The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Chelan. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Chelan is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Discover great camping spots near Chelan, reviewed by campers like you.
Reserve your campsite early, wait for summer with growing anticipation, then join the ranks of visitors who make Lake Chelan a family tradition. This social camping park pulses with life in the summer. Generations of families return to the blue lake every year; they even try to book the same campsite they've used since the 1960s and '70s. But, while they'll jockey online for their favorite spot, veteran Chelan-goers happily share this gem with first-timers, and many lifelong friendships begin there. Lake Chelan State Park has a long, sandy beach, shaded picnic tables and a calm lagoon. The 50.5-mile lake, with a depth of 1,486 feet, draws boaters, sailors, anglers, water skiers, windsurfers and seasonal residents. The area features some of the finest hiking trails in Washington, and adventurous hikers make the park their base from which to explore the North Cascades. For visitors hoping to chill out in their camp chairs, float the lagoon in a raft and soak up the homey atmosphere with family and friends, this place cannot be beat. Lake Chelan State Park is a 139 acre public recreation area and nature reserve located on the southwest shore of Lake Chelan, and on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. In 1942, Washington State made a large land purchase and allocated part of the land for Lake Chelan State Park. Today, the park attracts visitors from all over thanks to its range of camping, picnicking, hiking, boating, and water activities. Unusual for Washington, this park is known for its expansive 6,000 ft sandy beach, shaded picnic tables and a large, crystal lagoon spanning 55.5 miles in area, with water as deep as 1,486 feet. Subsequently, the lagoon draws boaters, sailors, anglers, water skiers, windsurfers, and fishers as well. Without a doubt, Lake Chelan is the most famous part of this park. However, don’t let its splendor captivate you too long- because there area is full of amazing hiking as well. In fact, the park features some of the finest hiking trails in Washington, from which adventurous hikers make the park their base to adventure in the North Cascades. If hiking isn’t your thing however, chill out in a camp chairs under a nice shaded tree, paddleboard out to the center of the lagoon, and then finish your day taking in the cozy atmosphere with at your campsite with family and friends. When it comes to fun for everyone, Lake Chelan State Park is sure to please. While the park is open year round, it really comes alive during the summer. Visiting Lake Chelan is a long standing tradition for many local families and friends. Consequently, as soon as school retires for the summer, swaths of families return to the blue lagoon every year for their annual lake trips and family outings. And you better believe they have a preference for the “family campsite” that they’ve probably used since the 70s. You’ll want to reserve your campsite well in advance if you’re planning to join the ranks of Lake Chelan regulars. Even then, veteran Chelan-goers happily share their beloved campground with newcomers, and a number of lifelong friendships are formed here. Get your family and friends together, and come make Lake Chelan a new tradition this Summer (or avoid the crowds and visit sooner!)
Lake Wenatchee State Park is a 489-acre camping park with 12,623-feet of waterfront on glacier-fed Lake Wenatchee and the Wenatchee River and is a great place for camping near Seattle. The park is bisected by the Wenatchee River, creating two distinct areas – south park, which features areas for camping, swimming and horseback riding, and north park, which is in a less developed, forested section of the park and a quarter-mile walk from the lake. The park has 155 tent spaces, 42 water and electric sites, one dump station, seven restrooms, and 16 showers. In addition, the park provides two ADA campsites. Call 509-763-3101 for more information. The south campground (sites 1 - 100) has parking pads 30 to 40-feet in length, with only two pull-through sites. Larger RVs and fifth-wheelers should use the north campground (sites 101 - 197) which includes 42 large pull-through utility sites. Maximum tents allowed are one family tent or up to two 2-3 man tents. Maximum vehicles allowed are two per site, additional vehicles may park in overflow areas.
Alta Lake State Park has 32 utility spaces, trailer dump, 4 restrooms (one ADA) and 12 showers. Maximum site length is 38 feet (limited availability). Dump station available year-round, dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
Antilon Lake camping area is a dispersed camping area great for large groups and accessible to small RV's. Antilon Lake is open to fishing, and non-motorized or electric-motor boats. Not recommended for swimming. During the summer this camping area can be hot, dry and one of the first areas to close to campfires. Spring and Fall are much more pleasant.
