Just East Of Portland Is A Washington State Park With Stunning Mountain Views And Year-Round Camping

If you're hoping to escape Portland, Oregon crowds without going too far from the city, drive less than an hour east across the border to Washington state and you'll find yourself at Beacon Rock State Park. You'll know you've arrived when you see the bold geological feature that gives this park its name. The craggy, almost bare rock formation rising up out of the pine forest cuts a striking figure against the sky. Tens of thousands of years ago this stone was the heart of a mighty volcano until the thousands of years of Ice Age flooding created the mighty Columbia Gorge and washed away the outside of the volcano. If you're brave enough and have the stamina, you can hike to the top of a series of switchbacks to reach the views nearly 850 feet up. From there, the views of the Northwest scenery in Washington's Columbia River Gorge far below are breathtaking.

There is more to this park than just its impressively tall centerpiece, however. Beacon Rock State Park is more than 4400 acres, with forest trails featuring mountain views, pretty cascading waterfalls, challenging rock climbing, woodsy campsites, strolls along the banks of the surging Columbia River, and boating on the river with views of the mountains rising up around you. Maybe best of all, this park and its campgrounds are open all year long so you can experience it in every season, and see the entire river gorge transform again and again.

There are plenty of breathtaking natural places in Washington State to spend the night out under the stars, from one of the U.S.' largest rainforests to hidden coastal beach paradises. But even with such stiff competition, Beacon Rock State Park stands out as one of the best places in the Evergreen State to go camping. If you want to experience it for yourself, you'll have to get to the park pretty early in the morning or come visit in the off season. There are some campsites in the state park, and they are all first come first serve.

Beacon Rock Main Campground is the largest campground in the park, filled with 26 little woodsy campsites. They are mostly small-tent camping sites, but there are five with hookups suitable for RVs. However, while the park is open to year-round camping, this particular campground is not, so this one is only a good fit in the warm weather. If you're looking for something that is open all year and is a little more secluded, consider the Woodward Creek Campground. As its name implies, its little campsites are right by the creek, and there are only four to choose from, so if you manage to snag one you can guarantee it won't be crowded. At the Beacon Rock Group Campground, you'll find a wide open meadow with enough space for around 200 people to set up their tents. If you happen to have a horse that you love to explore the trails with, there are equestrian trails in the park and two special campsites designed for horses and their riders at Equestrian Campground.

Towering Beacon Rock is certainly the most impressive natural site within this gorgeous state park and for many, a trip here is not complete without attempting to reach the top. Believe it or not, this isn't one of those park trails that is only for experienced hikers. It isn't even the hardest trail in the park. There are a lot of switchbacks (pictured) to traverse, and for much of the journey you will find yourself on a narrow trail carved into the side of the mighty stone, with nothing but a metal railing between you and the sheer edge. However, it will only take most hikers around an hour, and the views from high on Beacon Rock are well worth the journey.

There are trails in Beacon Rock State Park that can lead you to a wide variety of gorgeous natural sites, and they don't all lead straight up the side of the towering stone pillar. If you're looking for more of a challenge, try the Hamilton Mountain and Hardy Creek Loop. This extremely tough trek takes closer to five hours, but leads you by waterfalls, mountains, and wildflower meadows. For an easier adventure that even new hikers can enjoy, try the Hardy Falls Viewpoint via Hadley Trail, an hour-and-a-half long path through the lush, mossy forest to see a waterfall.