Pacific Northwest Trip

[Airabel]

Need advice. We're planning a trip to North Cascades NP in June and maybe on to the Pacific coast. Can anyone recommend any good RV parks with a reservation system that are located on the coast near Vancouver or maybe south of that?
Thanks

[uncle_bob]

Hi

It probably would help things along a bit if you entered your trailer / motorhome details as part of your user info. What makes sense for a 16' Bambi may not be quite right for a 34' triple axle ....

Vancouver Island is amazing, not quite sure if that counts as "near Vancouver" or not. (Are we talking Vancouver BC or Vancouver WA .... )

Bob

[Airabel]

We will be traveling from Wyoming with a 16' Sport. Major objective is to visit North Cascades NP. Looking at the map we would only be about two hours from the coast. So we're discussing taking two weeks instead of one and spend time on the coast somewhere, not sure where. Open to suggestions.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

With a 16' you should be ok for most of the trailer (as opposed to tent) campgrounds. My vote would be to cruise through Olympic NP and head over to Vancouver Island at Port Angeles. Just where you stay depends a bit on how close to civilization (Victoria) you want to be. Indeed the ferry ride is not free

Bob

[Renascence]

We drove Hwy 20 West through North Cascades National Park years ago from northern Idaho and decided to continue on thru Bellevue, Tacoma, Olympia, and then north to Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula. We stayed in Olympic National Forest campgrounds, no reservations, and eventually made it to the Hoh Rain Forest visitors center on the West side of the peninsula. The drive was definitely worth it. Scenery and ocean views were spectacular! We continued down the Oregon coast to California and so on. Your time frame is shorter.

I realize this is not exactly what you were asking but thought it might help some in your search for ideas. The driving was easy and campsites were not difficult to come by; your 16' should pose no problems. Services, gas, groceries, etc. in some places are a good distance apart. We did not go to Vancouver Island or Vancouver, BC so have no input for you there.
Happy trails and enjoy the scenery. Jeff and Kathy - Renascence

[aftermath]

You are in for some spectacular country. I am assuming you will be traveling highway 20 west out of the Omak area. Just a couple miles north of Winthrop is Pearrygin State Park. Pretty nice with hookups, on the lake and close to Winthrop.


As you head over the pass there is another park, Newhalem (I believe) state park. It is between Diablo and Newhalem. It is in a deep forest with the Skykomish river running through it. In June this river will be running high and is quite spectacular.


If you pass through Mt Vernon, you can drive onto Whidbey Island and avoid a ferry ride. Right there is Deception Bay State Park. Going south, there are others so look over the map. Ft. Casey is also a nice place.


Just south of Ft. Casey you can take a ferry over to Port Townsend which is on the Olympic peninsula. Lots of places to camp here. We have stayed at Ft. Flagler and Ft. Worden, all state parks.



If you have time, continue west to the ocean. We camped at the Hoh Rain Forest and it was amazing. It is in the rain forest as you might suspect and the vegetation is not like anything you will see in Wyoming.


Go online to find State Parks, and National Parks in Washington. You can also pull up the ferry schedules for all of the ferries along with current prices. June is a great month to make this trip. Enjoy

[Airabel]

Originally Posted by aftermath

You are in for some spectacular country. I am assuming you will be traveling highway 20 west out of the Omak area. Just a couple miles north of Winthrop is Pearrygin State Park. Pretty nice with hookups, on the lake and close to Winthrop.


As you head over the pass there is another park, Newhalem (I believe) state park. It is between Diablo and Newhalem. It is in a deep forest with the Skykomish river running through it. In June this river will be running high and is quite spectacular.


If you pass through Mt Vernon, you can drive onto Whidbey Island and avoid a ferry ride. Right there is Deception Bay State Park. Going south, there are others so look over the map. Ft. Casey is also a nice place.


Just south of Ft. Casey you can take a ferry over to Port Townsend which is on the Olympic peninsula. Lots of places to camp here. We have stayed at Ft. Flagler and Ft. Worden, all state parks.