$27 / night
Reserve your campsite early, wait for summer with growing anticipation, then join the ranks of visitors who make Lake Chelan a family tradition. This social camping park pulses with life in the summer. Generations of families return to the blue lake every year; they even try to book the same campsite they've used since the 1960s and '70s. But, while they'll jockey online for their favorite spot, veteran Chelan-goers happily share this gem with first-timers, and many lifelong friendships begin there. Lake Chelan State Park has a long, sandy beach, shaded picnic tables and a calm lagoon. The 50.5-mile lake, with a depth of 1,486 feet, draws boaters, sailors, anglers, water skiers, windsurfers and seasonal residents. The area features some of the finest hiking trails in Washington, and adventurous hikers make the park their base from which to explore the North Cascades. For visitors hoping to chill out in their camp chairs, float the lagoon in a raft and soak up the homey atmosphere with family and friends, this place cannot be beat. Lake Chelan State Park is a 139 acre public recreation area and nature reserve located on the southwest shore of Lake Chelan, and on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. In 1942, Washington State made a large land purchase and allocated part of the land for Lake Chelan State Park. Today, the park attracts visitors from all over thanks to its range of camping, picnicking, hiking, boating, and water activities. Unusual for Washington, this park is known for its expansive 6,000 ft sandy beach, shaded picnic tables and a large, crystal lagoon spanning 55.5 miles in area, with water as deep as 1,486 feet. Subsequently, the lagoon draws boaters, sailors, anglers, water skiers, windsurfers, and fishers as well. Without a doubt, Lake Chelan is the most famous part of this park. However, don’t let its splendor captivate you too long- because there area is full of amazing hiking as well. In fact, the park features some of the finest hiking trails in Washington, from which adventurous hikers make the park their base to adventure in the North Cascades. If hiking isn’t your thing however, chill out in a camp chairs under a nice shaded tree, paddleboard out to the center of the lagoon, and then finish your day taking in the cozy atmosphere with at your campsite with family and friends. When it comes to fun for everyone, Lake Chelan State Park is sure to please. While the park is open year round, it really comes alive during the summer. Visiting Lake Chelan is a long standing tradition for many local families and friends. Consequently, as soon as school retires for the summer, swaths of families return to the blue lagoon every year for their annual lake trips and family outings. And you better believe they have a preference for the “family campsite” that they’ve probably used since the 70s. You’ll want to reserve your campsite well in advance if you’re planning to join the ranks of Lake Chelan regulars. Even then, veteran Chelan-goers happily share their beloved campground with newcomers, and a number of lifelong friendships are formed here. Get your family and friends together, and come make Lake Chelan a new tradition this Summer (or avoid the crowds and visit sooner!)
Lake Wenatchee State Park is a 489-acre camping park with 12,623-feet of waterfront on glacier-fed Lake Wenatchee and the Wenatchee River and is a great place for camping near Seattle. The park is bisected by the Wenatchee River, creating two distinct areas – south park, which features areas for camping, swimming and horseback riding, and north park, which is in a less developed, forested section of the park and a quarter-mile walk from the lake. The park has 155 tent spaces, 42 water and electric sites, one dump station, seven restrooms, and 16 showers. In addition, the park provides two ADA campsites. Call 509-763-3101 for more information. The south campground (sites 1 - 100) has parking pads 30 to 40-feet in length, with only two pull-through sites. Larger RVs and fifth-wheelers should use the north campground (sites 101 - 197) which includes 42 large pull-through utility sites. Maximum tents allowed are one family tent or up to two 2-3 man tents. Maximum vehicles allowed are two per site, additional vehicles may park in overflow areas.
Alta Lake State Park has 32 utility spaces, trailer dump, 4 restrooms (one ADA) and 12 showers. Maximum site length is 38 feet (limited availability). Dump station available year-round, dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
Antilon Lake camping area is a dispersed camping area great for large groups and accessible to small RV's. Antilon Lake is open to fishing, and non-motorized or electric-motor boats. Not recommended for swimming. During the summer this camping area can be hot, dry and one of the first areas to close to campfires. Spring and Fall are much more pleasant.
Scout
One sign says open another says closed.
Guide
Nice little spot along the river off Icicle Road…approximately 2 miles west of eight mile campground. Though the water level was low due to the time of the season, this spot still offered the tranquil sound of river flowing over boulders. Doors open on a brisk morning with clear skies made it that much more beautiful.
