Camping in North West Washington State

Camping options in BC are abundant but as I noticed from the comments on camping post about campgrounds within 2.5 hours of Vancouver, some aren’t too happy with the consistent sold-out status of these popular outdoor destinations. To stay within the 2 hour travel zone, I’m going to dip down into Washington State and help you explore some options south of the border.

Camping in North West Washington State

These listings are for Washington State Parks only and do not include private campgrounds. For vehicles entering state parks, a Discover Pass is required ($30 for the year, $10 for the day*). There are many more options as you head down the coast but I’ve selected the four closest spots (and some with the most incredible views and lingering ocean sunsets).

Park Name: Birch Bay State Park
Description: Birch Bay State Park is a 194-acre camping park with 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch Bay and 14,923 feet of freshwater shoreline on Terrell Creek. Hiking, water skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving, fishing. Hike the Terrill Marsh trail or the interpretive trail.
Distance from Vancouver: 1 hour 1 minute [Google Map]

Park Name: Larabee State Park
Description: Larrabee State Park is a 2,683-acre camping park with 8,100 feet of saltwater shoreline on Samish Bay near Bellingham in northwest Washington. The park features two freshwater lakes, coves and tidelands. Hiking, biking, clamming, crabbing, waterskiing, scuba, fishing, boating. 17.2 miles of hiking & biking trails.
Distance from Vancouver: 1 hour 21 minutes [Google Map]

Deception Pass. Photo credit: Duane Storey on Flickr

Park Name: Bay View State Park
Description: Bay View State Park is a 25-acre camping park with 1,285 feet of saltwater shoreline on Padilla Bay. Swimming, fishing, picknicking. Over 11,000 acres of Padilla Bay are designated as National Estuarine Sanctuary.
Distance from Vancouver: 1 hour 40 minutes [Google Map]

Park Name: Deception Pass State Park
Description: Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. Sightseeing, hiking, biking, scuba diving, boating, saltwater beaches, jutting cliffs, freshwater lakes, great views. Most campsites are near Cranberry Lake and West beach.
Distance from Vancouver: 1 hour 56 minutes [Google Map]

Results as of May 17, 2012.

The online reservation system allows you to pick your dates and view an interactive map that will display availability at Washington State Parks. You can also select your park and see a calendar view of available dates.

Find Washington State Parks on Facebook and Twitter for more information and updates.

Related: 10 BC Parks to Visit For Camping Season // Camping Around Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Sea to Sky, Sunshine Coast, 10 BC Parks to Visit.

*Prices stated are all as-of the publish date of this post.