120x120 "Best Of" List

I thought I’d share a few lasting impressions from my 120x120 journey in the form of a “Top 3” list. This is obviously a subjective (and rather silly) list that highlights the tremendous diversity in our parks system. Feel free to cast your own votes by replying or contacting me with your feedback.

Top 3 Destination Parks (spend a day... or seven)

1. Deception Pass
3.5 million annual visitors can't be wrong

2. Moran
10,000 deer can't be wrong

3. Cape Disappointment
Lewis & Clark, broad beaches, raging seas, lighthouses. You can't go wrong.

Top 3 Most Remote Parks (but well worth the effort)

1. Field's Spring
Feels like a different state, and it almost is

2. Crawford
Feels like a different country, and it almost is

3. Lime Kiln
Unless you live in Victoria and own a boat

Top 3 Sun and Fun Parks

1. Sun Lakes
Come Summer time, lots of sun, boats, picnics and people

2. Steamboat Rock
See above

3. Lake Chelan
Swim, boat and frolic in Washington's largest lake

Top 3 Park Views

1. Mount Constitution -- Moran
Mountains, water, islands, ferries. Catch this one at sunrise.

2. Summit of Mount Pilchuck -- Mount Pilchuck
Panorama of the cascades, Puget Sound lowlands and islands.

3. Summit of Mount Spokane -- Mount Spokane
A fairly easy drive, but not for the squeamish.

Top 3 Park Waterfalls

1. Palouse Falls
#1 by a landslide and well worth the effort to get there

2. Ollalie
Close to Seattle and featured on YouTube

3. Wallace Falls
Two falls dropping a combined 500 feet adorn a very pretty trail

Top 3 Unusual State Park Features

1. A Flaming Geyser
Awe-inspiring? No. Captivating? No. Odd? Yes.

2. A Large Telescope
Activity at the Goldendale Observatory really heats up at night

3. A Bowl and Pitcher – Riverside
Not an awful wedding gift, but an interesting rock formation in this great Spokane park

Top 3 Forest Walk Parks

1. Rockport
Thick old-growth is the main attraction here

2. Federation Forest
Old growth evergreens, miles of trails and a very good interpretive center

3. Bogachiel
Island of state-owned rain forest in a sea of national forest land

Top 3 Most Meticulously Maintained Parks

1. Peace Arch
You could eat off the lawns here (and many park residents do)

2. Scenic Beach
Beautiful native rhododendrons set against a water and mountain backdrop

3. Faye Bainbridge
If campsites were ever described as "cute," these are them

Top 3 Wildlife Sighting Parks

1. Lime Kiln Point
One of the best land-based sports in the world to view whales. Really.

2. Moran
Deer and raccoon for days, and the biggest heron I’ve ever seen.

3. Leadbetter Point
Home of the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, and just an interesting piece of land

Top 3 Soccer Mom Parks

1. Lake Sammamish
From June to September -- a state-protected minivan sanctuary

2. Saint Edwards
Lots of recreational opportunities for the kiddies

3. Bridle Trails
Wedged between Bellevue and Kirkland. Need I say more?

Top 3 Hidden Gems

1. Bridgeport
Camping, boating, golf, a huge dam -- and best of all: marmots.

2. Columbia Hills
Lots of character in this small park nestled in the Columbia Gorge

3. Rasar
A good stopping point to picnic and watch for bald eagles before heading over the North Cascades

Top 3 Parks with a Sense of History

1. Cape Disappointment
Lewis and Clark camped here, and the interpretive center is excellent

2. Fort Simcoe
A well-restored fort on a pretty piece of land west of Yakima.

3. The Fort Trio (Flagler, Worden, Casey)

Guardians of Puget Sound as early as the 19^th century.

Visit my 120x120 site here.

Trip 10: The Olympic Peninsula & Grand Finale

120x120 Mission Complete!

Just 94 days and 1 season ago, we pulled into Brooks Memorial State Park near Goldendale on a warm August afternoon. More than 5,500 miles and 119 parks later, we crossed the 120x120 finish line at rain-soaked (and quite beautiful) Schafer State Park north of Elma.

