Camp sites filling up for holiday

Staking out a last-minute campsite in most Idaho and Washington state parks will be more difficult this Memorial Day weekend than starting a fire with wet wood.

Washington campers began booking spots nine months ago, the first days the state accepted reservations.

Only three parks were still taking reservations Monday, and only one of them – Osoyoos Lake State Veterans Memorial Park in Okanogan County – is east of the Cascades.

Likewise, the most popular spots you can reserve are already booked at Idaho state parks, even though the state is officially taking reservations until Wednesday.

“It is one of our biggest camping weekends, second only to Labor Day and Fourth of July,” said Jennifer Couture, communications chief for Idaho’s state parks.

And while the Memorial Day holiday in past years has been rainy, this year’s weather is expected to be better than average and could attract more campers.

“Statewide it’s supposed to be high 70s, low 80s and absolutely beautiful,” Couture said.

In North Idaho, reserveable campsites at Priest Lake, Farragut and Round Lake state parks already are booked, but as of Monday, there were 20 tent sites still available for reservations at Heyburn State Park near Plummer.

Plus, unimproved overflow camping areas that aren’t included in the reservation system may be available at both Farragut and Priest Lake, though it’s a risky proposition.

Couture said Heyburn is the best bet for last-minute campers in North Idaho.

In addition to its reserveable tent sites, the park has its Benewah camping loop, which includes 39 spaces, hookups and showers and is rented on a first-come, first-served basis.

Only about half of the 85 Washington state parks that allow camping take advanced reservations, so there’s hope for procrastinators.

Most campsites at Riverside State Park near Spokane are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, said Ranger Gary Vierra.

As of Monday afternoon, the park had 14 full-hookup spots available and about the same number of spots for tents.

While most national forest campsites are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, the Colville and Idaho Panhandle national forests have eight campgrounds each with sites you can reserve.

As of late Monday, the sum total of reserveable campsites still available at those campgrounds was two.

They were both at the East Sullivan Campground in northeastern Washington, according to the Web page for Reserve USA, the company that handles bookings for many federal campgrounds.

No telling if those two sites are still available this morning. Hopeful campers can check by going to www.reserveusa.com.

Joyce Riley, customer service specialist for the Washington Parks and Recreation Commission, said anyone hoping for a non-reserved campsite in a popular state park should plan on arriving no later than Thursday.

There’ll be plenty of competitors for those spots, but Riley won’t be among them.

“I like to camp,” she said.

“But on holiday weekends I’ll be going to my back yard.”