» may 16,2003
26
PACK UP AND GET OUT!
Where to go and what to do when you just need to gay-away from it all
Q u e e r c a m p g r o u n d s offer an a ff or d ab le way
to pitch your tent cl os e to home
by
K athy B elge
past the Jo h n Day Fossil Beds Painted Hills
h, camping. Fresh air,
N ation al M onum ent.
wieners on a stick and
Tent campers can set up on the lawn next to
the river or out in the backcountry. If you’re look
sitting around the
ing to get away from it all, choose the latter. The
campfire singing off-key
Burnt Ranch property includes miles of rocky hills,
and swapping horror stories. home
Here
in coyotes, deer, bobcats, rattlesnakes
to only
the Pacific Northwest we’re fortu
and cougars. Old wagon trails crisscross their prop
erty,
a perfect setting to play out a cowboy fantasy.
nate to have four queer-owned
Lawn campers have access to the house’s
campgrounds that offer a little bit of bathroom, as there are no facilities outside. N o
picnic tables, no fire pits, no designated camp
country for only a song.
A
B urnt R anch in C entral
O regon ' s high desert
our hours from Portland in M itchell,
the Burnt R anch is more an expanse o f
high desert than an established cam p
ground. O w ners Su n i M iani and Kay
W illiam son bought the 2,000 acres o f rugged
land four years ago with dream s o f turning it
into a gay and lesbian retreat destination.
A ll genders, ages and orientations are wel
com e. A n old white farm house sits on a
bend in the Jo h n Day River just a few miles
F
ing areas, just a few out buildings and lots of
Mother Nature. RVers can hook up to water
and electricity next to a shed.
For those whose idea o f camping involves a
queen bed and running water, the Burnt Ranch
also rents rooms in the farmhouse. Guests share
the kitchen, living room and bathroom with
caretaker Mary Hauer, a Portland lesbian artist.
There’s plenty to do at the Burnt Ranch:
visit the Painted Hills, fish, explore the proper
ty’s jeep trails, float down the river in a tube or
a kayak and climb Byrd’s Point rock across the
river from the ranch. Let the frogs’ chirping lull
you to sleep in the evening and the Canadian
geese honk you awake at dawn.
T riangle
R ecreation C amp
north of S eattle
ith more than 2,400
campers a year and
big parties on the
weekends, Triangle Recreation
Camp offers city dwellers the
opportunity to bring the party
out to the woods. Located
along a National Scenic Byway
one hour north of Seattle,
T R C is a nonprofit member
ship organization founded in
1975.
T he 40 acres nestled
among the old growth in the
Mount Baker/Snoqualmie
National Forest is open to gay
men and women older than
21. Most members are men,
but more and more women
are erecting tents.
Individuals or groups get
together and make a camp for
the summer. Board member
Bob Nale says these semiper
manent sites are one o f the
unique aspects of T R C . Some
have kitchens, showers and
W
T he dramatic Byrd’s Point is just across the river from the rustic
Burnt Ranch, a lesbian-owned campground near Mitchell
R ivendell R anch
on the O lympic P eninsula
ay rancher Guy Koehler spent a sum
mer at T O C and decided to model a
campground after its membership for
mat. More than a campground, Rivendell is
also a working ranch. A couple of recent visi
tors even helped bottle-feed newborn calves.
Koehler lives on the 160 acres in Hoquaim,
Wash., with his dog, Tyler; 15 sheep; three Bel
gian horses; dairy and beef cattle; hundreds of
chickens, ducks and geese; and, soon, a few pigs.
He also has a garden and a greenhouse where he
grows fresh vegetables and herbs. Campers can
purchase any of these items at a discount.
“Com e out for a weekend and you can buy a
ffesh farm chicken,” Koehler says. “Plus there’ll
be fresh salad greens and lots of other things.”
Koehler bought the ranch two years ago from
an elderly couple and has spent much of that time
getting it into shape. This is the first year he’ll be
open to campers. He’s already had six ovemighters.
A trailer sits next to Koehler’s house, and
campers can use the kitchen and bathroom. Two
outhouses are also available. Campers must
bring all their own food, water and cooking sup
G
K alles F amily R anch
near C rater L ake
A
nne and Reilly Kalles knew they landed
on something special when they pur
chased 15 acres of land in 1992. Situat
ed on the junction of the South Umpqua River
and Jackson Creek, the area was a fishing camp
for the Umpqua tribe for thousands o f years.
Reilly says, “We feel we were given this land in
order to share it, and so we share it as a safe
place for people who need a safe place.”
She describes Kalles Family Ranch as a big,
grassy back yard with sites for 10 RVs and plen
ty of tenting. The campground contains an
outdoor pavilion with covered cooking and a
screened eating area. Amenities include a wash
house with a shower and bathroom.
About 100 visitors each year make it to
their remote location in Tiller, about two hours
from Crater Lake. Special events include
women’s, men’s, children-friendly and clean-
and-sober weekends.
“It’s primarily for gay and lesbians,” Reilly
says, “but it’s also a safe place for single mothers
PHOTOS BY KATHY BELGE
Gay and lesbian
campers unite
fountains. Recent visitor
Guy Koehler says:
“Some of the guys go
really crazy. They’ll have
electric generators, disco
balls, gas kitchens.”
Overnight campers
share common fire pits,
toilets and picnic tables.
Visitors must bring their
own drinking water.
T R C sits on Bender
Creek just outside the
hamlet of Silverton, a
small gay enclave. A resi
dent with property
adjoining TO C runs the
Gender Bender Fruit
Stand each camping sea
son, renting out tents,
sleeping bags and tarps to
those who might have
left home without the
essentials.
Nale says weekend
events such as white
towel, underwear and
toga parties are about the
only time the camp is
close to its capacity of
110. Those who wish for
a more quiet experience
would have best luck vis-
1 iting during the week.
Guests should expect
weather like Seattle, only
8 to 10 degrees cooler.
The John Day Fossil Beds are a must-see when visiting Central Oregon
Nearby attractions
include Big Four Ice Caves, Quarry Waterfall and
plies. The nearest town is 20 miles away. RVs
lots of hiking, fishing and kayaking. Part of the
are welcome, but the ranch can only accommo
property sits in an cedar grove with 1,000-year-old
date four at a time and has no hookups.
trees. Nale says, “They’re so big that 10 people
Rivendell hopes to attract Radical Faeries,
can’t get their arm spans around the base.”
bears, disco queens, dykes, friendly straight folk
and even children. The only requirement is
people must be supportive o f sexual minorities.