In the last installment we looked at options for camping on state land, using Washington State as an example. This week I will share what you can expect in the way of camping and adventures when exploring the Colockum Wildlife Area, which is one of 33 wildlife areas in Washington State.
The 105,662 acre Colockum Wildlife Area is located between the cities of Ellensburg and Wenatchee. Managed as one unit, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) owns 73,199 acres, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) owns 21,440 acres, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns 11,023 acres managed by WDFW through a Memorandum of Understanding.
Their website lists the following activities that can be enjoyed in the area:
• Bird watching
• Boating
• Camping
• Dog training/trials
• Dog walking
• Fishing
• Group events and tours
• Hiking
• Horseback riding
• Hunting
• Mountain biking
• Nordic skiing and snowshoeing
• Rock climbing
• Target shooting/trap shooting/archery
• Wildlife viewing
Roads into the wildlife area vary between gravel, which can be navigated by most any RV, to rough narrow paths suitable only for high clearance vehicles. Camping is allowed within 100ft of any road that is open to vehicle traffic. Many spur roads are signed along the main route as camping areas.
There’s no charge to camp, provided you have a Discover Pass or WDFW Vehicle Access Pass, which are required on all WDFW lands. Stay limits are either 10 or 21 days, depending on which state agency owns the land.
For more information, check out their website here.
Camping for free in a wildlife area – just another great adventure in RVing!
Jim Black says
We live near Mount Rainier, so can camp in the forest all around us pretty easily. However, there is so much variety that utilizing state and county lands opens up desert sites, reservoirs, coulees, and beaches in addition to forested country. Too many places, not enough time.
Rob Shreve says
We live outside of Seattle and we stay at both state campgrounds and BML & DNR areas. Black Pines in the Yakima Canyon only costs us $7 per night, albeit no hookups or water and vault toilets.