Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

We came here to enjoy the lake.  The campground was right on the lake shore with a great sand beach!

They sites are pretty close together but were usable.  The site we had was a back-in site, the site is gravel and pretty level.  There are no hookups at this location.  First time boon docking, so we were not sure what to expect. This allowed us to test out our travel trailer and it passed.

We have Verizon and there were no issues with cell service for us.  

The campground has a clean restroom, we used our trailer shower.

Pets are allowed and with how the lakeshore was, we were able to walk around a bend and get away from others allowing us to go off-leash so our dog could play in the water freely.

This is a five star campground based on our criteria. Only reason we give it four stars is they are letting the only trees they have for shade die and they are creating a mess. No shade without them. Grounds are largely in disarray. Also washers are top load agitator type. There are many positives though that will bring us back. It is largely a quiet small campground. It is very reasonably priced and is very dog friendly. There are several places to walk the dogs on leash and off within either walking distance or a short drive to the Colville national forest. Management is really friendly and flexible to changing needs. And they do not require payment until you show up. This is a great spot for golfers as well as non golfers. Note the club has pickle ball courts for free use! Great little restaurant and bar on site too with very cheap drinks ($9 Moscow mule!)

Based on visit in August of 2019. The lake had a pretty significant bloom of algae and a lot of mill weed at this time, but it was still a great visit.

The lake and surrounding area is gorgeous. If coming from the West I recommend taking Hwy 2 across the Cascades then take Hwy 21 north across the Columbia (via the free Keller Ferry) and all the way to the Lake. The whole stretch of Hwy 21 between the border and Columbia is one of the best in the PNW. Take Hwy 20 back from Republic for more splendor.

Decent-sized IGA for groceries, convenience stores, and a few restaurants in Republic nearby

This is a big campground on a big lake, but the three loops help to create three different experiences. We camped in #79, one of seven tent sites on the somewhat isolated lower loop. All of the sites on the lakeside of this loop are pretty large and nice. Save for a few trees there isn't a lot separating each site and all are visible from the lake, so not exactly private either. South of the park are cabins across the bay that you can see and hear. During the day there is a lot of activity on the water, including speedboats blasting Nickelback (it is close to Canada).

Over a little hill from the lower loop is swimming beach and day-use area. This area was pretty busy with locals as the temperatures hit 100 during our visit. The bathroom has pay showers, outlets, and was recently renovated. Plan your showers for the morning or evening.

The middle loop is on top of hill that has a wooded slope on the lakeside. There are two distinct areas here, one is literally a loop of sites on grass in classic WA State Parks fashion. The other section is series of 10 or so sites on the hillside and in the woods that you have to park and walk into. The sites were all different sizes and distances from each other. More privacy here, but there is a trail just above the shore that runs by many of them, so keep your shorts on.

The upper loop is the largest and has mix of RV and drive-up sites in a little valley ringed by walk-in sites on top of the hill. Note that from the sites in the valley you can't really see the lake but there are scattered trees to provide some shade. Not my cup of tea, but there is another shower area and a little store operated by the hosts that had ice, wood, and some frozen treats.

Back to our experience: the lower loop is on edge of a small bay and natural marshland. We had a clear view of an Osprey nest (see pictures) that the hillside trails goes right by.

In addition to the Ospreys we saw many birds drawn to the marsh and trees, several kinds of fish, turtles, and nutria in the water. In addition to a few red squirrels we also were visited by a tiny skunk who sauntered up through the reeds on the hillside to lick the griddle I left on the ground by our table (always clean up, folks). It left without incident, but I was glad we didn't have out dog with us or else things could have ended quickly.

In the area are hikes in the Kettle River Range, the Ferry County Rail Trail (which I want to check out next time), and numerous back roads to explore. Because of the heat we did some trips in the van up to the border, Ranald MacDonald State Park (smallest in the state), Swan Lake, the city of Curlew, and of course the ice cream serving establishments of Republic.

I wish the lake would have been more pleasant to be in, that's the only reason for the 4 star review. I'm not sure if it is like that every year, so I would contact the park office or check on social media to see.