The 10th and final trip was special for other reasons as well, as my family was at my side, and we all relaxed -- for a short time anyway -- at the Lake Quinault Lodge. On the way to Quinault, we survived Ocean City, Damon Point, Griffiths-Priday, Pacific Beach and an incredibly slow dining experience at an unnamed Ocean Shores establishment. My poor mother, small in stature only, almost got blown away from one park beach to the next. Although I was disappointed in not being able to fully explore each property, it would have felt strange to not have the swirling rain and wind following us the whole weekend. Ten trips to every corner of the state, and no rain? That's not my Washington!

Sunday morning I got up early and drove north to Bogachiel State Park, hiked around for a bit and watched a large herd of elk eat breakfast on the park lawn. After coming across a fresh bear print and droppings on a park trail, I (I = just me) decided to explore a bit more of the campground before heading back home and finishing up at Lake Sylvia and Schafer. Thanks to park officials, family and friends who showed up and wished me well. After more than three months enjoying the vast array of park landscapes, the most encouraging take away from this experience has been the reassurance that our parks system is in extremely good hands.

Stay tuned for a "Best Of" parks list on my web site. I try not to play favorites, but I just can't resist highlighting some of the good, the not-so-good and downright odd things encountered while traipsing through our parks.

P.S. If you enjoy reading about local environmental issues, check out the Environmental Blog on the Seattle P.I.'s web site. James Schroeder, a policy specialist with the National Wildlife Federation, writes informative and interesting pieces about local environmental issues. He also happened to write last week's piece about the 120x120 project. But even without the nice pub, and the fact he's married to my sister, I'd still be a regular reader.

Visit my 120x120 site here.

Trip 9: The Southwest Coast (10/28 - 10/29)

This past weekend's loop trip took me down the I-5 corridor, over to the
coast and down memory lane. My first stop was Rainbow Falls -- a place where my family camped several times when I was young. I'm sad to say I didn't remember too much about the park, but that's more a reflection of my age.

Heading south, I dropped into Seaquest and the Mount St. Helens visitor center, which is definitely worth the price of admission ($3). A trail and boardwalk adjacent to the center offers a nice walk around a lake with views of the mountain.
Further south I finished off the I-5 corridor with stops at Paradise Point and Battle Ground lake -- both of which were first-time visits for me. From there I backtracked through Longview and met with a reporter at the Daily News (This is the result). With sunlight running low, I dropped into Fort Columbia and Cape Disappointment to round out the day.

Cape Disappointment is a pretty amazing place with a rich history. This is a destination park where you could spend several days exploring the different sections of the park that Lewis and Clark explored 200 years ago. The day I visited was extremely foggy, much like nearly every other day I imagine, as I stood near where the Columbia empties into the Pacific. I heard the roar of the river, the clang of bells and the slow, deep resonating horns of nearby ship traffic. The place looked like a moonscape and was one of the few places I've ever been that overtly notify all of your senses that you are at the mercy of mother nature. In other words, I'd highly recommend it.

The next day was all about the beaches. Loomis Lake, Pacific Pines and Leadbetter Point on the Long Beach peninsula all offer access to a wide stretch of beach. Leadbetter Point sits at the tip of the peninsula and offers some very interesting hikes through marshland, beach and wooded terrain, as well as a look at a major stopping point for many migrating birds. After traversing the Long Beach peninsula, I drove north around Willapa Bay to stop at Grayland Beach, Twin Harbors and Westport Lighthouse state parks. More good beaches and good camping at these parks with a bonus of Washington's tallest lighthouse (and yes, you can go to the top).

And closer to home, I crossed off my final Puget Sound parks on my trip home. Dash Point and Saltwater offer small sections of sound access but pretty extensive camping opportunities within close proximity to Seattle and Tacoma.

Next Trip: The 120x120 Finale! Another day at the beach, the Olympic Peninsula and a final celebration on Sunday, November 5 (1:00 p.m.) at Schafer state park (#120!) between Olympia and Aberdeen.

