Imagine having an entire state park to yourself and 100 of your closest friends? It’s possible – and that’s the entire point of Camp Wooten Retreat Center.

Originally built as a Civilian Conservation Corps project, it subsequently became a Methodist church camp and 4-H camp before joining the state parks system in the 1950s.

Today it hosts groups of 100 to 150 for family reunions, weddings, and similar events through the summer months.

This park is typically open only to those groups and not to the general public. I am grateful to the park ranger who made arrangements for me to visit and to the group using the center for agreeing to let me be present on the periphery of their event. Out of respect for their group, I did not enter the common spaces, so you’ll have to imagine the dining area and pool.

The dining hall and many of the other structures here date back to the 1930s.

We toured some of the cabins not in use during this weekend’s event:

Somewhere up in the trees is a wayward arrow that very much missed its target. (Maybe … intentionally?)

From the archery range, there’s a hiking trail that gives some nice views of the retreat center and the surrounding mountains.

The park has a small pond which campers can use for fishing and canoeing. This is not a drone shot; the hills are that steep.

And, yes … this park is in a very remote part of southeastern Washington. I spotted this marker on the way out when I finally reached a major highway.

For more information:

• State Parks web site