All of the river camps are basically the same.  They all have five covered and screened tent platforms, one of which is designed to be handicapped accessible.  Each one has a “primitive” tent camping area with fire pits and picnic tables.  They all have a campfire circle and a covered pavilion for groups.  The toileting and shower facilities vary in size and configuration, but all have flush toilets, hot showers and are air conditioned.  A few have outside sinks for washing dishes.  All have racks to hold many canoes or kayaks. 

            Each camp is different however, in the ease of approach from the water.  Peacock Slough was the most user friendly from a kayaker’s point of view.  It had a big flat beach to pull out on and a mat that went from the water to the bottom of the stairs on which you could drag a boat without damaging it. 

            Even though somewhat steep and smaller, Holton Creek also had a decent beach for pulling out on.  However, boats had to be tied up at night to assure that they wouldn’t do a slow slide back into the river.

            Woods Ferry was difficult, with the only pull out next to the stairs, under the ramp leading up to camp.  The area was wet, muddy and slippery.  Our three boats shared the space with five canoes.  It was tight and made unloading and loading the boats difficult.

            Adams Tract, however, had no pullout.  We had to exit our boats in the water and tie them up.  If we had stayed, we would have had to nearly empty the boats and carry them up the steps to an out of the way location; an arduous task at best!

            At places like Adams Tract and Woods Ferry, some sort of a wooden ramp with the lower end in the water would allow paddlers to exit their boats and pull them to safety easily.  It would also make it much easier for paddlers with limited mobility to exit their boats and use the park facilities, which have been thoughtfully laid out for folks with disabilities.  I hope the Wilderness Trail people are listening because I see the landing and take-outs at some of the trail’s parks as the only flaw in an otherwise exemplary system.