Overview
The Valley of the Rogue State Park is immediately off of I-5. Connected to a rest area, I watched many people come in after I was set up and leave before I had broken down. A few people even just slept in their cars with no sign of camping equipment. This seems less like a camping destination and more like a stop-over.
Activities
Valley of the Rogue State Park offers Junior Ranger programs, many of which looked quite interesting. There are a couple of short trails a decent walk from the campsite. The terrain is very even for walking and possibly of a quality for a bouncy stroller ride. One of the trails leads to a viewing deck of the river which had been torn out due to damages when we visited. The "scenic" view of the river wound up being a traditional river view plus houses on the opposing side. I never spotted a playground for the kiddos. Finally, there were a huge number of Himalayan blackberries, should you be visiting during the correct season. The Oregon Caves National Monument and Crater Lake are within driving distance, though it is a fairly considerable drive. Activities at this park merit only a 2 - an effort has been made, but there is very little within the park and within reasonable driving distance.
Site Quality
Tent sites are set apart from hookup sites in their own loop. The loops are well spaced apart, so you certainly don't have to worry about hearing annoying TVs. It's a fairly large park, as well, so there are many sites to choose from. However, the loop for the tent sites is really close to I-5, separately merely by a large berm and a little elevation. If you are a light sleeper, you will waken to rattling trucks and rushing cars all night. We did not have a problem sleeping, but it did create a significant amount of noise pollution during the day. The furthest loop does have a few sites that are far enough removed from I-5 to have a little peace.
The sites themselves are very large and there's really no indication to help you understand where your site begins and ends. Space is not a problem, but expect little privacy. For the most part the landscape is dominated by yellowing grass and concrete parking pads. Few shrubs exist in the park and certainly have not been placed for privacy. There are, however, many tall trees lending each site mottled shade. It's a short walk from your site to the restroom, where you can turn around and view the freeway. You may have to cut between other camper's sites, though. The sites really give you the impression of a place to park and sleep, causing my judgement of their quality to be a 1.
Maintenance
I noticed a substantial level of toilet paper litter in the bathrooms whenever I used them. Hot dog wrappers seemed to be a frequent occurrence on the grounds. Also, the grassy areas that could be used as fields or play areas were generally pretty uneven and weedy. The cold water did not function in one shower. I reported this issue to the rangers in the evening, offering to hang a sign since they were both male. They declined as the showers were closing, but I noticed the repair had not been made nor had a notification been hung the next morning.
Each loop has it's own set of hosts with an additional set of interpretive hosts. I never had the opportunity to interact with any of the hosts, but I was certainly intrigued by the idea of an interpretive host! When I spoke with the rangers, they were always very friendly and helpful. It seemed as though the park had strong staff, but perhaps a lack of maintenance or respect from patrons. For this reason, the site scores a 3.
Overall Value
This park is priced competitively with other state parks that have a lot more to give in the way of experiences. It is very convenient for travelers or as a place to crash, but I'm really looking for a all-encompassing experience from a park. I want it to be more than a substitute hotel. For the sheer convenience and decent weather when compared to some of the high elevation destinations near the park, I am going to generously rank Valley of the Rogue's overall value at a 2.
Amenities
A mobile table and fixed fire pit was available to each site. Water and garbage was always within a short walk. Recyclables were not paired up with garbage facilities, though, and a long walk to a neighboring loop to use one giant rollcart was necessary. Due to this, I noticed a high level of recyclable material tossed in with the garbage, despite the promotion of recycling on park bulletin boards. Tent, hookup, and yurt sites are all available. There is a day use area, though it seems to double as a rest area. There was some nice high desert scenery on the opposite side of I-5. We enjoyed observing birds as well as some shy little prairie dogs or ground hogs who wouldn't allow us close enough to identify them.
Miscellaneous Notes
Credit, debit, cash, and check are all accepted at this state park. There were a few mosquitos at the park, though they were hardly noticeable. Central bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers were an easy walk from any given site. As the park is along I-5, cell phone reception is excellent except T-Mobile showed only one bar.
How hard is it to find?
If you can find I-5 and read signs, you can find Valley of the Rogue State Park!
Will you go back?
