Looking for a place to go glamping near Bellingham? The Dyrt lets you enjoy a unique, rustic Bellingham experience while glamping. Glamping offers quick access to one or more of Bellingham's most popular destinations.
Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000-feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900-feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. Rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass.
The park has 167 tent sites, 143 utility spaces, five hiker / biker sites, two dump stations, 20 restrooms (four ADA), and ten showers (four ADA). Camping is located at three locations in the park, 18 tent sites and two utility sites are at Bowman Bay, seven tent sites and 54 utility sites at Quarry Pond, and 147 tent sites and 83 utility sites are at Cranberry Lake. Maximum site length is 60-feet (limited availability).
In addition there are four campsites on Hope Island north shore bay, the pay station is near the east campsite, a vault toilet is in the woods 100-feet south of the campsites. The rest of the island is a natural area preserve and off limits to recreational use. Standard primitive campsite rules apply.
$12 - $40 / night
Set in a blue cove between Bellingham and Blaine, Birch Bay State Park feels private and secluded without being far from urban life. Stroll along the rocky beach and take in dramatic views of the North Cascades Mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands. Or head up the Terrell Marsh interpretive trail to a rare saltwater and freshwater estuary teeming with birds and wildlife, including great blue herons. Low tide reveals a wide mudflat with a treasure trove of clams and other shellfish that can be harvested in season. Bring out the pails, shovels, mud boots and licenses, and start digging! If you prefer to swim, Birch Bay is known for its relatively warm water, and if you'd rather be on the water, the park offers excellent crabbing, windsurfing, sailing and paddling. Staying overnight? Birch bay camping has a basketball court and environmental education programs in summer ensure fun for the whole family. If you're looking for a side trip, the U.S.- Canada border town of Blaine and the fascinating Peace Arch State Park are only 9 miles north, and the lively university city of Bellingham is 20 miles south. You can always spend an evening in town and return to the beachy bliss of Birch Bay.
Campers may enjoy this scenic and historic fort at two delightful campgrounds with 80 campsites that may be reserved up to 9 months in advance. Both campgrounds have restrooms with showers. Maximum site length is 75-feet (limited availability).
Beach campground features 50 full-hookup (water, electric, and sewer) sites tucked between the bluffs and the beaches of Point Wilson. The sites are level, spacious, and open. Most sites have an amazing view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Upper campground features 30 partial-hookup sites with water, electricity, and a sewer dump station nearby. The campsites are mostly forested, some with privacy. They are fairly level, and quite long. This campground offers easy access to miles of trails.
Campsites are popular and fill quickly year-round. Reservations are highly recommended.
Campgrounds convert to winter water after Thanksgiving until before Presidents' Day Weekend (subject to weather). Insulated winter water sources are available in each campground during this time.
San Juan County Parks provides beautiful shoreline parks on the ferry-served San Juan Islands. Campgrounds offer waterfront campsites, beach access & scenic views and accommodate tents and smaller RV's (no hook-ups; check for restrictions) for a unique "island” experience. Restrooms, picnic tables, fire-rings, picnic shelters, boat ramps. Odlin County Park is just one mile from the Lopez Island Ferry Landing, and three miles from Lopez Village. This 80-acre waterfront park features 8 campsites, a lovely sandy beach, a boat launch, hiking trails, a full-sized ball field and several picnic areas. Enjoy a hike or eat lunch in the picnic pavilion. There is also water, toilets, five mooring buoys and a day use dock.
Enjoy a beautiful natural setting at the base of Mount Baker with easy access to North Cascades National Park. Take a day trip to Bellingham, the San Juan Islands or British Columbia. At our Thousand Trails Puget Sound RV campground, the Northwest is at your disposal. Grandy Creek RV Camping features long pull-thrus (up to 90 feet) as well as tents and two-room cabins. Grandy Creek RV Camping visitors can stay busy with all our planned activities or just enjoy our beautiful Puget Sound RV campground by sitting under a tree with a book, flying a kite in the field or hiking the campground trails. Kids love our all-day Saturday planned fun, as well as the fabulous Jumping Pillow! The most important thing about our RV campground is customer care. Our employees love their job and our guests. You'll feel right at home at Grandy Creek RV Camping.
