Picnic season is upon us and seeking the best picnic location is a sport for many. The following are the 10 best picnic locations in the Northwest United States. Organized by state, they are evaluated by scenery, accessibility, and amenities.
Oregon
1. The coast of Oregon offers more than 60 scenic points and overlooks. At its most northern point you'll find Fort Stevens State Park. 10 miles west of Astoria, Fort Stevens is rich in history. It served for 84 years, beginning with the Civil War and closing at the end of World War II. Today, camping, beachcombing, freshwater lake swimming, trails, wildlife viewing, an historic shipwreck and an historic military area make Fort Stevens a park with a lot of diversity and history. The environment offers spruce and hemlock forests, wetlands, dunes, and shore pine. Coffenbury Lake has two swimming areas, a picnic area, restrooms, and a boat ramp.
2. For a truly unique experience visit Newberry National Volcanic Monument near Bend Oregon. Newberry National Volcanic National Monument offers more than 50,000 acres of lakes, lava flows, and amazing geologic features. Visit the highest point, at the summit of Paulina Peak (7,985 ft.). The summit showcases amazing views of the Oregon Cascades and across the High Desert. The summit area of Newberry Volcano holds two sparkling alpine lakes full of trout and salmon. Seven campgrounds offer picnic facilities, and ten day use sites offer picnic tables and a variety of activities ranging from caving to fly fishing.
3. Offering eight picnic locations, the Mount Hood National Forest is located in the Cascades Mountain Range of Oregon, about 50 miles east of Portland. The forest features the Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark, at the top of Mount Hood, the highest peak in Oregon. Picnicking, and camping and concessions, can be found at Frog Lake, Carter Bridge, Lake Harriet, Pegleg, Rock Creek, Timothy, Trillium, and Two Rivers. Make a day trip out of it and add a hike, a trip down the river with a guide, fishing, and mountain biking.
Washington
4. Mt Rainer National Park is an amazing experience with tons to do. The park has over 260 miles of maintained trails and 147 miles of roads. For those interested in a beautiful, and easily accessible, picnic location, look no further than Kautz Creek or Cougar Rock. Both locations offer handicap access, restrooms, short trails to beautiful vistas, and picnic facilities. Before or after lunch, enjoy a scenic drive and visit Mt. St Helens. It takes about 3 hours to drive from Paradise to the west side of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, and about 2.5 hours to drive to the east side. Park officials suggest that first time visitors try to schedule a visit to the Johnston Ridge or Coldwater Ridge Visitors Centers on the west side of the monument, to learn the most about the eruption and subsequent changes to the plant and animal life.
5. Olympic National Forest covers more than 633,600 acres and is managed by the United States Forest Service. The National Forest blankets the foothills of the Olympic Mountains and surrounds much of Olympic National Park. Olympic National Forest offers free picnicking at six locations: Big Creek, Coho, Falls Creek, Falls View, Gatton Creek, and Interrorem. Each site offers shelters and tables. Gatton Creek, Coho, and Interrorem offer toilets, and all except Falls Creek and Gatton Creek offer stoves. Each picnic site offers an abundance of activities including hiking, fishing, camping, and boating.
North Dakota
6. Nestled in the scenic Turtle Mountains on the shores of Lake Metigoshe, Lake Metigoshe offers more than 1500 acres. In addition to picnic shelters, complete with bathroom facilities, there is a boat launch and a swimming area. The park offers a number of hiking trails, education programs for the children and plenty of information about the area. In fact, the lake is well known for its northern pike, walleye and perch, which means that the fishing is top notch!
7. One mile north of Pick City North Dakota, you'll find the quiet Lake Sakakawea State Park. Located on the south shore of Lake Sakakawea, adjacent to Garrison Dam, Lake Sakakawea State Park offers a wide range of water based recreational activities and facilities. The park has a full service marina, including boat rentals, convenience store, fishing guide services, and 4 designated picnic areas scattered throughout the park.
Idaho
8. Laird Park, St Joe National Forest Idaho. Looking for an old fashioned swimming hole? Visit Laird Park, just outside of Harvard, Idaho. It is a very popular picnic spot with plenty of rest rooms, swimming, and beautiful mountain scenery.
