Outdoor Federation

Backpacking Locations Near the Water

There is something about camping in the wilderness that makes people feel more rugged and more robust. You can spend a couple of nights away from your daily comforts, detaching from the traditional, technologically-dependent lives you lead. You will learn to reconnect with the rough environment. It feels good knowing that you can experience the wild at its finest.



Backpacking by the water works best when you have experience and knowledge of paddle boarding. You may think of these big boards that you want to take to the beach with you and stand on, which isn’t a very practical piece of equipment to bring when roughing it in the wild.

Luckily, inflatable standup paddleboards (iSUPs) are available to take your adventures out on the water and give you a completely different perspective. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced paddleboarder, knowing what is an iSUP can make your pack lighter and your experiences in the wilderness richer and more adventurous.

So save yourself enough time looking for the best backpacking locations near the water. Here are some of them.

Fun Outdoor Quiz

Ouzel of the Wild Basin and the Ogalalla Peak

You can start at the trailhead of the Wild Basin in the southeastern Rocky Mountain National Park near Allenspark. You also need to follow the well-kept Wild Basin Trail in the direction of Ouzel Falls before you hit Bluebird Lake.

While at Bluebird Lake, go down the noticeable ravine to the lake’s outlet stream and traverse the stream on rocks that are easily navigable. Proceed to the northern side of the lake until you are above that of the outlet stream and walk towards the western direction to Lark Pond and Pipit Lake above Bluebird Lake.

Move through occasional slopes of scree and fields of wildflowers until you enter the small Lark Pond. Go west toward Pipit Lake in half a mile or less before you hit a convenient spot to move to the south side of Lark Pond or the Pipit Lake exit. Enjoy the stunning views from the top of Ouzel Peak from the ridges and lakes. Ensure that you know your location on the map before heading to Ogallala Peak.

Ogalalla Peak | Photo Credit: Instagram @geoffrey_e

Spade and Venus Lakes

Spade and Venus Lakes are considered two of the most isolated lakes in the Alpine Lake Wilderness. These two lakes are situated in a high rocky circle in the upper levels of Mt. Daniel. Until you remove your boots, pull up your pants, and ford a shallow, gradually moving portion of the river, you’ll parallel the Waptus River over the next few miles.

Go for another mile to Waptus Lake once you have dried your feet and enjoy a quick riverside snack. There are campsites galore here, with fantastic views in the distance of the mountains and lakes. Most backpackers want to build a camp here for day trips to Venus and Spade Lakes, using it as a base camp of sorts.

You must cross the Pacific Crest Trail momentarily before reaching the official Spade Lake trail launch. You will continue to gain altitude for the next two and a half miles as you approach the lakes.

Lost Coast: Mattole to Black Sands Beach

Enjoy the breathtaking coastal scenery along this 24-mile stretch of coast with beautifully laid out camping sites and convenient access to the water. It requires a shuttle car going there, and it usually takes three days and two nights.

Lost Coast | Photo Credit: Instagram @clementine.filmco

You need to bring two cars or use a shuttle service to complete this trip. It is recommended that you leave one car at the Shelter Cove Trailhead and then use any of the shuttle buses to carry you up to Mattole, or bring your second vehicle as well. Bear in mind that traveling between the two trailheads takes about 1.5 hours.

Most people do not get to spend a lot of time outdoors as they would like, and this is where a desire for backpacking comes in. Put aside that time to do a little work when you can’t go backpacking. When you experience trips you dream of doing, add them to the list. Through this, you know precisely where you are going before you head towards your backpacking destination.

And with that, we officially end this blog post. But before you go, can you do us a solid and spread the love (or laughter) by sharing this on your social media? Who knows, maybe we might even find someone who can relate to our content and benefit from it... Wink