This past fall, Alex and I took our pups and headed out with my sister and her partner on a trip to Coeur d’Alene, camping along the way. It was a blast discovering places we had never been – all beautiful in their own way. On our way home, we discovered we’d be near the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest so we decided to see if we could find a spot to dry camp for the night. Enter Jungle Creek.
Because it was October, not many people were camping; another plus was that we were traveling during the work week. When we pulled into the area, we discovered there were no other campers so we drove to the end and proceeded to do a bit of exploring. The dogs found their way to the water and dove right it….unsurprisingly. The water was crystal clear and the water was freezing cold. We were surrounded by towering pine trees and there was a nice, large firepit ready for use. After looking around, we set up camp and sat down to relax with lots of laughing and stories about our trip thus far.
We decided that instead of just spending one night, we would extend our trip and stay for two nights. That allowed us to relax more fully and really enjoy exploring, playing games, and even watching movies….Nacho Libre anyone?
We were able to enjoy star gazing both nights thanks to the clear skies. The fire kept us toasty and our van provided us and our dogs a nice, comfortable place to sleep. We used our propane camp stove to cook our meals….and by “we,” I mean Alex. Trust me….you don’t want me to cook especially after you experience dishes prepared by him. We had egg scramble with sausage and peppers for breakfast along with our coffee; lunches we kept simple and used our microwave to heat up single serve meals if we chose not to have a sandwich; dinners consisted of beef or pork and sautéed vegetables with a salad. While we try and eat relatively healthy even traveling in the van, we did have our share of junk food and, of course, popcorn.
Dry camping is our favorite way to camp. Not only are there typically less people but the area makes you feel like you’re truly in the middle of nowhere. At least that is how it is in Idaho; I recognize we’re fortunate. We’re able to let the pups run around (don’t worry, we pick up after them too) and enjoy more privacy. Our van affords us the ability to still be comfortable without negatively impacting the area we choose to stay. We always pack out what we pack in, ensure our fires are out cold, and the area is better than we found it. We will definitely do more camping in this beautiful part of Idaho in the coming years.
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