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Old 08-16-2008, 11:01 PM   #1
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I'm planning on driving north to Oregon and Washington over 3 days. I would like any recommendations on places to spend the night before getting to the Candian bordrer. I will be traveling along the 5 Fwy for my journey.
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Old 08-16-2008, 11:30 PM   #2
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We stayed at Birch Bay State Park the two times we went up or the west coast to and from Canada. It is ten miles south of Blaine, Wash., near the Canadian border in Whatcom County. A very nice, large and peaceful campground but now crowded to close together as I remember. First time in '86 exited Canada and stayed at Birch Bay, even went back into Canada to catch a ferry to Vancover Island. The second time was in '97. We stayed at Birch Bay and visited Vancover the city before taking the RV into Canada to Jasper, etc. Very beautiful area, very small town. My son and I spotted a Bald Eagle in a tree on the road up to Canadian border the first evening we got to Birch Bay in '97. A neat place.

http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp?selec...ark=Birch%20Bay

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Edit addition: We spend a night in Tacoma and Seattle area before moving up to Birch Bay at Saltwater State Park (more or less a city park on the Sound). Dry camping at both sites.
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp...park=Saltwater
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Old 08-16-2008, 11:37 PM   #3
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On our trip between the Oregon Gathering and San Diego, we stayed overnight at a San Joaquin County Campground called Dos Reis Regional Park. (Scroll down to the 5th entry in the link) Just south of Stockton, CA, it was easy to get to from I-5, and we had full hook-ups for $20.

Another place I can recommend is Railroad Park & Campground just south of Dunsmuir, CA. It too is just off I-5, had full hook-ups AND cable TV in a wooded site for $30.

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Old 08-17-2008, 07:44 AM   #4
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Valley of the Rogue Rest Area and campground south of Grants Pass is great. Nice site, Wifi, right off the freeway.
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Old 08-17-2008, 11:55 AM   #5
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I'm planning on driving north to Oregon and Washington over 3 days. I would like any recommendations on places to spend the night before getting to the Candian bordrer. I will be traveling along the 5 Fwy for my journey.
We don't call it "the 5 fwy" up here. It's "I-5"

If you're just sleeping you can spend the night in most rest areas. I did that a couple weeks ago. Just looked for one that had a few trucks parked for the night and pulling in-between them.
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Old 08-17-2008, 12:14 PM   #6
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If you are picking rest areas, there is one north of Woodburn, that is better than most. When you pull off it looks the same but if you go like you were getting ready to leave, there is a road that goes behind and has two more parking lots. Sometimes the last set of rest rooms aren't open but you sure get a lot more quiet when you aren't parked between two refer trucks.

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Old 08-17-2008, 05:33 PM   #7
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The Wal-Mart at Woodburn allows overnight parking, but the lot is close to the freeway and might be noisy. We have stayed at RV Park of Portland which is just off I-5 at Nyberg Rd exit 289 with easy access. There is considerable freeway noise there too, but the park is clean and safe.
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Old 08-18-2008, 11:54 AM   #8
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If you are picking rest areas, there is one north of Woodburn, that is better than most. When you pull off it looks the same but if you go like you were getting ready to leave, there is a road that goes behind and has two more parking lots. Sometimes the last set of rest rooms aren't open but you sure get a lot more quiet when you aren't parked between two refer trucks.
I agree that both north and south rest stops are pretty good with back lots.
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Old 08-18-2008, 11:57 AM   #9
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The Wal-Mart at Woodburn allows overnight parking, but the lot is close to the freeway and might be noisy.
Wal-Mart fills up with trucks so it might be hard to find a spot to park. They've put up signs trying to keep the main parking lot open, but I see trailer and trucks parked there. You could ask inside about parking. The above mentioned rest stop might me a better alternative.
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Old 08-18-2008, 06:37 PM   #10
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I can only caution you about using some of the rest stops along I-5. As an Oregonian it saddens me the amount of crime these wonderful places for travelers are experiencing. The state is starting to post signs in some of the more crime-riddled ones where overnight camping is no longer allowed. Not by truckers, not by travelers only looking for a respite.
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Old 08-18-2008, 11:33 PM   #11
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I can only caution you about using some of the rest stops along I-5. As an Oregonian it saddens me the amount of crime these wonderful places for travelers are experiencing. The state is starting to post signs in some of the more crime-riddled ones where overnight camping is no longer allowed. Not by truckers, not by travelers only looking for a respite.
Donna,
Could you tell us which rest stops no longer allow staying overnight. I had not heard of any being closed in that manner in Oregon.

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Old 08-19-2008, 05:26 AM   #12
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Donna,
Could you tell us which rest stops no longer allow staying overnight. I had not heard of any being closed in that manner in Oregon.

Byron
They don't seem to making it a permanent closure. Baldoc (south of Portland) was closed to overnighters for about 90 days here in the past year or so. Just to the north of us... north of Vancouver. the Gee Creek rest area was closed to overnighters for about six months. A kidnapping and rape of a female (during daylight hours) prompted that closure. On I-205, across from the Oregon City Falls, they permanently closed (and removed) the entire rest area (southbound) due to crime. Thefts from vehicles are definitely up in all parking areas and rest stops. If I were to use a rest area as an overnighter, I'd would park with others (including big trucks), rather than looking for a secluded area.
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Old 08-19-2008, 09:47 AM   #13
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They don't seem to making it a permanent closure. Baldoc (south of Portland) was closed to overnighters for about 90 days here in the past year or so. Just to the north of us... north of Vancouver. the Gee Creek rest area was closed to overnighters for about six months. A kidnapping and rape of a female (during daylight hours) prompted that closure. On I-205, across from the Oregon City Falls, they permanently closed (and removed) the entire rest area (southbound) due to crime. Thefts from vehicles are definitely up in all parking areas and rest stops. If I were to use a rest area as an overnighter, I'd would park with others (including big trucks), rather than looking for a secluded area.
The south bound Baldoc rest area may have been closed for a short time for construction of an overpass that effected the exit lane to the rest area. I go by there quite often and wasn't aware of any closure, just difficult to get into for a few months.

