The Pacific Northwest is the best place for camping; it's packed with all the National Parks you could ever dream of, and the number of campgrounds is insane. While it’s always great to have several options for camping spots when trekking the great outdoors, finding the best campgrounds amongst the thousands of other ones can be a daunting task. So, save your energy for your hiking, exploring, and adventures. Here are the top five campgrounds in the Pacific Northwest that will give you all the wilderness, scenery, and adventure you desire. All you have to do is buy some outdoor apparel, pack, and plunge into the great outdoors.

  

Deception Pass State Park Campground in Washington

With a name like “deception pass,” this Pacific Northwest campground may not be at the top of your list but it should be. It’s been voted as the best campground in the Pacific Northwest, and for many good reasons.

Deception Pass Campground is more than 4000 acres of both water and camping. It has 77,000 feet of ocean shoreline for you to explore and 33,900 feet of freshwater beaches to frolic on. If water isn’t your thing, trade in the swimsuits for outdoor apparel and hike the massive cliffs, or enjoy many of the recreational opportunities located close by.

 

Salt Creek Recreation Area and Campground in Washington

If you’re exploring the Washington portions of the Pacific Northwest, the Salt Creek Recreation Area and Campground is a cool place to pitch a tent. It has plenty of outdoor adventures and a really cool background story. It was originally a World War II military camp built in the early 40s. So, as you explore the grounds, it’s quite interesting to think of the history of the land.

Salt Creek Recreation Area and Campground is only 196 acres but it has plenty of forests, rocky bluffs and tide pools, a creek, a sandy beach, and scenery that can’t be beaten. Adventure literally awaits right outside your tent.

 

Camp Sherman Campground in Oregon

A highly-rated campground in the Pacific Northwest is Camp Sherman. Located on the banks of Metolius River in the stunning Deschutes National Forest, every day you spend here is bound to be filled with the great outdoors. There’s plenty of fishing and hiking to be done in the area, and tons of wildlife to watch for from birds to native fish, deer, coyotes, and even cougars.

While the campground itself offers plenty of activities and amenities, you also have the option of exploring one of the nearby attraction. Metolius-Windigo Trail is a 100-mile-long path you can either hike, bike, or horseback.  How’s that for a change of pace?

Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park in Oregon

If you really want to sleep under the Pacific Northwest skies, this campground is the place to go. Located in Oregon, Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park is a highly sought after area for its close proximity to the ocean, sandy dunes and the vast array of hiking trails.

When you aren’t hiking, do some whale watching, explore the scenic bikeways, swim, waterski, fish, or simply relax in the middle of nature.

 

River Meadows County Park in Washington

This campground is a forested gem. Although this campground doesn’t have many camp lots, it has all the ecology you could ever ask for from a camping experience in the Pacific Northwest. Plus, it never gets crowded which is also a plus when outdoors anyway.

River Meadows County Park is located on the banks of Stillaguamish river and its 150 acres of pure open meadows and forests. As you can imagine, there are plenty of outdoor adventures to be had well throughout this stunning park, from camping to swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and simply enjoying the wonders of the wild.

 

 

With literally hundreds of thousands of campgrounds in the Pacific Northwest, it’s hard to narrow in on only five. So, let this list be a resource to you while camping this summer but don’t be afraid to trek off the beaten path to find a different campground to pitch a tent in. You may even stumble across a hidden gem the rest of us outdoor enthusiasts don’t know about.