October 13-18, 2024
Seven years ago, in 2017, I camped at Deception Pass State Park for the first time. I loved it. Here’s a link to the first day of that camping trip … https://www.travelswithtowhee.com/deception-pass-state-park-day-1/. Now, a few years later (2024), and many years wiser, I decided to head back to Deception Pass State Park, one of my favorite campgrounds so far.
In the photo above, I’ve pulled my trailer out from its storage spot near where I live, and stopped on the grass right in front of the storage spot. Here I check the lights, the electric brakes, make sure all the side hatches and windows are closed, triple check the hitch connections. And then it’s on the road! Deception Pass State Park, here I come. 🙂
That blog post about my first camping trip to Deception Pass State Park has info/maps on how to get there. But here’s an image (below) with info about this current trip. Almost all of the land in the image below is within Deception Pass State Park. Deception Pass, with the bridges that take you to the next island to the north, is outside the image below, to the north. The big RED K at the bottom of the image below is where you drive into the state park (K is for kiosk, where you check in with the Park Rangers). The big RED Q to the right is the Quarry Pond campground that I visited when I was here before and it also is part of the state park. After you check in at the KIOSK, you drive around, up and down, then along Cranberry Lake for a bit, then you turn right and finally enter (“E”) the campground. When I was here before, I then turned right and headed to my campsite at the big ORANGE dot. But for this trip, I turned left and headed to my campsite at the big RED dot. No electricity at the big red dot campsite, but I had a glorious view of the sunset every evening that I didn’t have when I was camped here before.
I was nicely welcomed by the sign above, and then I drove into the state park, checked in at the kiosk in the photo below, and was warmly welcomed by the human there. Then I proceeded to drive through the state park around and down and up and over, through the trees, along Cranberry Lake, etc …
… and eventually I parked Towhee the Trailer and the big white truck in our campsite. Wow, it was beautiful.
The water closest to me was Cranberry Lake (mostly fresh water, tho salt water seeped in under ground). The water past that thin bit of land is the salt water of the Pacific Ocean. Ok, I’m not right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. But in the view below from my campsite, I’m looking directly west from Whidbey Island and out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, absolutely straight out to the Pacific Ocean. Yes, the ocean is many miles away, but it’s right straight out there, and storms come in here full force. But this time of year, and this week, it was calm, and it was heaven. 🙂
Looking to the side of my rig (below) you can see that you can’t see anyone … no neighbors. That’s “my” picnic table in the photo below.
After I had leveled and unhitched the trailer (no plugins to electricity or water here), I began to explore my surroundings. Just past the picnic table in the photo above, I found this little trail through the woods (below). Ok, where does it go?
It led to this trail below.
And to this trail below.
After following those two trails for 30 minutes or so, I needed to get back to my trailer to fix dinner and settle in for the evening. I will explore those trails more in the days to come. But on my way back to my trailer, I happened to look up to the left at one point … photo below … that’s Towhee the Trailer! in her campsite. How cool was that. 🙂
And then below … back in my trailer, after dinner … a lovely sunset.
What a wonderful first evening here. More to come.
Camping yes!! And oh my what a sunset. How do you always find the best spots?
Ruth, I can tell you that I do lots of research online, and look for west facing (sunset facing) campsites, or campsites where my trailer backs up to the lake or the river or the mountain or the ocean. Or maybe I’m just lucky. 🙂 Or maybe the campsites and campgrounds in Washington State are superb. All are true I think.
Wow, Deception Pass again. I liked your other trip there a few years ago. I’ve been through Deception Pass myself on my boat only once. It’s spectacular. Looking forward to your photos and fun times again! 🙂
Thanks Rob. There’s nothing like heading through Deception Pass on a boat, is there? I hope the current was mild/zip/nada when you went through. It is so beautiful.
This campsight and others you’ve stayed at are so spectacular, right on the ocean, right on a lake, or with a view of a fabulous mountain, etc. What do they cost? Seems they would be expensive. I love the 5th photo … your trailer and truck and tucked in there so nicely. Makes me happy. 🙂
Ah cost you ask, Kinny. Wow, does the cost vary. Depending on state parks vs national parks vs national forest campgrounds vs state DNR campgrounds vs privately owned campgrounds. A VERY few are free, most are not (DNR is mostly free). I have a federal lifetime senior pass which allows me to camp in national parks for $10/night. Private campgrounds can be expensive, up to $80/night or more, but many are much less than that. One of my favorites close to me is only $45/night with electric/water. I’ve been surprised at the difference in the cost of state park campsites, just in Washington, you’d think they would all be the same … but they can run from $30/night to $50/night. I suppose popularity drives that difference. I just today signed up for Washington State’s senior pass which allows me to camp for just $10/night from October 1 through May 30 in all Washington State campgrounds. Thank you for loving that 5th photo, me too, I felt nicely tucked in. 🙂
More adventures! Yay Ann.
Yippee! 🙂
Love every Friday … a blog post from Ann! 🙂
Friday it is, Paul … if I miss one, let me know! 🙂
Looks like heaven.
Oh, it was. You understand. 🙂
It IS a slice of heaven right here on earth. Especially in the fall, when the kids are back in school and the weather is good. (September and October tend to have some of our nicest weather.) We camped here every fall until our kids started school, Then we had to find a different campground because this one was just too busy during the summertime.
Another perk of camping here was that it was between the the homes of both their grandparents, so the kids could visit with them.
I can hardly wait to see what you discover this trip.
There are so many interesting walks to take and places to find….like the hill that looks down over Whidbey Island . And you always find new places that I didn’t know existed. This should be a fun post! I’m looking forward to seeing more . 😊 😃
Oak Harbor (Whidbey Island) vs. Anacortes (Fidalgo Island). This would be the perfect campground right in between. What great memories, Fritzi.
Ah, that hill! I know the hill of which you speak. But I still haven’t climbed that hill that overlooks Whidbey and yet I hear the view is wonderful … ok, ok, it’s on my list. 🙂
Another perfect spot. Like you and some others here, I’ve spent most of my adult life on boats here in Puget Sound, haven’t done hardly any hiking, and no camping at all. You’re enjoying the best of both worlds, boating for decades and now camping hopefully for decades! I sure appreciate the effort it takes to go camping and I sure appreciate your sharing it with us online. Thank you. 🙂
Yes, this sure was another perfect spot. But I sure remember dozens of times on my boat anchoring out in a bay or a cozy nook in Puget Sound or the Canadian Gulf Islands and watching a sunset over the water. I hope you did too Mark. Very nice comment, Mark, thank you. 🙂
How pretty, again! We’re starting to think about buying an RV, there’s so much to see in the world.
Cool! Start the research, go look at all manner of different sorts of RVs. If you two want any info/advice, please just say the word. Even if you rent some rigs for a year or so, then you’ll get a sense of how that feels and whether you really do want to invest in one of your own. Like you say, there is so much to see in the world. My best to both of you … 🙂
What a sunset. You always find the best. 🙂
I am so grateful for sunsets like that one, and so much else in my life. Thanks Lori. 🙂
Campsites and pitches in England seldom have trees on them. Your camping areas are so homely and delightful, so different to ours. Lovely sunset.
Henry, I was surprised when I started watching Andrew Ditton’s RV-ing vlog from England/Scotland to find that so many campsites and pitches were in fields, open fields. But still they were beautiful, with beautiful views of mountains, waters, lovely countryside. Just to make sure my USA friends understand … “homely” in England means “homey, comfy, cozy”. Thank you Henry, very nice comment. We might use a few words a bit differently from England to USA, but we are friends, no doubt.