Welcome to Born Boondockers
Hello and welcome to Born Boondockers. I’m Nakeeta. My partner Tony and I, along with our bundle of human and fur things, are huge nature lovers. We love camping, paddle boarding, fishing, hiking and foraging. We are in a prime location for it too. We live at the heart of the Willamette National Forest. There is a plethora or hiking and biking trails. As well as several different bodies of water that are host to a range of water recreations. Also the Willamette National Forest is Federal Land which means it is legal to camp just about anywhere. There are some restrictions to this be sure to check before you camp.
It is very rare that our family stays in a designated camp ground. We prefer to set up at dispersed camp sites or boondock. This requires extra planning on our part. Since we aren’t in designated camp grounds there are no restroom facilities. Different places in the US have different requirements as to how to properly dispose of waste. Please be sure to check local rules and regulations or just be prepared to pack everything out. Leave no trace.
Almost every weekend we spend camping or exploring. There is something to do here in the Willamette National Forest no matter what the season. From Skiing in the winter, camping, hiking, foraging in most seasons and swimming whenever its warm enough or you have the guts to take on some of the freezing creeks, rivers and lakes.
One of our favorite things to do while out exploring is foraging. While our area is well known for hosting a variety of deliciously edible fungi. There are also many other edible plants surrounding us. Such as thimble, salmon and black berries, multiple clovers and fiddle heads.
Some of our favorite local edible mushrooms are chanterelles, lions mane, hedgehogs and cats tongues. Our kids really enjoy making cat tongue candy. We also like to gather red clover when it’s in bloom. Adding red clover petals to pancake batter adds a delicious sweetness. There are many books on foraging but we suggest looking for one that is local to the pacific northwest. Here are a couple of our favorite beginner books.
