The secret’s out: Washington state ranked one of the best states for camping. See why

New report examined categories like accessibility, safety and quality. The Evergreen State ranked among the best in some.

Excerpt from the Tacoma News Tribune via MSN:

Washington state is being touted as one of the best states in the country for camping, according to a new ranking. Lawn care company Lawn Love recently released its roundup of the best states for camping in the U.S. The Evergreen State topped the list as the second-best state for camping in America, just behind first-place California.

Lawn Love used data from a variety of sources to produce their list, including the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, the National Parks Service, REI and AllTrails.

Lawn Love reviewed all 50 U.S. states based on 25 metrics, split into five categories: access, quality, supplies, safety and affordability. The metrics in those categories with the highest weight included each state’s total number of campgrounds, its share of highly-rated campgrounds, natural hazards index, nightly rates at campgrounds and park deaths.

Washington ranked highest on the following criteria:

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Variety of campsite activities — 1st

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Number of campsites with toilets — 2nd

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Number of attractions — 3rd

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Number of camping supply stores — 5th

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Average limited-time pass price (income-adjusted) — 9th

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Natural hazards index — 14th

Washington also placed fifth for highest total acreage of national and state parks. The Evergreen State is home to 124 state-managed parks across 123,000 acres and three national parks.