Olympic Gateway RV Site Olympic Gateway Cottage and RV Site

Easy on/off from US 101 at SR 3 (Shelton). Pull-through RV Site can accommodate most RV lengths**. Electric and potable water hook-ups. Public RV dump site at Potlatch State Park - 14 miles.

17 mins to Hood Canal, 30 mins to Lake Cushman, 50 mins to the Staircase Entrance of Olympic National Park (33 miles). Perfect location for setting up camp with your RV, then taking your car up into the Olympics. Looking for dog-friendly hikes? Several Olympic National Forest and Skokomish Wilderness trails can be accessed from Lake Cushman, including Mt. Ellinor, Mt. Rose, and Mt. Washington.

When returning to camp, enjoy what our property has to offer. Of the 11 acres, 10 acres are comprised of a Cat II wetland, a Cat III wetland, and their associated buffers. A legal trail winds down to Mill Creek just 1/4 mile downstream from the outlet of Lake Isabella. Here the creek is wide and it is permissible to hand launch non-motorized vessels (eg, kayaks, canoes). The stretch of creek between our property and the lake is conservation land, and a beaver dam crosses the creek, but kayakers can usually navigate over the beaver dam and paddle into Lake Isabella. The lake is over 200 acres and boasts Lake Isabella State Park and a Dept of Fish and Wildlife public boat launch.

Our wetland is critical for maintaining local water quality and supporting the local shellfish industry; access is confined to the trail and creek access needs to be respectful and gentle. But if you pause for a moment or two along the trail or shoreline, you'll be rewarded as the local wildlife begin to stir from their hiding places. Song birds, rabbits, deer, voles -- yes. But also river otters, beavers, ducks, cormorants, and owls. Mountain lions and coyotes are possible, but we have not personally seen these. Salmon do run Mill Creek, as well. Dogs are permitted on the trail during summer, fall, and winter if leashed but should stay up near the RV site during spring to avoid disturbing nesting wildlife.

Back at the RV site, there is a picnic table for outdoor cookouts (propane stoves are permissible). Inside the driveway circle is a large propane fire pit with half-moon seating on either side - perfect for roasting S'mores late into the evening. The majority of our outdoor lighting shuts down at midnight to allow for stargazing in a region remote from city lights.

A 1-bed, 1-bath cottage is currently under construction, tucked into a cove of maple, hemlock, and alder. Availability expected in spring 2025.

With just a single RV site, our nearest neighbor several acres away, and only State and County land between us and Hwy 101, you can expect a private stay in a forested setting with easy freeway access on one side of the property and an idyllic private creekside nature preserve on the other. We welcome you to share this place we call home.

In omnibus rebus serviunt Terrae, non homini.

** Larger RV's would back-in to avoid the tear-drop curve at the end of the driveway (please see photos). Driveway entrance is 22' wide, first curve is 18' wide and gradual, leading to RV site if pulling- in/backing-out -- best option for Class A's. Most Class C's and smaller will find it easier to circle the entire driveway and use the site as a pull-through.

105: NW Prairie RV Site

Our RV site is actually the future build site of the main home on this property. For now, we have extended the gravel driveway through the site, which connects to the main driveway on both ends to create a pull-through RV site**. The parking area measures 15' wide x 65' long -- plenty of room for your RV and a vehicle for getting up into the mountains. A power stand at the site provides a 30 amp receptacle, a regular 15-amp receptacle, filtered potable water ready for direct connection to your RV (we have heating cables for the winter), and fiber internet. Most cell carriers have good service in the area, as well. A large picnic table allows for cookouts (propane stoves welcome) and a wicker patio set has seating for 6. We do not have sewer hookups; however, a public dump site is located at Potlatch State Park 14 miles away and at many of the state's rest areas.

Immediately across the driveway sits a 50" circle propane fire pit^^ with two half-moon stone seating areas, perfect for roasting S'mores or gazing at the stars in a region remote from city lights. The trailhead to Mill Creek is also near the RV site (please reference the main site description for details).

