Best Tent Camping near Palisades, WA

Tent campers in the Palisades area of Washington have several established camping areas within a 30-minute drive, including Frenchman Coulee Backcountry Campsites and several primitive locations in the surrounding public lands. The area features both established campgrounds with basic facilities and more remote dispersed camping options in settings that range from riverside locations to elevated positions with panoramic views of the Columbia River gorge.

Most tent camping sites feature primitive conditions with minimal amenities. Frenchman Coulee offers vault toilets but no running water, while dispersed sites like Swakane Canyon require campers to pack in everything they need including water. Sites are typically situated on hard-packed dirt or gravel surfaces with occasional grassy clearings at higher elevations. One camper noted that "the tent spots are nice bordered with pea gravel. Level and flat." Fire restrictions are common during summer months, with complete bans often implemented from July through September. Many sites require a Washington Recreation Pass, and dispersed camping generally follows the standard 14-day stay limit enforced on public lands.

The tent camping experience varies significantly by location and season. At Frenchman Coulee, tent sites provide direct access to popular rock climbing areas, with one visitor reporting that "there are great holds and the people you meet are great." Wind can be a considerable factor at exposed sites, particularly those along the Columbia River or at higher elevations like Chumstick Mountain. Seasonal considerations include intense summer heat at lower elevations and limited shade at many sites. Wildlife sightings are common, with bighorn sheep frequently observed at Rocky Coulee Recreation Area. Access roads to more remote tent sites often require high-clearance vehicles, with several reviewers mentioning challenging road conditions to reach the more scenic and secluded camping locations.

Best Tent Sites Near Palisades, Washington (48)

    1. Lake Chelan State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Manson, WA
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 226-7688

    "This is a great park and a premium camping location on the popular Lake Chelan. A favorite location for west siders to escape the rain for some guaranteed sunshine in Central Washington."

    "We camped in the tent camping side towards the lake (site 89) and had a decent amount of privacy."

    2. Burke Lake West

    1 Review
    Quincy, WA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 754-4624

    "It was next to some farmland after a Dave Matthews concert @ the Gorge. No amenities where we were, but quite beautiful."

    3. Frenchman Coulee Backcountry Campsites

    8 Reviews
    Vantage, WA
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (206) 625-1367

    "This is a well-known primitive camping area for rock climbers and other outdoor recreation folks (there are also hiking, biking and boating opportunities in the Frenchman Coulee recreation area)."

    "Plenty of car camping and is a popular spot for rock climbing. There's a trail down to the waterfall and one toilet but no tp so be prepared."

    4. Swakane Canyon/Creek Campsite - Dispersed

    1 Review
    Cashmere, WA
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 548-2550

    "One fireplace - check if fire ban is active!"

    5. Caliche Lake

    4 Reviews
    Vantage, WA
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 754-4624

    "Probably wouldn’t want to tent camp here, not a lot of flat cleared ground, but we found a small clearing that was perfect for a night."

    "Close to the highway though and you can hear cars. It was a convenient place to stay after a concert at the Gorge."

    6. Rocky Coulee Recreation Area

    5 Reviews
    Vantage, WA
    32 miles
    Website

    $10 / night

    "Walk in spots. Walk-in is about 100 yards. Quiet. Some wild life. Frogs and sheep. Good place to drop in and find a spot last minute depending on the day and time of year."

    "Picnic tables and tent pads on crushed rock probably 1/4-. I couldn’t find where to park."

    7. Old Vantage Highway

    3 Reviews
    Vantage, WA
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 754-4624

    "The campgrounds are right next to all the climbing vantage has to offer. You can park right next to your site, have fires."

    8. Chumstick Mountain Dispersed Camping

    2 Reviews
    Dryden, WA
    29 miles
    Website

    "There was a fire ring which is how we could tell it was a spot. The views of the mountains all around are insane!!! Loved watching the sunset and sunrise up here. It is very windy!"

    "Within the almost 4 million acres of the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest, lie countless locations for dispersed camping."

    9. Alkali Lake

    Be the first to review!
    Coulee City, WA
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 754-4624

    10. Antilon Lake Campground

    9 Reviews
    Manson, WA
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 682-2576

    "I had heard from the ranger that things could get wild, but it wasn’t too bad. The dirt road is long with curves, and can get bumpy at times."

