Lots has changed since my last blog entry, April 2014. I left my previous job. Took a few months off. Did lots of camping :) Then I started a new job which will allow for MUCH MORE camping opportunities this upcoming season! This new fantastic job will allow for more opportunities to blog. Bonus!
I want to change up my rating system. As I am noticing upon repeat trips, each experience is different than the last. Obviously things such as weather, the company in which I camp with, illnesses etc do not ever play into my ratings. Things that DO play into my ratings are: rate changes, facilitator changes, changes to the amenities, etc. So going forward, I am still going to rate each trip. Some campgrounds may rate differently each trip. Take my experiences with a grain of salt. Although I do self-proclaim to be an "Okanagan Camping Expert", my experiences may be different from yours.
So allow me to pick up from where I left off.
May 2014.
When: May 1-4 2014
Where: Bear Creek Provincial Campground, Westbank, BC
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/bear_crk/
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/bear_crk/bearcreek.pdf
Who: 4 sites - 6 adults, 5 dogs.
Sites: 75, 76 (double) plus 73,74
We sent our relatives out on Thursday to try to get the best FCFS sites. The forecast for the weekend was decent so we knew it would be at least 1/2-3/4 full. He has a 30+ foot trailer with slide outs and we have our own 25' with no slide outs. I gave him a list of the best sites to try to snag for all of us. Unfortunately most of those were on the upper level which wasn't open when he got there. After much in-depth contemplation he secured the double 75,76 and stuck some chairs in 73,74 to save them for the rest of the singles that were headed out. We arrived shortly after and determined that the new slide out trailers and double sites don't work well together... Obviously designed much later than the parks were. LOL A slight oversight. We manuevered our trailer in and out, in and out until we felt like we had room to set up and still enjoy each others company. We likely won't be doing the double sites again with someone who has slide outs on their trailer. There just isn't enough room. Unless you are bunking with tents or a bowler!
For the most part, after we wedged ourselves in with our awning opening comfortably, we enjoyed the weekend. The camp facilitators left us alone for the most part. Pretty sure someone complained about our dogs barking at people walking by, because the facilitator did a "nonchalant" jaunt past our camp and then back to his spot again. After that, out came the dog fencing.
A couple interesting things about this park.
1) On Friday morning we noticed something very interesting occur. Between 7am-9am, campers started rolling in with their trailers. In most cases, a man would jump out wearing a suit and tie. He would unhook, put out a couple camp chairs and then head out in his truck again. This happened for 2 hours straight - the campsite filled up. Then between 5-7pm that evening, the truck would return with a wife and children and the husband dressed for camping. They would unload coolers and settle in. VERY interesting concept! Kind of made me wish I lived that close to a campground. There was a stab of jealousy though. This is why it was always fully packed by Fridays at 4pm. These people also didn't pay until that evening. Not too fair in my opinion.
2) Lots of kids! The paths are flat and wind in and out of the loops. Scooters, bikes, kids walking dogs. The constant stream of people never ended. Good news for the campers who like to people watch. Not so good when you have yappy dogs! haha.
3) SO MUCH green space.We played with the dogs. This is prime bocci ball land. Tons of stuff to explore.
In case you haven't previously read my reviews of this park, here are some of the amenities:
- playgrounds
- free showers with flush toilets
- sani dump across the street
- tons of trails if you feel up to a hike
I doubt we would ever stay here during peak season. I am sure it would be a gong show. I am good with off season.
Out of 6 stars, I would remain with my previous ranking of a 5 1/2 stars.Good location, pet friendly, good price for what you get, privacy and shade, lots of green space, good amenities. The only thing missing is power for $30 a night. Nice and close to stores if you forget anything.
This was an adult only trip for us. I missed my kids though and wished they came every time I saw a child go by on a scooter. I feel as though this park is very safe and family oriented. Except for this guy... haha. Just kidding. This is my Dad. The one who taught me how to camp, fish and do it all with a smile on my face :)
When: May Long Weekend - May - 15-19th
Where: Km 26, Ashnola, Keremeos, BC
Who: 7 adults, 4 kids, 4 dogs
Sites: The entire campsite to ourselves at the km 26 marker.
More on how to get there:
3 km west of Keremeos off Highway 3. Take Ashnola Road from the highway and cross a red covered bridge. 10 km later the pavement ends and the Ashnola Forest Service Road, which leads into the park, begins. This road extends 48 km upstream to the south end of the Ashnola Valley. You follow this up 26 kms and the campground is on your left.
