Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, WA. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$20 / night
"Nestled just short distance off the main highway through this area, the Klipchuck campground is remote feeling and quiet. Sites here are beautiful with tall trees and lush greenery."
"A simple yet well maintained campsite located about a mile off of Hwy 20. Large campsites with good separation from nearby sites. The site is close to many great trailheads."
"In the Stehekin Village, this campground sits just across the road from Lake Chelan. 10 or so campsites, clean and well stocked bathrooms with running water."
$24 / night
"pet friendly (on 6’ leash), quiet, shaded. Clean bathrooms, but no showers. Fire ring, table, and bear proof cabinets at each site. surrounded by forest and on Diablo Lake!"
"I’m not by any means a pro fisherman but this camp gives great access to any fish that stray away from the lake in to the inlet."
" This campground is located directly off Highway 20. As in, close enough that you will hear road noise anytime a car goes by. But aside from that one downside, this campground is pretty great."
"I’m not from here, so the scenery around every turn was AWESOME! There are so many roadside campgrounds all through this area and several of, not all are first come sites."
"Both docks felt safe to be on, and the Lady of the Lake will stop there. More sheltered from the wind than other sites along this trail."
"One of the many awesome boat up National Forest Service campgrounds along Lake Chelan. Nice lake front spots, with firepits, picnic tables, and pit toilets."
"There is also no cell service on the lake so enjoy the peace and quiet without electronics."
"Small cave near boat dock! Awesome hike up to domke falls from this camp ground! Good all around views, lots of sun."
"However we still had a great time hanging out at the lakeside beach area, it’s dog friendly, hot weather, and close to downtown Winthrop for great shopping and food!"
"Easy access, Made same day late reservation at front gate, Paved streets & individual sites, Most sites close to level, Restrooms and showers clean and work well, Nice walking paths, Good family park"
"Stopped by while driving across the country. Right off the hiway. Very quiet campground. Was a pleasant stay. Bear food containers on site."
Travelerit’s great access to the northern cascades. first time staying there and I have been camping in Washington since I was born
it has great access to some really good trails the scenery is beautiful.
Travelerpet friendly (on 6’ leash), quiet, shaded. Clean bathrooms, but no showers. Fire ring, table, and bear proof cabinets at each site. surrounded by forest and on Diablo Lake! water is cold, but stunningly beautiful. some really nice hikes
ScoutWe came to this little gem of a campground from 6/22-25/2107. Based off our research, Black Pine CG had more use than we expected but we found a nice site (#23) away from the cluster of activity with a beautiful view of the mountains and lake. Even though the CG was almost full on the weekend, it was quiet (no loud or hooligan activity). There are two sections to the CG, upper and lower. We would have liked site #3 in the upper section if it had been available. There was quite a bit of day use activity at the lake with cars going in and of the campground beginning around 12:00 noon (weekdays and weekends).
The CG hosts were lovey. Lynn and Sherry keep the place spotless. Cleanest bathrooms ever! The camp supplied drinking water and there is plenty of firewood to be found. The pets on leash rule is strictly enforced.
Of course there were mosquitos but were only really bothersome at the usual morning and dusk time. It was not windy and overall was a beautiful and quiet CG.
We ventured down to the lake on day 2 and walked the short interpretive trail that goes about 1/2 way around the lake. Nice little trail and handicapped accessible. We only saw a couple of other folks on our walk.
There is active use for fishing from docks, kayaks, canoes, and rowboats. No motors allowed except for trolling motors but we never saw one. Discouraging site was the large brown trout in the garbage. Want and waste. Unfortunate.
In summary, Black Pine is a beautiful, peaceful, gem to enjoy and relax with easy access to trail heads in the area. We probably won't return because it was busier than we prefer. We're typically dispersed site campers but wanted to try out Black Pine Lake CG with our pop-up camper on this trip. It was an enjoyable location as we explore our new home state of Washington (transplants from Oregon).
LegendWashington Rolling down the road on the Cascade Loop I took in all the scenery and enjoyed every moment. But something I noticed along the way was that cell signal was minimal and with that it made it a bit harder to find locations to stop for the night. Typically I enjoy a more remote site or a good forest camp, however along the loop, though there are many forest service roads, most certainly with camping available, being so remote without cell signal and roads looking more questionable in some areas, I feared going to far off the beaten path into the unknown in my small car.
This brought me to the Riverbend RV Park, a Good Sam park along the loop which actually allocates some of their spaces to tent campers. Privately owned the features were a bit more expansive than many of the sites I had visited along the way including running water and full hook ups for those in RVs. Additionally they had a propane refill station which was quite nice for a small charge without having to wander into town to find supplies.
The layout of the location was nice as it formed a large loop easy to access even by the largest of rigs. The office welcomed you as your drove in and made it easy to stop, pay for your site and find out all the information you needed to know not only about the campsite but also the surrounding area. A few brochures inside noted area attractions and information about the loop itself. This office also housed a small general store which had a few items you might need while at camp and some general items which could be nice in way of snack and food. Nothing large, but certainly helpful for those who were weary from the road and all the traveling excitement.
This park welcomes families but also their pets, with a large pet area for them to run free and enjoy stretching their legs. Otherwise throughout camp they do ask you keep your pets on a leash, which seemed more than fair considering the large space they were given to enjoy free of burden.