Lakedale Resort features a variety of accommodation options, including a 10-room hotel, real log cabins, canvas cabins for a fabulous glamping experience, and camping. Lakedale Resort near Roche Harbor and Friday Harbor is also a great destination for workshops, meetings and retreats, providing you with an inspirational setting to have fun and achieve your goals! Your group will enjoy the many activities that Lakedale has to offer including swimming, fishing, and canoeing on one of our three lakes. Or imagine taking over the lodge for your wedding and having your ceremony on a point in the midst of Neva Lake! The Lakedale Campground is open from early May through September 30 and provides guests the opportunity to experience 82 acres of natural beauty outdoors while camping on San Juan Island. The Lakedale Campground is conveniently located four miles north of the ferry landing at Friday Harbor and four miles south of the Roche Harbor Marina.
Traveler
We had Nevas Canvas Tent #6. It was amazing! Glamping at its finest! King size bed was super comfy. We had a huge deck overlooking one of the three lakes. Our tent also had a bathroom w/ a toilet and shower, an electrIc heater, a trundle bed/couch, and electrical outlets. They currently have 6 of these Nevas tents, 16 canvas tents (w/o water/restrooms/electricity), 6 huge log cabins, 7 yurts (w small kitchens), 37 or so camping sites, 4 RV sites, and an Airstream you can rent. There is also a traditional lodge (not sure how many rooms, but it looked nice). Canvas tents and lodge come w/ breakfast. We will for sure come back!
Scout
The campsite is great for kids because of the amenities like the pool and other games. Good for people now into glamping. If you're looking for a "nature" experience this isn't it. If you have a trailer or reserve a cabin is great. I wouldn't tent camp here though. Sometimes it's nice to just get away though and still have power and a bed.
Traveler
it’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.
Ranger
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)
LegendI 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!
Ranger
Take a hint from the name and bring a kayak! The coolest thing about the campground is the yurts. They’re modern and pretty close together if it’s just your family, but we were here for a scout event and it was just so neat staying in the yurts, especially in the colder months. Some bathrooms have water flush toilets. There’s a playground and the shore to keep the kids busy and fishing for us.
Ranger
This place is so magical and full of amenities. The cliffside yurts are amazing and the views are even better. Spent a few nights here with a book and had the best time! “On grid” yurts have electricity. No water so bring your own or grab at the market.
The market was really convenient. The spa is lovely and I highly recommend soaking and getting a massage if you have the time. Highly recommend renting kayaks for the day. Yoga classes available as well!
Cafe has good food. Brunch is a must.
Check out Buck Bay Shellfish Farm down the road if you want delicious seafood.
GuideOpps this is for the campground not the yurts. There's a fishing pier and boat ramp and great beach access. The sites are big, they just redid the utilities so each site now has water.
ScoutThe campground is up top and the day use area (beach and boat ramp and pier) is down below. During a previous trip in April we saw a whale feeding in the bay. We take our boat and crab. Its close to town but surprisingly few people are aware of the campground. There's yurts, but we stay in our trailer.
Guide
Great little campground if you want to head to the river!
Small open campground for dry camping. 14 sites, a few yurts, and lots of day use space. Short walk to beach on river. Great river floating, swimming etc. Some trails and a huge open field for play!!
Due to COVID bathrooms were closed, port-o- potties were in place, and badly needed serviced. T-mobile cell service was spotty at best.
On hot days can be busy, but a great time was had by all.
TravelerStayed 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.
RangerCampground 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.
......
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.
Ranger
Nothing beats camping at a historical Fort with breathtaking views and great motorcycle friendly activities.
Take your family this summer to enjoy hiking trails, explore the remains of Fort Casey, and visit the diving park at Washington’s Keystone.
Romantic sunsets and premium restaurants nearby make this a perfect lovers getaway just as much as a family fun trip.
Take your heart on a journey and Camp Washington State!
Guide
Great campground this was hands down one of our favorite thousand trails in Washington you will enjoy this campground Great location great campground would go back
Traveler
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.
Guide
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.
Guide
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.
TravelerThis 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.
GuideVisited 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.