Honestly, no. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to experience the park, but I have an aunt and uncle in Medford, should I need a stop over in that area. There are also a number of federal campgrounds I would prefer to this one.
Conclusion
Valley of the Rogue is completely acceptable, assuming that you're merely looking for a place to spend the night while out and about, experiencing other activities in the vicinity. However, I would not consider it a destination in and of itself.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Redwood National and State Parks
Let it be said: this is not an official review. My husband and I thought we would head out to backpack the Redwoods, but found out you have the be a pretty serious through hiker in order to take full advantage of the backpacking sites. Most are a short hike off the road, making them almost car camping sites. Many of them are free with a permit from the park. However, we learned that folks camp up there without permits and all the sites can theoretically fill up, so make sure to claim yours early.
Generally speaking, your best bet will be to call the visitor's centers for information. I scoured the web in an attempt to find a good plan or recommended hikes, but came up short. Once we stopped at a visitor's center, the parks staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. The are the Hiouchi Information Center, the Jedediah Smith Visitor Center, the Crescent City Information Center, the Prarie Creek Visitor Center, and the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center. Call at least a couple as they'll have different information specific to their location. In fact, one visitor center was able to ward us off from a particular backpacking camp site because there had been a recent rash of break-ins.
Rangers, rangers, rangers! I can't say it enough. They are your key to an excellent trip to the Redwoods. We wound up spending a couple of days driving through the Redwoods and doing short day hikes, adding a day starting and ending around the park for the Tall Trees Grove. If you can swing it, this is definitely worth it! Due to foot issues, we never got to see the Dolason Prarie Trail that shoots off from the Tall Trees access point, but it sounded excellent. However, if you're backpacking that area - don't be fooled. The "gravel bars" tend to be rock bars and you'll definitely want some good footware for wading as there will be plenty of it.
Generally speaking, your best bet will be to call the visitor's centers for information. I scoured the web in an attempt to find a good plan or recommended hikes, but came up short. Once we stopped at a visitor's center, the parks staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. The are the Hiouchi Information Center, the Jedediah Smith Visitor Center, the Crescent City Information Center, the Prarie Creek Visitor Center, and the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center. Call at least a couple as they'll have different information specific to their location. In fact, one visitor center was able to ward us off from a particular backpacking camp site because there had been a recent rash of break-ins.
Rangers, rangers, rangers! I can't say it enough. They are your key to an excellent trip to the Redwoods. We wound up spending a couple of days driving through the Redwoods and doing short day hikes, adding a day starting and ending around the park for the Tall Trees Grove. If you can swing it, this is definitely worth it! Due to foot issues, we never got to see the Dolason Prarie Trail that shoots off from the Tall Trees access point, but it sounded excellent. However, if you're backpacking that area - don't be fooled. The "gravel bars" tend to be rock bars and you'll definitely want some good footware for wading as there will be plenty of it.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Goldstream Provincial Park
Overview
Only a 20 or 30 minute drive from the city of Victoria, Goldstream Provincial Park is a wonderful choice for those wishing to experience the natural offerings of Vancouver Island, those who are out to see the city, or folks on a combination quest. BC Provincial Parks, the overseeing agency, contracts the running of the park out to a private company. Locals tell us rain is fairly rare in the southern end of the island during the summer.
Activities
Goldstream Provincial Park offers "Jerry's Rangers" programs, following the same notion as Oregon State Parks' Junior Ranger program. Paved loops are ideal for chalk art, rollerblading, and biking. Within hiking distance lies a river with suitable places for swimming and toe-dipping. I'm unsure about Canadian fishing regulations, but I never saw anyone fishing. If you're interested in fishing, I'd recommend checking out British Columbia's fishing information website. Just down the road is a visitor's/interpretive center. Within driving distance is an extensive hiking system, including waterfalls and Mt. Finlayson. While Mt. Finlayson is certainly not for the faint of heart, it is a great day hike for someone looking for a moderate to strenuous challenge - the view from the top is breathtaking! (If I can find the photos from our trip, I'll post them right away!) Finally, within a 20-30 minute drive is the beautiful city of Victoria complete with sightseeing, restaurants, museums, and several others. My two favorite finds around the city were definitely the Victoria Bug Zoo and Naanwich. Activities are a 4, as you must drive to get to many of them.