The kiddos were also welcome with their own play area that was well maintained and away from the other campers just enough to not disrupt the silence of the camp. This area had its own water fountain to assure hours of safe and hydrated play.
The sites themselves were typical of an RV park, a standard picnic table and enough room to move around a little but still somewhat closer to your neighbors than you would be at many forest campsites. I found that the camping area I checked out for myself had a little more distance between the sites which was nice but there was no tree coverage so it is a bit of a trade off for space or shade.
On premise is an activity room and also a restroom area. Restrooms offer showers and warmth on the cold days and night and the activity room is a large room with plenty of space to enjoy a game night or some time watching television in a more social setting. There is also a laundry facility at this building which was super helpful for catching up along the loop after several weeks of travel.
All in all though this was privately run and thus a bit more expensive, around $30 a night, the benefits of the stay at this location were vast. Though it wasn’t my style of camping for every night a stop here was a nice way to check out some of the many amenities which contrast some of the other camps along the way. Definitely worth a stop if you are in an RV or if you want to have a place with a lot of benefits.
TIPS:
If you are a larger unit this is a great place to stay for amenities and size of spaces you will easily be able to pull in and get comfortable with your slides at this location.
Location of this campsite is key as it is close to town but also along the loop within driving distance of the North Cascades Park and also some of the Washington State Parks. If you can detach and use this as a home base it will work well with your travels.
GuideThis ia a beautiful camping location, but we have encountered fires, rattlesnakes, and torrential rains - including flooded camp gear. Fun spot, but have woken up to snakes sleeping under tents - probably not the best spot for kids or curious pets
LegendCampground Review: Colonial Creek Campground
https://thedyrt.com/camping/washington/washington-colonial-creek
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/255201
Colonial Creek Campground, Diablo Lake Washington, is the prettiest place I've been to in Washington! Half the campground is reservation only, the other half is walk in. There is something like 176 total campsites, if I remember correctly. Each campsite is equipped with a large bear box, fire pit, picnic table and tent pad. The restrooms are large with flush toilets and sinks. There are no showers. Large bear proof trashcans, and water spigots are spread through each side of the campground. Thunder knob Trail starts on the south Campground and Thunder Creek trail is on the North campground. There is a fishing dock and a boat launch on the North campground. We stayed in site #15 which was great during the week. I felt this site offered zero privacy, the fire ring was positioned so you had to watch the road, the rest of the large site had a creek, but the trail went past our campsite, so a ton of people, familes, dogs, would all walk past our site. There is parking for the walk in sites right next to you, but those also take the trail. There is also nobody on the other side of you. So it gave a sense of privacy on a Wednesday, but not Friday-Sunday. At $16 a night, I felt it was great compared to other campsites. The beauty of this Campground and surrounding area is unparalleled. Would defiantly be back, but I would probably try for a more secluded site.
Ranger review: Icemule Cooler
https://icemulecoolers.com/collections/pro-coolers/products/the-icemule-pro-large
As a ranger for the Dyrt, I sometimes get products in exchange for an honest review. Icemule coolers are perfection! This is the Large and it is huge! I was very surprised at the quality and size for the price. I love this cooler because it is super easy and comfortable to carry. No more big, heavy, bulky coolers to cart around. On this trip I used it as my main cooler. I froze 14 bottles of water to use as ice. I kept bacon, sausage, chicken, ground beef, hotdogs, butter, syrup and coffee creamer plus all the water bottles and soda in this bag. It was heavy, but held up to the challenge! It kept those bottles of water for 3 days before I had to buy ice. There is a compartment on the front for picnic supplies. I have also used this just as a dry bag. It's got great versatility and it even floats. I am 100% an Icemule cooler fan and recommend to anyone, whether a car camper or hiker, you will enjoy this cooler.
RangerGreat little place to camp at if you just want to get away and get your fish on! They also have cabins for rent, but we've never gotten around to trying those out. The campground is fairly well maintained with a decent buffer zone between sites, so your neighbor isn't all up in your business like with most WA state run campgrounds. There are toilets, showers and a well stocked general store if you forgot anything. I mean anything! From danishes, to paper towels, to fishing poles and licenses. You can launch your own boat, rent a boat or fish off their dock (small admission fee) and are almost guaranteed to catch something.The trout are always hungry! They even have a fish cleaning station if you decide to keep your catch. Oh and there are semi-friendly resident raccoons. I wouldn't recommend petting them, but they are very photogenic and may pay you a visit so lock up your camp kitchen stuff!
ScoutI’m not by any means a pro fisherman but this camp gives great access to any fish that stray away from the lake in to the inlet. The sites are pretty spread out compared to other camp sites in western Washington for sure. Everything is pretty open and there is a nice trail at the end you could take to go backpacking or just a day hike
ScoutNice, quiet dispersed camping next to Sullivan Pond near Winthrop Washington. Recommend 4wd with good clearance. Washington Discover Pass required.
Camping with your furry friends near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the great outdoors together. With several pet-friendly campgrounds in the area, you can enjoy nature while ensuring your pets have a great time too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is Klipchuck Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 23 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area?
TheDyrt.com has all 178 dog-friendly camping locations near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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