Memorial Day Group Camp at Lewis & Clark Trail State Park
With great weather the whole time, we explored all over the regionUnlike our last stay at Lewis & Clark Trail State Park a few years ago, this time there was no a drop of rain the entire 5 days of our trip. The park had seen flooding from the heavy rains a few months ago, but had mostly been cleaned-up by our visit. There were still some trees down on the perimeter trail, but they just added some fun climbing obstacles to an otherwise level walk.
Of course, there were happy hours, evening campfires, and our potluck on Saturday, as with all group camps.
On Friday, a group visited several of the historic sites in nearby Dayton, including the well-preserved railroad depot and the amazing time capsule that is the Boldman House. Both were staffed with excellent docents who shared some fascinating history with us. Later, some visited the Dumas Winery, located right next to our campground. On Saturday, one group went to the Bennington Lake near Walla Walla for some scenic hiking, others visited the McNary Wildlife refuge, and more winery visits in the Walla Walla valley region. On Sunday, one group hiked the Middle Ridge Trail in the Blue Mountains area, with spectacular displays of wildflowers and the hills of valleys of the region, as well as at least 50 downed trees to climb over or under along the way. Another group walked the flood control dikes protecting the town of Dayton from seasonal flooding.
All in all, a wonderfully successful group camping weekend. If you missed this one but want to join the fun, watch for our Labor Day Group Camp at Alta Lake State Park, on the eastern edge of the Cascades overlooking the Columbia River, Sept 3-7. Registration will open in early July.
Check out some photos from the weekend.
Submitted: 06/02/26
Article By: Bojko, Richard