Craig J.September 14, 2024
Garden Party RV Site
Nice site-frustrating communication
Nice, secluded site. We rented the RV site and the wall tent. We requested the ability to add 2 tents to the RV site for additional family. Margo said we’d take care of any add-on fees at checkout. Margo kindly welcomed us upon arrival. She said we have “all this” gesturing to a large grassy area. Day 2 Margo emailed us about how we were “spread out all over the property and that we would have to move everything to the RV pad as I told you. You might need to move your tents.” She felt strongly she had explained the boundaries, and that the “RV site boundary is an imaginary line from this point to that,” gesturing to somewhere in the distance. She told us that our daughter in the wall tent could not park near our site as it is not fair for “those renters.” (‘those renters’ were us!) Margo continued by saying that all this info was included in the map she sent us. I immediately checked my reservation. I never received a map. Margo later apologized and admitted she sent the map to the wrong party. At Checkout: She said we used twice the firewood that we reserved. I said we only used what you gave us. She said, “that was 2 units.”
I offered to share feedback from a guests’ perspective. She said she felt strongly that she made everything clear to us on day one. Margo was not interested in our input. This review would have been very different had she been just a little receptive. Overall, we had a good time. Just make sure you are clear on fees and site layout.
Laurie K.recommendsSeptember 4, 2024
Upper Meadow - tent/sm trailer
Perfectly perfect.
What a beautiful, private, peaceful place to get rejuvenated! We were planning on going to Mt Rainier, but instead chose to be be lazy and happy at the site. The dogs had a great time, too! We wandered around the property a lot (there are a lot of fun things to check out-- Margot is so creative!), and played in the creek (not too much water in it now because it's summer). And Margot's bathroom is the best Hipcamp bathroom we've been in (our previous hipcamp stay had a bathroom that was unusable, so we went from worst to best). Thanks, Margot!
Shayla R.September 2, 2024
Alder Grove walk-in Glamping
Pretty Property- Unclear Pricing
Good and not so good parts-
Beautiful property comprised of a few different rentable spaces and cabin. Quiet, well maintained, and great location for activities like Rainier and Alder Lake. The Alder Grove tent was spacious and clean.
We rented the Alder Grove spot and my parents rented the Garden Party RV site. Unfortunately the property was double booked (which apparently shouldn't happen) and an additional guest stayed at the cabin. This led to additional restrictions the host did not previously mention. We were initially told to use the space as we liked until we were then asked to relocate tents and camp chairs. We rearranged chairs and cooking table onto the gravel area as requested in order to keep the grass available to other guests. We were charged for additional vehicles and 2 additional tents although the Garden Party RV site specifies it sleeps 6 people. Extra costs for additional cars is to promote carpooling, however this wasn't an option for our group as we came from different states. Pricing of firewood was also unclear. Costs were not transparent, which was disappointing after having spent nearly 400$ for the trip.
Garden Party RV Site
It was an ok experience. The creek was nice and the kids enjoyed it. The porta potty was clean as stated. What really didn’t work is that the host’s listing doesn’t list the extra costs. I was told that 6 people were allowed and that any more than that costs extra. Great, I paid for the extra people and the extra vehicle. She did not have the selection for extra people so I was told to choose something that costed the same. Day 2 on her property she asked me to venmo her $70 because any people over 4 needed to be paid for. Previous communication was forgotten about. Also, on the listing it does not say that wood is $8 a piece nor does it say that on the property where the wood is located. They actually put wood in your spot before you arrive. But I was then told that wood costed $8 a piece and should venmo that as well. Luckily, we only used wood we brought. All this to say, the listing needs to be more specific and list ALL of the extra costs. I would not agree to “let’s just figure this out later and venmo” only to find out that there was serious miscommunication. Make sure it’s all ironed out on the listing before booking.
Kelcey L.recommendsAugust 20, 2024
Garden Party RV Site
A Peaceful Sanctuary
I seriously can't recommend this spot enough! Margot gave us the warmest welcome and was a delight to interact with over the course of our stay. Her property is a beautiful oasis of butterflies and beautiful native plants throughout the area. We stayed at the RV site but had no problem setting up our tent in a nice grassy area. If you've done any kind of dispersed camping then this will feel like glamping no matter which site you use. A flushing toilet?? Absolutely amazing. My boyfriend and I stayed here with his 8 year old son and we had so much fun exploring the river, which was very safe and full of all kinds of cool wildlife that his son was excited to see in person. This is the perfect getaway if you want to go out and enjoy nature but don't want to necessarily "rough it". Also, I am an absolute magnet for mosquitos and Margot said that this year was the worst their mosquitos have been but it wasn't bad at all for someone who is regularly attacked by mosquitos the minute I step outside. With the help of a mosquito repeller that Margot let us test out I came out with only two bites! Usually I'm covered in 10+ by the end of every camping trip. We will definitely be back and I encourage everyone to take a break from life and come out here to truly relax!
Andrea G.recommendsAugust 11, 2024
Alder Grove walk-in Glamping
Cozy riverside camping
We loved staying at Margot’s land 😊 beautiful campsite and cozy tent. But the personal touches are what really make this a special place: flowers on the table, riverside dining spot, and Margot’s hospitality that goes above and beyond.