Site Quality
All campsites are visible from the road, but few are directly on it. There is ample space in all the sites, though there is no secret site that is enormous. Your privacy in any given site will vary with most being pretty shrubby to provide a bit of a natural wall. Very tall cedars and Douglas fir dominate the campsite, providing consistent mottled shade. All sites have a fixed table and fire pit. All sites in the park are primitive with not a hook up to be found.
Goldstream Provincial Park Campground is huge and offers a long walk to see it all. Bathrooms and showers are fairly spread out, but there is always an option close enough to your site. Water spiggots, however, can be a bit of a walk. Lots of garbage and recycling was available on site, but I was disappointed with the signage. I was able to ascertain that you could recycle single-serving beverage containers, but I was not sure about other recyclables such as tin cans, cardboard, or paper. A 4.5 appropriately describes these sites.
Maintenance
Everything was working and clean. However, the toilet paper was out in one restroom for almost an entire day. Just another reason to always camp with your own roll! The park offered a combination of pit toilets and flush toilets, the flush toilets being paired with showers. I found a fair bit of garbage that was left behind in the showers.
The grounds were very well maintained. The sites were generally packed dirt with some having a fine grade of gravel. A few sites had a little sandbox on which to set up tents. The sites are immaculately cleaned and raked between uses. Campground hosts don't exist in this park and you will occasionally see a staff member drive by in the park. They are almost always available from 7am to 11pm in the booth at the entrance to the park. I found them to generally be responsive to questions, though I never experienced anyone going above and beyond to be extra friendly or helpful. Particularly for a woman, lack of toilet paper can be rather vexing. Considering this and other factors, this park earned a 4 in maintenance.
Overall Value
Provincial Parks generally seem to be a bit pricier than many Oregon State Parks. Currently, you will pay more for a BC Provincial primitive site than you will for an Oregon State full hook up site. However, the option was far cheaper than a hotel, so the price is relative. However, for the primary purpose of tent camping and not tourism, I would put the overall value at a 3. However, if your primary purpose in visiting this park is as an affordable place to stay in BC, the value is much higher!
Amenities
All sites had a fixed table and fire pit while there was no availability of electricity through hookups. Water, garbage, (limited?) recycling, and showers were available, though there were not any dumps for waste water. There were a variety of day use activities. We saw chipmunks, deer, bald eagles, turkey vultures, songbirds, and banana slugs.
Miscellaneous Notes
Goldstream Provincial Park accepts card, cash, and international checks. Some sites are able to be reserved and some are on a first come, first served basis. Ice and wood are available on site and card payments are accepted for both of these things. We struggled with green wood and wound up purchasing all of our campfire wood at the general store. Light mosquitoes were present at dawn and dusk. T-Mobile did have coverage, though my phone did indicate that roaming fees would apply.
How hard is it to find?
We completely missed the sign asking us to turn on Highway 1, but there is good signage the whole way. Actually getting to the park requires a quick drive through an industrial area and later a residential area, but the signs are correct - you do wind up at the park.
Will you go back?
Certainly! However, this will definitely be a trip we save a little bit more for. I don't regret our initial trip, but Victoria is a city that is better when you're not on a strict budget. Between the cost of ferries, admissions, and any gift giving or eating out one desires, it can rack up the dollars spent pretty quickly. Vancouver Island is beautiful and one of the only places outside of Oregon to which I could theoretically see myself relocating. Also, BC remain the only place where I can have Naanwich. It might be all I eat if/when we return.
Conclusion
Staying at a provincial park really remains, in my opinion, the way to see BC. Indulge yourself in hiking, river rafting, seeing the sights, and checking out some of the amazing museums and gardens. It's a good trip to plan fairly thoroughly and bet on at least a week. Goldstream Provincial Park scored a 3.9 with all factors weighed.
Only a 20 or 30 minute drive from the city of Victoria, Goldstream Provincial Park is a wonderful choice for those wishing to experience the natural offerings of Vancouver Island, those who are out to see the city, or folks on a combination quest. BC Provincial Parks, the overseeing agency, contracts the running of the park out to a private company. Locals tell us rain is fairly rare in the southern end of the island during the summer.
