The entrance to the park, adorned by Oliver and China, the Camping Cockatoos:
Promoters of Crow Butte Park call it the "Maui of the Columbia." Hmm.. here are three reasons it is NOT like Maui:
1. Maui doesn't have noisy trains travelling both directions night and day.
2. Maui doesn't have snakes.
3. Maui's sandy beaches have more sand than river rock.
Now, to be fair, here are 3 reasons Crow Butte IS like Maui:
1. It is an island known for its lush green foliage.
2. The water is warm in the secluded swimming areas.
3. Crow Butte is part of a chain of islands designated as the Umatilla Wllflife Refuge.
The vast majority of the campsites are shaded, grassy, and spacious. Below are sites 4, 6, 8, 10, 20 (with our Camp Every County Washington logo), and 29 (one of many sites with extra long parking pads to accodate boats and large RVs):
A small detached campground provides some primitive sites:
The huge, grassy day use area, adjacent to the campground, makes you want to lie on your back and look up into the trees:
The Marina might be the busiest place in the Park; fortunately, it is far from the camping area:
The trails were highly anticipated, but disappointing, as sagebrush blocked the paths in many places. On the plus side, the "sandy beach" was 100% private, and the trail to Mount Crow gives unemcumbered views of the eastern side of the island:
View westward from West Ridge. Note the city of windmills and Mt. Hood on the Oregon side.
The "Sand Beach" as unseen from above. It lies between the two trees on
either side of the picture on the left. A narrow path through sagebrush
finally gets you there. Result: privacy.
Views from Mount Crow looking eastward, and the medallon placed by the US Army Corps of Engineers at the very top:
This view of the east end of the island is taken from Hwy 14:
Mount Crow also gives good views of the west end of the island looking
over at Washington farms and vineyards. The campground is on the left,
the marina on the right:
Hmm.. maybe Crow Butte DOES resemble Maui at times...
