CAMPING AND HIKING at WASHINGTON STATE PARK

NO IDEA WHAT WEATHER WILL BE, BUT LET'S GIVE IT A "HAIL MARY".

Bring your cold weather clothes! It won't be warm, but okay if we're prepared. We need to do more cold weather camping, it's the best time to find a campsite anywhere we want....places we probably will never go in the on season. You can pretty much get in anywhere in off season.

RESERVATIONS: This park is new to me, never been here, but shouldn't be too bad in March. They are taking reservations. Go to the link below. Be sure you get an electric site. Otherwise, it's first come, first served without reservations. Better to reserve.

FACILITIES: Bathrooms: there will be one vault toilet available. Usually water is turned off to individual campsites, but electricity is on. Bring the water you'll need. Usually there is at least one working water spigot somewhere in the campground.

Washington State Park | Missouri State Parks

I'll be tent camping, our camper is still put up for winter. I'll also have our 8x8 canopy. But the party has to be at someone else's campsite. Sorry, folks, but I really want a quiet campsite. I'll probably be the first one there, just asking that you give me a little space...one or two campsites away if you want to party and socialize all day. I'm on site #17, so it will be the "quiet" zone. Thanks.

DOGS: Dogs must be kept on leash. Please keep your dog's tie out leash about 10' long at campsites. That's a park rule, 10' tie out. Or, just keep him/her on 6' regular leash and tie it to your chair. Too many dogs for long leashes and it's hard to keep them from getting tangled.

Bring firewood. I'll check with park, but usually we can buy firewood from the camp host. It was good wood and reasonably priced at Robertsville in December.

Food/pot luck will depend on weather and who signs up. We'll figure that out when we get closer.

HIKING: Water is too cold to kayak, we really don't have gear for freezing water temps. But, the hiking is supposed to be great here. There are petrolyths on one trail, we'll hit that one for sure.

FOR HIKES, DOGS MUST BE ON SHORT LEASH, NO RETRACTABLES.

No real agenda for anything, we'll figure it out in the mornings.