Adventures in RVing: Camp and Ride!

Are you an OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Enthusiast? Do you love to camp? Well, I recently visited two campgrounds where you can combine your love of OHV use and camping. Located about 25 miles west of Ellensburg, Washington in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, you will find Rider’s Camp and Manastash Camp. Both camps offer access to miles of OHV trails. There are designated trails for motorcycles, 4×4 and ATV use. Equestrian riders, mountain bikers and hikers are allowed on the trails as well. This is one of the few areas in Washington in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest that offers ATV designated trails. There is even a beginners’ loop for those learning to ride an ATV. Both camps offer individual spaces along with improved dispersed areas for groups. Improvements are limited to vault toilets, picnic tables and campfire rings.

Campsites are spacious and will handle the largest of RVs. Rates are just $5 per night and your Northwest Forest Service Pass “may be used as a form of fee payment” according to the forest service’s website. As expected, both campgrounds are in a forest setting, but Rider’s Camp is set among ancient Tamarack trees that are worthy of a visit by themselves. Camping and riding, one of the best adventures in RVing.

Dave Helgeson

Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.