Primitive camping!

[beejust98]

If anyone can help with this it would be sooooo great. We are wanting to go camping with a few friends and we are looking to go primitive..lol! We want to be out in the wilds without alot of other tents and no RV's. The place one of our friends thought of i up the side of a mountain about 1 hour away from any kind of store (even gas station) and with a 2 mile hike to get to a lake that is glacier fed. We are taking a 9 year old and a 3 year old. I am looking for a happy medium, where we can hike and play in the water, and wear out the kiddies to sit around the fire at night. Dont want to sit around all day with nothing to do, and i know patients is not something for kids under 10. If you know of anywhere or what site i might look at to get an idea that would be wonderful. Love to camp but like peace and quiet, just not to boring. thanks BEE!!

[Photog]

Camping from your vehicle or backpacking?

[beejust98]

Originally Posted by Photog

Camping from your vehicle or backpacking?

Out of car, want to find something a ways away from civilization. Taking along 2 kids, so somewhere to hike and swim.

[Photog]

Hiking and swiming makes places fairly popular.

There are places on the North Fork Teanaway River, north of Cle Elum, and a few of the side creeks, that offer that type of camping. We have camped/parked in these areas, while doing backpacking excursions up into the mountains. This does not offer lake-type swimming.

When are you planning to go?

[GOZ 2 11]

I went camping last weekend last weekend at Twin Lakes?sounds similar to what your friend described. It's about an hour east of Bellingham, WA off Mt Baker Highway.

http://whatcom.kulshan.com/Washingto...Twin_Lakes.htm has some info in it. During the winter, we travel this road every Sunday to go skiing. This was the first time Ive driven it in the Summer and provided some interesting contrast. I've gotten tired of looking up words for "unheralded majestic beauty" in my thesaurus. I now know where Hallmark sends it's photographers to take pics for it's "Sorry about your loss/illness/recent divorce/firing/marriage?" line of cards.

There is a trail head half way up. Most people park there and hike the rest as the road is in poor shape. 4WD recommended but there were some 2WD cars up there. One lane?no guard rail?steep drop offs. If you happen to encounter another vehicle coming the opposite direction, you have to do some really creative coordination to get by.

There are several campsites across the area?some close to the lake. The bad road keeps out big RV's. Others were there but the sites were far enough apart it felt like we were alone. Away from the lake there were numerous trails that where we saw lots of old fire pits. The hike up Mt Winchester to the lookout takes about an hour and a half. There were people swimming in the lake but it was too cold for my comfort. Young kids probably wouldn?t care.

[beejust98]

For the weekend of the 18th, just to get a break, and enjoy nature.

[Photog]

It will be on the weekend, school is still out, and Seattle will be honked-up with the I-5 work. You might have a large number of folks out trying to camp withyou.

How far do you want to drive?

[beejust98]

Dont mind driving a bit out, the place my friend thought about was about 2 hours, which if i could shorten it great. I would be coming from Lakewood.

[Photog]

Get your map out. (Washington Gazetteer will work)

There are places along Alder Lake and Riffe Lake (Hwy 7). Pleasant Valley Road (near Mineral Lake), will take you to the back side of Alder Lake (FR 74).

You could then follow FR 74 all the way up the Little Nisqually River. At the upper end is Goose & Duck Lakes. I don't know the road conditions to these lakes.

Call the Randle ranger station, and ask for suggestions in that area. I have talked with them before, and they are very helpful. The same goes for the Cle Elum ranger station. They will also tell you if any type of "pass" is required.

[beejust98]

Thank you so much Brian for all of your help. I look forward to going camping and know one of those places will be fun for the little ones.