    "Tons of wildlife, wild flowers, hiking trails and all around good views. If you're looking to avoid the crowds I would advise going in the middle of the week to atleast claim your site!"

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 48 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Tent Camping Reviews near Palisades, WA

695 Reviews of 48 Palisades Campgrounds


  • Nicole C.
    Sep. 12, 2020

    Sand Hollow Campground

    Right on the river... And the highway

    This campground seems almost brand new. There are no hookups and no water on site, though there are several vault toilets.

    Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, and path down to a rocky beach on the Columbia. The sites are definitely not large enough for most RVs, so I'd consider this tent or van camping only.

    There's not much shade at the sites, but you can get out of the sun near the river.

    The biggest drawback to this spot is that it's just of the highway. You can and will hear air brakes all night. For me, staying on the Columbia was worth it.

  • Cinco D.
    Jul. 21, 2020

    Lincoln Rock State Park Campground

    Great and Busy

    This is a great state park to set up camp. It is always very busy. The sites are relatively spread out. There are two different sections for camping: an upper and lower. To me, the lower section doesn’t seem as nice. It has more trees, but the camp spots seem to be closer together. Likewise, the lower section just feels a little more rough than the upper section. The views are spectacular. There is a boat launch, and a swimming area. Furthermore, there is also a small store, and a mini-mart across the street. What makes this place great is the actual camp sites. They are huge. What makes it difficult for tent camping is there are a ton of sprinklers that turn on frequently. It is important to watch where you stake down your tent. For this trip, we brought our RV and a tent. During the summer, the temperatures during the daytime are hot! Luckily each site is equipped with water and electricity. There is no WiFi, but the cell service is outstanding.

  • Alexandra F.
    Aug. 20, 2022

    Ankeny #1

    Nice, clean, free spot near water

    This place has a vault toilet and small boat launch by way of amenities. No tap, no garbage disposal so make sure to pack in your water and pack out your trash! The water is calm enough to swim here and doesn't get too deep, so could be nice for kids. The wind can get EXTREME at night so stake down your tent and don't leave anything out at night if you want to see it in the morning. Also heard from a local that rattlesnakes like to visit. Enjoy!

  • Jayda R.
    Jul. 23, 2017

    Bridge Creek Campground

    A hop, skip, jump from Leavenworth...

    We didn't get to camp right next to the water (unfortunately) as all of those spaces were full (for obvious reason). We were able to find a spot just on the other side of the bridge, which was a short walk to the creek. We ended up unhooking our tent-trailer to fit in the site, but there was lots of room and level ground to have set-up a tent elsewhere on the site (it just wasn't accessible with our tent trailer). Gorgeous surroundings, the sound of the rushing water lulled us right to sleep at night.

    Vault toilet and potable water.

  • Carol S.
    May. 26, 2022

    Eightmile Campground

    Small sites and no privacy

    This campground is better suited for tents, not RVs or camper vans. Many of the sites are small and lack privacy, especially those in the west end. We reserved on line and there was no notice that sites 30 and 31 share the vehicle space! Since we were camping in a van, we felt like we were in an ordinary parking lot and not camping. Two strange vehicles parked immediately next two us the whole time. There were some other shared parking sites too. Ok for tent camping because you can tent away from the parking area, but not ok for vehicles. 

    In addition, people kept walking through our site (and we watched them walk through other occupied sites). One day, my hubby wasn't feeling well, so we took a nap only to be woken by our dog growling because a man and women were peering into the side window of our van! WTH! Numerous people walked through through our site even though the end was a restoration area clearly marked to stay off of, but people walked through it anyway. And, then there were the young men playing football in our site. Oh, and the dogs not on leashes. One knocked me over when it jumped on me from the bushes as I was heading to the restroom at night. 

    The only good thing was that the vault toilet was the cleanest ever vault toilet. No odors!! Kudos to the guy who cleans it!

  • Cass C.
    Aug. 29, 2020

    Alta Lake State Park Campground

    Beautiful views, zero privacy

    The campground is beautiful. Because of the fire that destroyed the campground, there is next to no privacy on each campsite.