Traveler
Great campsite with an awesome view. Sandy dirt camping site near the USGS sensor station. No fires today due to high fire danger, but there was a pit in the camp. Tent right on the ridge. Dirt road was 12 miles up the mountain. Lots of switchbacks, but passible in a sedan. Takes 45 mins to get up. Take shady pass road to the top.
Guide
I went here a few years back during that intense heat wave. Despite being 107 in the spare shade here, the creek saved us. Definitely worth a visit and a trip back. Huge flat areas for a large number of campers, maybe up to 40 tents?
Legend
Nice park beside very slow river adjacent to busy road. No dogs on grass. Garbage. Picnic tables. Shaded. Stay 72 hours. Warm shower. Flush toilet. $10/night/vehicle or tent
Guide
We got a reservation for the Labor Day weekend. Not a weekend we normally get out a camp, but cabin fever motivated a trip. Our site was moved from the original reservation which didn't work in our favor, given the proximity to the RV dump and bathrooms. Overall, the park is ok, but clearly a campground for boaters. Bright-side, we kayaked to a nearby beach which was wonderful and easily accessible.
Traveler
The campground is fairly quiet. We parked in space 81 so we could hear the raid noise from Icicle Road. Up in this area, the road is paved but lots 76-87 are gravel. Not a big deal unless it rains as those are on the lower end of a slope. So we got wet when it rained and had a bit of an issue with water pooling next to the electric outlet but the staff was right on it and dug a small trench for the water to drain. Spaces 76-80 didn’t have that issue. We have a 25 foot trailer and that island in the road can be a bit of a problem. Spaces are a bit close together but we were hiking most of the days we were there. The weekend nights were pretty quiet. WiFi and cell service was bad. We use Verizon and pretty much had to go into town for service.
ScoutOverall nice campground, but overpriced for what you get;$45-50 would be more in line with amenities. Staff was very friendly and campground was clean and well kept. To pay for the laundry you must download an app then fund a minimum of$10 even if you don't plan to do that much laundry. WiFi is pretty bad, which is unfortunate if you try to download the laundry app. For this price you would expect a MUCH better WiFi system. T-Mobile cell coverage was basically useless for data. We would stay again in a pinch if hookups needed, but if we get back this way and don't need hookups we will probably try one of the NF campgrounds up the road.
Guide
We chose a spot in the rv tent area which was not very clean and very loud. Stay in the outer ring if you have an RV.
TravelerGRATE place nice people. Camp sites are close but you can spend some time at the river. There were not that many kids when we where here so if you are looking for that maybe not here. Fast drive to town for dinner and sites.
Guide
This place was so fun we plan to go back again in September! Even though the sites were close together, we still felt like we had a lot of privacy. There were lots of paths to take our kids for walks or bike rides. And the swimming area at the lake was really nice. They even had a snack shack! The only thing that was missing was a better playground. There was a slide, and that was about it.
Scout
Beautiful scenery, not hard to find, and lots of spaces open along the road. The road did get quite bumpy and rocky at points, but I assume this is normal for dispersed camping (this was my first dispersed camping experience). The only concern my friend and I had was an old RV near the entrance. That being said, the spot we chose was much higher and farther up the road from where the RV was, and we were not bothered. We actually didn’t see anyone else up there when we went in late July.
Scout
Small cramped campsite with seemingly endless yellow jackets, mosquitoes and continuous traffic at all hours of the night. Would advise checking out other sites closer to Leavenworth.
No cell service, unsurprisingly.
GuideThe place is pretty good! Except the wifi that is overused and make it difficult to even connect. In terms of outdoor activities and amenities it's a good stop
Traveler
If you were looking for a quiet experience, this place is not for you. It’s a KOA, so they cram in as many people as possible. However it’s a great family friendly experience with a store, ice cream/coffee shop, daily activities, and green space to play games.
We spent most of our time at the river. There was a great shallow area for the kids and Dog to swim around.
Guide
We visited in late June of 2024. Crescent Bar is a nice little community and the PUD park is beautiful. T.T. RV park was not in great shape. Sprinklers were busted in most of the park which created unpleasant dust storms. There are porta potties for the pool area and down the hill at the bathroom/shower you will find rotting interior walls and valves held together with copious layers of silicone. Fortunately for us this was just a stop over location while crossing Washington.
