August, 2021
Just a short little blog post here about another sweet little campground I found in the Chimacum area. If I come back to this area (which I well might), I’d be happy to use this other campground that I found today.
It’s the Oak Bay Campground. It’s not part of the Washington State system of campgrounds. Oak Bay Campground is owned and operated by Jefferson County here in Washington. A campsite here at Oak Bay, with electricity, costs just $25/night, compared with the usual $35-$45/night for a state park campsite that has electricity.
There aren’t many campsites at Oak Bay, but to my mind that’s one of the attractions. It’s small and quiet.
My favorite campsites are the three sites below … 16, 17, and 19. Each has electricity (contrary to the sign above) and each campsite was exquisite … especially number 16 (the first photo below … ignore that the post says “15”, it really is “16”). I could back Towhee the Trailer in there and then sit at the dinette table inside my trailer (it’s at the back end of my trailer) and enjoy the view out my back window. But the other two campsites below are also perfect.
Ah, yes, the view. Let me show you the view from campsite #19 since it was unoccupied so I could walk in. The three photos below are “left” … “center” … and “right”. Along with ducks and shorebirds, and seagulls, and a number of Great Blue Herons, and boats coming up from the south to transit the Port Townsend Ship Canal on the left (I did that many times in my boat), the view is stunning. Not to mention the occasional sunset off to the right.
The end bit of this story is that I chatted briefly with one of the campground caretakers who lives in this campground in their RV. He confirmed that there are no camping reservations here. He also told me that on weekends, especially in good weather, the local folk take over the place and it’s chock-a-block full, but that during the week … Sunday evening through Friday early afternoon … the place is often empty except for maybe 2 or 3 campers at most.
So … I said to him … why doesn’t Jefferson County accept camping reservations from Sunday at 3 pm to Friday at 3 pm, and charge an extra $5/night for that? That caretaker looked at me as though I had said something miraculous. He thought about it, and then said “I’m going to propose that!” I’m going to keep checking their website, bet your boots on that! 🙂
Update: As of June, 2022, there are still no reservations allowed even for weeknights when the place is mostly empty. Maybe they need help with setting up online reservations. I’ve already done that for other clubs. Guess I’ll write to them and offer to help. 🙂
Yippee Ann at Travels with Towhee! Your kindness is wonderful ❤ Maybe you’ll have free camping in exchange 😊🏝❣
Hey, I’d take a free camping week here in exchange for help with their online reservation system in a minute! And then they’ll make more money, and we’ll all be happy. 🙂
Wow, that is an amazing price for a campsite! Almost like the old days when camping didn’t break the bank. :c)
I sure remember those days, Paul. I suspect the campgrounds that charge so little are now fully owned like the Oak Bay Campground is. But the state system of parks must own pretty much every campground by now, many of which were donated to the state system at no cost to the state. I’m puzzled about why the State of Washington charges so much.
Beautiful campground! I’d stay there too! I hope they get on the reservation system.
Me too, Dawn. It is such a pretty place.
Why wouldn’t they have reservations!? There are free ways to do that online and I’d bet you know how to do that Ann. Yep, I hope you set them up with that and then you get lots of free camping in payment.
You got it, Nebraska. There are free ways to set that up, such that the county that owns this campground would have no additional cost, just more income. I did send them an email, but I realize they may not understand how easy it is.
Ok, in the eighth photo down from the top, is that a Great Blue Heron out in the water? Gosh, yes, I’d camp here in a heartbeat. I’d build my house here!
Yes, Lori, it is! What good eyes you have. That heron was so far way that I couldn’t get even a zoomed in shot of it. But indeed it’s a Great Blue Heron. If I go camping here, I’ll put my inflatable kayak in the water and just wait. 🙂
One wonders if the owners of the campground really do want people to stay there, or if they realize they really could make money if they offered reservations even if just during the week. Or, who knows, maybe they’re happy that the campground isn’t used much and so doesn’t need much maintenance. The view is great! Looks like there’s a spit down there that you might walk out on too … and a beach?
My thoughts too, Steve. And yes, there is a spit down there you can drive out onto, and even camp on, although when I drove out there, it was a bit rough, with garbage strewn about and only one outhouse. But a drive with just my truck and then a walk on the beach would be superb.
What a sweet spot. Is that a Great Blue Heron in the water in the eighth photo from the top? It’s way out there, hard to see, inside the spit, right about in the middle of the photo. We don’t get many (any?) of them down here in the southwest.
Yes, you and Lori spotted it … a Great Blue Heron. I had thought of clambering down the bank and getting close enough to get a good photo of the heron but I decided not to since there weren’t any other people around and if I fell then I’d be in a pickle indeed. There are super many Great Blue Herons up here … and I’d bet there are all manner of birds down where you two are that we don’t see up here. One of these days, I’ll be down your way. 🙂
You find the best places!
🙂 Thanks Fran.