Pillsbury State Park — Attraction in Washington

I spent a 4-day weekend here in September of 2018; it was, without exaggeration the best of over a dozen camping experiences I've had to date. I went with a group of 4 between two spots. This is going to be a long one, I'll break it down below for ease of info-access.

THE SPOTS: I booked two of the most isolated spots (#36 & #37) in order to have minimal disturbances over our trip. They're almost a half-mile and a mile away, respectively, from the closest spots, as well as where the parking area is, so best to pack light. We had camping wagons to carry our gear in. I would not recommend these specific spots here without something of the sort. (Many of the other spots have adjacent parking fwiw). They each have a firepit, picnic table, and a pit-toilet off a trail from the sites. They sit on the edge of North Pond (not pictured in uploaded map), but different parts. In retrospect, we could have made due with just site 36 since it was large enough, and we spent most of our time hanging out there as site 37 was 1/4-1/2 mile away. There is a launch off point for canoes/kayaks adjacent to site 36 (separated by some brush and a small stream so privacy maintained), saw 3 parties use it in 4 days. ZERO people came by site #37 - totally remote, probably could have walked around naked TBH. There was a large muddy area and puddle at the entrance to the site though (nearby the table and tent-pitching area were clear & dry) - something to keep in mind if you're considering it during a rainy season. Lastly, 36 is pretty open and gets a lot of sun. #37 has heavy tree coverage, but also a lounging rock out on the lake's edge (pictured).

ACTIVITIES & AMMENITIES: I didn't make much use of the activities last time, but plan to the next time around. They have multiple hiking and walking trails, a few different lakes you can go out on, as well as canoe and kayak rentals. There is a camp store closes ca 7 and has most necessities you may need as well as firewood.

THE PARK: The place is gorgeous. No words could do it justice honestly. At times it felt like woods out of a story book. So much so I didn't even mind the roughly 9 or 10 miles I walked b/w my spot and the car/ the store. I did that walk in the dead of night too, with nothing but a lamp, and damn was it creepy. You really get the feeling of being out there, in the middle of the woods. It's exhilarating. Park policy was quiet time at 10, and fires out at 11 (maybe), but again, with the isolated spots, nobody can hear or is coming to check. It was also inexpensive, maybe 30/a night or less.

TL;DR: Booked 2 of the most isolated spots, and had THE camping experience that we all daydream about when we're thinking about camping trips. The walk to the spots was LONG but so worth it. 11/10 Camping experience. would recommend....

We have been camping with our trailer for 10 years now and have never had a situation like this. Unfortunately, this was the worst experience we’ve ever had.

We had a 3-night reservation and arrived on Friday around 8:00 pm (a little late, which was our fault). The front desk person looked surprised when we pulled up with our 5th wheel and asked if we were sure we could get into the site. How could we possibly know that if we had never been to this campground before?

Our reserved site was 38 feet ( while our camper is 32), and the description on Reserve America listed it as an RV/Tent/Trailer site. I also checked pictures on CampsitePhotos website. We knew there was no dump station, which was fine with us. We also discovered that you can’t even fill your fresh water tank there, but we were willing to work with that too.

The real issue was access. The road leading to our site was so narrow that not only would our camper not fit, but even our Ram 3500 truck barely fit. We had no choice but to turn around and leave. The staff at the campground told us there was nothing they could do if we didn’t fit, and we were left without options.

It was very disappointing. After my husband drove more than 1.5 hours after a full workday to get us there, he had to turn right back around and drive home.

The main problem is the lack of clear communication between the campground and Reserve America. If RVs are not allowed or there is a length restriction, that should be clearly stated in the description. Many other campgrounds clearly post “No RVs” or “No trailers over 20 ft,” which makes planning much easier.

This could have been avoided with proper information. Sadly, it left us with a very...

Park staff was very unprofessional. Maybe it was a case of the Mondays, but the experience definitely left a sour taste in my mouth.

I get to the public access boat ramp on Sunday afternoon for some kayak fishing. No issues. I wanted to explore more of the lake, so as the sun was setting I decided to stay in my car overnight to see more on Monday since there was no signage prohibiting overnight parking.

I head out Monday morning at first light and begin the day with no issues. After a while, the rain, wind, and cold drove me to find a vacant camp site where I built a quick fire to dry out and warm up. I then doused the fire and got back into my kayak.

Shortly after, the rain really started to come down so I sought refuge at another vacant camp site and started a fire to dry out. This is when two park staff members arrived asking what I was doing. I replied that I was just drying out from the rain. I was then told what I was doing was very illegal. Confused, I asked them to clarify what was illegal? I was then accused of illegal camping and failing to pay overnight camping fees.

I explained that I slept in my car and headed out at first light, but the park staff member accused me of lying, even with me pointing out the fact that I had no camping gear; no tent, hammock, sleeping back/pad, tarp, or even any kind of blanket. The staff member refused to acknowledge any of this and told me to douse the fire and leave the lake. I was then told that my license plate number was recorded and if my car was seen at the public access ramp again that “we would have problems”. I then did as instructed and left.

Pretty location, but totally not worth the risk of harassment by the park staff. Would...