Best Glamping near Chelan, WA

Normally I don't camp at KOA's but if you are trying to camp and ALSO do some usual Leavenworth things this is the perfect spot.  It is walking and biking distance from town, right behind the Safeway, and has lots of amenities.  Great place for kids especially there's tons of activities, playground and even a pool.  There are 4 or 5 free activities daily and even a couple for 21+ which I appreciated as a visitor without kids.

We stayed in a tent site and it was small and dusty but had a private trail to the river which totally made up for the more cramped quarters.  Quiet hours were observed and the staff was ultra friendly.  Picked up our propane and filled it for us and everything!

I will definitely go back here during shoulder season and rent a cabin.

Very well kept campground. There are bathrooms with showers right in the center of the park. They are sticklers on the parking situation so don’t expect any leeway. I believe it was 2 cars max with one boat and camper. Either way though they will only allow 2 cars. Otherwise quiet hours start at 10:00. you can walk right down to the water. Bars are a 10-20 minutes walk depending on which one you go too. Camp spots have electrical hookups only. It’s a dry campground but as long as you have covers on your beers or are using a cup then they won’t bother you.

Washington 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.

Crossing through the dry and rugged terrain of the eastern most portion of Washington, the pleasant surprise of the forest campground of Swauk could not have come at a better time.   Just after the rolling hills met the forested tree line this quaint campground welcomed me to the Washington I had wished to find on my adventures.   It was a first taste of the glory of the Pacific Northwest and a perfect way to find the solitude and beauty of the land during late fall.

Pulling into Swauk you first will find a recreation area where cross country skiing is permitted during the winter months and during summer months families can enjoy horse shoe pits, picnic and barbecue areas.    Parking here is plentiful and invites you to enjoy the land in its entirety.    

I noticed a small trail behind a shelter area and followed it to the gentle moving stream which passed throughout the back of not only the recreation area but also the camp.    Here you could truly get a glimpse of the beauty and wonder of the trees opening up and increasing in size, the ferns growing wild and abundantly and the pine needles lining the forest floor creating a barrier which seems to trap sound and create a hush over the entire area.

The shelter when I had passed housed a large fire place and additional picnic tables making this a perfect location for those chilly nights you find in the forest.

Just beyond the recreation area the campground welcomes campers with large sites and plenty of room to spread out and enjoy a day, a weekend or a week.    A self service pay station is located at the entrance to this portion.    Single sites are $18 while doubles are $36, envelops are available alongside other rules and regulations for the campground.

Once you have secured your campsite at this location you will place your tag on the site itself in a small plastic placard located at the entrance of each site to signify it is taken.   this allows you to navigate away from the campground to explore the forest and the many areas of interest near the Cascade Loop or the Gingko Forest.   

Vault toilets can be found in two locations, one at the mid point of camp and the other at the entrance and provide facilities, however no running water is available at these sites.  Running water can be found in the recreation area however if it is needed.    You will want to make sure you are able to sustain without power however because that is not available at any portion of the campground.

This site overall is a great way to enjoy Washington  and I found that visiting was an unexpected treat.    To visit the facilities make sure you understand that this is not a State facility thus the Discover Pass is not accepted.  Instead you will want to make sure you display a National Park Pass, as this is a site maintained by the Forest Service, though I will say no one was there to check it and there was no clear signage to mark this.

Tips:

* Bring your own firewood.   There are signs posted throughout camp mentioning that you cannot cut trees in the area for any reason.    There is no firewood station at this campground either so if you are planning on having a fire make sure you come prepared.

* Because this site is a part of the Forest Service there are also signs posted about saving the vegetation.   This means you will want to park only in the areas that are marked clearly.   If you have a rig which does not fit within the bounds, consider another site at the campground.

* If you need supplies you will want to find them in the larger cities or towns along the way.   When I was here I noticed there are very few stops which provide basic essentials for many miles.

We have been to the Blue Lake Resort during June 2021. The location is awesome, quiet and peaceful for a relaxing vacation. The breeze is welcoming& gentle enough to get fresh air. Very friendly staff, good walking, can get out onto calm rides on water, get some fresh water swimming, catch good fish. Newly added Domes and Glamping sites are nice and they are more attrea We stayed in newly renovated cabin. Very clean with new management upgraded everything they can think of. Cabin has all the amenities including full kitchen. The location is awesome, quiet and peaceful for a relaxing vacation. New Management renovated the entire reort including RV, Camping spots, Cabins and especaially bathrooms. All the amenties water/electric, showers, kayak and motor boats rental are included in rental price. So no surprises at the end. It's a must visit stay place for camping/glamping and dome experience

Arrived around 2pm to the Douglas Creek Trailhead. The 8 miles of road H to get to Douglas Creek Rec area is gravel, primitive -no signs. Hiked the canyon for ~3miles. Lots of groundhogs and birds. Campsites are roughly half mile from the parking lot for hiking. The gravel road here is much narrower, and has more aggressive rocks/stones. Between the parking lot and campsites several large puddles/ponds took over the road. Campsites have pull throughs for RV’s. I chose the third site I saw, steep downhill to the fire pit, but close walk to the creek. The grounds are minimal, no services (no toilets, picnic tables, hookups, trash bins etc). Had no cell service. Weather was in the upper 60’s, no clouds. Perfect getaway.

We are all familiar with KOA and that the company prides itself in bringing more features to their campers. But many times I have found that comes with a hefty price tag. On some occasions I have been ready to spend it and other times I have to be convinced a little more due to the location. 

When pulling into Winthrop I really wanted to find out a little more about their KOA and if it was more of a hit or miss. Themed much like the other portions of the community in western decor, the campground welcomed me immediately. I found that the rustic them of the stacked fence and the cabin like exterior of the main office was just a taste of the what was to come within the community. 

It only continued with their other offerings. They had many old pieces along the way which would be perfect for taking photos, enjoying a piece of the old west and setting the tone.

 This park offered camping for RVs and tents but also had cabins. Cost was on target for the other options in the community and came with many luxuries which others did not including a store, pool and play area. Laundry was offered at this location as well and they had kayak and boat rentals if you were wanting to go and enjoy some of the many waterways in the area. 

I really enjoyed the spacing of the sites, however many were not well covered by trees and left something to be desired. The gravel roadway was muddy from recent rain and made it a bit sloshy to get to the sites themselves. So while they were nice overall that particular thing would something I would say is a bit of a let down in comparison to the rest of the facility. 

The play area was another area which would be perfect for grabbing a few memorable photos, with oversized brightly colored chairs which could fit then entire family. Additionally they offered a nice outdoor space with patio chairs and umbrellas by the office which was a nice place to stop in and enjoy some time. 

Overall the biggest asset to this campground still laid in their proximity to the community itself. From here you can drive only a few miles and be in the middle of the historic downtown western themed community and enjoy some very unique activities. For that I would say that the benefits outweigh the downside of cost which is between$30 and$50 for tent or RV camping. 

Tips: 

• Book online in advance of your stay if you are wanting a tent site, they are more limited. 
• If you are in a larger rig, bring a detachable vehicle to navigate in town as there are not a lot of places to park larger rigs in the community itself.

I went to Leavenworth for the Oktoberfest event with friends. We stayed there for two nights. We checked in and out very easily and it was very perfect. There are something that I like about KOA. It is perfect for large group to stay there for a weekend for an event in Leavenworth because it has excellent shuttle transportation to Leavenworth. Not only that the campground gives many options that they have such as hot tub, breakfast, coffee, fire pit, games and etc. And it has awesome the views of mountains and even better the view of river which it is right next to the campground! And we had a great weekend there during the weekend of October!