Oregon State parks firewood

[JGriff]

Hello all.

We are going down the Oregon coast next week with staying at Sunset Bay CG and Nehalem Bay State Park CG.
We love having campfires and I know we can't bring firewood with us or take it to different campsites, Sunset to Nehalem , but I am wondering if the firewood is dry or close to it and what about kindling ?
I have read that the camp host takes care of this ?

Are there any tips you may have ?

TIA :cool:

[travelin texans]

With all the wildfires on the west coast I can't believe any campground/park still allows open campfires. I can't remember the last CG we visited that allowed a real wood burning campfire, wouldn't build one if it was allowed, but propane campfires, gas grills, charcoal grills only.

[bobbecky]

Hello all.

We are going down the Oregon coast next week with staying at Sunset Bay CG and Nehalem Bay State Park CG.
We love having campfires and I know we can't bring firewood with us or take it to different campsites, Sunset to Nehalem , but I am wondering if the firewood is dry or close to it and what about kindling ?
I have read that the camp host takes care of this ?

Are there any tips you may have ?

TIA :cool:

It's not the moisture content that is the problem, but it's the critters that can still be inside the wood, and those are the problem. There are enough dead trees out west that have died due to various beetles and the powers that be would just as soon not have anyone importing any more varieties to their area. It does not matter if it is full sized logs or kindling, just follow the rules, and this is just like the inspection of boats entering Oregon, so the critters attached to the hulls aren't brought in contaminating lakes and rivers. We are currently in Central California, and it is extremely sad to see all the dead pine trees in the Sierras. I can imagine how the logging industry in Oregon does not want that kind of destruction to occur in their forests, it would really destroy the logging economy.

[JGriff]

The west coast of the Pacific NW all the way up to Vancouver Island , where I live, is one of the wettest place anywhere. They often allow campfires in the middle of summers as the moisture in the air keeps everything wet.
Vancouver Island was not allowed fires except in the mid to north west side of the island.
I have talked to Oregon state parks office and they say there is no ban that it is wet.

Thanks for your thoughts

[JGriff]

Hi bobbecky

What I am inquiring about is the firewood at the campgrounds reasonably dry and is there kindling

I from a logging community and have seen first hand what import critters can do
Thx

[rhagfo]

We allowed campfires in the costal parks all summer except for maybe a week. The firewood is typically dry. They may not have kindling, but sell fire starter pucks. These are sawdust in paraffin, I use a 1/4 puck when I have some smaller wood.

[JGriff]

Hi rhagfo

Thanks for the info. It's exactly what I needed

[rjrelander]

A little pile of Matchlight charcoal makes an excellence fire starter as well.

[JRTJH]

We make our own "fire starter pucks" every year. I start with a paper egg crate left over from most any grocery store purchase. Once the eggs are gone, I reach into the back of the table saw and get a handful of sawdust to pack into each of the "egg depressions". After they are full, I pour melted "Gulf wax" (bought in the canning section of any grocery store) over the sawdust. Once that sets up, I close the lid on the egg crate and put it in the trailer. When needed, just break off one of the "egg depressions", paper and all, place it in the firepit, light it and it'll burn (sort of like a candle) producing enough flame to encourage most firewood to a nice flame.

When I cut firewood with a chain saw, I save the larger sawdust chips produced by the chain saw. They tend to produce a better flame than the finer table sawdust, but both will work for most applications.

[travelin texans]

Dryer lint works as well as saw dust & we ALWAYS have plenty with every dryer load.

[packnrat]

dryer lint. a fine wire scrubber ( no soap) and a 9 volt batterey.
the egg crate thing sounds great. ( i will be grinding up a couple trees. so will have lots of the stuff--anybody want some ? ).
as to kindling. got a hatchet, machete? just split up one of your logs, instant kindling.

[kmgeer]

We were just on the Oregon Coast 2 weeks ago at Cape Lookout State Park and did purchase firewood from the State Park check in office and yes, it was pretty wet! The first batch we bought wasn't too bad but the second batch was pretty wet. Enjoy your time on the coast, it's beautiful!