We planted the surrounding landscape with native NW prairie plants sourced from a family-owned seed distributor in Port Townsend. We are irrigating the section of prairie between the RV site and our home to keep it green and tall throughout the summer while we wait for the Western Red Cedar privacy trees we planted to grow up and divide this clearing into 5 smaller clearings separated by interconnected strips of forest. Our home sits 70 feet from the RV site. There are just two of us in our early 50's, a dog, and a cat. We are quiet and will not invade your space -- unless you message that you need something, in which case we are more than happy to oblige. The RV site also sits just over 90 feet from the rental cottage on the parcel (currently under construction with anticipated completion in early 2025). We have a large number of rabbits who seem to evade the local owl and feral cats. They are likely to visit you during your stay, as might the occasional deer brave enough to come out of the forest.

** The RV site can be used as a pull-through site for most RV's, especially Class C and smaller. For larger Class A's, it would likely be easier to use it as a pull-in/back-out site, as navigating the tear-drop turn around at the end of the driveway might be a bit tight for larger RV's. Use as a pull-in/back-out should be easy -- the entrance to the driveway from the street is 22' wide (nearly 2 freeway lanes) and the only driveway curve between the entrance and the RV site is gradual and 18' wide at the narrowest point. Please see photos -- a picture is worth a thousand words, of course.

^^ The firepit is set up for you to connect your own 20lb propane tank. If you would prefer, you may rent a full tank from us for $35.

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Key Notes:

Daytime Visitors: Daytime visitors are welcome but will be billed as staying guests. A maximum of 15 people are allowed on the premises. After 9 pm, only registered guests may remain on the property. The maximum number of registered guests is 10.

Parking: We can accommodate only 1 RV, but you may bring multiple passenger vehicles for travelling up into the mountains. The RV and all passenger vehicles must fit within the 15'x65' driveway of the RV site -- no vehicle may park along other portions of the driveway, as that would block passage for us and for guests at the rental cottage. Vehicles may not park in the meadow or on the landscaping, and the road adjacent to the property has no shoulder. Please plan accordingly -- 15' x 65' is a large space.

No Tents or Car Camping: Under Mason County ordinance, we are only permitted to rent to a single RV per night. This means we cannot allow tents or car camping -- all guests need to sleep in the RV.

Pets: Pets are permitted to be off-leash, but please keep the following in mind: 1.) unsupervised pets could make their way through the narrow strip of forest and onto US 101; 2.) do not allow pets to approach neighbors walking down the street given the possibility of a negative interaction – not all neighborhood pets are friendly; 3.) please keep pets away from our home and the rental cottage for similar privacy reasons -- the area surrounding the RV site is over 1/2 acre and should provide ample room; 4.) do not allow pets to harass wildlife; 5.) pets may not enter the wetland during the spring (nesting) and must be on leash and on-trail in the wetland at all other times.

Noise: Quiet hours are 11 pm to 6am, though quiet is relative out here. Generally, if you keep noise at reasonable levels, sound should not travel far enough to be heard by neighbors. Realistically, noise is only likely to be heard by us and we are not easily bothered. If we find something too noisy we will politely let you know -- we like to keep things laid back insofar as possible here.

Wetlands: The wetlands on our property are gorgeous, but they are also critical for maintaining water quality and protecting the shellfish industry. Accordingly, they are protected by law and there are restrictions on use. Access may only be via the trail; no off-trail use is permitted. Hand-launched non-motorized vessels (eg, kayaks and canoes) can be launched into Mill Creek, but use of the shoreline must be gentle. We are not permitted to perform maintenance within the wetland other than to clear blow downs from the trail. They are to be kept in a wild state. Therefore, entrance into the wetlands carries inherent risk. This can include, but is not limited to: 1.) slip and falls from natural, uneven terrain, 2.) trees falling, particularly during wind events, 3.) drowning, 4.) dangerous wildlife encounters, etc. Entrance into the wetlands is done at your own risk and you should behave as you would on any wilderness trail. Look up as well as around you for any possible dangers. Do not enter the forest if conditions are unsound, such as during winds or rainstorms. Be on the lookout for wildlife. We frequently encounter beavers, otters, deer, rabbits, voles, birds, and other common wildlife. There is some potential for mountain lions and bears, as the property does connect through conservation lands and the lake to larger tracts of forest land and, ultimately, the Olympics. Accordingly, we expressly waive all liability for personal injury occurring within the wetland. By entering into the wetland, you assume all risk, take full responsibility, and waive any claims of personal injury, death, or damage to personal property occurring within the wetland.

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Shelton, Washington

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