Activities
Goldstream Provincial Park offers "Jerry's Rangers" programs, following the same notion as Oregon State Parks' Junior Ranger program. Paved loops are ideal for chalk art, rollerblading, and biking. Within hiking distance lies a river with suitable places for swimming and toe-dipping. I'm unsure about Canadian fishing regulations, but I never saw anyone fishing. If you're interested in fishing, I'd recommend checking out British Columbia's fishing information website. Just down the road is a visitor's/interpretive center. Within driving distance is an extensive hiking system, including waterfalls and Mt. Finlayson. While Mt. Finlayson is certainly not for the faint of heart, it is a great day hike for someone looking for a moderate to strenuous challenge - the view from the top is breathtaking! (If I can find the photos from our trip, I'll post them right away!) Finally, within a 20-30 minute drive is the beautiful city of Victoria complete with sightseeing, restaurants, museums, and several others. My two favorite finds around the city were definitely the Victoria Bug Zoo and Naanwich. Activities are a 4, as you must drive to get to many of them.
Site Quality
All campsites are visible from the road, but few are directly on it. There is ample space in all the sites, though there is no secret site that is enormous. Your privacy in any given site will vary with most being pretty shrubby to provide a bit of a natural wall. Very tall cedars and Douglas fir dominate the campsite, providing consistent mottled shade. All sites have a fixed table and fire pit. All sites in the park are primitive with not a hook up to be found.
Goldstream Provincial Park Campground is huge and offers a long walk to see it all. Bathrooms and showers are fairly spread out, but there is always an option close enough to your site. Water spiggots, however, can be a bit of a walk. Lots of garbage and recycling was available on site, but I was disappointed with the signage. I was able to ascertain that you could recycle single-serving beverage containers, but I was not sure about other recyclables such as tin cans, cardboard, or paper. A 4.5 appropriately describes these sites.
Maintenance
Everything was working and clean. However, the toilet paper was out in one restroom for almost an entire day. Just another reason to always camp with your own roll! The park offered a combination of pit toilets and flush toilets, the flush toilets being paired with showers. I found a fair bit of garbage that was left behind in the showers.
The grounds were very well maintained. The sites were generally packed dirt with some having a fine grade of gravel. A few sites had a little sandbox on which to set up tents. The sites are immaculately cleaned and raked between uses. Campground hosts don't exist in this park and you will occasionally see a staff member drive by in the park. They are almost always available from 7am to 11pm in the booth at the entrance to the park. I found them to generally be responsive to questions, though I never experienced anyone going above and beyond to be extra friendly or helpful. Particularly for a woman, lack of toilet paper can be rather vexing. Considering this and other factors, this park earned a 4 in maintenance.
Overall Value
Provincial Parks generally seem to be a bit pricier than many Oregon State Parks. Currently, you will pay more for a BC Provincial primitive site than you will for an Oregon State full hook up site. However, the option was far cheaper than a hotel, so the price is relative. However, for the primary purpose of tent camping and not tourism, I would put the overall value at a 3. However, if your primary purpose in visiting this park is as an affordable place to stay in BC, the value is much higher!
Amenities
All sites had a fixed table and fire pit while there was no availability of electricity through hookups. Water, garbage, (limited?) recycling, and showers were available, though there were not any dumps for waste water. There were a variety of day use activities. We saw chipmunks, deer, bald eagles, turkey vultures, songbirds, and banana slugs.
Miscellaneous Notes
Goldstream Provincial Park accepts card, cash, and international checks. Some sites are able to be reserved and some are on a first come, first served basis. Ice and wood are available on site and card payments are accepted for both of these things. We struggled with green wood and wound up purchasing all of our campfire wood at the general store. Light mosquitoes were present at dawn and dusk. T-Mobile did have coverage, though my phone did indicate that roaming fees would apply.
How hard is it to find?
We completely missed the sign asking us to turn on Highway 1, but there is good signage the whole way. Actually getting to the park requires a quick drive through an industrial area and later a residential area, but the signs are correct - you do wind up at the park.
Will you go back?
Certainly! However, this will definitely be a trip we save a little bit more for. I don't regret our initial trip, but Victoria is a city that is better when you're not on a strict budget. Between the cost of ferries, admissions, and any gift giving or eating out one desires, it can rack up the dollars spent pretty quickly. Vancouver Island is beautiful and one of the only places outside of Oregon to which I could theoretically see myself relocating. Also, BC remain the only place where I can have Naanwich. It might be all I eat if/when we return.
