northwest, Washington State Park, Beach, WashingtonComment

Exploring Cape Disappointment State Park

As we started our 3 hour drive towards the state’s most south western point, where the Columbia River opens to the Pacific Ocean, we were getting hammered by the rain. The closer we got, the harder it came down. We planned on setting up our tent and camping for one night. Thank goodness we opted for only the one night instead of two like we originally planned. We still knew this single, wet, windy, and stormy night would be pretty uncomfortable.

Shi Shi Beach & Trail

Shi Shi Beach is one of those hidden gems that most people are unaware exists. It’s located in the upper northwest portion of the Olympic peninsula. It consists of a 2.5 mile coast line with tide pools, archipelagos, caves, sea stacks, wildlife, perfect sunsets, pristine stargazing, and more. The journey there is a long one as it’s roughly a 4–5 hour drive by car from the Seattle/Tacoma area. Once at the trailhead it’s about an hour hike to the beach and then another hour or so walk to the south end of the beach to the Point of the Arches. It’s all worth it as this is the best wandering experience we’ve had so far!

Hiking, CampingPacific North WanderersOctober 4, 2015Pacific Northwest, National Park Service, Beach, Cave, WashingtonComment

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