    Pros: -Stars were incredible- we saw the milky-way and a few shooting starts -clean flushable bathrooms -views, access to hikes -cool lake to swim in -cellphone service (although we opted to put our phones in airplane mode to unplug) -family friendly

    Cons: -noise: during quiet hours there was zero enforcement of quiet time. We had a camp next to us partying until 1am and another group up at 6am putting up a canopy and being incredibly loud -no privacy at campsites -there is a fire ban, so if you are hoping for s’mores make sure to bring a propane stove (not a con for us, but may be for others) -bees: there were so many bees. If you are allergic I recommend staying away. We had a screened in canopy and still managed to get several inside -not a ton of shade, mostly because of precious fires

  • N
    Oct. 26, 2020

    Cascade Campground

    Would pick else where

    A lot of rules at this camp ground because it’s attached to a county park. No alcohol at all and they check Quiet hours are VERY strict even when no one else is by you. You can camp by the water but can’t swim by the camp ground only In designated swim zone

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 1, 2019

    Cascade Campground

    City park right on the lake!

    We visited a cousin in Moses Lake and discovered this city park campground for an overnight stay. Not sure we would make this a destination as we are not boaters but for boaters, this would be an excellent place to land.  There is a boat dock so you can hear the drone of boats coming and going; not sure how late this will last but I assume it will taper off by dusk. There are a combination of both RV and tent sites, some right on the water and most, if not all, with water views.  Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and bbq pit. Although there are trees, they did little to offer the comfort of shade in the afternoon heat but the views make it worthwhile. Nothing to separate the sites so not particularly private but again, the view of the lake makes it ok.  Bonnie, the"camp sheriff" greeted us with humor and helpfulness. We arrived on a Sunday at the end of June and we were fine for a one-night stay but Bonnie did say they were full up for the 4th of July holiday. Firewood and bagged ice are available for purchase. No alcohol is allowed (probably a good thing when combined with boating!). There is a nice playground. The bathrooms were reasonably clean and there are showers available for a fee based on how long of a shower you want. Open April - September and reservable May-September, although the reservation process was a little cumbersome so we decided to chance it and see if there would be a site available when we arrived.

  • Garrett T.
    Jun. 5, 2019

    Nason Creek Campground

    Amazing campground near lots of stuff

    It was an amazing campground a lovely host and spacious okay privacy sites,ours was right on the river it was huge could fit lots of tents and hammocks a picnic table big enough for 4-6 people and there was also a connecting site making it pretty big,huge fire ring,and so close to the river(by the way this was a walk in)there is not a lot of space for a trailer here but right down the road less then 3 minutes is lake Wenatchee and they have a huge state park but this place was way better so much wind down there and NO privacy NONE but Nason creek VERY GOOD


Guide to Palisades

Tent camping near Palisades, Washington, offers a blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.

Local Attractions for Tent Campers

  • Experience the breathtaking views at Frenchman Coulee Backcountry Campsites, a popular spot for rock climbing and hiking, surrounded by impressive cliffs.
  • Enjoy fishing and scenic vistas at Caliche Lake, where you can find a few spots suitable for camping right off the highway.
  • Explore the natural beauty of Alkali Lake, which is open year-round and welcomes pets, making it a great choice for families.

Tips for Tent Camping Near Palisades

  • Bring your own firewood and supplies to Burke Lake West, as this site does not provide amenities like picnic tables or showers.
  • If you're looking for a more primitive experience, consider Evergreen East - WDFW, which offers a year-round camping option without electric hookups or water facilities.
  • For a unique camping experience, check out Chumstick Mountain Dispersed Camping, where you can enjoy stunning mountain views, but be prepared for a bumpy road to access the site.

Prices for Tent Camping

  • Tent camping at Caliche Lake typically costs around $10 per night, making it an affordable option for budget travelers.
  • Rates at Old Vantage Highway can vary, but expect to pay approximately $15 per person, especially during peak climbing season.
  • For those seeking a more adventurous stay, Frenchman Coulee Backcountry Campsites offers free camping, perfect for climbers and outdoor enthusiasts looking to save on costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Palisades, WA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Palisades, WA is Lake Chelan State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 24 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Palisades, WA?

TheDyrt.com has all 48 tent camping locations near Palisades, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.