I have blogged about my favorite campground a few times before. I have included photos previously. It is an old Forestry campground. It comes complete with a couple old outhouses and a handmade lean-two. Some years people leave behind handmade picnic tables, benches and all sorts of other great items to use. I am a firm believer in leaving everything the way you found it. PLEASE - if you are considering staying here, do not disturb tradition. Use these items with respect and care so we can all enjoy them for years to come.
Ashnola is a fantastic area with a million little pull offs to camp at and a variety of campgrounds with some amenities if you wish to pay to camp. The last "official" campground ends at km 16. Past there if you find a place to camp, you don't pay to the Indian Band who come around to collect the dues. Between km 16-26, there are many rock slides. Tons of boulders and rocks all over the road so if you drive a car, don't go up this far. Stay below km 16 where the road is maintained. If you do fancy some white knuckle experience, look no further. when you get to camp, set up and look around, you will realize why we love this spot so much.
A few things about this space.
It's remote - you don't get a lot of traffic but when you do, you can hear them coming from a mile away
It's safe (from people and traffic) - we let our dogs and kids run free. HOWEVER - be careful, this cougar country. The only cougar I have ever seen in my life was around here - twice in one day.
It's free - you can't argue with that.
It's mosquito central. Especially at dusk - take OFF with you. Put it on before you leave. Have it handy in your vehicle for when you arrive to respray.
It is on a river - which is very high and dangerous until August/Sept. Do not leave children or animals unattended near the river.
Last but not least, this May long we decided to do something a little
different. We went to the thrift shops around town and bought as many
"big hats" as we could find. We bought accessories and pulled out our
craft supplies. We created and decorated many different camping hats. A
new tradition for us. This year we may switch it up to "Ugly Sweaters"
or have themes for some of our trips. These hats kept us posing for pics
and laughing for hours.
SOLD 4 1/2 stars from me. It gets points for - free, pet friendly, no facilitators (private), play your music as LOUD as you want, tons of space, shady and sunny, on a river. Downfalls - no cell service, 30 minutes from town, no hookups (obviously) But such a great choice for the rustic camper!!
When: May 30-June 1st
Where: Okanagan Park North.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/okana_lk/
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/okana_lk/ok_lake_north_map.pdf
Who: 6 adults, 2 teens, 5 dogs
Sites: we were in 29 - family is 31, friends in 8.
A quick impromptu trip to Okanagan North. This campsite is just North of Summerland. There are two campgrounds. North and South. South is much more kid friendly and flat. North is on levels with not at lot of amenities. Either way, our relatives were going so we thought we would join. I remembered as soon as we got there why I am not a fan of this campsite.
Although most of the sites are spacious, it's a long hill down to the showers and lake. There is nothing for excitement - no playground, volleyball net, trails etc. It's a"stay in your site" sort of campground. For $30 a night it isn't worth it in my opinion. It's right next to the highway so the first 2 rows of sites are loud from highway traffic. Call me lazy or crazy but we drove down to the showers and back. Who wants to climb a steep hill back to their site after a shower? There is not much to take photos of so here is the extent of my photos from this trip. haha.
2 1/2 stars from me on this trip and campground. It is pet friendly with showers (although not conveniently located). Close to Penticton - 15-20 minutes, on Okanagan Lake and cell service. Mostly private spots, some sunny spots, some shaded spots, large and small spots.
$30 a night though with no hook ups (water taps located throughout the park) and no amenities? Good for a 1 or 2 night stay. Past that, there are far better places to spend $30 a night on... keep driving right to Bear Creek!
JUNE 2014
When: Father's Day Weekend - June 12-15th
Where: Banbury Greens, Kaleden, BC http://www.banburygreen.com/
http://www.banburygreen.com/PDFs/site_map.pdf
Who: 5 adults, 3 kids, 3 dogs plus visitors
Sites: As usual - North Camp 8, 9, 10 (I think they have changed the names again though so to the left of the boat launch and pump house)
This is our 2nd year at Banbury for Father's Day. As mentioned in a previous post, when I made the yearly reservation, I was reminded that we had a noise warning last time. Ugh... nothing like a damper to our weekend knowing that management was "watching and listening" for our sirius satellite to be up too high. haha. We didn't get a noise complaint this time though. We didn't have the best weather though so maybe the rain drowned out the sound of the stereo. Mostly rain on Thursday and Friday all day and night. That makes for a warm and cozy day inside playing board games and getting some fresh air under the awning. We like these 3 spots because we make them our own. Once we situate the sleeping rigs, we scatter *ahem* - I mean "set up" chairs, tables, toys and play tents all over the place. We move from picnic tables to the water, to the fire pit and all around the place. At least the weather turned better for Saturday night. Being that Banbury is close to Penticton, we invited all the fam over for a potluck dinner to celebrate the fathers. It was a great time!