If you have time, continue west to the ocean. We camped at the Hoh Rain Forest and it was amazing. It is in the rain forest as you might suspect and the vegetation is not like anything you will see in Wyoming.


Go online to find State Parks, and National Parks in Washington. You can also pull up the ferry schedules for all of the ferries along with current prices. June is a great month to make this trip. Enjoy

So far our plan is to stay 2 nights in Winthrop KOA and then 3-4 days at New Halem Camp Ground in North Cascades NP. That all depends on getting reservations 6 months in advance that is. Then things are up in the air.
I didn't know you could get a ferry onto the Olympic Penensula via Port Townsend without having to go through Seattle! That sounds pretty good. We were hoping to see the Pacific Ocean.
Thanks

[Steamguy]

If you're headed to Vancouver Island, and taking one of the routes above, I'd also suggest checking out Hurricane Ridge. Here, it is as rugged as it gets for scenery, and your 16 will be a perfect fit in Heart O' The Hills campground, as it's an older NP CG and so is tight for longer rigs. The trip up to the Ridge itself (don't take the AS, it's steep) can be spectacular on a clear day.

In this part of the country, you might be best off looking for Washington State Park reservations. I don't want to throw rocks at the big franchise, but it's hard to beat a lot of the State Parks for views and ambiance...

I do agree with checking out Fort Flagler, as above, they have some really nice views of the Bay and out into the Strait (make sure everything is well tied down - the winds can kick up suddenly).

I grew up in this area, so will watch and perhaps poke in a suggestion or two as your plans appear to finalize.

[aftermath]

I have stayed at the KOA in Winthrop a few times. It is nice and right on the edge of town. Good people run the place.


Yes, you can get a ferry out of Coupeville, which is on Whidbey Island and it goes directly to Port Townsend.


https://www.wsdot.com/Ferries/Schedu...x?route=pt-key


Here is the schedule.



Vancouver Island is in Canada. Hurricane Ridge is in the Olympic National Park. I agree that it is an amazing place to visit. It is a relatively short drive out of Port Angeles. I also agree that pulling the AS up is probably not the best idea. You could call the park and ask if they have anyplace to park a trailer. Haven't been there in years.

[Airabel]

Originally Posted by aftermath

I have stayed at the KOA in Winthrop a few times. It is nice and right on the edge of town. Good people run the place.


Yes, you can get a ferry out of Coupeville, which is on Whidbey Island and it goes directly to Port Townsend.


https://www.wsdot.com/Ferries/Schedu...x?route=pt-key


Here is the schedule.



Vancouver Island is in Canada. Hurricane Ridge is in the Olympic National Park. I agree that it is an amazing place to visit. It is a relatively short drive out of Port Angeles. I also agree that pulling the AS up is probably not the best idea. You could call the park and ask if they have anyplace to park a trailer. Haven't been there in years.

Are you saying it's not a good idea to take the Airstream on the ferry? What kind of problems should I expect taking the ferry from Whidbey Island to Port Townsend and then camping several days on the Olympic Peninsula?

[Smartstream]

There are no problems getting the Airstream on the ferry other than the extra cost, you pay by length. There are a few trip cancelations due to extreme low tides but they are posted in advance.

There are many camp grounds around Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula. You can also park in Port Angeles and walk on the ferry to Victoria for a great day trip.

Hurricane Ridge is about a 15 mile drive from downtown Port Angeles. You start a sea level and climb to 5300 ft. on a 2 lane 25 mph road. At the top is a visitors center, wonderful views and many hiking trails. Not a lot of reasons to drag the Airstream up there.

[Gene]

Looks like you did not mean Vancouver, Wash., but Vancouver, BC, and Vancouver Is. are different too. Vancouver is one of Canada's largest cities and quite attractive, but it appears you may be more interested in a more rustic experience. Vancouver Is. is well worth a week or two. Vancouver, the city, is not on the island. The ferries available are expensive, especially for towed vehicles. I believe we paid around $400 for a round trip for 2 with a 25' Airstream three years ago from (and to) Pt. Angeles to Victoria. It makes no sense to go to the island for less than a week or more unless you just want to see Victoria and leave the trailer in Pt. Angeles. There are not a lot of campgrounds in Victoria and the one we stayed at on the water, was quite expensive, but convenient. The other ferries are around the same price to get to Vancouver Is. from the US or Canada. My friends in Victoria have complained about the ferry fares for years.

