Best Dispersed Camping near Ephrata, WA

Great spot to disperse camp, no toilets , great for swimming fishing kayaking paddle boarding and disperse camping, sunken boat at edge of water cool feature. Lots of bugs and spiders. Also close the cow gate.

This place is where I go when I want to disconnect and get away from the stress of school in Ellensburg. I've been here a handful of times and there's never been more than a dozen people spread out over the entire coulee valley. The previous directions are good and the one on WTA will take you right to the parking lot where it's an easy 1.5 mile hike down into the coulee. I've heard other people say they walked in from ancient lakes road and it took three times as long to make it to the camping spots.

The lakes are safe for swimming in my opinion (there's even a rock to jump off on the closest lake!) But do carry your own water in, it is irrigation runoff and has plenty of yummy pesticides that you cannot filter out. Other than that enjoy the lakes, waterfalls and killer sunsets that happen on a nightly basis out here!

I just love this spot, no amenities, isolation, river front view, and a boat ramp. Bring your own everything!!

The main draw here is that there's a boat ramp into the Columbia. If you've got a fishing/camping rig and like to tell fish stories, this is a great spot for you.

If you're looking for a private, secluded or picturesque spot, this isn't for you.

This place does require a Discover Pass, but it's otherwise free. There were portapotties available, but I wouldn't count on them always being available.

We arrived here on a Sunday night in May and the place was empty...... only one other camper and it was really far away. It is very remote, no services around and a little odd to get to, in that you have to wind past a lakeside"resort" with a little store and campsites that didn't look really very nice, yet there were people everywhere, it looked totally booked. Then you cross over the line into the campground where a$30 annual pass is required, yet the per night cost is$0 as of 2017, and there was nobody around! The campground is like a big open parking area with a boat launch and toilets and then there is also a little more dispersed sites where random fire pits have been built. We had our choice of sites so we picked one that sat away from others and was right above the water making the launch of the kayaks pretty easy.

Easy to get to. Different pull outs felt secluded enough. Lots of bugs. Felt safe

Let's get the negative out of the way. The road is washboarded out. Your teeth will rattle out of your head. It is passable by car, though. I am sure it will get fixed further into the seaon. Anyway, this spot is well worth the drive. I found an awesome site that was pretty secluded. The views are insane.

Skip this dirt field and stay at Jack’s Resort. My grandparents invited me out and, be it not my dispersed style (hence the two stars), I enjoyed the beautiful lake. Jack’s Resort is extremely well maintained. It has a little cafe. Immaculate bathrooms and even a few cabins for those who would rather. Lots of fishing if that’s your thing. Take a little boat and an ice chest of cold beverages and enjoy a day on the lake.

Lots of campgrounds to choose from. Some are dustier than others. Plenty of space between campsites. Fire pits available for use but check for burn bans.

This is a good early season hike while its still rainy in Seattle it can easily be sunny and warm on the other side of the mountains. There are at least 5 good campsites at the lakes that will each hold multiple tents no problem. Some people do light fires but I’d like to discourage it, fire danger is pretty real in these scrublands. This is a very pretty hike full of sage brush and interesting geological features, also several waterfalls. Past the lakes you can go out to the Columbia River Gorge. Check out the WTA description for more details. Note that there is no potable water, you have to haul it it. The lakes are contaminated by irrigation run off. 

WTA Ancient Lakes

Note: Lake needs Washington Discover Pass Stopped while traveling through for an overnight stay. Camping areas are big gravel lots next to the lake.
Had no problem with level. There is some noise from I90, but not really that bad.
Nobody else was at the lake when we stayed.
Great overnight stop with a lake view out our back door.

2 mile backpack into box canyon and 2 night campout. Surrounded on three sides by tall basalt column cliff walls. Small water fall at northeastern corner. Incredible hiking up to top of rim and around to secondary canyon with a larger lake. You can also hike down towards the Columbia river where there is some additional camping available. Go in early spring for the green and cooler temps. You will want to bring a sleeping pad and tarp since ground is rough. Make sure you bring your own water! Even though there are lakes in the canyon, none of the water is safe for drinking due to the agricultural run off. Filtering will not work.

Really easy straight on hike. It is definitely dusty but a really nice change of pace from the trees and mountains. Several waterfalls that you can get super close to. We have not camped there yet but it looked super fun.

RV and tent camping. Can be windy during season change. Boat accessible. Gravel and dirt. Very beautiful night, great for star gazing. Great fishing spot, has split season and is only open during fishing season. There is a private camping location close by with restaurant and store for supplies. Lots of trout, caught limit every time. Witnessed someone pull a 18" trout last visit.