Tacoma, WA.: Sweet camping spot.

[VikingAdventurer]

@BrianC503 , which direction are you headed?

 

[BrianC503]

@BrianC503 , which direction are you headed?

im in salem oregon now thinking of heading to the midwest. maybe cali to start off, but id be bumming on the streets and i know there are a lot of homeless in the bay area, so there wouldnt be any missions to stay in. im just really scouring this and other sites for ideas.

 

[VikingAdventurer]

Well, I'm currently hitching up the coast to Seattle, I'm in Monterey right now. If we cross paths, we'll have to have a beer or 3.::drinkingbuddy::

 

[BrianC503]

Well, I'm currently hitching up the coast to Seattle, I'm in Monterey right now. If we cross paths, we'll have to have a beer or 3.::drinkingbuddy::

are you taking I5, or hwy 1?

 

[VikingAdventurer]

I'm going up the 1/101 all the way! I love the ocean, so I wanted to stay close to it.

 

[Skyalmian]

If anyone's traveling through Tacoma, WA, there's a good spot to camp out, close to both tracks and the I-5 freeway. It's right next to the Tacoma Dome best Western hotel. It's a plot of land owned by the Puyallup Native American tribal counsel here in WA state. It's specifically set up so that people can camp there for free of charge and free of harassment. I'll put some pics of it here, and a video I took if I can. I hope this info can help someone out!

I just visited this to investigate. There's no one / nothing there whatsoever, bare (the signs are gone), with no way to enter except by a hole in the fence. I would figure that two (2) months after the initial post that campers and homeless would have converged here? but nothing, which is disconcerting...

The only info I could find on it was a video, this article and this, all of which are outdated:

The Puyallup Tribe not only stepped up and volunteered the use of a nearby vacant lot on tribal land for the free lunches, but leaders rallied their own volunteers to hand out clothing and toiletries. "We gave out everything pretty quickly," Tribal Council member Sylvia Miller said. "I just ran to the store and bought another $300 worth of stuff."

I'll go back and ask Puyallup Tribal Administration about it tomorrow after 09:00... Obtaining some form of formal permission would be best, osit.

 

[VikingAdventurer]

@Skyalmian , I don't remember there being any signs there to begin with, except one that was a month or two old regarding a Veteran's Stand-down. Also, when I was there last -right before my original post- the main gate (across from the hotel entrance) was wide open. There wasn't anyone camping there on the night I was there, and I really hope you didn't go there expecting to see RV hookups & covered picnic tables... if that was the case, sorry to disappoint, lol!

 

[Skyalmian]

I was expecting a "tent city", yeah. :/

 

[VikingAdventurer]

Aww. Sorry to disappoint you... yeah, it's basically a vacant lot that you can sleep on the ground in, and not have to worry about being woken up at 3 am by the cops saying you can't sleep there... was the gate still open, at least?

 

[Skyalmian]

was the gate still open, at least?

No.

 

[VikingAdventurer]

Huh. Then I know you could also get in from the other side (by the railroad track), but ya gotta climb a steep-ass hill.

 

[Skyalmian]

I'll go back and ask Puyallup Tribal Administration about it tomorrow after 09:00... Obtaining some form of formal permission would be best, osit.

I went to ask and stopped by the front desk. A pleasant security guy was chatting with a woman and I waited for them to finish, then I began to ask about the little lot of land, but then decided to just quote your opening post about it straight from phone. A dude to my right standing in the doorway perked up and started explaining about it when the others became confused, saying it was used for homeless people before, but sometime recently there were needles found in the lot, and it was closed, now only special use permit-type things are allowed for it. It was suggested I speak with 'Sylvia', but I declined and left.

PS. The 594 SoundTransit buses to/from Seattle are awesome. ::cat::

 

[VikingAdventurer]

Well duh, needles were found. I don't do any of that myself, but I know that a lot of travelers and homebums do.

And for the record, "obtaining formal permission" NEVER works. Most people don't understand why someone would choose to live on the road rather than be a "functioning part of society", and people fear what they don't understand.

I really hope you didn't tell him where to find the post you quoted, because that's a good way to make sure all these crackdowns on "homeless" people have a reason to keep existing.

 

[Cirno9]

The winter-only King County Administration Building one.

I think the one at city hall (the building right before that one) might still be open, im not sure right now as im in portland, but other than that there still is tent city which you can find info on at DESC by 3rd and pike (it will be a hole in the wall in an ally across from the parking lot cross the street from mcdonalds or on their website) if you are willing to sleep there and trust me I know some are not. Other than that discovery park might be good for a time until the cops give you a cease and evacuation order or maybe even sleeping in the wooded areas in newcastle/renton area accessible by bus. The city itself is horrible for sleeping (except maybe west seattle which also has good spots). Seattle sucks for "urban camping" at least hidden if you dont give a fuck about being seen then sleep anywhere but yea. I wish you luck in finding a new spot, I slept in the admin building too until 2 weeks ago it was a good spot.

 

[that one guy]

mea, what a fuckin shame, Goddamn junkies.