Looking to cabin camp near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and enjoy a rustic retreat into nature? Finding a place to cabin camp near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is easier than ever. When you're looking for a quiet location in nature, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect cabin rental.
Colonial Creek South Campground in North Cascades National Park is a remote, yet bustling campground nestled in old -growth forest. Located on the south side of State Route 20 near milepost 130, there are 94 campsites that are surrounded by forest and located on Diablo Lake. Colonial Creek South Campground can accommodate a variety of camping, whether its drive-in camping, or walk-in tent camping. The campsites vary in size from small to medium. Most of the campsites do not accommodate large trailers or RVs.
Campers can access the Thunder Creek Trailhead from the South Loop. The Thunder Knob Trailhead is on the north loop across State Route 20. Fishing is allowed in Diablo Lake with a Washington State Fishing license, the nearest location to purchase a license is in the town of Marblemount, WA. Follow Washington State Fishing Regulations when recreating. Black bears are active in this campground and the surrounding trails. Be aware of your surroundings while hiking, picnicking, and camping. Use the provided bear boxes in your campsite to store coolers, cookware, and other odorants when not in use. If you encounter a bear around the campground or on a trail, inform campground staff or go to the North Cascades Visitor Center and fill out a bear report.
Colonial Creek South Campground is surrounded by a forest of western redcedar, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, red huckleberries, and other native vegetation. The campground has easy access to Diablo Lake for recreating.
Traveling west on State Route 20: The North Cascades Visitor Center is 11 miles (18 km) west on State Route 20 from Colonial Creek South Campground, operating seasonally, typically from May to September. Campers can find the passport stamps, exhibits, park film, park store, and much more. Traveling east on State Route 20: Diablo Lake Overlook is 1.5 miles (2 km) east on State Route 20. the turquoise lake can be viewed safely from this area and there is ample day use parking and vault toilets. Ross Lake Overlook is 5 miles (8 km) east on State Route 20, this is a less developed vista point. There are two pull off areas with interpretive way sides and with views of the Ross Dam and Ross Lake.
For facility specific information, please call (360) 854-7200.
$16 - $24 / night
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.
Put your wheels up in one of the RV Sites with options for every camper, including KOA Patio sites, Pull-Thru, and Back In sites. Looking for your home away from home, try one of our Deluxe Cabins complete with linens, kitchen, and bathroom, or if you prefer a more rustic experience, Camping Cabins off shelter from the elements while still allowing you to connect with nature. For a truly unique experience, a Covered Wagon is the way to go. These units sleep six, and linens are provided. Tent campers are also welcome with Tent Sites along the river, deluxe tent sites with hookups, and primitive sites.
Fun Things to do on and off our Winthrop Campground
Take a dip in the heated pool or go for a bike ride around the campground with plenty of onsite amenities; kiddos and parents will stay busy. Less than 2 miles from the campground is downtown, Winthrop. Step back in time at the Shafer Historical Museum, visit the North Cascades National Park, paddle the Methow River or hike to Falls Creek Falls. Head back to the campground at night for s'mores and campfire stories. Our camp store offers all the essentials to make your experience great.
Styled after a charming Bavarian village, Leavenworth lies at the foot of Washington’s eastern Cascade Range, and is backed by the sparkling granite peaks of the stunning Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Prior to its European facelift in the 1960s, Leavenworth was a rough and tumble logging town along the Great Northern Railway. Today, Leavenworth is a popular year-round destination for tourists and outdoor adventurers. Besides the many quaint shops, galleries, ice cream and candy parlors, brew houses, and bistros, the town hosts several fun events, including arts and crafts shows, classic car shows, beer and music festivals, Oktoberfest, and the Christmas Lighting Festival. For outdoor enthusiasts, there are abundant opportunities to hit the local trails and rivers for hiking, climbing, fishing and paddling. Located about 30 minutes north of Leavenworth, and just 10 minutes east of Lake Wenatchee, Leavenworth RV Campground makes a perfect basecamp for exploring the area, or just kicking back in some stunning mountain country. Boasting nearly 300 mostly wooded campsites, there’s a place for every kind of camper, from full- and partial-hookup RV sites, to small vehicle and tent sites. There’s also a selection of cabins, cottages, lodge rooms and tiny houses available. Restrooms and shower facilities are located in several of the camp areas, as well as a laundry room and dump station. Many sites and facilities are ADA accessible. Additional amenities include satellite TV, Wifi service, a clubhouse, library, game room, and store. Dogs are permitted. Campsites rates are $38–$52/night; other accommodations range from $147–$176/night; reservations recommended. You don’t have to travel far from the campground to enjoy an abundance of outdoor recreation. The resort features a large pool, sports courts—including mini golf, cornhole, and pickleball—and several walking, hiking and biking trails. Lounge beside one of the large ponds, or paddle around on a kayak or SUP. For summer hiking, pick up a trail map and head for the nearby Alpine Lakes Wilderness, where 100s of miles of trails climb high into a spectacular landscape of vivid lakes, flowering meadows, and towering peaks. Fishing and boating are available at nearby Lake Wenatchee, or try shooting the rapids on the Icicle and Wenatchee Rivers on a guided rafting trip. There’s plenty of winter outdoor fun as well, including local snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding at Stevens Pass, and sleigh rides around Leavenworth.
