Nothing’s quite as sweet as camping with good friends and lots of children. But here it is, the middle of a Northwest winter, and camping’s still a far-off dream — right?

It doesn’t have to be! The Puget Sound area has a wealth of resources for group getaways available year-round — and many offer the walls, ceilings and heated bathrooms that make camping in winter possible. State-owned environmental learning centers (ELCs) and vacation houses can be rented in 10 parks across Washington — at very reasonable prices. They generally offer wonderful (albeit spare) communal gathering spaces complete with fully outfitted kitchens and all the accoutrements.

This means you can still give your kids the great outdoors-in-winter experience — without schlepping around pots, pans, coffee makers and cooking utensils. You’ll even be supplied with paper towels, toilet paper (a little better than the lumber-jack’s-revenge variety) and access to heated bathrooms and showers. I’ll be the first to admit that a bathroom with warm water and a functioning shower is a camping mama’s dream, especially in the winter.

Some of the most beautiful rustic spots in the Northwest can become home for an annual winter campout tradition. For instance, in the Blue Mountains of southeast Washington near Anatone, you’ll find Wohelo in Fields Spring State Park. Part of the park sits at a height of 4,500 feet atop Puffer Butte — and it is gorgeous. We’ve hiked with friends along the Grande Ronde River taking in views of three states.

Exact group accommodations vary, depending on where you go. At Wohelo, there is a fireplace, living room and dining room, open sleeping loft for 20, fully equipped kitchen, restrooms and showers. You’ll need to bring your own food (this is a good time to share cooking duties with friends), sleeping bags and bedding for the beds and cots, as well as your own kitchen linens, bathing and dishwashing supplies. Bring first aid equipment, too. Plus, don’t forget to pack all your winter equipment for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. When we were there, Wohelo had a groomed sledding and tubing trail adjacent to the lodge.

Action-packed days, bracing air and winter vistas — along with a warm bathroom to comfortably pad off to in the middle of the night — are compelling reasons to plan an off-season group getaway. You may wind up like us — making plans for our next great winter escape on the day we leave.

Tips
Kids need to be able to run and let their imaginations take over. Make a pact to leave the electronic devices at home; they’ll quickly be forgotten with imaginations, flashlights and snowballs at play. It doesn’t take long for games of Kick the Can and Green Ghost to take over. For the adults, the night sky is darker and filled with more vivid stars than we can see in Seattle. Crane your neck skyward and track the slow and deliberate trail of satellites; it’s the ultimate Game Boy!

Tracy Romoser is Seattle-based freelance writer, mother and avowed snow lover.

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You really need to think ahead before you call for a reservation. The reservation service suggests you provide a date and as many as four alternates for your getaway. Make sure everyone in your party knows the times you’re trying to reserve.

You can get a view of most lodges and ELCs online at the Washington State Parks Environmental Learning Centers. The affordable overnight rates are per person, regardless of age, and are usually in the (seemingly arbitrary) amounts of $9.32 to $10.74 range, per night (before tax).

Some places to try
Brooks Memorial State Park — Nestled in a forested mountain setting in the Upper Satus River near Goldendale.

Camp Moran at Moran State Park — Situated near Mount Constitution in the San Juans, on Orcas Island.

Cornet Bay at Deception Pass State Park — Set on a saltwater bay with freshwater lakes nearby, near Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island.

Fort Flagler State Park — Set on a high bluff above Puget Sound, near Port Hadlock.

Lewis and Clark State Park — Surrounded by old-growth Douglas fir trees; features five miles of equestrian trails, near Chehalis.

Millersylvania State Park — Along the shores of Deep Lake near Tumwater, 10 miles south of Olympia.

Ramblewood at Sequim Bay State Park — Situated on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, near Sequim.

Puffer Butte and Wohelo at Fields Spring State — Remotely located at an elevation of 4,500 feet in the Blue Mountains near Anatone.

The following two ELC facilities are not available during the winter, but worth contacting for spring through fall:

Camp Wooten ELC — Located on the Tucannon River in the Blue Mountains, near Pomeroy.

Camp Delany at Sun Lakes State Park — Near a pristine chain of lakes, freshwater marshes and magnificent basalt rock formations, not far from Coulee City.

Reservations

Visit the state parks website or call 800-360-4240, 360-902-8600, or Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at 800-833-6388. Follow the directions on the message and you should receive a call back within 24 hours or less, unless you’re calling on a weekend.

Please note: If you have questions about any of the state parks, call the State Parks Information Center at 360-902-8844 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The reservation line does not provide assistance with trip planning.