Snow Peak's Ochijin Yodogawa Campfield in Kochi, Japan
In fall of 2020 Japanese outfitter Snow Peak cut the ribbon on an impressive new 15,000 square foot USA headquarters (and Takibi restaurant) in Portland, Oregon. Now, the "original outdoor lifestyle creator" best known for its titanium mugs and minimalist tech apparel, is on track to open a 25-acre campground on Washington State's southern coast in the spring of 2024. In keeping with the brand's unique approach to outdoor living, the site will be a far cry from the KOA-style park-and-pitch campgrounds many Americans have grown up with.
Set on the Long Beach Peninsula in southwestern Washington State, Snow Peak is developing the parcel based on the "campfield" model already widely used in Japan with locations in Hokkaido, Osaka, Niigata, Kochi, and Oita. At these well manicured facilities the focus is on both creating community experience as well as forging a connection with the natural environment.
The Long Beach Campfield, situated just north of the Columbia River Oregon border on a stretch of the Pacific coast roughly halfway between Portland and Seattle, will be the first attempt at introducing this unique campground concept outside Japan.
To accomplish such lofty goals, Snow Peak tapped 2.Ink Studio, a Portland-based landscape architecture firm, and EFA Architects out of Long Beach, Washington, to collaborate on the project. With onsen-inspired heated soaking tubs and saunas, a Snow Peak store for renting or purchasing gear, a cafe, and a mix of campsites that will include walk-up access, tent platforms, and campervan spots, it's more of a boutique camping park than what we typically think of as a campground.
And that's not to mention the four acres of wetlands that the company will restore in conjunction with construction, or a small number of its Jyubako micro cabins, which were designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
One of the goals of Snow Peak's campfield concept appears to be to facilitate a camping experience that balances amenities and access with an authentic outdoor experience. Not all campgrounds do that, but with the Long Beach Campfield's proximity to hiking, surfing, paddling, fishing, and more (nothing wrong with parking it in front of your tent all day either), chances are it will.
Reservations for Snow Peak's Long Beach Campfield are now open. And you already know we'll be the first ones at the firepit on opening day.
Published 08-12-2021