The south bound by Oregon City Falls was closed several years ago because of activity that wasn't socially acceptable, not sure that is was criminal. This rest area was too close to large urban areas and on a bypass freeway therefore didn't get used by travelers.

According to Oregon State's web site you can stay up to 12 hours in any 24 period. There are no exceptions indicated. Washington's web site says 8 hours in any 24 hour period unless otherwise posted.

When we stayed in a rest area recently we by passed one because it appeared that nobody was spending the night there. I don't think that you're any safer in a group of people, but when nobody is staying overnight I wonder why. We figured there must be a reason so we didn't stay there. The next one down the road had a larger number of people sleeping there. Must have been 15 cars in the car lot and the truck/trailer lot was overflowing.

Bad things happening in rest areas is pretty uncommon and when something does happen the news media will make a big issue of it. Fear is then created and spread. Results in people driving sleepy and put themselves and others in greater risk of death or maiming rather than the lesser risk of sleeping in a rest area.
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Old 08-19-2008, 11:34 AM   #14
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Sorry Byron there's been a slight misunderstanding, when I said Baldoc had closed.... I only meant for overnight camping. The rest areas were left open for travelers just passing through 24-hours a day. I suppose if it were in daylight hours and a person was "resting" it was okay. Just not at night and that was only for about 90 days.

And you're right, the I-205 rest area has been completely closed for several years now (everything has been torn down). They closed it because of criminal activity occuring in the restrooms. And, it was a very big deal in the Portland area because it involved a certain segment of the population.

I only mentioned any of this because as an Oregonian, I feel I should tell people what I know. Criminal activity is on the rise everywhere. We've had thefts at the Oregon Gathering at Bullard's SP, out of locked tugs. Hard to believe when there were so many people around directly involved in that event. But, it happened more than once, and more than one year.

Anyone chosing to spend the night at a rest area in Oregon would do well to make certain nothing of value is left in a locked motorized vehicle. Not even in the trunk.
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Old 08-22-2008, 10:17 AM   #15
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Having just recently traveled I-5 from California to Blaine we found many rest stops were closed for improvements. Others, in Oregon, and South Washington were fully "booked" by trucks and transient looking folks....

Just off of I-5 KOA's are not a bad deal for about 35.00 if you need a night off the road to clean up, eat and rest. In Oregon I could definitely recommend Medford or Albany. From Albany you can drive through Washington easily.

Forget KOA's in California off of I-5, I'd look for alternate accommodations.

You might even try Casinos for a night, I noticed RV accommodation for guests in some. We don't gamble but enjoyed a few buffets for lunch along the way!

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Old 08-24-2008, 07:59 PM   #16
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I'm planning on driving north to Oregon and Washington over 3 days. I would like any recommendations on places to spend the night before getting to the Candian bordrer. I will be traveling along the 5 Fwy for my journey.

Just did a Vancouver to Oregon trip and had no reservations made ahead so it was pretty much all new to me trip. :-) Discovered a few neat &/or intreasting spots to stop.

Just south of the border off the I5 at Burlington on Highway 20 heading towards Anacortes I found a couple of intreasting options:

1) Bay View State Park

2) Northern Lights Casino. Do not laugh at this option! :-o They have a nice RV park right on the water with full hook up - Think is was about $22 for the night. If the RV park is full for $10 you can park in the parking lot which is also beside the water. The use of the sani dump is included in the parking fee. The lot has a lot of lighting and security. As we discovered you will find a lot of camping company there. I more than covered the parking fee with my winnings at the casino. :-)

3) Descption Pass State Park - Its about 15 miles off of the I5 but it is a nice park.

Yet another options to break up the long boring drive from Portland to the border is to get off I5 and head over to the 101 at Olympia and stay at Fort Worden at Port Townsend. Catch the ferry from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. Did this over the week-end and it made for a far more intreasting, enjoyable and fast trip home.

As others have mention stopping near Woodburn, Oregon is a great idea - there just happens to be a large outlet center there with tax fee shopping. :-) About a 10 min. drive off the I5 and the shopping center at Woodburn is a state park called Campoeg State Park. Can not say enough nice things about this park. Lots of walking and biking trails along the river. On the map it looks like it is hard to get to from Woodburn but it is not. Just follow the signs from the shopping center as if you were going to Newberg and you will soon start to see signs for Campoeg.


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Old 08-28-2008, 02:52 AM   #17
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About a 10 min. drive off the I5 and the shopping center at Woodburn is a state park called Campoeg State Park. .
Carol
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_113.php

Easy to get to and site of the last two NoG's. Nice park. Good Disc Golf course. About 10 miles of easy and pleasant walking/biking trails. Decent Off-leash area. Some nice Oregon historical things including a DAR museum. The usual excellent Oregon State Park restroom facilities. (no quarters needed!)
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Old 08-28-2008, 02:34 PM   #18
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The TRAIN R/V park in Oregon (discussed in part in another thread) is also a good place. Drive time wise, in most of my runs to So-Cal, we made the trip fairly easily stopping aound Eugene and then just North of San Fran. This usually got us down to 'Diego mid afternoonish, but then that wasn't camping and not needing time to set up an tear down camp every time we'd stop.
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