Gettys Cove on in Vantage Wa Colubia River
 

Does anyone know if they are still in buisness for camping? Anything good happening on the Columbia this weekend? Cresent Bar party maybe??

It is Labor day weekend. I am sure there will be plenty of douche bags, but more importantly pasties and drunk chicks at the sand dune. No idea about Getty Cove. Never had to stay there. Is that the nice campground or the kind of crappy one right on the water?

It's the crappy one down by the dam. Wanapum st.park is full. Wonder if those are my only options for camping around there. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciative

not really. I always stay at my buddies cabin in Sunland or rent a townhome in Crescent bar. I think I have camped once. Isn't there 2 campsites on the north side of the Columbia and one on the south?

Not sure if any of these places are available but

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/vac/2573794905.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/vac/2573793342.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/search...Ask=&bedrooms=

Getty's has been closed for like 2-3 years. I'll be in Crescent Bar as I am every weekend Get out early for the nice water.

thanks Brett, i'm looking into those links, and thx Matt. I've never been out there on a party weekend. Is there camping at Crescent Bar?

Check out the Crescent Bar facebook page. I saw that there were a couple campsites left that someone had posted.

There's also Sunlad which is, I think, in the middle of Crescent Bar and Gettys Cove on the East side of the river.

There is a campground in Crescent bar although it is probably full. You could also serch CL vacation rentals for crescent bar and see if there is anythign available.

Sunland doesn't have any camping. It is a little closer to vantage but basically in between Vantage and Crescent Bar. It is really close to White Sands(the party sand dune). The launch ramp can be pure chaos so get your boat in the water early and either get it off the water by 2 or 3 or be prepared to wait a couple hours to get out. All teh launches on that stretch of river are like that though. If you do go to that area be careful for sand bars. In general the west side of the river is better then the east as far as deep water. There is a huge sandbar coming straight off the south tip of Sunland that probably runs a half a mile or so. Then there is a big island to the NW of Sunland(easy to see the island) to keep clear of the south and north tips. The sandbars run pretty far out off there and it is pretty shallow on both sides of the island as well.

ok got a spot at Sunland, I think it’s prob. in some guys yard? not sure but he said he had power,sewer,and water. so i guess it will have to do. Is it possible to hear the concerts going on from the river? I hope its a ok place,:confused: i’ll be on the river for the most part of the day anyway.:cool:

Sunland is awesome. It is the best location to get to the amphiteatre, closest to white sands and not far from vantage. I have never heard the concerts. You can see the theatre but it is way up on top of the cliff and might be able to hear some noise. I bet you can't actually hear and enjoy the concert. Sunland is 5 or 10 minutes from the gorge if you want to drive up there and try and find tickets. Like I said in the last post, get your boat in the water early(before 9) and be ready to be out all day. There isn't really anywhere easy to pull up and run up to your campsite. The only place might be the park where the pool is. There is a little store in sunland that has gas, beer, ice and other essentials. Get your boat in by 9 play out on the water for a couple hours then cruise to white sands at abotu 11 or so(if you want to people watch and party), head back to sunland to pull the boat out at 4 or 5. Usually it is dead clam till 9 or 10 over there, then you get rough water from boats till 1 or so then the wind picks up really bad. It gets really windy. where the boat launch is, is protected for the most part.

I am attaching 2 pictures for you to get an idea of that stretch of river. Like I said before after you put your boat in the water head straight south towards vantage for a mile following the eastern shore(a few hundred yards off), then cross to the western shore and head back north to white sands. You can get closer to this shore but neither side is too shallow. If you want to wakeboard and surf head to the east side of that island. Just know that the water aroudn the island is pretty shallow so stay from the middle of the channel to the east.

Not sure if you got directions to the place but take I90 east go across the bridge in vantage, stay on I90. Get off on teh Silica road exit, take a left, go back under the freeway. The road will curve back to the right and back to the left pretty soon after going under the freeway. Stay on this road for a few miles. Sunland road(I think that is what it is called) is on your left. It is easy to see because it is the only road with street lights(not stop lights, just street lights). Take that left. If you hit the ampitheatre you have gone to far. So after you take the left follow that all the way into sunland. Just make sure and downshift and cruise slowly because you basically drop 500-1000 feet down the side of the cliff on switchbacks. Once in Sunland there are only so many roads so it shouldn't be hard to find.

Hope this helps some.

By the way this is a long stretch of river, you can cruise from vantage all the way up to north of Crescent bar a ways. As long as you use common sense there are no places to hit a rock. The only places that are really shower are coming off of shallow points and/or inlands.

Thanks! Polarbill! that is some great info. I really appreciate the help. If i pull out of the river late, lets say 7-8pm is it still way hectic at the ramp? Do they have a dock? or do you have to wade in the water? I can't wait to get over there, the weather is supposed to be awesome!

There is no dock. when coming in by boat there is some sandy beach a little ways to the left. Drop someone off there to back the trailer in and then drive up and on. It will probably still be hectic at that time. I have waited for 3 hours and until it was dark before waiting to put the boat on the trailer. Have fun. My buddy will be over there at his cabin. He is on the water road that parrallels the water on the opposite side of the water. He might have a Husky flag out in front and drives a Black or Gray denali. The house is a tan or off white with green trim and is one story with a 2 car garage. If you need to talk to someone about the area ask him. His name is Mike Halverson.

Brett,
you are killing my prop repair business with this! JK.

Just don't go up river past Crescent Bar, lots of rocks, rough water, and big sturgeon that will eat you if you fall. More importantly no pasties.