[travelin texans]

The last time I bought firewood at a campground the whole bag was more like kindling than firewood.

[eds451]

California has a new law. "Buy it where you burn it". Coming back from Oregon this summer to Cali, the state border officer gave us a paper stating that. Also one RV park here in Cali, also handed out the same info. "Buy it where you burn it." Guess they are trying to keep pests from infesting what's left of our forests.

[LuvsPalmTrees]

Michigan kinda has that law too. You cannot take wood into the Upper Peninsula. We always buy it local, by the state CG's, or we go wood hunting in the woods (only wood that has fallen, no tree cutting) and bring it back with kindling to have our fires. We rarely buy it from the campground itself. Michigan actually thought about not letting any firewood in the state campgrounds and making you buy it from them. They actually asked me what I thought and I told them if you implement this I will not longer be able to camp there. That would cost a fortune. We camp early in May through the end of Oct/Nov and burn a lot of wood when it is cold.

[Third Degree]

I was in several Oregon State Parks this past month. They sell firewood there for $5-$6 per bundle. You probably could be by with a couple of bundles a night. They do allow fires within the fire ring provided at your site or a propane fire pit. I did notice several folks selling firewood along the roadside prior to the state parks for about a $1 less than in the park. And the wood I purchased was dry.

[spade117]

NY has 50 mile radius rule for untreated wood:

It is illegal to bring untreated* firewood into New York State.
* It is illegal to transport untreated firewood more than 50 miles from its source or origin.
* When transporting firewood, you must carry proof of source (receipt from a vendor), origin (self-issued certificate from DEC website**) or treatment (label indicating treatment method). Failure to do so may result in you being ticketed and subject to a fine.
* Please be aware of state and federal quarantines that further restrict the movement of firewood

*To be considered treated, firewood must be heat-treated (kiln-dried) to a minimum core temperature of 71 degrees Celsius (160 F) for 75 minutes, and must be accompanied by a label that says "New York Approved Heat-Treated Firewood/Pest Free" along with the producer's name and legal address. Firewood that meets these standards and is labeled as such can be moved into the state and around the state without restriction

[Jca3]

Hello all.

We are going down the Oregon coast next week with staying at Sunset Bay CG and Nehalem Bay State Park CG.
We love having campfires and I know we can't bring firewood with us or take it to different campsites, Sunset to Nehalem , but I am wondering if the firewood is dry or close to it and what about kindling ?
I have read that the camp host takes care of this ?

Are there any tips you may have ?

TIA :cool:

All Oregon state campgrounds supply wood bundles. Just stayed at Sunset Bay last week and the camp hosts brought them to their trailer by B5. They filled and refilled a little quad 4x4 numerous times. The wood is stored in buildings at all the parks. It looked dry but we don't do campfires anymore so we don't buy it. I know a supplier near us and they try to get dry wood. We haven't had rain since May so it will be a good bet.

Both of those parks are very large and the smoke gets thick.

[larryflew]

Almost everywhere if not everywhere has nothing against construction wood or scrap like left over 2x4 pcs etc so we split up some of those for kindling. Never wanted to hall enough for a scrap fire �� but as kindling an ice cream size bucket hauls enough for a LOT of fires.

MN has the same law regarding hauling your own firewood.

[Jca3]

All Oregon state campgrounds supply wood bundles. Just stayed at Sunset Bay last week and the camp hosts brought them to their trailer by B5. They filled and refilled a little quad 4x4 numerous times. The wood is stored in buildings at all the parks. It looked dry but we don't do campfires anymore so we don't buy it. I know a supplier near us and they try to get dry wood. We haven't had rain since May so it will be a good bet.

Both of those parks are very large and the smoke gets thick.

BTW if we do a campfire we start it with a fire log. Carry those with us that we buy in the store. They start the fire quick and stay burning a long time. No problem keeping a fire going.

[JGriff]

A little update for you.
The firewood is really dry and 5 dollars for a good size bundle. Thanks for the tip on the matchlight bbq charcoal it's works great

[Local150]

Bet the Indians wish they would have had egg cartons and dryers lol