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.
Spring in the Colockum Wildlife Area
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.
Designated Camping Spur
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.
Entrance Sign
For more information, check out their website here.
Camping for free in a wildlife area – just another great adventure in RVing!
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.
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.
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.