A little more about this park. It's been listed by Backpacker mag as a backpacking destination recently. I only guess that this is due to there being so few backpacking destinations in this part of the country. The designated backcountry camp sites are patches of dirt beneath cedar trees immediately adjacent trails used mostly by mountain bikers. It's not my idea of a backpacking destination.
This park is a nice day hike location. There is always a large crowd on the river near the tracks, but most don't get back in the woods. Mountain biking on the trails is popular. The improved campground is very nice but the sites are often reserved well in advance.
A few years ago there were "primative" campsites under real trees with nearby water and trash cans, some had picnic tables. The sites along the river in the southwest part of the park were very nice. All these sites were done away with the last time the entrance fee was forcibly reduced by the state.
It's a nice little park if you've never been before, but as a local I can't help feeling ripped off when I go.
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