Conclusion
Staying at a provincial park really remains, in my opinion, the way to see BC. Indulge yourself in hiking, river rafting, seeing the sights, and checking out some of the amazing museums and gardens. It's a good trip to plan fairly thoroughly and bet on at least a week. Goldstream Provincial Park scored a 3.9 with all factors weighed.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Cascadia State Park
Overview
Settled on site site of the former Geisendorfer Resort, Santiam Wagon Road, and travel route for the Kalapuya Indians, Cascadia State Park has natural beauty and history in spades. Though the spring that attracted tourists has long since been shut down due to arsenic, one can find remnants of why this park has persisted as an important gathering area over time.
Activities
Fishing, tubing, wading, swimming, and other river activities are all infinitely possible from the day use area, located an easy walk away from the campsites. A quick hike to the majestic Soda Creek Falls is immediately on site, punctuated by huckleberries in the correct season. The history enthusiast can locate ruts for the Santiam Wagon Road, a patio along the river from the Geisendorfer Resort, and Kalapuya petroglyphs. As a note, the petroglyphs are located on private land (though there is a trail from the day use are), so it is a good idea to contact the Forest Service to learn about guided tours. While you can locate many of these things, there are not a plethora of interpretive markers. Cascadia boasts a good variety of walking-distance activities, but I feel like opportunities could be more thoroughly developed so this category represents a 4.5.
Site Quality
The sites are a mixed bag at Cascadia: some are right on the road with moderate vegetation between sites, while some are nestled back with thick vegetation and a good sense of seclusion. Some sites are small with limited room for tents while others are ample in size. No matter where you are, though, you can expect a good amount of shade as the park is in an established mixed forest. All the sites are all close to the central bathroom and the water faucets. Note that while there are flush toilets available, there are no showers and no access to heated water. Highway 20 is occasionally audible from the day use area, but it is far enough that it is undetectable by the tent sites. Finally, though there are not any sites directly on the river, it's a very short walk. Based on the lack of privacy in some sites, they overall earn a 4.5.
Maintenance
Restrooms and grounds were kept impeccably clean. Everything I encountered was fully functioning. Landscaping around the park was done with great respect for the wilderness, but still functional for park users. The hosts at Cascadia are fabulous and the rangers are great! Maintenance scores a 5.
Overall Value
Cascadia is flat-out beautiful. One day in the park tells you why it has continuously proved to be relevant for travelers throughout time. With trees and a river to shelter you from the worst of the summer heat, I feel like there's no bad time to visit this park. However, in order to get the fullest of experiences, it is virtually required to track down staff or volunteers to hear more about the park's history. Priced reasonably yet well off the beaten path, the overall value is a 4.5.
Amenities
All sites featured a mobile table, fire pit, and cold water access. Pleasantly, all sites are rustic so while it's possible to stick an RV in some, it is certainly discouraging. Even the day use area is well-equipped for a trip with picnic tables, fire pits, a field to play in, trails, river access and water. Wood-braced plastic garbage cans are available throughout the park, but unfortunately all recycling must be packed out as facilities are not available at this park. As with all state parks, cash, credit, and check are acceptable modes of payment. I spotted chipmunks, two species of squirrels, crows, fish, crayfish, and Stellar's Jays.
Miscellaneous Notes
Depending on the time I have been there I either didn't notice many biting insects or I was unaware of being swarmed and feasted upon by no-see-'ums. The moving river does deserve a lot of credit for keeping the biters down, but they are by no means absent. For the most part, there was a glorious lack of cell phone reception, though AT&T did have a couple of bars. Finally, the sites are all first-come, first-served.
How hard is it to find?
Cascadia State Park is actually rather easy to find as long as you trust yourself. From I-5, you can take Highway 38 to Highway 20 or just get directly on Highway 20. The park is right off of 20, though I always begin to wonder if I've missed it just before it appears. There is a big brown Oregon State Park sign for the turn off.
Will you go back?
Absolutely! However, my preference would be to leave Thursday or Friday morning in order to get my pick of sites for a weekend camping trip. I thoroughly enjoy the area.
