I should have put these pictures of a cabin at Camp Long in Seattle on the post that I posted last May, but I confess, I don’t know much about computers and I didn’t know how to add the pictures. Now I know how, I think, so here they are, two shots of a cabin at Camp Long showing the fireplace, fire pit, and picnic table:
I used to tell campers to bring firewood from home, but I don’t do that anymore. I used to say it would be less expensive to bring firewood than to buy it in or near camp, but that advice is no longer common sensible or responsible. You might save a few pennies, but the cost to the environment could be horrendous. On our cross-country drive this summer, stopping at national, provincial, and state camps along the way, we saw signs all over warning campers DO NOT CARRY FIREWOOD FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER. In New York State, the signs said, “Love New York,” and told campers to leave fallen wood at home. In Michigan, a brochure was headlined, “You May Be Carrying Unwelcome Cargo.” At a state park in Minnesota we took a picture of a big red sign that read, BURN IT WHERE YOU BUY IT. In North Dakota, Montana, and up in Ontario, too, there were similar signs, to warn campers to burn wood where it was bought or where it was found if it came from home. Last summer, driving through British Columbia, we saw signs with the same message: don’t transport firewood from one area to another.
What is the international menace that all these states and provinces are worried about? Living in the bark of trees, there are a lot of different insects that are serious threats to the forests of these states and province. In British Columbia, we drove by miles and miles of dead pine trees, killed, we were told, by the population explosion of a pine beetle that lays its eggs in the bark of affected trees. In the eastern quarter of the United States, New York and Pennsylvania to North and South Dakota, Illinois and Indiana, it’s the larvae of a little insect, the Emerald Ash Borer, that lays its eggs under the bark of pine and other trees. In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a special project, Slow the Spread (STS) is intended to slow the advance of the gypsy moth that lays its eggs on trees. Here in Washington State, where I live, the daily paper just this morning, August 7, had an article warning people to look out for the gypsy moth; it said 22,000 green cardboard traps had been set out in the state. According to this article, the gypsy moth is considered the worst forest pest in the United States, but let’s not argue about whether my pest is worse (or not as bad) as your pest. An infestation of any of these insects could be started by a camper unknowingly transporting infected logs from an infested area to an un-infested area.
You can learn more about these pests at these and other websites: www.stopthebeetle.info or www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/gypsy_moth/index.shtml
But meanwhile, back to your campfire. What can you use if you can’t bring wood from home? First thing you might consider is not having any campfire at all. We rarely build a fire anymore when we camp; our gas stoves cook very efficiently, and we enjoy the night sky and the stars that you can’t always see when a big fire lights up the night. When we do decide to have a fire, on a night for S’mores, for example, we don’t try to build the biggest fire in camp. A small campfire cooks marshmallows just as easily, maybe with kids along even more safely, than a big fire. Then we bring from home scraps of wood left from old woodworking projects, lumber from planks that were cut wrong, mock-ups for bigger projects, etc. I’m talking about lumber with no bark on it, not pieces of trees. Sometimes you can find this kind of discarded lumber at a construction site; ask first before you take anything. I have seen some campers using old shipping pallets, broken up into usable pieces; again, ask before you help yourself from the heap outside the store. If you need the fire for cooking, buy charcoal instead of wood; it heats hotter and more evenly, and the coals last longer. If your fire is just for sociability, buy pressed wood “logs” designed for outdoor use; these products use materials that used to go to waste, burned at the sawmill because there was no market for it. There are lots of ways you can have a fire without endangering the environment. What else can you do besides carrying logs from home? I’d like to know about it.
At many trailheads, the park or forest service or other authority has provided a toilet of some kind, because it’s a basic truth that many people feel the need to go before they start. But what if there isn’t any kind of facility? In that case, people wander off discretely into the brush or behind a tree to take care of business. Some hike directors will instruct their crew: “Gentlemen, forward, Ladies, back!”
On a recent hiking trip, when I followed several other people down an abandoned road, I realized that the people who had gone ahead of me had left souvenirs behind. There was fresh toilet paper scattered on the ground. Leaving toilet paper, even burying it, even if the toilet paper is supposed to be biodegradable, is no longer acceptable behavior. Carry it out. When you pack your rucksack for a hiking trip, tuck a small plastic bag into the same pocket where you put the toilet paper. Use the plastic bag to contain the used toilet paper until you get home. Remember the good hiker’s adage: Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. That includes toilet paper.
Tent Campers: Have you ever considered camping in an RV campground, excuse me, RV park? Many RV parks welcome tent campers. In addition to the sites where you can set up your tent, many RV parks offer weather-proof cabins or yurts where you can lay out your sleeping bags in comfort. Maybe it’s raining and blowing really hard and you’d like to get out of the weather for a while. Or, perhaps you want to stay close to a city, where there are no conventional natural parks nearby and you don’t feel like paying for a motel. Find an RV park! Many of them offer amenities far beyond those of a natural campground, like a swimming pool, laundry, grocery store, and planned activities for the whole family.
When I was writing Camping With Kids (see my page called Goldie’s Camping and Backpacking books), I discovered three great resources for RV camping that are also welcoming to tent campers. One of my favorites is the Jellystone Parks group. They have a Yogi bear theme with friendly bear-characters and great planned activities for kids. A stay at a Jellystone Park is like a stay at a Disney-type resort, but less expensive. For Fourth of July and Labor Day they organize special themed activities, and many of them have additional themed weeks or weekends throughout the summer. There are Jellystone Parks in many states and in Canada, too.