9. Sand Pointe Idaho is well known for water sports, mountain biking, and beautiful golf courses but it is also a perfect picnic location. Undeveloped picnic sites are located all along the Monarch Mountains. Visitors will have the pleasure of discovering small pocket beaches from the Johnson Creek at the mouth of the Clark Fork all the way to Kilroy Bay. You will be guaranteed privacy because these beaches are mostly reachable only by boat. There are vault toilets at some sites. If you're looking for a developed picnic area with facilities and tables visit Springy Point on the south side of the river. There you'll find a swimming area, launch ramp, camping and picnic spots.
10. Tucked away at the tip of Idaho's panhandle in the Selkirk Mountains, 30 miles south of Canada and 85 miles north of Spokane, Priest Lake offers a number of secluded picnic locations. Secluded mountain lakes, isolated beach spots, and shady groves are easily found and offer perfect picnic locations for the whole family or for a romantic picnic. Additionally, 7 islands offer you the opportunity to explore, hike, boat, swim, and of course picnic.
More than 15 miles of beautiful beaches and breathtaking sand dunes stretch across northwest Indiana along Lake Michigan. Stretching from Gary, Indiana to Michigan City, Indiana is one of the best kept secrets in the Hoosier state: the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park. The sun and sand is just a three hour drive from downtown Indianapolis, perfect for a day trip or an extended vacation.
Outdoor activities at the park include hiking, swimming, horseback riding, camping, skiing, fishing and bird-watching. There really is something for everyone at the historical, educational and downright fun Indiana Dunes. The hot and lazy summer months is the most popular time to visit the Indiana Dunes, but camping and other activities are available in the Spring and Fall too. Winters are cold in northwest Indiana, but the beach views are beautiful in the snowy winter months. Some visitors even enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Bird-watching is a major activity at the Indiana Dunes, because there are more than 350 species of birds that live in the versatile atmosphere. Sand dunes, bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, rivers, forests, oak savannas and prairies make up the natural habitat of the Indiana Dunes. Thousands of different plant and animal species, including several endangered ones, call the Indiana Dunes their home. In fact, the dunes are known to have some of the most diverse flora and fauna in the entire Midwest. Scientists, students, vacationers and artists can all share a love for this unique Indiana attraction.
The formation of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park dates back as early as 1899, when efforts raised to preserve these unique lands. Chicago businesses were expanding rapidly eastward, and development along Lake Michigan soared. Steel Mills and power plants were quickly taking up the coastlines, and a group of activists spoke out. Their "Save the Dunes Council" eventually convinced politicians to take action on the state and national level. Indiana Dunes State Park formed in 1925, and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore came about in 1966.
The Indiana Dunes State Park offers tons of fun for the whole family, with a campground, picnic areas, shelters, hiking trails and a free public beach that stays open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In 1974, this state park was recognized as a National Natural Landmark. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is managed by the National Park Service. The National Lakeshore surrounds the State Park, but several spaces throughout the 15,000 acre lakeshore are privately owned. That's why maps are necessary when exploring this park.
Hiking to the top of the largest "living" dune is a favorite route for many visitors. Standing at 123 feet tall, Mount Baldy actually moves south at a pace of four or five feet per year. When the giant sand dune moves, it dissolves all trees and other vegetation in its path. Trails lead through the woods to the top of Mount Baldy, where hikers can view the Chicago skyline on a clear day. It's quite a feat to make it to the top of Mount Baldy, the steep sandy paths offer an athletic challenge.
Another popular sand dune is one called "Devil's Slide." Children love to speed down Devil's Slide, and the steep dune is a hot spot for sun bathers. It's located near the main beach of the Dunes State Park. Pinhook Bog is another dunes attraction. It's the only true bog in the entire state, because no groundwater can flow through the clay soil to access this area. Mosses carpet the bog now, and many unusual plants and flowers grow in this area. In the summertime, Pinhook Bog is open for guided ranger hikes.
The rich history and the scenic nature of the Dunes make it a great spot for the entire family. It's beautiful, fun and educational. For more information about hours of operation and admission costs, visit the website.