The west side of Olympic NP is pretty isolated and the coast is pretty much undeveloped. There are few roads to the coast, but there is a small Indian reservation with a basic RV Park right on the ocean. I think they filmed some of a TV zombie or vampire series there several years ago.

How much time do you have? The Olympic Peninsula has a lot to offer, the islands between there and the area from Seattle to Vancouver will take a lot of time and each can be a trip in itself. If you want to see cities, they are there too, though Seattle has a reputation for world class traffic.

[SilverWind]

Originally Posted by Gene

Looks like you did not mean Vancouver, Wash., but Vancouver, BC, and Vancouver Is. are different too. Vancouver is one of Canada's largest cities and quite attractive, but it appears you may be more interested in a more rustic experience. Vancouver Is. is well worth a week or two. Vancouver, the city, is not on the island. The ferries available are expensive, especially for towed vehicles. I believe we paid around $400 for a round trip for 2 with a 25' Airstream three years ago from (and to) Pt. Angeles to Victoria. It makes no sense to go to the island for less than a week or more unless you just want to see Victoria and leave the trailer in Pt. Angeles. There are not a lot of campgrounds in Victoria and the one we stayed at on the water, was quite expensive, but convenient. The other ferries are around the same price to get to Vancouver Is. from the US or Canada. My friends in Victoria have complained about the ferry fares for years.

The west side of Olympic NP is pretty isolated and the coast is pretty much undeveloped. There are few roads to the coast, but there is a small Indian reservation with a basic RV Park right on the ocean. I think they filmed some of a TV zombie or vampire series there several years ago.

How much time do you have? The Olympic Peninsula has a lot to offer, the islands between there and the area from Seattle to Vancouver will take a lot of time and each can be a trip in itself. If you want to see cities, they are there too, though Seattle has a reputation for world class traffic.

Do you happen to know if the Pt. Angeles to Victoria ferry the one that most Airstreamers use? Is it a Canadian or US operated service?

[Smartstream]

Originally Posted by SilverWind

Do you happen to know if the Pt. Angeles to Victoria ferry the one that most Airstreamers use? Is it a Canadian or US operated service?

The MY Coho is a privately owned ferry and runs from Port Angeles to Victoria.
https://www.cohoferry.com/

The Anacortes to Friday Harbor to Sidney, BC is a Washington State ferry.
https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

The British Columbia ferries run several routes from the Vancouver BC area to Vancouver Island. https://www.bcferries.com/

The ferry you choose depends largely on where you are starting. Port Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver, BC look close but they are all a couple of hours apart on the highway.

[Isuzusweet]

Points to consider when using ferries.

Tides: High tides will have the vehicle loading ramps at near level position. If you travel at low tides, the ramps can get quite steep and the transition to the horizontal deck of the ferry, abrupt.

Exchange rate. Being that the US dollar will get you at least $1:30 Canadian, this helps to offset the cost if you're American, travelling in Canada.

Reservations: Most ferry routes are okay, but do check if reservations are recommended. For example, this summer it wasn't uncommon for the Crofton/Vesuvius ferry to have a line up stretching up the street, well beyond the ferry vehicle waiting area.

Alot more routes and scheduled runs on the Canadian ferry system versus the US routes.

Saw Orca's on the MV Coho run; a right whale on the Long Harbour- Vancouver run this summer, which was way cool.[emoji229]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[Airabel]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Points to consider when using ferries.

Tides: High tides will have the vehicle loading ramps at near level position. If you travel at low tides, the ramps can get quite steep and the transition to the horizontal deck of the ferry, abrupt.

Exchange rate. Being that the US dollar will get you at least $1:30 Canadian, this helps to offset the cost if you're American, travelling in Canada.

