June 13-18, 2021
This was my second summer camping trip in 2021. It was great!
This time I headed south, but only just barely across the Washington border and into Oregon, then to the very northwest corner of Oregon, right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. You may remember that I went camping in 2020 to Cape Disappointment State Park on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, just north of where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean, in the State of Washington. On this 2021 camping trip, I will again be on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, but just to the south of where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean, in the State of Oregon.
Here’s a map of my driving route to Fort Stevens State Park in Oregon …
From home, I drove down I-5, then took one of the Longview exits and headed west on highway 30 along the southern side of the Columbia River. I drove through Astoria (I’ll see some interesting things in that town during my visit here), then to the small town of Warrenton, and then to the Fort Stevens State Park, right on the Pacific Ocean.
It was a bit rainy on my drive south, but not too bad. As the day progressed, the clouds blew away. By the time I got to my campsite, the day was sunshine bright, and it stayed that way the rest of the week. Hooray.
On arrival at Fort Stevens State Park, I pulled through the campground entrance and immediately stopped at the Ranger station, just to make sure my reservation was good and to ask questions about what things I might see and do in the area. I always research online ahead of any camping trip, but I also ask the locals, and it usually pays off.
Photo above … just inside the campground entrance, I’m parked in the main parking lot right next to an Oregon State Park truck.
Photo below … the very nice, large Ranger station for this park/campground. I was surprised how large the building was, given that most state parks in Washington sometimes barely have a small kiosk for their Ranger station. While I was checking in, inside the building, I asked why the building was so large. The answer was … the Fort Stevens State Park in Oregon is the third largest state park in the entire USA! That’s taking into consideration acreage, day use by people, as well as camping and yurt/cabin rentals by people, and maintenance needed on a number of historic sites within the park grounds. This place is huge and it’s busy, hence a Ranger station to accomodate the office space needed.
When I heard how big this place was, I wondered if I would ever find my little campsite. But they gave me a map, and it was easy. 🙂
BUT, the drive to my campsite was fraught with distraction. Around the first bend in the road, as I drove past a group of yurts, this Elk person below was having a nibble in the grass off to my left.
I clicked and whistled at him, enticing him to come closer, but he turned his “back” on me. 🙂
Around the next bend, a female Elk (a cow) was having a bite to eat at the edge of the woods.
Then another young bull appeared further along the road.
And then yet another (below)!
This last fellow did come quite a bit closer to my truck. I shut the engine off and just sat there for a minute or so with my window open. What a sweet face.
Finally! I made it to my campsite and backed in, checked the power at the power pedestal (all ok there), then leveled the trailer and unhitched. Shortly after I settled in, I met the folks camped in the site to the right (in the photo below). They were the nicest folks, and perfectly quiet. The campsite to the left was empty most of the time that I was there this week, but everyone who was there was quiet and considerate as well.
Look at that sunshine! As promised. 🙂
Stay tuned for adventures. There are some great things to see and do here. Just you wait and see. 🙂