Where to go camping in Washington state with our dog?

August 10, 2008 11:24 AM

Where can we camp with our dog, in Western Washington?

We'd like to go camping later this month; two adults, our dog and a tent. We'd like somewhere woodsy and not too crowded. I realize this is a little last-minute, and I have found the site that lets you check availability, but we haven't camped in years and years, so I'd love some personal recommendations of nice, dog-friendly sites. Even if they're currently full, we plan to do this more in the future, so I'd love all the ideas you have!

Also, any thoughts that we, as new-ish dog owners, should keep in mind when camping with the pooch?

Thanks!

posted by TochterAusElysium to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (2 answers total)

Best answer: Anywhere within National Forest boundaries is technically okay for dogs (no national parks like Rainier, of course - dogs not allowed). Plus, you can camp anywhere within those boundaries and make campfires (safely).

Since it sounds like you're looking for established campgrounds, though, I don't have much experience. From their website, the Lost Resort campsites look like they might be nice. I suggest you check out books similar to The Dog Lovers Companion to Seattle or Best Hikes with Dogs. You could reserve a few books like these from your local library, and then just look for their dog-friendly campsite listings. Also, this Seattle PI/nwsource article has some neat ideas.

Tips:

- Make sure your tent is properly vented if your dog is sleeping inside. If not, you'll have a lot of extra condensation! Dogs do make great space heaters, too, so capitalize on this if you find yourself camping in lower temps.

- Bring comfortable camp pads for yourselves (especially since you haven't camped in years and might not remember how cold/uncomfortable it can be), but don't forget to bring some kind of padding for your dog too. Western WA can get cold even in summer/fall I think, so you want to make sure there's insulation from the ground.

- Don't forget to take all of the normal dog supplies. Water bowl, food, leash, pick up bags, etc. Sounds obvious, but worth mentioning. You might be heading into the wilderness, but will still need to leash your dog at times. Actually, I am pretty sure that State Parks require leashes on dogs at all times.

- This is just the case with my dogs, but I definitely leave the toys at home. Plenty of excitement to go around out in the woods. I also bring good dog snacks, such as dried chicken treats (easy to find at Trader Joe's), because my dogs don't seem to eat much of their dog food when we're camping. I'm not sure why, maybe because they're out of their routine, or maybe because we're cooking sausages on a campfire and the kibble is far, far less attractive.

- General tip, but very useful for those with dogs: I can't recommend headlamps enough. Go to REI and find a simple one.
posted by belau at 1:30 PM on August 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

For campsite reservations in National Forests, go to recreation.gov.
posted by ShooBoo at 2:19 PM on August 10, 2008