Conclusion
Cascadia State Park is a lovely rustic area with a variety of activities to enjoy. It is a fabulous getaway to distance oneself from the hustle and bustle of city life and reconnect with nature. If you've the time, it's definitely worth a visit at an overall 4.6.
Settled on site site of the former Geisendorfer Resort, Santiam Wagon Road, and travel route for the Kalapuya Indians, Cascadia State Park has natural beauty and history in spades. Though the spring that attracted tourists has long since been shut down due to arsenic, one can find remnants of why this park has persisted as an important gathering area over time.
Activities
Fishing, tubing, wading, swimming, and other river activities are all infinitely possible from the day use area, located an easy walk away from the campsites. A quick hike to the majestic Soda Creek Falls is immediately on site, punctuated by huckleberries in the correct season. The history enthusiast can locate ruts for the Santiam Wagon Road, a patio along the river from the Geisendorfer Resort, and Kalapuya petroglyphs. As a note, the petroglyphs are located on private land (though there is a trail from the day use are), so it is a good idea to contact the Forest Service to learn about guided tours. While you can locate many of these things, there are not a plethora of interpretive markers. Cascadia boasts a good variety of walking-distance activities, but I feel like opportunities could be more thoroughly developed so this category represents a 4.5.
Site Quality
The sites are a mixed bag at Cascadia: some are right on the road with moderate vegetation between sites, while some are nestled back with thick vegetation and a good sense of seclusion. Some sites are small with limited room for tents while others are ample in size. No matter where you are, though, you can expect a good amount of shade as the park is in an established mixed forest. All the sites are all close to the central bathroom and the water faucets. Note that while there are flush toilets available, there are no showers and no access to heated water. Highway 20 is occasionally audible from the day use area, but it is far enough that it is undetectable by the tent sites. Finally, though there are not any sites directly on the river, it's a very short walk. Based on the lack of privacy in some sites, they overall earn a 4.5.
Maintenance
Restrooms and grounds were kept impeccably clean. Everything I encountered was fully functioning. Landscaping around the park was done with great respect for the wilderness, but still functional for park users. The hosts at Cascadia are fabulous and the rangers are great! Maintenance scores a 5.
Overall Value
Cascadia is flat-out beautiful. One day in the park tells you why it has continuously proved to be relevant for travelers throughout time. With trees and a river to shelter you from the worst of the summer heat, I feel like there's no bad time to visit this park. However, in order to get the fullest of experiences, it is virtually required to track down staff or volunteers to hear more about the park's history. Priced reasonably yet well off the beaten path, the overall value is a 4.5.
Amenities
All sites featured a mobile table, fire pit, and cold water access. Pleasantly, all sites are rustic so while it's possible to stick an RV in some, it is certainly discouraging. Even the day use area is well-equipped for a trip with picnic tables, fire pits, a field to play in, trails, river access and water. Wood-braced plastic garbage cans are available throughout the park, but unfortunately all recycling must be packed out as facilities are not available at this park. As with all state parks, cash, credit, and check are acceptable modes of payment. I spotted chipmunks, two species of squirrels, crows, fish, crayfish, and Stellar's Jays.
Miscellaneous Notes
Depending on the time I have been there I either didn't notice many biting insects or I was unaware of being swarmed and feasted upon by no-see-'ums. The moving river does deserve a lot of credit for keeping the biters down, but they are by no means absent. For the most part, there was a glorious lack of cell phone reception, though AT&T did have a couple of bars. Finally, the sites are all first-come, first-served.
How hard is it to find?
Cascadia State Park is actually rather easy to find as long as you trust yourself. From I-5, you can take Highway 38 to Highway 20 or just get directly on Highway 20. The park is right off of 20, though I always begin to wonder if I've missed it just before it appears. There is a big brown Oregon State Park sign for the turn off.
Will you go back?
Absolutely! However, my preference would be to leave Thursday or Friday morning in order to get my pick of sites for a weekend camping trip. I thoroughly enjoy the area.
Conclusion
Cascadia State Park is a lovely rustic area with a variety of activities to enjoy. It is a fabulous getaway to distance oneself from the hustle and bustle of city life and reconnect with nature. If you've the time, it's definitely worth a visit at an overall 4.6.
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