This small property supplies everything you could want for your glamping experience or for your base camp to explore the incredible Cascade Mountains. Whitewater the wild and scenic Cascade River and walk home to your base in the forest, ready for your campfire with s'mores and star gazing far from the lights of town.
This little gem has two tiny homes. One home supplies the outdoor kitchen and contains the solar powered electrical system, fridge, shower (on-demand water heater), toilet and running potable water. The second home is a bunkhouse with 4 twin bunk beds and a loft with a queen. The bunk house also has room for indoor games and room for 6 at dinner.
NEW IN 2024: Bedding and towels are now provided! Leave the sleeping bags at home and relax with all the little things provided
$189 - $199 / night
Maple Grove Campsites are located on Baker Lake Trail. This is a wonderful family hike for all seasons with its low elevation and level grade. Stands of giant old growth trees draped in lichen and covered in moss are some of the highlights along this trail. Baker Lake Trail is the only trail on Mt. Baker Ranger District open for stock and llama use year round. It can also be accessed at the north via Baker River Trail 606. This trail leads into a majestic stand of Douglas fir that regrew after Mt. Baker erupted and started a forest fire in 1843. You can still see the burned snags of the cedar trees that once dominated the area. From south to north, the trail contours the eastern shoreline of Baker Lake, offering glimpses of Mt. Baker. All along the trail spot western trillium, twinflower, foamflower, coralroot and twisted stalk.
$20 - $60 / night
Scout
Our camp spots were close to the lake. The cedar trees gave great cover from the rain. The trails around camp were well maintained.
TravelerBeautiful campground with many large shaded sites along Lake Diablo. Absolutely gorgeous. Each site has its.own bear boxes and the bathrooms were pretty clean.
Traveler
It's a lovely area right by a beautiful river. However, it was hard to find a large enough spot that was also level to park our van. There was some traffic on the road, and a great bonus is that the road is paved, so no worries about destroying a tire. We did have phone service, and it's close to a small deli and other conveniences.
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.
Traveler
Outside the picturesque town of Leavenworth, lies the most stunning body of water in the Pacific Northwest. This was our first camping trip and we could not have picked a better time or place. We visited in September when summer was slowly becoming fall. The weather was cool but not unmanageable and the camp ground was near empty. The only sounds that could be heard were the wrestling of leaves, the gentle lapping of waves, and the nightly screaming of elk in the distance.
At the time of our visit, there was a burn ban but we were allowed to use a propane fire pit.
We plan on going back when it’s a bet warmer so we can take our kayaks.
Our dog loved it!
Guide
We took the opportunity to secure one of the “private” lots. Site S9 comes with a private fenced area, with fire pit, hot tub, seating and fully ready propane Weber. Staff is immediate and attentive. Free WiFi and only 1 hour from the National Park.
Legend
General: A variety of options from cabins to tent sites to RV sites with electric and water hookups on the Skagit River.
Site Quality: With the exception of the ADA-accessible sites and the sites directly on the river, sites are gravel. All appeared to be level. Sites have nice tree cover separating them.
Bath/Shower house: Code entry and they were clean. Showers are $1 for four minutes and a quarter for each continuous minute thereafter. Didn’t use so cannot comment on them (except that hooks are outside of the shower stall, compromising privacy a bit).
Activities: There is some nice playground equipment and horseshoe pits (not sure if you have to bring your own horseshoes). There is a trail, but a sign was posted saying there was a recent cougar siting, so I took a pass on that one! Saw a boat on the river with people fishing.
We ended up here since our planned campground was closed due to recent fires. We arrived at 3 pm on a Thursday the week after Labor Day and there were plenty of sites, so the host gave us an ADA-accessible site since it was larger. We appreciated the helpfulness of the host for a last-minute reservation and the price was reasonable.
LegendLovely but busy spot in North Cascades NP. We were fortunate with really good weather. You can swim in the lake, there is a boat launch and there is a hiking trail across the street. Super convenient. Thunder knob trail.
Bathrooms were clean. Sites a little close. Lots of people come into the park on the weekends from Seattle though it is the least visited of the three Washington Parks. Lovely scenery, turquoise lake.
You need to be prepared when you arrive. Closest camp store is about 25 minutes with limited supplies, but can get you by.. there are restaurants and gas stations in Marblemount, but that is all from what we could tell.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! The Cascade River Camp is perfect for a family looking to stay in the outdoors, my favorite feature is the homemade play area! Check them out and share some pics from your stay!