Legend
State forest campground along the Chewuch River, just north of Winthrop. Easy access to the town of Winthop for groceries and ice cream. HUGE sites with firepits. Very quiet, expect perhaps during hunting season. Lots of deer hangs throughout camping area and lots of fishing options. No picnic tables or potable water. Clean pit toilets, though it appears that hunters occasionally use them for target practice. Cost=free! Note: This is a different campground than the one that popped up in the drop down list. Near this area, but on the other side of Washington Pass.
GuideEven 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.
Ranger
I was a volunteer camp host for this park for a month. It’s a busy place on the weekends especially. The system in Washington is sometimes showing how overwhelmed and understaffed they are, and this park is so severely understaffed it’s sad. Many folks do not understand how to cleanup and leave no trace. As volunteers, we learned a lot about the area, the fight with the Tulalip Tribe to have the land, the desecration of indian burial grounds, the full sale of the land by a private owner to the state because of a haunting and a family curse... there’s a ton of local drama in these lands. If you’re a ghost nut, this place is for you - ask the campground staff for the history.
LegendThis is one of two campgrounds at Fort Worden, which I prefer over the upper (Forest) campground. This is one of those campgrounds that gets big points for its location and views, and not so much for its privacy or beauty. It's a long, flat, open area along the beach and mixed in with the beach vegetation. The sites are pretty close together, so you don't get a lot of privacy. You do have the beach, lots of trails, a scenic lighthouse and that salt sea air. You do get lots of fog in the morning sometimes, and a pretty steady breeze off the water. You need a Discover Pass for day use. These are required at pretty much all county and state campgrounds in Washington State. They cost $30 per year.
RangerI said lovely in the summertime even though I was a bit chilly! Tropical girl in the north. Despite the cooler temperatures at night the weather was just wonderful when we stayed at Deception Pass. There were so many activities. Some trails walking distance from the campsite to gorgeous beaches while others we drove to get to other trails and scenic lookouts. I loved every minute staying there. We spent two nights at Bowman Bay right next to the beach. The facilities are nice and well maintained. I really appreciate the Washington state park system and their nice campgrounds. We walked across the Deception Pass bridge and hiked up Goose Rock which is the highest point in the park. Just a heads up for anyone afraid of heights, the bridge is super thrilling!! And the views! Even I felt butterflies walking across.
Another day we explored the tide pools at Rosario Beach and went paddle boarding close by. We saw seals and sea otters playing. Really one of the highlights of the trip!
Ranger
Really loved our stay here! We were wanting to visit some family, and thought we would do some camping while here as well as some hiking. This part of Washington is beautiful. We have been a few times, but never hiked or camped. The weather was perfect for us, so much sunshine and warm weather! The campground was great, clean, and quiet. There actually weren't very many people, which was surprising because it was summer! Mid July we thought it would be packed, but it wasn't. The restrooms were clean, but definitely bring toilet paper because by the second night they were out. It must have rained the day before we got there because the campground was a little wet and muddy. We were able to do our tent, though and it almost made it easier to get the stakes into the ground because it was soft. We went hiking twice, and loved every second of it. As you can see from my pictures, flowers were in full bloom and were absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't stop taking pictures of flowers! There were these super pretty purple ones that were everywhere. This make the hike even that much more better. We will definitely be back- although we like to explore different campgrounds so we might not be back to this campground (not because it was bad, but because we want to experience others ones!).
LegendCampsite Review: When exploring the San Juan Islands in North Eastern Washington I suggest you definitely take a moment to visit Deception Pass State Park where camping might seem a little pricey, but your park admission is included in the cost of the campsite. This is a great location to start of your trip if your spending time up in the North Eastern portion of Washington. This campground is composed of several different loops with setups on both sides of the pass for every type of adventurer. There are over 300 different campsites and several that are hike/bike in only, as well as your standard drive up and RV. These sites are spread into different areas of the park, and we stayed in one of the lower loops of the Cranberry Lake campground where many of the sites have open drive ways, but then are really set into the old growth trees. Ours was a drive in which was a little uphill and then set back into the underbrush so you were nicely separated from your surroundings and felt pretty immersed in the forest. You get a decent flat area for your tent(s) with a standard picnic table, and fire ring. We checked in a bit later than expected and were in need of a shower. Thankfully there are pretty decent showers at this campground, though some restrooms were much nicer than others. Make sure to check out a couple before you decide which one to use. We found that the ADA showers were much cleaner and nicer than the regular shower by our site (#172). In order to use the pay showers you have to use a token (2 for a dollar) instead of quarters or dollar bills like most other places. You can get the tokens from the rangers or they have some vending machines on the side of the little camp check in area. There are plenty of excellent hikes you can access throughout the park and watching the fog roll in and out can be pretty awesome.