Visit my 120x120 site here.

Trip 8: The San Juans (9/29 - 10/1)

I usually don't like to play favorites, but I'm not sure if there are two other parks I've enjoyed more than Moran and Lime Kiln in the San Juans. I had some concerns about ferry logistics, weather and our new camping gear, but everything worked out perfectly in last weekend's trip to arguably three of the state's most beautiful parks.
We left for Orcas Island Friday afternoon and found a camping spot in Moran State Park on the shore of Cascade Lake. At more than 5,000 acres, Moran is a monster of a park with several different campground options, an extensive trail system, two large accessible lakes and one of the most stunning views in the state from the summit of Mount Constitution. The park scores high on the wildlife scale as well, with what seemed like a deer around every corner and enormous herons encircling the park's many streams and lakes.
On Saturday morning we drove up to Mount Constitution around sunrise and then back to the Orcas ferry terminal and walked on the inter-island ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan island. We caught a taxi to Lime Kiln State Park on the eastern shore of the island and walked around for a couple of hours exploring the trails, lighthouse and the old kiln. Lime Kiln is supposedly one of the best (if not best) land-based spots in the world for spotting orcas. It turns out we missed them by about an hour, as the pod that frequents the area had passed by before our arrival. Even though we missed the main attraction, the park and its views across the strait to Victoria was well worth the trip.
Sunday morning we packed up and caught an early ferry eastbound to Lopez Island and Spencer Spit State Park. Although not as visually stunning as the previous two parks, Spencer Spit has some great secluded camp sites away from shore and a handful of walk-in sites right on the beach. The park is a great place to beachcomb or try your luck with clamming or crabbing during the season.
Moran, Lime Kiln and Spencer Spit were #97, 98 and 99 in the quest for 120.

Trip 8 by the Numbers:

Number of deer sightings: 50 (or so)
Number of roads on Orcas Island not named after a deer reference: 0 (or so)
Number of raccoons looking to pillage our campsite: 3
Number of adjacent campsites blaring Bob Marley: 1
Number of different ferries ridden: 4

Visit my 120x120 site here.

Trip 7: The Cascade Loop (9/22 - 9/24)

It's marketed as the 'Cascade Loop,' but whatever you call it, it's one of the most beautiful drives you'll find anywhere. My chauffer (thanks Dad) and I set out over the North Cascades highway and hit our first park early Friday afternoon. I didn't exactly have high expectations for Rasar State Park, located between Sedro Woolley and Concrete, but the neatly-manicured park on the banks of the Skagit River was a nice surprise. Rasar and Rockport State Park, just a few miles east on Highway 20, offer excellent bald eagle sighting opportunities, in additional to some prime
old-growth forest tracts.
Crossing the North Cascades, we passed through Pearrygin Lake near Winthrop and started the next morning at Alta Lake with a quick round of golf and touring of the park next door. Next it was on to Lake Chelan and Twenty-Five Mile Creek, both on the south shore of Washington's largest lake. Lake Chelan offers numerous campsites and packs in the people on the more developed section of the lake while Twenty-Five Mile Creek looks out on the steep barren shoreline of the lake. Heading south toward Wenatchee, Daroga and Lincoln rock both offer nice grassy areas and shoreline on the Columbia. The same can be said for Wenatchee Confluence, which sits at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers and is ringed by a light industry section of Wenatchee.
Heading home east on Highway 2, Lake Wenatchee proved to be one of the largest and most developed parks on the trip -- and one of the most scenic. I only managed a few photos of the fog-shrouded lake, but check out the 2007 Washington State Parks calendar, which features Lake Wenatchee on its cover. While you're at it, pick up a calendar, which is very well done.
Up to 96 parks now and have completed all parks east of the Cascades.

Next trip: The San Juan Islands and our first trip with some new camping gear. We're off to Moran (Orcas Island), Lime Kiln (San Juan Island) and Spencer Spit (Lopez Island) state parks.

