Best Glamping near Anacortes, WA

Even though I grew up on Orcas Island, Moran State Park remains to be my favorite state park in Washington.

It offers so many different things from miles of hiking trails to swimming holes, cliffs to jump from, fishing, boating spectacular views and so much more!

There are three loops you can choose from; North End, Midway, and South End. Every loop is well kept, and has its own perks. My favorite is the South End due to all of the sites being on the lake with private water access! But you truly can do no wrong with whatever site you end up with!

If you have a chance to explore Morans beauty, I highly recommend you do so.

Do remember before booking a site that there is an hour long ferry ride to Orcas from Anacortes. You will need reservations in the summer. The camp ground is about 40 minutes drive time from the ferry. No worries though, plenty of sites to see along the way.

This campground is so high and remote. It's not glamping, by any means. Sites are nice, but there's very little in between them for privacy. Views are incredible. I've been going here since I was a kid.

Partnering with Wanderlust, there are now glamping campsites in the south end of Moran State Park and they are amazing. We got to "peek in" and see them right when they launched and they look amazing. Unfortunately, there is a waitlist to obtain one of these 5 beauties.

Each site comes with a nice canvas tent, queen size bed, dresser, big chairs to sit by the firepit with basic amenities - coffee - water etc provided.

Note the tents are not on the lake like other sites but tucked in the woods with glimpses of the lake.

We are already planning our trip next summer - just need the waitlist to open soon!

(photo courtesy of wanderlust)

I reserved a "family campsite" for tent camping with a friend this past week. The campground has a great location and is easily accessible from all that the San Juan Island has to offer. The sites are large and well appointed, ours was in a nice wooded area, had two picnic tables, a nice fire pit with grill and multiple flat spots for our tent. The sites don't offer a ton of privacy and we were surrounded by large groups of families, which was a bit noisy. We arrived at this campground after spending the 3 prior nights in the backcountry, so we were pretty excited to take advantage of the bathhouse and shower facilities. We may have just caught the campground at a bad time, but we were shocked to see how filthy the bathrooms and showers were. The showers were ice cold and looked like they hadn't been cleaned in weeks. The price was also rather steep ($66/night for the most basic camp site offered) but understandable considering the lack of availability for campsites during the high season on the island.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this campground to a family looking for fun activities for the kids while staying on the island. The resort also offers many other types of accommodations that I would be interested to try in the future including cabins, airstream trailers and "glamping" canvas tents!

Campground Review:

A two hour drive from Seattle will land you at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal where you'll be just a boat ride away from beautiful Orcas Island. The Doe Bay Resort & Retreat has several options for camping including cabins, yurts, space for campers and tents. You can camp out in the woods and see the local wildlife (lots of deer and otters!) and there are plenty of trees to hang your hammock. There's also a restaurant, and a concert hall on site. If you're lucky enough to be there during a show it is life changing. Don't forget you are in Wa. and it rains more often than not, so come prepared with tarps and rain gear. All in all this is an amazing spot to camp and I highly recommend checking it out.

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Product Review:

During my camping trip at Doe Bay I used the Eno DoubleNest® Hammock and Atlas™ Straps for my relaxation in the woods. The Eno Hammock is super easy to set up (goes up in a matter of seconds), comfortable to nap, lounge, or sleep all night in, and doesn't swing too much if you tend to get sea sick! It comes in a variety of colors and there's a single nest option as well on Eno's website. The material is durable and comfortable to lay in by itself, or cozy up with a blanket! Give one a go if you're looking for a lightweight and comfortable way to lounge.

Visited on a beautiful spring day. No idea how I always get so lucky with washington weather. We went during the tulip festival at Anacortes nearby so that was a definite plus. The bridge is very scenic, so this is a great place to visit even if only for the day. I should've done some research into why they named it deception pass because it was exactly what I expected. There are multiple recreational water activities to do, but I didn't do any as I found the Springtime sound a little too cold for my liking.

A Thousand Trails facility. Not all services are available at each site. Wonderful setting with either woods or water views. 

A quiet place to get away from it all. 

Close to Anacortes and whale watching boat trips.

Cell reception is bad but there are businesses and the library in La Conner where cell reception is good.

Deception Pass is one of our favorite campgrounds in WA having lots of coastal access and a trail system along the water which takes you to The Bridge as well as other lookout points on Anacortes island.

At different times of the year you can fish the shoreline for Searun Cutthroat and/or Salmon.

It has to be one of the most beautiful locations in WA with views of Lopez Island and a number of small islands.

Stayed for two nights at a tent site. It was lumpy and very unkept. It really needed some basic clean up landscaping. For the $100+ each night - I was hoping for something a lot nicer. Only almost filled portable toilets near the tents. Trash cans were overflowing.

The focus is more on the lodge, cabins, yurts, and rv sites. Those looked pretty nice.

We were told that because of a Jazz festival - the cost included admission and so higher - Surprise - it was free! and awful! Would have left but there are very few tenting campgrounds on the island.

Won't go there again - even at the other accommodations.

Really disappointed.

Orcas Island is one of my favorite places to camp. The island is magical. This campsite is really great b/c it sits right on Cascade Lake and you can easily get to various hiking trails and a few other lakes. One of my favorite things to do is hike Mount Constitution. The views at the top are amazing.

The site has a swimming area and you can rent kayaks, etc. There’s an undercover kitchen area you can rent if you want to cook with friends and there’s electrical outlets inside. Nice bathrooms. Family/four-legged friendly.

Highly recommend this spot. I typically camp 4+ days b/c the trek from Portland to Orcas is long. 4 hrs to Anacortes, WA + 1 hr ferry ride to Orcas Island + 20 min drive to Moran state park.

On out road trip we ended up in forks washington where the twilight flims are based off of. This town is close and the koa was wonderful

Birch bay is a noce hidden gem on Washington's northwest coast. Lots of biking and hiking up and down the beach there is plenty to do locally. Birch bay has a wonderful assortment of gift shops and restraunts.

I love this place! Camping right at the water or off in the woods. Lots of biking and hiking. A small bar is on site with good food, craft beers, and cocktails. A pier into the sound. Crabbing, bouy anchors. Fort and battery tours. a real gem in Washington.

This is one of the most popular locations in Washington State and easy to see why. Both fresh and salt water experiences are within a few steps away with amazing sunsets and breathtaking views. Plenty to do for each family member. The only downside is the cramped feeling in most of the sites and the difficulty of monuverability for trailers and campers.

This is our go-to family camping area for october-June trips. It is never too cold and it has a lot to offer. The campgrounds are within walking distance to a beautiful sandy beach complete with tide pools! We also like to hit up the local drive in movie theater for a little classic entertainment (Blue Fox Drive-in) and cheap greasy cheesy fry delicacies ;). Beautiful views and small hikes along the coastlines. Definitely an iconic Washington coastal camping area, but without the long drive to the penninsula.