TravelerSome of you never learned proper etiquette and it shows! Beautiful spot. Toilet paper everywhere. Peaceful… except for the trucks air braking on Highway 2; and the train… which made me question if I was being visited by some alien beings for half a second. Beautiful spot, great access to the river, whose noise washes out the majority of the ambiance killers. Secluded, sadly too dry for a fire.
GuideI generally enjoyed this location in North Cascades National Park. It is a beautiful area with hikes nearby and chilly swimming. Mosquitos weren’t bad which was a relief. However, sites at this campground are close together and not very private. It feels a bit like a carnival at times instead of camping in the woods.
We found ourselves in the middle of the Pace family reunion while visiting. Apparently all the adults coordinated and rented sites by each other for this event instead of renting a group site. The adults yelled across our site to each other, their children ran through our site to adjacent ones, and they were up and noisy by 6 AM. We also were treated to dirty looks, I’m guessing because it was their “usual spot”? They said they camped there for over 30 years so they clearly feel like it’s their private park at this point. This certainly impacted our enjoyment, and ability to relax.
In the future, we will consider a site away from the water for more privacy.
Despite the presence of bears, there was also a pretty cavalier attitude to bear safety and adherence to those rules. There were a lot of kids and adults day drinking so they just weren’t as alert as they should be. This can put those around them at greater risk for a bear encounter. A fed bear is a dead bear, so this was frustrating to witness.
TravelerWe were planning to stay in Leavenworth, but that got sketchy, so we came up here to this dispersed spot, and it's beautiful, quiet, and easy. Enjoyed the sounds of the waterfall/river all night, never heard a single car.
ScoutCute spot next to the creek not busy at all
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
GuideLove this park normally but the amount of mosquitoes were off the chart. Even with multiple means of combating them, it was a losing battle.
TravelerStopped off on way to Seattle and ended up staying a few days. Really great campground with nice play structure for kids and the restrooms were the cleanest of any campground I have been to in years! Well maintained and if not here during peak feels like you have the lake to yourself. Great stop off!
ScoutVery clean , quite and easy to park
ScoutThe host was incredibly generous. We had no where to stay, places are closed due to winter season and he let us park in a spot for only a $20 bill. Amazing guy, clean and spacious campground. Definitely recommend.
Ranger
October is perfect time. So quiet, leaves changing, crisp weather. Just make sure you have heated water hose
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.
Scout
I really enjoyed my stay here. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I went to make my freeze dried meal and noticed I forgot to pack my camp spork and one of the other campers there helped me out.
I had a "lake front" site, which was really nice but still a good 100 yards from the lake. But I was happy with an unobstructed view.
The other campers were all very nice about not making too much noise after sundown which I really appreciated after a long and hot day riding in the area.
The really neat town of Winthrop is about 5 minutes away. AT&T had good enough cell phone signal for me to be able to facetime with my wife and kids.
Next time I make this trip I plan on staying here again.
LegendSuch a beautiful spot, you can tell that the caretakers really have a sense of purpose taking care of this campground and giving it a unique sense of character that you don’t find many other places. I loved some of the details they included like planting flowers and maintaining landscaping and posting interesting and eye catching signs. Playground was a definite find and made me wish I was traveling with my kids at the time. Well done.
TravelerThis is the cleanest, prettiest, best maintained campground I’ve stayed at in my 9 months of travel! Clean, beautiful park-like setting with Skagit River next to it. Great little playground for kids, birdhouses, flowers, hot showers, wifi - what more could you need. RVs and tent campers, and cabins. I highly recommend it
LegendThis campground is right alongside a sweet and fenced neighborhood playground, on the banks of the river. Pretty, tranquil spots and camp hosts on site. There isn’t much here, but a diner nearby has great reviews and it’s a good spot to jump off into the North Cascades National Park.
TravelerThis was our first big camping trip as a family. My husband and I had both camped separately as kids/teens but we never did it as a couple for some reason.
Anyways, this was a fun trip. Despite there being a heat wave, the weather by the lake was refreshing. The campers around us were polite. My daughter even made some friends with the site next to us.
The beach was super busy but there was still abundant room to set up a couple of chairs & relax. The rentals were fairly priced - hubby went out on the lake in a kayak. And the little store was friendly. Bathrooms were as clean as busy state park bathrooms could be.
We're headed back again to the same site this year.
GuideIt’s Lake Wenatchee + camping. No more review needed.
ScoutIt was too cold to swim but so nice on the beach. It was quiet at night and they have a little store in case you forgot anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is Colonial Creek South Campground — Ross Lake National Recreation Area with a 4.5-star rating from 42 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 cabin camping locations near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, with real photos and reviews from campers.