Reservations: Most ferry routes are okay, but do check if reservations are recommended. For example, this summer it wasn't uncommon for the Crofton/Vesuvius ferry to have a line up stretching up the street, well beyond the ferry vehicle waiting area.

Alot more routes and scheduled runs on the Canadian ferry system versus the US routes.

Saw Orca's on the MV Coho run; a right whale on the Long Harbour- Vancouver run this summer, which was way cool.[emoji229]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

I'm a little concerned now about getting our 16' Sport on and off a ferry, depending on the ramp grand. The Sport's ground clearance is only 7" and I have to pay real attension just getting into gas stations. The more I think about it maybe we should stay on Whidbey Island somewhere and daytrip it to the Olympian Peninsula.

[Airabel]

Originally Posted by Airabel

I'm a little concerned now about getting our 16' Sport on and off a ferry, depending on the ramp grand. The Sport's ground clearance is only 7" and I have to pay real attension just getting into gas stations. The more I think about it maybe we should stay on Whidbey Island somewhere and daytrip it to the Olympian Peninsula.

Has anyone stayed at Fort Casey campground? Looks like it's very close to the Port Townsend Ferry.

[Woosch]

You might want to take a look at Kalaloch CG in the Olympic NP. Right on the water. Dry camping. My only complaint is some road noise from Hwy101.

[DryFly]

Originally Posted by Airabel

So far our plan is to stay 2 nights in Winthrop KOA and then 3-4 days at New Halem Camp Ground in North Cascades NP. That all depends on getting reservations 6 months in advance that is. Then things are up in the air.
I didn't know you could get a ferry onto the Olympic Penensula via Port Townsend without having to go through Seattle! That sounds pretty good. We were hoping to see the Pacific Ocean.
Thanks

The trip from Winthrop to NewHalem is pretty short. Personally I'd recommend leaving winthrop around 8 in the morning, enjoy the trip through the NC NP loop, ogling the scenery at the few places you can pull off the road as you go. There's lots of scenery but not too many places to stop along the way (don't miss the NC Visitors center). Once you get to Newhalem you'll have a lot of daylight left and can explore some of the short hiking trails. By the next morning you will have a really good feel for the place and will probably want to move on. Stay another night if you want but beyond that I can't see it. The extra 2 or 3 days would be better spent, IMO, staying at one of the several state campgrounds on the coast.

Regarding ferries, to me, the biggest issue is rolling on and rolling off. Unless you are completely OCD you will not be able to time everything at high tide, so you run the risk of scraping, especially with only 7" clearance - I wouldn't do it. The only real issue with going around is that it is a longer drive and not as scenic.

[aftermath]

Airabel, I tried to respond to your last question last night but my message did not send. NO, I was not suggesting that you not take the ferry I was thinking it wouldn't be a good idea to pull the trailer up to Hurricane Ridge.


I am feeling that people are putting the scare into you regarding pulling on and off the ferry. I have done it with all three of my trailers and only once, when I had a pop up did I contact the ground upon loading. Unless you are at an extreme low tide, going slow will get you on and off safely. If you had a very long trailer I would be more worried.


I agree that 3 days at Newhalem would be a bit long. There is a little company town, Diablo that was constructed to house the workers who built Ross dam. There is a visitors center that explains the history and Diabolo is still housing workers. You can visit the dam, see the town and go up and look at Diabolo lake. This would be an easy day outing. After that, you will just be camping in a dense forest.


Google Washington State Ferries and you will easily find a fee schedule. If you are going one way it will be less than $100. Driving "around" isn't really an option for your plans. You would have to go all the way to Tacoma and then drive back. You can also find tide charts which would give you a pretty good planning tool for hitting the ferry. Remember, if you really are concerned, just try to avoid the low tide times.



I have not camped at Fort Casey but my cousins just did a few weeks ago. They liked it and said it was nice. I have camped at Ft. Flagler and Ft. Worden. These three forts served as a "pinch point" if anyone tried to invade Seattle via the Pudget Sound. During WWII there were pretty busy. Very interesting history to see and read about.