There Still Could be Room to go Camping This Weekend

Where have all the campers gone?

Not a single camper was in sight during a spot check of the campground at the Expo Center in Enumclaw Friday night.

Remember when it was hard to find a spot to camp over Memorial Day weekend? Even rain and thunder and lightning like there were Friday night couldn’t keep campers away.

That doesn’t mean other campgrounds aren’t busier, or even that the Expo Center won’t get campers. But it looks like there could be room if you have the inkling. A sample of campsites in the Enumclaw area is listed below. But it would be best to call first if you can.

Chinook Pass did open as scheduled Friday, but it was a challenge because of a recent snowstorm. It took snow-clearing and avalanche-blasting skills to clear State Route 410 over the pass on the way to Yakima.

However, don’t expect spring in the mountains. Snow is in the forecast for Chinook Pass so be prepared for winter conditions, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Traffic seemed fairly light for the annual holiday Friday, but WSDOT warns that may not last.  WSDOT online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic offers travel graphs showing the best and worst time to travel on certain highways, along with traffic alerts describing any crashes or other delays on roads by calling 5-1-1.

As for the weather,expect Saturday to be mostly sunny, with highs of 68. A 30 percent chance of showers is expected Sunday, with highs dipping to around 62. On Memorial Day, it will be mostly cloudy, with a chance of showers, with highs again around 62. 

Local campgrounds, according to www.allstays.com:

Enumclaw Expo Center RV Campground 

45224 284th Ave SE, Enumclaw. 360-615-5620.

Kanaskat-Palmer State Park 
11 miles NE of Enumclaw. 888-226-7688.

Lonesome Lake Campground 
From Enumclaw on Highway 410, go south to FR 74, then south to FR 75, then south to the lake. 360-825-6585.

Dalles Campground 
Located 26 miles east of Enumclaw on Highway 410 and 7 miles west of Mount Rainier National Park. 425-783-6000.

Corral Pass Campground 

From Enumclaw, travel east on 410 for 31 miles to Forest Service road 7174. This is a steep, narrow winding road. 360-825-6585.

Silver Springs Campground 
Located 32 miles east of Enumclaw on Highway 410 and 1 mile west of Mount Rainier National Park (North Arch). 360-825-6585.

Other local resorts include: Silver Springs and Green River Gorge near Enumclaw; Evans Creek and Uncle John’s RV Park in Buckley; and Sunrise-Lake Sawyer in Black Diamond.

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