Trip Report: Camping & Beach Cleanup
A Fine First Camping Trip for the Year"It’s nice to mix it up a bit — to be able to do something good, to make a difference, in addition to relaxing and having fun". That’s how one camper summed up OutVentures first camping trip of 2025, last weekend at Ocean City State Park. This trip was planned to coincide with the annual Spring Beach Cleanup put on by the CoastSavers and Washington State Parks.
On Friday evening, seven campers settled into our two large adjacent campsites and enjoyed the campfire with the roar of the ocean in the distance. Saturday morning we headed a few miles up the coast to our cleanup spot, where we picked up buckets, sacks, and garbage grabbers. Then it was out to the coast, where we dispersed to pick up as much litter left by beach-goers and that had washed ashore. The winds were whipping but it was sunny and reasonably warm. A few hours later, we gathered back at the starting point where we collected our garbage haul for sorting. Pretty amazing and more than a little disturbing just how much rubbish had accumulated along just a few miles of beach, but we left that portion a lot cleaner than it was.
In the afternoon, folks went different ways, exploring the region, sightseeing, hiking, and eventually meeting back at the campsite for appetizers and dinner together and then another evening campfire. Sunday morning was damp, with a mist gradually increasing to rain, so some of us had to pack up wet camping gear, but all-in-all a great first camping weekend and a good time had by all.
Submitted: 04/25/25
Article By: Bojko, Richard