What is a "paved (camp) site"?

[greenthumbnails]

I am planning a hiking/camping trip to Washington and have noticed that a couple of the national park camping sites are listed as "paved site" in the AAA camping guidebook.  This doesn't make sense to me.  How can you sleep on concrete in your tent, even with padding?  Also, how would you even be able to put up your tent if there is no ground to stick the tent pegs into to support the tent?  Can anyone clarify this?

[Julles]

I used to camp a lot.  Like every other weekend.  But one reason I've mostly given it up is that camping has changed so much.  So many people these days take along all the conveniences of home.  I'm betting that that "paved" camp site is such that a family can easily park their motorized camper on asphalt.  There's probably also electricity and water hook-ups.

That means you get to listen to their generator run all night, and listen to them inside their air-conditioned camper watching TV.  In the morning, their kids will likely come tearing through your site on their dirt bikes and motorized 3-wheelers.

Or, it could just mean there's a safe, level place to park your car. 

Usually, in addition, camp sites will have a picnic table nearby, and also a gravel or other flat spot to pitch your tent. 

[Freddie Peepers]

I agree with Julles. Camping ain't what it used to be. If you want to get away from "it"  Look for National "Forest" campgrounds.They are more rustic usually not even flush toilets let alone showers and electric but the payoff is privacy and serenity. Spent time in several of these types in the Rockies and many nights we were the only campers there except the campground host. Some in the Black Hills didn't even have hosts so you can really be alone with nature

[jw]

The paved pads are for parking rv's on so they are completely level and there would only be some of those at a campground and also regular earth ones for tenters. The National parks here have very nice woodsy campgrounds so don't worry you won't feel like your in the big city  .

[Brian]

I've also seen where an entire campsite is paved, not just the area where the camper is parked to make the entire site handicap accessible.

[Julles]

I used to camp in the National Forest a lot, because it was like Freddie said - remote and secluded and natural.  But then one time I went, and there were "No Trespassing" signs up all over the place.  They had gone and and leased most of the land to farmers to use for their own purposes, and campers are now barred.

What's left are the more developed State Parks and private campgrounds.  Which are overrun with people and vehicles and idling generators.

I have, like Freddie, camped in some of those high Rocky Mountain sites, completely alone with nature.  I so clearly remember the drive up the mountail - around and around and around, working your way higher.  And the sound that I was sure was a danged other car approaching, surely bringing a load of rowdy drunken teenagers to destroy the peace.  But not so - it was the sound of the wind working its way up the mountain side, through the pine needles, growing louder as it got closer.  To this day, I remember laying there looking up at the clear mile-high sky, where the stars are so much brighter, and listening to that wind. 

The name of that site was "Top o' the World."   

[Brian]

Julles,
Makes me want to go there.  Thanks for the visual you provided.
I do a lot of camping at one of Indiana's state reservoirs.  They allow primitive camping on the east end of the lake near the head waters.  It is usually pretty private back in there and you only see the occasional boat.

[Freddie Peepers]

Julles;
That brought back memories for me too. We were high up in the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, only ones in the whole campground when we heard what sounded like a whole crowd approaching the campground. Preparing for the worst, expecting a large bunch of people, We sat in awe as an entire herd of elk rumbled past, with the most majestic bull elk brining up the rear. It was an unbelievable sight to say the least,after which the peace and quiet returned to that mountain meadow

[jw]

Ah camping it is such fun and we've done it for many years here in Washington. I remember this one time when we were out in this remote campground camping in a tent and they did have outhouses but not very many people visited the place fortunately for us IMO. We had our kids w/ us and DH went to use the outhouse............well his wallet w/ all his money in it (meager as it was)fell in with all his I.D and credit cards etc. Ok so we gotta have that stuff back..............so I say get the fishing pole and fish it out w/ a hook.........he looks at me weird and says hey it might just work. It was the only outhouse in the camp and there were a few other people there and the looks we got with me yelling come on you almost got it...........and him hooting also and the kids all jumping around excitedly with our big black dog Ezra whining away ...........I can only imagine what they thought. We did get it out and I won't tell ya the rest as we were just lucky to get the money and the plastic cards outta the wallet. I wish I would have had a camera tho .

[Freddie Peepers]

 

[Brian]

Talk about dirty money!  I'm sure that money needed to be laundered!

[Julles]

Good thing you had a fishing pole.  Hope you had GLOVES, too!!

You know, for those really memorable experiences (not the outhouse one - I'm talking about the mountain campsites), I took a class in meditation one time, and they taught us how to plant those memories firmly into your mind, and to bring them back whenever you want, as vividly as if you were there again. 

All you have to do is be very conscious of where you are, of the sights, sounds, smells, temperature, etc., and then put your finger and thumb together, and tell yourself that you will be able to recall that moment whenever you want, simply by putting your finger and thumb together again. 

Don't laugh.  It works!

[Joyce]

IMHO: If it's paved, it's not camping. 

[jw]

No gloves unfortunately but we used something like paper bags to hold on to it and then we had to take it to the river to wash it cause there was no running water at the campground  . Not the memorable experience that we had hoped for .

I bet it would work for the outhouse one real well. I can see it, and I can hear all the hooting, and I can sure in the heck smell it and I think it was cloudy and damp that day...............but I sure ain't gonna do it cause it wasn't my dream vacation  .
I have heard that your technique works tho  .

[greenthumbnails]

Thanks for the feedback, and the recounts.  Still not sure what we are gonna do about the paved campsite thing...hope for the best I guess. 

JW- or anyone else, have you every hiked the "Cascade Pass Trail" in the North Cascades in Washington?  Its highly recommended in one of the hiking guidebooks I bought for the area and I was wondering about what the road Cascade River Rd was like to get to the trailhead.  It looks like its a long gravel road on the map. Wondering how bad its gonna be driving it.

[jw]

Hey Green, Did you check out this site:

http://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/road-conditions.htm

I don't think we have ever done that hike (DH would know better and I will ask him when he gets home) but I have books that say that the Cascade River Road is gravel, wide and rough due to heavy use after the pavement ends at 4.6 miles. It turns into a narrow dirt road after 16.4 miles and the parking lot to trailhead is another 6.3 miles. It said that the final 2 miles was very steep, rough and narrow - use caution. I'm getting all this info from a book I have called The Hikers Guide to Washington. Maybe you have it? It tells all about the Cascade Pass and Sahale Glacier hike in there so if you need anymore info let me know. I don't have a scanner or I'd print pages of it to ya. I could use my old trusy video camera to take pictures of all the directions and pm it to ya. Let me know..........I've got several books here each w/ info on this trail and others. Check out that link above as the road is going to close in places the first part of next month.