As in previous reports, we do think (besides the management) that this place is the cats meow for an assortment of reasons.
- Nice and close to Penticton. On the lake. Cell service
- paths for biking, kid friendly and even a small playground
- paddleboat and canoe rentals
- boat launch for those who like to fish or troll. Handy lakefront spots to dock your boat right where you sleep!
- pet friendly
- free showers, flush toilets, a small store (nothing usually there during off season though)
Besides the management issue with the noise complaint we received a couple years ago, they do have a good gig going on. I wish it was bigger though. They allow many year round park model trailers and it seems to increase every year. Rates keep increasing. I imagine we will even see an increase for 2015. As it stands:
Tents:
Low Season: $30.00 per night + Tax
High Season: $45.00 per night + Tax
RVs/Trailers etc:
Low Season: $40.00 per night + Tax
High Season: $55.00 per night + Tax
Banbury gets a 4/6 from me. The only 2 negatives are: strict management and never ending rise in prices. Great place for families to stay though! :)
When: June 25- July 1st 2014
Where: Kettle River Provincial Park, Rock Creek, BC
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/kettle_rv/
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/kettle_rv/KettleRiverMap.pdf
Who: 9 families + visitors. 25 adults, 5 kids and 7 dogs.
Sites: As usual we like the loop that includes sites 32-44. We had friends/family in sites 34-39 and 44 this year.
This is our BIG camp trip of the year. It is now an annual event. We usually leave at noon when school lets out on the last day of the year. This time however, we were in the middle of a strike. So we left early - Wed morning and headed out!
This time we hauled the trailer over the Anarchist. This was WAY easier than the old motorhome. We had a double site booked with our relatives "the slide outs" but we got there first so we maneuvered our position first. That was handy! we LOVE Kettle River sites. They are overgrown with fauna, shaded with long driveways. It sure makes things nicer. In our double site we had 2 trailers, a tent, a massive gazebo, a couple extra tables, 4 vehicles and a fire pit with chairs all the way around. We definitely had enough space.
We headed in and filled up with water as soon as we got there just as we did the year prior. This makes it so much easier instead of hauling a tank full of water over the Anarchist. Then we sani dump before we leave.
We stayed 6 nights. We always wish it is longer. I don't think its possible to get bored at Kettle River!
There are miles and miles of bike and hike trails, trestles to explore plus the river!!
If you feel super adventurous, pack your cooler and float right to Rock Creek. Then get your friends to drive to town and pick you up! I haven't done this yet but intend to in June 2015!
For the 2014 season, the management changed. We had different people trying to implement different rules. I didn't take too kindly to this. IE: extra vehicles. We had to pay for extra vehicles which we didn't have to last year. So we were constantly moving vehicles around and some we just had to swallow the cost and pay for. Showers are closed at odd times - like 11-2 or something silly. I understand that they need to be cleaned so clean them at night - dinner time? What if people want to sleep in and shower later? Or at least open up the handicap shower for people that walk all the way in to shower. My daughter was actually yelled at by the cleaner to hurry up. Families were not given access to the handicap washroom/shower house this year as they were the year before. Obviously they didn't want to clean it.
The firewood people were very nice and so were the people that clean the sites after campers left. The night patrol was terrible! They drove around and slowed right down at every site with the window down "listening" to see if there were any noise. Get a grip! Let people camp and enjoy themselves. Like I said previously, we had 1/2 a loop so if anyone was going to complain, it was us.
Dogs on a leash rule - ok. I get it. HOWEVER, if I am walking from my site to my brother's site across the road, I shouldn't need my dog on a leash. ALL dogs inside the park - whether in your site or on the mail trail must all be on a leash.
Regardless of my minor rants, this campsite is WELL WORTH the $28 per night that they charge. Let me tell you why they get this rating:
5/6 stars for Kettle River! They lose 1 point for location. Although the price went up last year, it is still cheaper than Haynes Point who doesn't have showers. For $28 a night you get water fill up station, $5 sani dump when you leave, free showers, flush and pit toilets, 114 sites to choose from, endless entertainment - river, beach, trails, playground, horseshoes, bike paths etc. The facilitators were edgy and didn't have their poop in a group but the year prior they were awesome! Crossing fingers for a good experience this year!
