Our First Ever Camping Trip
It’s official. We are finally campers!
Our boys talked about camping for a while. We took the baby steps, trying out a tiny house in Ireland last winter, glamping in Iceland in June (still have kitchen and bathroom in tent), glamping in Montana in July (no bathroom and kitchen in tent).
We finally committed a real deal this month.
Rialto Beach, Pacific Coast, WA
I’ve only camped once in my life, over 20 years ago. My husband faired a few more times. As a couple or family, we never did camping, nor had any camping gear.
Over the years, as my passion for landscape photography grew, I stayed late for sunset more and more often. During our family travels, this meant cutting into our kids’ meal or sleep time. More often than not, we had to drive in darkness to get back to hotel or airbnbs.
Logistics for landscape photography during sunrise was even more challenging. We simply skipped it.
After our latest Northwest US road trip in July, driving over 4000 miles mainly in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Washington (with a slight touch in Idaho and Oregon), we realized a huge disadvantage of not being a camper in the nature.
Many gorgeous photo spots were taken when we arrived, not necessarily by campers, but regular tourists as well. If we do camping, we could have more chances to enjoy and photograph gorgeous scenes without rush.
The second day we came back from that trip, I jumped into action, and started researching on camping gear. It took me more than a week to source everything, mostly from Amazon.
My husband in the meantime tried to book camping sites with no avail (see logistic tip below).
When we finally figured out how to book sites, we saw the new fire pit ban from Washington State due to the high risk of forest fires. That was 3 days before our first booked night.
We scrambled to buy several portable propane gas stove in the last minute just to try them out, and had to ditch the fire pit marshmallow plans.
Wow, what a learning curve! From equipment, logistics to actual camping.
Logistic Tip
Although this was a short trip of only three days, we stayed at three different camping sites, all within Olympic National Park, WA.
We never booked camping sites before, and found that all the sites only allowed us to book for one night at a time, 4 days in advance. When we tried the second day to book the same site for another night, there was none available.
Apparently, summer was the peak camping season. For those who want to stay in the same place several days in a roll, you have to book months earlier.
Some camping sites are first come first serve. Since we didn’t know what time we should show up and how likely we could get a spot, we decided to just go for the reservation only sites.
We did drive to a couple of first come first serve campground and asked the host, who said arriving before 11am was a good practice to find a potential spot. That was for future reference.
We ended up staying at the following 3 campgrounds, all well maintained and cleaned properly. Most importantly, they were close to picturesque locations great for photography.
1st night - Kalaloch Campground
2nd night - Willaby Campground
3rd night - Mora Campground
Backyard Preparation
To prepare for this trip, we camped out in our own backyard for two nights, and made sure we were comfortable with our tent and the temperature at night. Our boys absolutely loved it and didn’t want to leave.
It was funny to see three raccoons perching on the big tree trunk next to us before dawn one morning, snarling for a couple of hours. Not sure it was because we took their space.
We also heard some deep roaring from a large mammal somewhere in the forest. We were not sure if it was from a bear or cougar, as spotted by our neighbors in our neighborhood before.
Day 1 - Kalaloch Campground on the beach
The day we started the trip, we thought we were sufficiently prepared!
Well, we arrived at Kalaloch Campground in the rain.
Even we checked the weather forecast days in advance, the weather in the mountains or the ocean could change anytime.
The good news was we had traveled extensively throughout Olympic National Park over the past 4 years, and had been to nearly all the Olympic beaches along the Pacific Coast. So if we couldn’t do any site seeing due to bad weather, we were not missing out anything.
After waiting out in the car for over an hour, we decided to set things up anyway, in the rain.
There was a big tree that looked like an umbrella, we thought it was a great spot to set up our tent. But the ground was not completely level due to some tree roots. What’s more, my husband forgot to bring his sleep pad. So it was a night of tossing and turning on the tree root for him.
I prepared some meals for the trip. Due to the rain, we didn’t cook, and simply used the food warmer, or the “portable oven” as it was called, to warm up the food. It took a good one hour but at least things did work.
It drizzled on and off during our stay. We only took a small walk on the nearby Kalaloch beach in the evening. It was completely covered in the fog.
On the second morning, it took us extra time and effort to clean and pack up everything.
At the least, the rain stopped and the weather was beautiful for the rest of the trip.
Day 2 - Willaby Campground Near Lake Quinault
Willaby Campground, located on the shores of Lake Quinault in Washington, offers a peaceful retreat with campsites surrounded by towering evergreens and easy access to the lake's tranquil waters and lush rainforest trails.
We love this campground. Our camp spot was a lot spacious. For some reason, our neighboring spot was empty (when we booked ours was the last spot), so we had a large space all to ourselves.
We even set up a hammock and our picnic blanket on a little hill. Our kids were in heaven.
The challenge here was the mosquitos. Even we bought mosquito bracelets, Thermacell mosquito repeller, and mosquito and bug spray, they don’t seem to work. Our 6 yo got a dozen of bites on his face and neck. It took him over a week to recover.
Nevertheless, if we were to camp again around Lake Quinault, we would totally stay here again.
