A Nice Forested Park
Written: Jun 29 '08
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Pros: Nice atmosphere
Cons: Near the coast, it can be rainy
The Bottom Line: There is enough to do for a day, but children might get bored after a couple days
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| Rocketgirl's Full Review: Lake Sylvia State Park |
Lake Sylvia State Park is located in Washington State. It is near Gray's Harbor on the coast. The closest town is Montesano, the county seat, off State Highway 12. The park is just a few miles outside of town, so emergency help is nearby, as well as groceries and gas.
The park is located in a forested area on the banks of a lake. The lake was formed behind a dam that was created to operate a mill. The lake is not big, but it is picturesque. The park road intersects it with a bridge between the camping side and the day use side.
There is a large day use area for picnicking and playing. There is a nice swimming beach in this area. Some of this area is fairly new so the trees shading the area are not very large yet, but at certain times of the day when the sun is in a different part of the sky this area is shady. There is plenty of parking in this area, something that you don't always see in a state park.
Fishing is very popular here and the biggest reason people come to stay overnight. Fishing can be done from shore or boat. There is a very nice area that has been shored up with boardwalk, where people can fish directly from this docked area. Near one end of the boardwalk, you can walk across a small bridge over the dammed area and cross to the other side. You can fish from the shore of this area too. You can also fish off the road bridge. It is low enough to the water that it isn't very hard to bring in a fish from the bridge.
There is a boat launch here, but it is not for large boats. The lake itself is not large or extremely deep. This lake is not large enough for waterskiing or towables. It is strictly for fishermen or those who would just like to paddle around in a canoe and sightsee.
The camping area holds around 50 campsites. This would probably be my only complaint, is that this area is cramped. You hope your neighbors are courteous and don't stay up half the night because you are fairly close. However, it is forested so most spots are shady and comfortable.
For those who like hiking, there is a trail that runs around the circumference of the lake. Some parts of it are shady and some are in full sun. None of it is steep or rocky, though the footing is tricky in a few spots because of the shape of the shore. However, this is a good way to get a picture of the lake from all angles. Sometimes there are pretty wildflowers blooming along the walk too. It may also be possible to see shore birds and water mammals, depending on the time of day and time of year. It is a peaceful walk as long as you don't hear any boom boxes when you walk by the camping area.
State parks in Washington are free for day use. Overnight camping ranges, depending on whether you are using electrical hookups or a standard campsite. Fees average around $15 a night, with a possible extra boat launching fee. Some parks charge an extra fee per night if you have more than one vehicle to park. Even with these charges, though, you can see that overnight camping is a bargain when compared with hotels.
Reservations can be made online at: http://www.parks.wa.gov/. In fact, many of Washington's state parks are so popular that online reservation is recommended and I would recommend it for this one. Some parks require two or three months advance reservation.
My overall impression of the area was that it was peaceful and visitors seemed to be well mannered. It isn't near a big city so you don't have hordes of people using the day use area. The climate isn't hot in this area, so if you have an 80 degree day count yourself lucky. Even on a good day that is too cold for swimming for me, but then I live in the desert where it is much warmer. This is a coastal area so cloudiness and possible rain or drizzle is more likely, especially in the spring. However, it is still a pretty place to visit.
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Familes
Review Topic: Fishing
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Epinions.com ID:
Rocketgirl
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 in Books |
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Member: Beth
Location: Tri-Cities, WA
Reviews written: 398
Trusted by: 224 members
About Me:
So many books, so little time.
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