JULY 2014
When: July 25-27 2014
Where: Gold Mountain RV Park, Hedley, BC
https://www.facebook.com/GoldMountainRVPark
http://www.goldmountaincampground.com/
Who: 3 adults, 1 child and 2 dogs.
Sites: We stayed in site # 17. My Dad stayed in site # 10 overlooking the river.
Another impromptu trip for us. We had ventured out to the Hedley area to check out the options for campgrounds. We came across this gem. We drove in and checked it out. What can I say? We were greeted by the owners, introduced and then taken on our own private tour of the campground, sites, cabins and facilities. We booked it for the weekend of July 25-27th to return!
The site we chose was due to the size. Some of the sites aren't that big - especially the ones along the river bank. So we went with a larger site up by the highway. There wasn't a lot of highway traffic noise so the location wasn't a big deal. We booked it because of the hospitality we received and booked my dad a spot too!
The other great thing about the campround is the cabin rentals! So specifically, if you want to have a family reunion or gathering, this is the place for everyone. They have 4 little cabins with BBQs and decks. They are just one room cabins but they come with everything you need besides bedding and food!
The campground is on the river but the path down to the river isn't exactly ideal. It's very rocky and there isn't much of a beach. Either way it is still the river and a nice way to cool off in the summer.
They have a big beautiful summer kitchen for those family reunions. We didn't use it or see anyone use it but I am sure it gets used when the weather is crappy or for gatherings. Nice touch!
This giant chess game kept my 7 year old entertained for hours. Around this chess board is a massive green space. Perfect for lounging around, catching some rays and having a picnic!
The fees are: $31-$35 a night to camp. This includes free showers, free firewood, free WIFI, power, water and satellite tv. They have a sani dump on site. They also have a cute little store with goodies to purchase. They have laundry facilities and free coffee on every day!
The ONLY downfall I see to this campground is the location. Although Hedley now has cell service (yay!) There isn't a lot to do. You can tour the gold mines for a ridiculous amount of money or float the river as long as you have a ride back to town. This river is not child friendly though. It can be very dangerous. If you are the kind of person that just likes to sit idle and enjoy a camp trip, look no further. This is the one! Although it's small and you can pretty much see the entire campsite from one spot, it is still quaint and the owners are AMAZING!
Also need to note how close it is to Doug's Homestead - home of the world famous beef jerkey and pepperoni! Be there at 9am, 11am or 1pm though or the batches will be sold out. :)
I rate this one a 5 1/2 stars. It is worth it. Make your reservations!!
SEPTEMBER 2014
When: September 2014 - assorted dates.
Where: Idleback Lake, Penticton (off the 201 Forest Service Road)
Who: 4 families - 8 adults, 6 kids, 5 dogs and an assortment of visitors
Sites: This time, we set up camp next to the road just as you enter the Idleback Lake turn off. About 1/4 of a km in.
September rolls around and we all wait on the news. Will school start when it is supposed to. The answer was no. The teachers are still on strike. Luckily for me, I was off work. I hummed and hawed and thought... "why am I wasting my time at home while we have this beautiful weather?" So we loaded up the trailer and set up to Idelback Lake. We didn't know how long we would stay but either way we found our space and set up camp.
There were other people who had the same idea. They were parked over in our usual spot so we took the spot next to them by the road. This space is better anyway. Less wind, less open - more private. We boxed our trailers in and set up camp.
For 2 weeks on and off (aside from trips to town to reload groceries, go to appointments and do some laundry) we enjoyed no cell service and the sunshine. Kids rode bikes, built lego towers and played card games from dawn until dusk. Some may have thought we had our own school up there! At one point I think I counted 16 kids running around at Idleback lake. Perfect!!
As I have previously said about Idelback, it is a good spot to camp - except May long weekend and during Grad week. Since it was all families in our area, we were safe and so were the kids.
Idleback is nice and close to town - 20 minutes tops. It is free. Tons of free firewood around.
Here are some of our photos from this "extended school break field trip"
ahhh...
Like I said... firewood readily available!
Rating for Idleback Lake - 3/5 stars. It's close, free, no restrictions (which can also work against you) You can leave your generator running all day and night if you want to.
Stay tuned for 2015 camp trip blogs.
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