Good morning, scheduling our 2021 Husky/camper trip to the NW. Late May in UT then on to ID Parking camper for a base camp in Cascade, ID & Grangeville, ID for 5+ weeks (April thru first week of July or so) this year. Along with several weeks in ID backcountry we're wanting to venture into OR and WA. We'll be in Newport, OR (sister) for a few days and looking at fun/cool strips in the area. Would anyone with specific locations please give us a pirep. Prefer backcountry/off RW (31s prefer dirt/grass/gravel/creeks) but will go anywhere for a good time. Looking at San Juan and Orcas islands; told this is a neat area.

Thanks in advance for any pireps you can pass along.

Jack Horn
[email protected]
303-356-7767

Jack,

Lots of riverbeds on the Skagit, Stillaquamish and Skykomish river beds in that area offer great remote camping sites. Then you are only 20 minutes flying time to all the islands, restaurants, showers etc. Feel free to reach out of me as you get closer. We have a bunch of backcountry guys and gals up here that would love to show you around.

Jughead Counsell
[email protected]

Thanks Jughead, great to know. I'll definitely be in touch.
Jack

Not off-airport, but there are a number of grass runways maintained by the State of Washington up in the Cascade Mountains. Some of these are pretty spectacular spots and offer great camping options even if they aren't as remote as Idaho's strips in the Frank Church River of No Return wilderness. Check out:

https://wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/AllStateAirports/Stehekin_StehekinState.htm

https://wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/AllStateAirports/Leavenworth_LakeWenatcheeState.htm

https://wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/AllStateAirports/Rimrock_TietonState.htm

https://wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/AllStateAirports/MetallineFalls_SullivanLakeState.htm

Info on all of the WA airports are available online at http://www.edgeair.org/WashingtonAirportGuide.pdf You can browse the guide since it has a photo of each airport from the air and decide which ones you want to ask Jughead for more information on. Jughead did a fun video of camping at the Tieton State Airport that is a good watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCH9ZGyqYJI

Here's one of my videos of Wenatchee State airport: https://youtu.be/gz51WCzKxmw

There's plenty to see and do here.

For remote camping in Oregon, consider Tokatee and McKenzie Bridge in Oregon. Both in the Cascades and both primitive.

I'd skip Tieton for camping, especially on the weekends. You can drive a camper into the area, and it gets rowdy.

Ranger Creek is in the shadow of Mt Rainier. Paved, but the fly in camping on the West side is awesome in the old growth.

Vernonia, Oregon is nice. Grass strip with a small public campground along the river to the South.

Stehekin is in amazing country. A long walk to town, but public camping on the river about 1/4 mile from the strip. Bring a fly rod. Probably my favorite in this list.

For the North San Juans, Friday Harbor, Lopez, and Orcas offer public camping for a small fee. Friday Harbor is my last choice for camping. Busy and noisy. The town is adjacent, but a longer walk to the beach. Lopez Island is the best night's sleep. Quiet at night, but about 3 miles to town. Orcas is our favorite. Showers and toliets, bikes to borrow, sometimes a courtesy car, camping on the grass, not too far from town. LifeFlight comes in to Orcas, so sometimes you get awakened to a helicopter hovering over at 3 AM. Stuart Island has a cabin the belongs to the WPA, and can be used for free with a membership. I haven't been there, but I've seen pictures. Primitive, but I'd bet its peaceful. Check out Roche Harbor too. Quaint little port. You can't camp, but you could stay a night or two in the lodging. They have a cool outdoor sculpture park as well. Whidbey Airpark is much further south. Haven't been there, but they allow camping. Also about 2 miles to town.

Also consider Cavanaugh Bay in Idaho. It is the Hilton of grass strips. Beautiful scenery, steakhouse at the end of the runway on the shores of the lake. Showers, coffee, donuts, courtesy cars, bunkhouse, firewood. You name it. It can be a bit buggy at night, but is otherwise wonderful.

Maybe a bit far south but the Alvord desert is super cool. Rome service or Denio junction for a meal.

jugheadF15 wrote: Lots of riverbeds on the Skagit, Stillaquamish and Skykomish river beds in that area offer great remote camping sites. ....

I know you & your buds land on a lot of gravel bars on those rivers,
but have you camped at them also?

jcadwell wrote:For remote camping in Oregon, consider Tokatee and McKenzie Bridge in Oregon. Both in the Cascades and both primitive.

I'd skip Tieton for camping, especially on the weekends. You can drive a camper into the area, and it gets rowdy <snip>....

Thank you very much for sharing that helpful information!

Thanks to all who posted. Appears we may want to spend more time further west than we imagined. Might possibly have to extend this trip into late July. Damn being retired is tough..........
Jack

There is camping on the airfield with bathrooms and showers at KORS, Orcas.