Visit my 120x120 site here.

Trip 6: Mount Pilchuck (9/17)

With the nice weather winding down, I decided I better head up Mount Pilchuck before things really got nasty. Mount Pilchuck State Park is accessible via the Mountain Loop highway 10 miles east of Granite Falls, and the main attraction is the 3 mile trail to the fire lookout at the summit.

Frankly, I'm a bit embarrassed to say I've never been up Pilchuck. As a Washington native and someone who enjoys a good hike, I'm not quite sure how I've missed this one. Mount Pilchuck is one of the more popular trails in greater Seattle area. It's close (1.5 hours from Seattle), relatively short (6 miles round trip) and the views from the summit are spectacular. With an elevation gain of 2200 feet, it's also a pretty decent workout.

I got a decent day Sunday and hit the trailhead just after 8:00. Although relatively short, the summit trail's grade and traversal over several rock fields doesn't necessarily make for a casual stroll. The trail initially winds its way up through the forest and zig-zags through various boulder fields, which are quite impressive. To reach the fire lookout at the summit, you'll have to scramble over a series of large boulders that can get pretty slippery. The 360 degree view at the top is definitely worth the trip. On a clear day the cascade peaks can be seen, as well as Puget Sound and the surrounding islands.

Visit my 120x120 site here.

Trip 5: Kitsap & Olympic Peninsulas (9/9 - 9/10)

Trip 5 was all about the ‘beaches.’ 22 in all – the lone exception being Anderson Lake south of Port Townsend. Trip 5 was also all about the peninsulas (Olympic, Kitsap, Key), islands (Bainbridge, Hartstene, Marrowstone) and forts (Ward, Flagler, Warden, Townsend). From the southern reaches of Puget Sound (Tolmie near Olympia) to the northern guardian of the sound (Fort Warden at Fort Townsend), the number of parks in this area is pretty amazing.
I started out the circular trip at Tolmie, which is a meticulously-maintained park located 5 miles north of I-5 near Lacey. This is one of those parks you’ve seen the sign for on I-5 but have probably never been to. Tolmie’s a good spot to take a break, explore the beach or walk on one of its forest trails.
Swinging around Olympia and heading north up highway 101, I dropped into Potlatch, Triton Cove and Dosewallips on my way up to Sequim Bay near Port Angeles. I thought it was rather amusing that the only rain I got on my trip was at this park located in rain-shadow country. The sky cleared as I made my way into Port Townsend and the compound known as Fort Warden. Located in Port Townsend, Fort Warden almost feels like a resort with all the different attractions such as museums, aquariums, beaches and tennis courts. It’s billed as a conference center and offers a pretty good variety of activities for kids and adults alike.
Crossing the Hood Canal bridge I popped into Kitsap Memorial, where I caught my second wedding of my park circuit (Peace Arch was wedding #1). Crossing over to Bainbridge Island, Fay-Bainbridge gave me my first view of the Seattle skyline from a state park. I couldn’t decide whether this was a good or a bad thing. It kind of felt wrong.
The next morning I started at Illahee (one of those “I can’t believe I’m actually in a city” parks) and then criss-crossed west to Scenic Beach and then back east to Manchester near Port Orchard. Scenic Beach might have been my favorite park of the trip – fairly remote, very well-maintained, heavily wooded and great water views. Bonus points for an attractive older house serving as Seabeck’s community center and a replica of an old small wood cabin.
Favorite #2 was probably Jarrell Cove located on the northern tip of Harstene Island. Nearest town? Ummm… Grapeview. You get the point. This marine park was pretty small but had a great dock area set in a series of inlets with stunning green water.
I rounded out my trip on the Key Peninsula and then ended at Kopachuck near Gig Harbor. Kopachuck has my nod for the nicest, most accessible (to the Seattle/Tacoma area) campground – nice wooded spots with plenty of privacy.

Next trip: the weekend of 9/23 as I’m off to north central Washington -- over the North Cascades and south to Wenatchee.

Visit my 120x120 site here.