Scout
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ScoutJ
Traveler
Easy to get to. Different pull outs felt secluded enough. Lots of bugs. Felt safe
Scout
I really liked the campground. Camp host was nice. It was a bit too dusty for my liking and the river was too cold to hangout in. If you don’t have certain campgrounds to access the water you’re having to go between bushes and can really do water play. Overall it was a good experience.
Traveler
We drove over mid week, we planned to find a 1st come 1st served. This fit the bill perfectly. This area is so scenic, we were really impressed. We took a site with river view. The sites are all spacious. Our nearest neighbors were 50 yards away, we never heard them. There were barely any campers. There are a ton of trails in the area. The scenery is amazing with lots of river and mountain views. We will return in mid July with another visit.
TravelerI love this state park, the landscape of glacial-carved coulees and sagebrush covered shrubsteppe is gorgeous and unique. The park is truly a geological wonder. As campgrounds go, this one is very windy! Keep that in mind if you are tent camping, as you could easily lose your tent!
If camping here I cannot suggest campsite 88 in campground D unless you are in an RV. It's just a very basic, gravel site with little shade, right by the road entering the campground, and not private at all. It is right across from a nice beach though so could be a good spot for an RV. Campsite 118 looked much better and I plan on choosing that site instead next time.
I do not suggest the Sun Lakes Resort campsite that is not managed by Washington State Parks unless you like being packed in like sardines. Camping at the state park managed campsite is far better.
Scout
We turned at (47.8178974, -120.7258512) which you travel a short distance down a well maintained FS road to a very large gravel and dirt parking area. You can park in this parking lot if you choose, lots of space, great internet speeds. To the right of the information sign you will see a small sign with a snowmobile on it. That is the road that you can take back to the airstrip portion of the site. You will only travel about 100 yards on that road before it opens up to a very large grass field (and airstrip) you will need to turn left to head toward the camping locations. To the right will be the landing strip so you need to avoid that area. There is a dirt/sandy road leading back to 2-3 sites with fire rings but also a very large open field where you can camp as well. MOSQUITOES WERE AWFUL AT NIGHT FYI. A forest service rig pulled up on us in the AM and just waved :)
Traveler
Gorgeous spot under the pines, the site has everything we would need including water, toilets and large campsites. Campground is almost empty, only 3 of ~50 spots are filled
Guide
Don't have much of a review, we found a spot here last second after signing up to run the Sun Mountain 25k last minute. Barely spent any time at the campground. I know the location was good for being able to just walk into town. The camp spots were just shared space in a grassy area. Nothing spectacular.
GuideThe score is more for the abundance of things to do in the area than for the campground itself.
I was there for a trail run race that went deep in the Sun Lakes back country and the floor of the Dry Falls area. Just stunning scenery. While I didn't get to partake on my trip, the lakes offer fishing, boating, and swimming.
The camping itself is the standard state park experience, sites close together, not much for privacy. But they are nice spots, and well maintained.
Guide
There are multiple pull outs and established dispersed camping opportunities all along the entire road through the Ancient Lakes area. The specific spot marked on the dyrt map is just one spot. But consider this a review for the whole area.
The whole area is very unique, and the highlight is definitely hiking down into the canyon and Dusty Lake area. Spider web of trails down there open for hikers, mountain bikers, and horses. Overnight backpacking is allowed down there as well.
The upper lakes offer fishing and boating, paddle boarding as well if you are confident in your skill to stay on the board. I would not recommend swimming, or getting in the water at all, as it's all agricultural runoff.
The spot I stayed is south of the marker on the map, right on the north west bank of the Evergreen Reservoir. This was early April, on a Saturday, very late afternoon after hiking all day. Most spots were already taken, and I snagged one of the last established spots I could find. More of a pull off, pretty close to the road, and on the smaller side. But there are other, larger, spots if you can grab one.
Essentially no shade, very exposed, spring and fall would be the best time here.
Camping near Chelan, Washington, offers a fantastic mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're into hiking, fishing, or just relaxing by the water, there’s something for everyone.
Camping near Chelan, Washington, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. Just be prepared for the unique quirks of each campground!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Chelan, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Chelan, WA offers a wide range of camping options, with 231 campgrounds and RV parks near Chelan, WA and 25 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Chelan, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Chelan, WA is Lake Chelan State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 24 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Chelan, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 25 free dispersed camping spots near Chelan, WA.
What parks are near Chelan, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 16 parks near Chelan, WA that allow camping, notably Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