The one thing that you’ll probably read over and over again is about the jets from the nearby base…. Yes, there are jets and yes, they are loud, very loud. Bring ear plugs. Even if you’re a heavy sleeper, the way the noise bounces around through the valley makes them extremely loud. You never know how late they’ll hang around so just be prepared. They stopped fairly early (around 9:30pm) when we visited, but the flyover time seems variable.
Amenities: standard picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets, potable water, & Pay Shower Prohibited: pets off-leash
Nearby Hikes: Goose Rock trail and Deception Pass Bridge and Beach Trail
We used this campground to not only hike around and explore the park, but also as a jumping off point to kayak around the island (where we picked up a hitch hiking baby harbor seal) and to head out on some whale watching trips. This is a really incredible area with lots to explore.
Gear Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get the opportunity to test out products and what kept me warm as explored the northern waterways was the Coldpruf Zephyr crew top and pants. Coldpruf has designed their clothing to own the cold and yes, they do. I was kept quite warm with these base layers on. The only drawback I had with this gear was the length of the pants, not in the legs, but in the back rise… While they fit perfectly in the waist and leg length was perfect, the pants still came a up a little short in the back and I could not pull them up and prevent plumber’s crack while wearing them. I have other pairs of ColdPruf base layers which fit perfectly but these pants just came up a little short…Some of the features that I did like about this specific design was:
I give the ColdprufZephyr crew top and pants 4/5 Stars!
Traveler
Hello and welcome to my review on Lopez farm cottages and tent camping. My name is Aaron Wakefield. I am a new member to theDyrt community. When I say it is my extreme privilege and honor to give a five star review on this campground, you better believe if there were more stars I would give them. That being said, I hope you all like to read because this is going to be a bit of a lengthy review. I only say that because I’ve been known to have the gift of gab.
I have already done a short video on the specific area that I am camping at within this campground. I hope you will like it and that it will provide some information for any of you that should come up this way and decide to camp here.
I am camping at tent site 11. This is one of their drive in sites that will accommodate your vehicle next to your campsite. There are three of these sites in my area. They are very clean, they’re organized and plenty spacious for your tent camping needs.
I have met two people here and spoken to three that work and run this campground. This morning I met John the owner. He is a very kind man. He works very hard at making this place outstanding for his visitors. I have spoken with Cathie his wife and she is also a very kind and hardworking person. Any questions that I have asked have been answered with no details missed or left out. In many instances, I have been given suggestions and resources that will also accommodate my stay here.
Lopez farm cottages and tent camping is exactly that. There are cottages to be rented, nests, which are something between a cottage and a tent. Then you have your tent sites. Some of these sites you can park and walk in, others you can backpack in while even others like mine you can drive to your site with your vehicle and have your vehicle right there. I don’t know, but this is quite a great selection in the area of camping and just getting out. I have also met Triana. This wonderful lady has the task of keeping the bathroom and the general area of all these campsites cleaned up and ready for their next guests. Again, I have created a short video that shows this campsite two others and the building that they share. This building I am informed is only two years old. So John is doing a lot to accommodate his guests. It’s more than I have seen in any place for just camping.
Thanks for being patient and reading this very wordy review. I hope in someway you found it informative and that it will provide some information to you should you decide to come and stay here on your next visit in the Pacific Northwest.
Just remember, if you come to Lopez Island, make your stay here a wonderful one by visiting Lopez farm cottages and tent camping on Lopez Island of the San Juan Islands in Washington state.
Aaron Wakefield theDyrt -
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Bellingham, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Bellingham, WA is Deception Pass State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 103 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Bellingham, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 glamping camping locations near Bellingham, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
