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.
"The park itself is really well maintained, and in a beautiful location. The lake and surrounding hills were beautiful."
"Alta Lake is a nice, clean park with decent tent sites. We had a site in Loop 2 on the right (on the lake side). It was away from the main area, parking lots, boat launch or store, so pretty quiet."
"The campground is divided into two parts by a crisp clear and cold Wenatchee River, flowing out of Lake Wenatchee, locat d in the central Cascade Mountains of Washington."
"_We love camping in this area of Washington. There are so many campsites and each one is just far away from the nearest town which is so nice to know that you won't be bothered by the busy road."
$27 / night
"Being surrounded by the tall Washington trees and a distant sound of the babbling creek felt like a dream."
"We stayed 1 night at site 57 near the river on our way over the pass and it was a nice stay. Lots of campsites spread out among several campgrounds."
"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"
"There is a golf course next to the campground. My Verizon signal was strong. The campground us situated far enough from the highway that road noise was negligible."
ScoutVisited 7/26-7/31 2020 Loop 1 site 22 Pros- clean facilities, great day use area, some campsites (loop 3) are on the water. The lake is cool and clear. Nice staff. Kayak and paddle board rentals (not this summer due to covid). Close to Winthrop and Chelan.
Cons- extensive fire damage in 2014 has downed many trees and most campsites have zero or little shade. Sites are very close together, little privacy and weekends at lake are busy. My main issue was the out of date campsite photos. Our site showed 6 trees but we had zero (cut down I’m guessing due to fire). We knew it would be hot but we also thought there would be shade.
GuideThe campground is divided into two parts by a crisp clear and cold Wenatchee River, flowing out of Lake Wenatchee, locat d in the central Cascade Mountains of Washington. The deep lake is glacier fed, the campgrounds are well loved by locals. Nice pay showers, and the outside campsites in the north part of the campground feel more secluded. Mosquitos are thick in June, but leave due to dry hot weather in July. Huckleberries sling simple hiking trails. Nearby “Enchantments” hikes are more challenging and spectacular.
TravelerAfter camping here for the maximum two week period, I was absolutely in love. Being surrounded by the tall Washington trees and a distant sound of the babbling creek felt like a dream. An easy ten minute walk led you to Lake Wenachee, the most amazing alpine lake with a great beach and camp store where you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, and get ice cream. The campground hosts were very friendly and there are flush toilets and running water as well.
TravelerWe love camping in this area of Washington. There are so many campsites and each one is just far away from the nearest town which is so nice to know that you won't be bothered by the busy road. I always have the best time and have the best memories here.
TravelerWe love Lake Wenatchee and it has become an annual trip with a couple other families that we camp with. The sites are roomy and well taken care of. The bathrooms are clean and accessible. There are some great trails that you can walk to and more if you're up for a drive.
The lake is beautiful, though it gets really windy in the late afternoon, so you'll want to spend you time there earlier in the day.
The town of Plain is close by and has a really useful grocery store with great ice cream and a good selection of emergency supplies. There is also a laundromat behind the grocery store, just in case!
GuidePersonally I really enjoyed this park and camping. The park itself is really well maintained, and in a beautiful location. The lake and surrounding hills were beautiful. Even with the few private homes nearby, it didn't really take away from the scenery in my opinion.
I camped in the upper loop in a site that backed to the hill side. The layout of the sites are very unique, no two sites (in the upper loop at least) are alike. My spot had a lower parking area with room for two cars. The you step up to the "living room" where the picnic table and fire pit were, then off of that area was a isolated tent pad area.
The next spot over on one side was up hill from me, so didn't really see them (but could hear them). The spot on the other side was closer and lacked a little bit of privacy, but as far as state parks go, it was still fairly spread out. I was also there for a Saturday and Sunday night, so Sunday the park completely emptied out and I think there were only 2 or 3 others in the entire upper loop, and not near me at all, which was nice.
I'm sure there are times when the lake gets overrun with motor boats and jet skis, but the weekend I was there (6/8 & 6/9) wasn't to bad at all. Paddle boards and kayaks outnumbers the boats with motors, and even those weren't racing around the lake, they were all fishing.
I mostly camp in dispersed camping areas, but this is a state park I would put on my short willing to return to list.
TravelerAlta Lake is a nice, clean park with decent tent sites. We had a site in Loop 2 on the right (on the lake side). It was away from the main area, parking lots, boat launch or store, so pretty quiet. Our site was sweet, it had a trail down to a small open sandy stretch of beach that was basically our own private beach. Took the cooler and a pop up tent and enjoyed the beach all day. We went in August and it was hot, the lake was super refreshing! (photo from WA State Parks & Rec commission)
GuideSite was adequate. The picnic table was super close to the fire pit and a huge rock but you can’t move it. The table is chained to the ground. The site has decent shade during the day. But enough exposure to dry clothing and tents. Baths are okay. The shower rooms were clean. $0.50 for 3 minutes. Water was close by. Garbage and bathroom were a short walk.
TravelerQuite liked this campground, a few things to note first about the site then the park.
Site: 31 Great distance between tent pad and picnic table with a few well placed trees for hammock/ clothing line Fire ring was great distance from picnic table. Great privacy (granted the people in the site next to us weren’t there) Close walk to bathroom/showers & Trash Short 5 minute walk to the lake.
Park: Showers were actually free Normally it is pretty windy, but there was no wind both days we were present Mosquitos were worse than usual, but a constant cost of DEET and a anti mosquito candle kept them at bay, still got bit up a bit There is a pretty legit store with camping stuff, espresso, and ice cream Playground near beach area By the beach there was a dude selling kayak/ paddle board rentals, he does not come on especially windy days Kind Staff, met camp hosts dog
I’ve also attached some photos of the RV sites from the north campground
Definitely will come back
Horse camping in Washington offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the scenic trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Chelan, WA is Alta Lake State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 14 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Chelan, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
