Camp and Hike

I"m a big fan of car camping. It's how I got introduced to the outdoors as a kid. It's a great way to lets the little ones discover the woods at their own pace, one leaf at a time. And even if you don't have children, car camping is a great way to set up a base for day-hiking explorations. Thornton Lake by day, Colonial Creek Campground by night. Comet Falls for a hike, with an evening of s'mores at Cougar Rock. Hike up Klahhane Ridge and then cocktail hour in camp at Altair. You get the idea.

Nervous about taking your kids on their first camping adventure? Read WTA Youth Program Director Krista Dooley's great collection of suggestions to make your camping trip go smoothly. Looking for suggestions? Read the article to find suggestions four super-primo campgrounds.

Or pick up a copy of Ron Judd's new edition of his book Camping Washington. This book has long been my favorite guide to Washington's car campgrounds--it's packed with opinionated reviews, a five-star rating system, and lots of phone numbers, reservation web sites and other useful stuff for the Therm-a-Rest and Coleman stove tribe.