Remote RV Camping in Washington

There is so much wilderness in Washington for RV campers to explore.

The benefit of going out in the remote areas of Washington in a RV is that you can do so in ease with many comforts of home. The down side of traveling to such remote areas is that RVers often have to be entirely dependent upon themselves. There are usually designated sites for RVs but no electricity, water or sewerage. These locations and ones with RV hook ups can be found dotted around the fringes of wilderness regions and in State and National parks.

State Parks

Curlew Lake State Park is located in the north east part of Washington State and is quite cut off from the urban spread. Some of the RV sites have full hook ups including electricity, water and sewerage while a few of the sites are completely primitive. Curlew Lake State park is also the site of a Native American campground where some local tribes still camp during the summer months. Another State park where RV travelers can feel remote and secluded is Potholes State Park. This park is located in a desert region with sand dunes all around, but what separates this desert from others is the abundance of water here. The Columbia Wildlife refuge is just a short drive to the east from the park giving RV travelers a great chance at wildlife viewing.

National Parks

Being the highest point in the Cascade Mountain range, Mount Rainier is the focal point of Mount Rainier National Park. A large part of this park is designated as wilderness and is protected by the federal government, including areas such as Clearwater Wilderness and the Mount Rainier Wilderness. At the other end of the Cascade mountain range in the north is the North Cascades National Park. With over 300 glaciers and many valleys and peaks, RV campers will find themselves in areas that are about as remote as is possible. Both National parks cater to tent campers and RVs.

Activities

Curlew Lake State Park attracts a lot of boating and fishing enthusiasts and offers many water activities such as kayaking, rafting, swimming and jet skiing. Potholes State park is primarily a fishing attraction. With many different lakes, there are endless spots to choose from on the shores or RV campers can rent boats and fish from the middle of one of the lakes. North Cascades National Park features both mountains and glaciers and so is able to offer campers activities such as ice hiking or backpacking across the glaciers, dog sledding, and skiing. During the summer, Mount Rainier has many hiking and biking trails and a lot of opportunities for wildlife viewing.

Wilderness Areas

Washington has quite a few different regions that are preserved and protected and that are designated wilderness areas. The range of differences from one wilderness area to another is remarkable and is often what attracts RV travelers to Washington. The Winthrop Ranger Station experiences a climate that is similar to the Rocky Mountains, while most of the other wilderness areas are cooler. Glacier Peak Wilderness offers travelers the chance to climb and hike up mountains, while the Sawtooth Wilderness is a great place to go for fishing.

Climate

Washington has two different climates to call its own. West of the Cascade Mountain range the highest temperatures in summer rarely go above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the coolest temperatures do not often go below 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Here, this part of the state experiences a lot of cloud cover, fog and rain. To the East of the Cascades the situation is reversed with warm summers and relatively cool winters.

References

• Washington State Parks: Home Page
• National Parks Service: North Cascades National Park Service Complex
• Washington the State: Outdoor Activities

Resources

• Climate of Washington: Climate of Washington