👉 Lake Quinault Lodge
The last time we visited Lake Quinault was over 2 years ago. I took my kids here on a 4-day road trip by myself. We revisited Lake Quinault Lodge, where I stayed with my kids last time.
Lake Quinault Lodge is a historic retreat nestled on the shores of Lake Quinault, offering rustic charm and timeless elegance. Surrounded by lush rainforest, the lodge provides a cozy atmosphere with breathtaking views, inviting guests to relax and explore the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
In the lobby of the lodge, there were many family friendly board games to entertain our kids.
👉 34-mile loop around Lake Quinault
After our small stop at the Lake Quinault Lodge, we drove the 34-mile loop around Lake Quinault. For the first time we had great weather driving around it.
The 34-mile loop drive around Lake Quinault offers a scenic journey through this enchanting landscape, showcasing the diverse beauty of the Quinault Valley. As you wind your way around the lake, you'll pass by cascading waterfalls, ancient trees, and breathtaking viewpoints.
The loop drive includes sections of both paved and gravel roads, taking you through the lush Quinault Rainforest and along the shores of the lake. Along the way, you'll find numerous trailheads, picnic spots, and historic sites, making this drive a perfect way to experience the natural beauty and rich history of the Olympic Peninsula.
👉 Marriman Falls
Marriman Falls is a picturesque cascade framed by lush ferns and moss-covered rocks, creating a serene and enchanting forest scene. It was an easy photo spot along the loop drive, and most people visiting here would stop at the waterfall. There was a small parking lot. Most people just parked along the road.
👉 Quinault River
We made a stop at the northeast section of the 34-mile loop drive, where we could hike down the Quinault River bank. There was no dedicated parking spot on the road but there were few cars either. It was a serene place to enjoy the river flow with the mountain backdrop.
👉 Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail
In the morning, we took the hike along the Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail, a 0.9-mile trail one minute drive from our campground. I hiked with my kids in drizzle on our last trip, and got the heat wave this time. The short hike in the forest tree canopy was perfect exercise in the summer.
👉 Queets River
On our way to our 3rd campground, we stoped at Queets River, a pristine and remote waterway that winds through the lush temperate rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula. If you want a place for solitude in the summer along the Olympic National park coast, this would be it.
Originating high in the Olympic Mountains, the river flows through a landscape of towering evergreens, moss-draped maples, and dense undergrowth, creating a serene and untouched wilderness.
With few access points and minimal development, the Queets River offers a true escape into nature, where the sights and sounds of the forest reign supreme.
👉 Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach, probably the most popular beach in Olympic National Park on Washington's rugged Pacific Coast, is famed for its stunning sea stacks, scattered driftwood, and dramatic shoreline.
The beach's name reflects the reddish hues that glint in its sands at sunset, creating a magical atmosphere against the backdrop of misty coastal forests.
There is a lagoon at Ruby Beach perfect for family and kids. The lagoon is a serene, reflective pool formed by tidal waters, nestled between the driftwood-strewn shore and the towering sea stacks, adding to the beach's mystical charm.
Our plan to stay at Ruby Beach for 30 minutes turned into 2 hours. When we finally arrived at our 3rd campground, it was already late in the afternoon.
I’ve shared more Ruby Beach photos in the past, check them out.
Day 3 - Mora Campground Near Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach is one of my favorite beaches at Olympic National Park. Mora Campground is 5 minutes away from it, and it didn’t disappoint.
We were pleased to find less mosquitos here, but soon we experienced a new challenge. The crows and a few raccoons. The crows seemed to be used to visitors’ dinner schedule, and were ready to dive down anytime.
We wrapped up a quick meal and went for our sunset hike on Rialto, which was my favorite part of this trip.
Rialto Beach is characterized by striking sea stacks rising from the ocean, smooth driftwood scattered along the shoreline, and powerful waves crashing against the rocky coast.
We visited the beach quite a few times before, but either got rain or fog. The beach landscape is gorgeous but I never photographed it in the best light and color.
Things turned around this time, thanks to the good weather and the vicinity of our campground. We didn’t have to rush anywhere and could enjoy the entire sunset till the blue hours.
Somehow in the middle of the night, the sleep pad under our sleeping bag deflated. I got up several times at night to inflate it but only to find us on the ground again in 20 minutes. It was a hard night for the kids and me, as my husband already got used to sleeping on the ground from day 1. Now we were all square.
👉 East Beach
On our way back home, we stopped at East Beach of Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park
East Beach is a tranquil, less-traveled gem situated along the east shore of Lake Crescent. This serene spot is surrounded by the park's towering old-growth forests, offering stunning views of the crystal-clear, glacially-carved lake and the surrounding mountains.
The beach is a perfect place to enjoy in the summer. After visiting Lake Crescent many dozens of times, East Beach is the only place you can comfortably swim, no matter for adults or kids.
Despite our interest to see more, we decided to wrap up our camping trip after 3 nights. With daily packing and unpacking, and location change, we felt a bit overwhelmed, although we were happy with our new skills.
As first-time campers, we look forward to improve our outdoor living skills and perhaps more camping trips in the near future, partly to justify all the camping gear collected over the last few weeks, partly to enjoy our travel and photo experiences in a new way.
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