KOA Kampgrounds of America is another association of RV parks. We visited the KOA Kampground outside of Seattle while doing research for Camping With Kids. They had several tent sites in addition to the RV sites, and also a small grocery store, an off-leash area for dogs, a large laundry with washers, driers, and ironing boards, and a spacious womens room with showers and a baby’s bathtub. They also have planned activities for the whole family. No cabins here, but other parks in this group do have small cabins available for rental.
My last resource is Woodall’s.
Woodalls’ is not a campground itself, but a wonderful source of information about campgrounds all over the country. They publish directories of campgrounds which tell you almost more than you need to know about the campground, anywhere you plan to go. Their web site also has a special listing for tent campers. If you get yourself on their email list, you regularly get lots of good tips for camping. For example, we recently bought a new inflatable mattress for camping, and before we bought it, we found a discussion of various brands of mattresses that was very helpful to us. I’m going to write about an inflatable mattress on my next blog. Wait for it!
I read recently in the San Francisco Chronicle that a new campground has been opened in San Francisco’s Presidio. Rob Hill Campground, located on 4 acres at the top of the Presidio’s highest hill, is the only campground in the city of San Francisco. Reservations are open to groups and families, and according to the newspaper, the managers hope to create first time experiences in the out-of-doors that will inspire campers to make further exploration beyond the city. Rob Hill has paths that lead to 24 miles of hiking trails, some built to accommodate wheel chairs. Its situation 384 feet above a Pacific beach provides views of ocean and bay, with migrating birds passing overhead. The Presidio of San Francisco has a long history: it was occupied by Ohlone Indians until Spanish explorers in 1776 decided to build their Presidio, their fortified camp, on the site. It was subsequently a military garrison of Mexico and then the United States. Most recently, as the military has turned many of its properties to peaceable uses, the Presidio has been governed by a trust. The newspaper said that reservations for camp sites can be made with the Presidio Trust, 415 561 5444 or at www.presidio.gov.
When I read about this campground in a city, I thought immediately of Seattle’s Camp Long in West Seattle, a 68 acre park that offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature, hike in a forest, learn about natural history, and camp overnight in rustic cabins. Camp Long has 10 cabins, each with 6 double bunk beds, to sleep a maximum of 12 persons. Just outside the cabin there is a stone fireplace and a picnic table–what more would you need for a first camping experience? And a bonus for young first-timers: an electric light. Camp Long was a little used corner of the West Seattle Golf Course until 1937 when Seattle Park Board member Archie Phelps, Judge William Long, Ben Evans of the Seattle Park Department, and Clark Schurman, a Scout leader and wilderness camp developer, determined to acquire the land and make it into a place for organized groups to learn camping skills. Dedicated in 1941, Camp Long has continued ever since to bring people close to nature and provide safe and enjoyable outdoor camping and climbing experiences. (The park boasts a man-made climbing opportunity, Schurman Rock, to train climbers, but there are strict rules about its use.) The rental fee for one night in a cabin is $40, and reservations can be made at 206-684-7434 or at camplong@seattle.gov.
Thinking about these urban campgrounds, I began to wonder about other camping opportunities that may be close to home. I went on line to investigate my county. I typed King County, Washington, camping into my browser, and I found the Tolt/MacDonald Park & Campground, just 40 minutes from downtown Seattle. This 574 acre park at the confluence of two rivers, the Tolt and the Snoqualmie, provides tent and RV sites (which the two urban camps do not have), and in addition to the usual forests and hiking trails, there are bicycle paths. There are also six yurts at Tolt, which come furnished with two double futons, a double/single bunk bed, night stand, heat, electricity, deck, picnic table and fire ring. Two yurts have wheelchair accessibility. Each yurt sleeps up to seven people. All the yurts and many of the tent sites are located on the side of the park across the Snoqualmie River, and require walking across the park’s 500-foot suspension bridge. It’s no big deal. I’ve been hiking at this park–crossing the bridge is part of the adventure. Daily fees depend on your campsite, whether you walk in, drive in, hook up or not. The yurts are more expensive. The camp is open all year round, and reservations can be made by calling 206-205-5434. If you want more information, this is where I went: http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/rentals/camping.aspx
Now some of you people reading my blog don’t live in San Francisco or Seattle. What about your city? Does it have opportunities for overnight camping? Find out! Google or call your park department and ask! And if your city doesn’t have a campground, what about your county? Do what I did, tell your browser you want county name, state name, camping. You might be surprised at what you find. And let me know. I would love to hear from you that you had found camping opportunities close to home.
When I was researching for CAMPING WITH KIDS, I discovered a fun network of places to camp: YOGI BEAR’S JELLYSTONE PARK™ CAMP-RESORTS. These parks are located all over the country, mostly east of the Mississippi, but some also in California, Montana, and Colorado. The camps feature lots of activities for kids of all ages; they have campsites for RVs and tents, and some even have cabins to rent.
Because I had contacted YOGI BEAR’S JELLYSTONE PARK™ CAMP-RESORTS for their information, they put me on their e-mail list for the monthly Jellystone Journal, where I find news about their camps, recipes, and tips for having fun. In their most recent issue, I found advice for safe sledding. You may not choose to camp in the snow (some people do), but sledding is an annual activity in many parts of the country. Here’s what they advise for safety:
Here’s where you can find out more about Jellystone Parks:
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™…Where You Camp With Friends.®
www.campjellystone.com
www.jpkid.com