Family Life Travel West Coast

Family Camping at Chehalis River, BC

Before having kids, hubby and I liked driving around in the mountains or in the Interior searching for that perfect deserted spot to set up a tent and camp for a few days. But since the girls came along, we’ve limited our camping trips to provincial and forestry sites where we still get cell service and can easily access services in case of an emergency. While it certainly isn’t as isolated as what we used to enjoy, Chehalis River just outside Harrison Mills has become one of our favourite campgrounds to visit every summer.

exploring the Chehalis river

Many of the sites are directly on the bank of the Chehalis River so we have a ready supply of water (we do bring our own drinking water though), and the water is shallow enough for the girls to wade in it. The water’s cold, but when a heatwave hits, not so cold we can’t go swimming. Every time we visit there’s always a group of kids in their inner tubes lazily floating downstream, and there’s a deeper spot just across the bridge and slightly upstream that’s our favourite spot to swim in.

river wading

Chehalis River is a salmon run with a hatchery right next door to the campsite. There’s a little interpretive centre at the entrance to the site with interesting info about the salmon life cycle and the different types of salmon you’ll find in the Chehalis. Plus the kids love riding the salmon sculptures every single time we walk by.

salmon riding

We’re no fishermen (except when we pretend like hubby and Kay are doing here!), but I’ve been told the fishing along the Chehalis is great for Coho and steelhead.

fishing with dad

Whether it’s the bright morning light or the annoying crow that will not shut up in the tree directly above our tent, I’ve never been able to sleep in when I’m camping. On this trip we were all up before 8:00 am both mornings. Even in late August it was a little chilly first thing in the mornings, but the days warmed up quickly and we spent most of our time in t-shirts and shorts.

cuddling at camping

We’re hoping to go one more time before the winter rains set in. Fingers crossed for some warm, dry weather into September!

Does your family enjoy camping? Have you been camping yet this year?

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