I look forward to camping and hiking all year. This weekend, we decided to revisit Middle Fork, an area of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest about an hour east of Seattle.

Camping is one of the ways we can unwind from city life. As residents of the lively Capitol Hill neighborhood, we are constantly surrounded by the noise of people, emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, helicopters, planes descending to Sea-Tac Airport, and even traffic from I-5. We replaced this constant hum with the relaxing sound of the Snoqualmie River. We didn’t even have cell phone reception.

There are two options for camping here: the 2-year-old Middle Fork Campground (pay site, see below) and the “free”, unsupervised spots just across the river. These free spots hold 1-4 tents, have no bathrooms, and have primitive fire pits. My husband and I managed to find a spot with a large unoccupied area next to it, perfect to explore with our puppy.

On Sunday, my husband, puppy and I walked a few miles up the Snoqualmie Lake Trail, located just up the road from our campsite. This busy trail is great for day or overnight hikes. I am nearing the tail end of knee surgery recovery and found this part of the trail to be relatively easy, if not a bit rocky. We had to navigate over a few streams as well. After about 2 miles we turned back, but from all appearances the easy part continues for 6 miles, then turns difficult. We plan on coming back on an overnight camping trip up the trail sometime next summer after my next knee surgery.

These campsites are relatively kid-friendly, though caution is advised near the currently very swollen Snoqualmie River. Dogs are welcome, though keep an eye on vehicles passing by on the road. North Bend is about 25 minutes away in case you forget something, as we found when we tried to open cans of tuna for lunch and had no can opener.

Directions:
I-90 East to exit 34. Turn left on 468th Avenue. Travel 0.6 miles and turn right onto Middle Fork Road #56. Travel 12.2 miles on this road, a combination of paved and gravel (watch for deep pot holes). Near the end is a pay campsite ($12 a night, $7 per extra vehicle). Trails: Snoqualmie Lake and Nordrum Lake.

Full Flickr Set from the trip can be found here.