Alder lake

Beautiful scenery and nice place to camp.

My husband and I usually backpack but were looking for something a little easier for a short weekend camping trip. We arrived around 11:00 am and the parking lot was already packed and cars were lined up along the road. We grabbed one of the three spots that were left and were amazed at how many large groups were set up at the other spots. None of the camping areas were on the water and only a few had a short path down to the water. The beach was pretty full and there were a ton of people walking the path. We ended up leaving early without even staying the night because it was so packed and pretty loud. If you’re looking for a relaxing, quiet camping experience, this isn’t the place for you.

We stayed three nights in late October. Grabbed on of the two vehicle accessible campsites along the road which had some very light traffic. There are several beautiful, secluded hike-in sites along the lake which I would love to return to someday. The hike around the lake is a lovely, easy walk. The hike trail that connects to the far end of the lake is 6+ miles and while there were no real views, it was lovely. We also hiked the balsam lake fire tower which had nice views of the area. Overall a great little spot to camp. Would definitely return.

Beautiful hiking and camping area. Loved our first experience here… will visit again!

Was able to tent fairly close to the lot. No cell service. If you bring a handsaw youll be good for firewood. Bugs were pretty bad. Awesome sunrise.

We arrived here early afternoon, which ended up being perfect timing as we could set up everything and catch sunset by the fire. The place is pretty easy to access with paved road the whole way there except for the last 1/2 mile where it is very bumpy. Some might say 4*4 but we made it just fine in our little Camry. There are two campsites located right outside of the park where you can park your car next to your tent but we opted to hike in. The first spot is less than 1/2 mile down the path, with the next three in the next mile. The campsites are very spacious with lots of room between you and other campers, and have a fire pit and some have picnic tables. We had a stellar time just hiking down the path and relaxing by the water. There’s no noise at night apart from the running water of the stream and we had a very peaceful weekend. We’re most definitely returning!