August 29, 2022
More camping! 🙂 This trip was close to home, very close to home!
I needed a few days out in my trailer away from other stresses of life without the stress of driving very far, so I picked a campground that was just about as close as I could get to my home … and this one campground happened to have one empty campsite. I was taking a chance on this place not being very much of what I wanted, but it was closeby and I wouldn’t be there but a very few days. And yet it turned out that two campsites in this campground are now on my list of favorite campsites, and this campground (Riverbend) is on my list of future/return destinations.
Let’s go!
The sign at the entrance, above.
Below … the big white truck and Towhee the Trailer after they were backed into our campsite. No leveling needed, it was perfect. Direct hookup to water and electricity were provided. You can see there was lots of room between campsites. I’m thinking I’m going to like this!
And there was absolutely no one behind me. Well, truth-be-told, the Nisqually River was right behind me. And it was wonderful … birds, just a bit of a breeze, a very few people in small boats, fishing, peace and quiet, the sound of a happy river. I’ll show you more, rest assured.
But first, here are two Google Earth images below. Those of you who know Washington and who know a bit about south Puget Sound will recognize place names and landmarks in the image below. The city of Lacey where I live is just off the image to the left. The BIG RED DOT is where I was camped in the low-lying Nisqually River Valley, just before the Nisqually River flows to the north out into Puget Sound and then out around Anderson Island.
Below, a close-up on Google Earth. The white lines are the roadways inside this privately-owned and gated campground, the Riverbend Campground. There are lots of options for camping here, and there are private homes here (for long-term rent) as well. A very few of the homes are right on river’s edge. And there are four, only four, campsites that are right on river’s edge. And I was in one of them … the BIG RED DOT!
From inside my trailer, I could open my trailer door and step down my trailer’s steps, then walk straight back past my picnic table, and walk right up to the river’s edge.
Looking to the right, above.
Looking to the left, below. The RVs under the trees in the distance were stored there, those weren’t campsites. There were three campsites between me and those rigs in the woods, but every one of the three real campsites was generous in space and every campsite ran clear over to the edge of the water, so no one walked here except those of us who were camped here.
The river makes a sharp bend right here … hence the name of the campground, Riverbend Campground.
I turned around and looked back at my trailer and truck …
No one, any where near me! There was a rig in the campsite next to me, but they were quiet, and there were rigs in the next two campsites next to them, but they were here only part time and they were quiet too. Except, after a couple of days, we ALL put chairs out on the edge of the river in the evening and sat and watched and enjoyed that river and, of course, got to chatting with each other. It was perfect, just what I wanted. 🙂
As mentioned, small fishing boats zoomed up and down the river a few times each day, birds visited, I went for lots of walks, explored other parts of the Nisqually River and the delta it forms as it flows into Puget Sound. I’ll share the highlights. Stay tuned.
Thanks to all of you for being here! For reading, for commenting when you wish, and for coming along on this ride with me. I really appreciate every one of you. 🙂
Looks gorgeous. I always love your Google maps.
Thanks Judy. 🙂
Every campground you find is gorgeous! I like the maps too.
Thanks Nebraska. I get lucky! 🙂
Thats a really nice sign at the entrance. The words curve like the river does. Whoever designed that had a great imagination. And the plants and river rock add so much to it. Whoever put that together did a very good job. Someone is obviously thoughtful about this place. Glad you’re liking it!
I loved that sign, Marge, for all the reasons you wrote. You have a good eye. 🙂
Looks like a peaceful place to be. Sounds like maybe you needed that. Maybe every one of us could use that!
Ah, you nailed it Greg … I needed a little peace. May you have the same any time you wish it. My best to you.
Gorgeous. A perfect place for some peace and quiet, which it sounded like you need. I hope you get that here. You deserve some peace and quiet, you share so much with us!
I looked up this campground online and find that it is private, and it’s gated! with a locked gate 24×7. You can’t get in without talking with the office people first (or having the code). This is a safe campground.
I’m looking forward to more of your adventures here, and more of your beautiful photos.
Thanks Kinny. 🙂 I sure did want some calm and peace and I sure did get that here. And yes, the campground is very secure which added to that sense of calm and peace. Thanks for your comment. 🙂 More adventures and photos coming.
Nisqually, what is that word? Is it native american? Sounds like it would be. If so, do they still live here along this river and in this valley?
Excellent question! Nisqually, pronounced Nis-KWALL-ee, comes from the word “squalli” (“s’qwali?” in the Salish native language) or “prairie grass”. Nisqually means “people of the prairie grass”. The Nisqually River originates on the side of 14,400+ foot tall Mt. Rainier, and ends at the Nisqually delta in Puget Sound at ocean level. The valley is gorgeous, with hills and mountains on both sides, and with a lovely, rich, lush prairie-like valley all along the river valley.
Indeed, the Nisqually people do still live here, and fish here. The current Nisqually Reservation is 1,000-acres large and located in eastern Thurston County, WA (not far from where my home is). All of the current reservation land was acquired by the tribe in the last 25 years, even though the reservation was established by the Treaty of Medicine Creek of 1854. The reservation was originally 5,105 acres. The tribal lands were broken into individual allotments in 1884. In 1917, Pierce County, Washington, through the process of condemnation proceedings (eminent domain), took 3,370 acres for the Fort Lewis Military Reserve, and paid the Nisqually people nothing for the land that was taken.
You will see in the next blog post that I encounter some Nisqually people fishing on the river. I can’t think of nicer folks on the planet.
Thanks for asking, Ruth. 🙂
What a great campsite. I think I could just live there permanently in my trailer. You can come stay in one of the others and we’ll visit. 🙂
Ha! Or we’ll have to fight over who gets that end spot, eh Susan? Ok, you can have the end spot. I too thought about the possibility of simply renting that spot permanently, forever. I’ll see you there. 🙂
I know the header photo changes but I just want to say I love that fish print material. A throw pillow or two, or a table runner for a coffee table. Or wall art. Just kind of an accent. You’ve offered to send larger photos to us, would it be ok for you to send the largest size photo of that image to me? I’d like to print and frame it for a small piece of wall art. I really like the fold in the material too, it adds depth. I won’t sell it, I promise! 🙂
Oh gosh, June, thank you! That is really nice of you to write that. And yes, absolutely, I have already emailed you the large version of that photo. If the email doesn’t come through, or it doesn’t open, just say the word and I’ll get the image to you by posting it online for you to download. Hey, sell it! And we can split the proceeds. 🙂
Ran across your blog and enjoyed reading about your travels. In one of the posts you mentioned relatives in Darrington. Just wanted to let you know that there is a new Boondockers Welcome site in Darrington. Come see us some time.
Robert
Hi Robert. Your comment here first showed up in spam, but you obviously aren’t spam, so I approved the comment and hope that other readers here look into “Boondockers Welcome“. It’s a great organization with tons of opportunity for free or low-cost camping. I’ve used it a number of times. It’s terrific. And, yes, I have relatives in Darrington.
Ok, I just looked and find “Sauk Prairie Getaway” listed just NE of Darrington. How gorgeous! Seems like a perfect spot for camping during the eagle migration, spring flowers, summer sun, autumn color, and even winter wildness. Ok, it’s on my list. 🙂 Thank you!!
Looks beautiful!
Must be a good fishing river altho not one I’ve been on. Gorgeous area.
Considering the number of boats zooming up and down the river each day while I was here (not too many, just enough), I suspect this river is great for fishing, Rob.