Best Tent Camping near Pateros, WA

Tent campsites in the Lake Chelan region near Pateros, Washington range from established state park facilities to primitive lakeside sites. Lake Chelan State Park provides developed tent campgrounds with direct beach access, while Antilon Lake Campground offers more rustic tent camping with several lakeside spots. Mitchell Creek Campground provides boat-in only tent camping along the lake shore for those seeking more remote experiences.

Tent camping areas throughout the region have varying levels of amenities. Lake Chelan State Park features clean restrooms with flushing toilets, showers, and drinking water, making it suitable for campers seeking more comfort. In contrast, Antilon Lake Campground provides only basic vault toilets and no potable water, requiring tent campers to bring their own supplies. Most primitive tent sites in the area maintain fire rings, though seasonal fire bans are common during summer months. Many locations become crowded on weekends and holidays, particularly during the peak summer season, with weekday visits offering more solitude and site availability.

The tent camping experience varies significantly by location and season. Lake Chelan State Park tent sites offer excellent lake access with some waterfront options, though sites can be close together with limited privacy. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, Antilon Lake provides a quieter experience where "just sounds of nature" can be enjoyed, though visitors should prepare for potential dust, mosquitoes, and limited lake access due to overgrown shorelines. Mitchell Creek's boat-in tent camping offers a more secluded experience with dock facilities and picnic shelters, though campers must pack in all water. Fall and spring camping typically offers cooler temperatures and fewer crowds than the busy summer months. Most tent campsites in the region provide access to fishing, swimming, and hiking opportunities, with several primitive areas offering excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

Best Tent Sites Near Pateros, Washington (86)

    1. Lake Chelan State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Manson, WA
    19 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. Antilon Lake Campground

    9 Reviews
    Manson, WA
    13 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!"

    3. Mitchell Creek Campground

    3 Reviews
    Manson, WA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 682-2576

    "One of the many awesome boat up National Forest Service campgrounds along Lake Chelan. Gorgeous lake front spots, with firepits, picnic tables, and pit toilets. Creek is near the campground."

    "the restrooms are a short walk; spare, but usually quite clean. nice dock facility, but secure your bumpers well due to passing boat wakes."

    4. Snowberry Bowl Campground

    2 Reviews
    Manson, WA
    19 miles
    Website

    "Awesome National Forest Service campground, just 3-4 miles above 25-Mile State Park on Lake Chelan. Lots of shade and great trees for hammocks."

    5. Deer Point Campground

    1 Review
    Manson, WA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 682-2576

    "One of the many awesome boat up National Forest Service campgrounds along Lake Chelan. Nice lake front spots, with firepits, picnic tables, and pit toilets."

    6. Poison Creek Campground

    1 Review
    Methow, WA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 682-4900

    8. Rat Lake

    Be the first to review!
    Pateros, WA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 754-4624

    9. Safety Harbor Campground

    2 Reviews
    Manson, WA
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 682-2576

    "One of the many awesome boat up National Forest Service campgrounds along Lake Chelan. Nice shady spots, with firepits, picnic tables, and pit toilets. One CCC type shelter available, too."

    10. South Navarre Campground

    1 Review
    Carlton, WA
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 682-2576

    "This is one of my favorite places to get away from it all but still be connected. Limited cell service with Verizon. Great campsites! Plenty of space between and large area to enjoy."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Pateros, WA

606 Reviews of 86 Pateros Campgrounds


  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 19, 2023

    Pearrygin Lake State Park Campground

    Lake and mountains!

    General: A variety of different campsites in two sections ranging from economy to basic to popular, with and without hookups, and priced according to peak or non-peak season. There are also three cabins and two group camp areas. 

    Site Quality: We are happy we were able to book a basic tent site with our campervan (there were more than a few others with RVs in these sites). Parking was on grass and not completely level, but we made it work. Each site had a picnic table and fire ring (although there was a fire ban in effect when we were there). The sites with utilities had paved camper pads. 

    Bath/Shower house: Clean with soap and air dryers. The showers are free but you are asked to not use more than three button pushes. My shower in the afternoon was completely COLD and I am not sure if it was the time of day, the particular shower, or user error. My husband’s shower got hot midway through. 

    Activities/Amenities: All things water-based including jet skis, water skiing, kayaking, SUP, and fishing. There is also a boat wash. There are also numerous trails used for hiking, running, and mountain biking. Other activities include volleyball and horseshoes.

    Despite my cold shower and the fact that state parks are becoming increasingly pricy (with reservation and out-of-state fees, we paid $ 77 for two nights for a tent site), we enjoyed our stay here.

  • 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!

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 5, 2020

    Klipchuck Campground

    Semi-Primitive Camping With Trio Of Trails

    Nestled just short distance off the main highway through this area, the Klipchuck campground is remote feeling and quiet. Sites here are beautiful with tall trees and lush greenery. This campground was so beautiful and as the fog lifted in the early morning following a rain it was something out of a movie with the cascading sites lining the flatter areas and also the gentle climbing slopes. 

    Despite the nature of this site being semi-primitive you do not feel as though you are without as there is running water located at centralized spigots throughout camp and vault toilets scattered throughout. No matter the site number you select you will be within close proximity to walk to these features. 

    Each site is equipped with a parking space large enough for a mid to large size vehicle, with some large enough for larger RV units as well. I found on a quick drive through camp there were sites to accommodate all camping styles depending on your personal preference of size. 

    Standard site amenities include picnic tables and fire rings with clear area perfect for tent camping. Garbage collection areas are placed along each of the 2 loops, a great bonus feature not all forest camps offer. 

    Pricing was very friendly and could be deposited into a self pay station at the entrance. This is checked by a campground host daily. Additionally the campground host when I was there was extremely friendly offering great tips for adventures in the area within driving distance. 

    3 trails lead out of this campground making it the perfect setting for exploring, though the area does have bear awareness signs located throughout so it would be wise to come prepared for the possibilities of animal encounters. I suggest the scenic trail which has some amazing views of the forest and the many features of the landscaping around. 

    Perhaps my favorite feature of this camp is the constant sound of the water around you which makes it extremely peaceful. If you are interested in getting a bit closer to the water make sure to camp along the back side of the campground. 

    **TIP: **

    • Bring everything you will need to this site, there are no stores on property to purchase anything, including fire wood you will need to come prepared!! 
    • Consider one of the hikes from camp for a day trip instead of preparing to only hike at a trail away from camp.
  • Sarah C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 30, 2017

    Klipchuck Campground

    Another Methow Gem

    This is great camping option in the beautiful Methow Valley. Close to the small town of Winthrop and near two cold and refreshing snow fed bodies of water (Early Winters Creek and the Methow River) perfect for cooling off in the hot summer. This valley is breathtaking all times of year!

    This is a USFS run campground and is available for $12/night on a first come, first serve basis. This campground is highly popular in the summer months and can experience high volume especially on weekends and holidays. There are vault toilets available that are well maintained but that condition can begin to deteriorate as the summer goes on due to the number of visitors.

    Each site offers a nice large gravel area for pitching tents, picnic tables and decent shade. There is potable water available in the summer months and trash receptacles can also be found here.

    This area has been prone to large wildfires in recent years so be sure to check for current conditions regarding fire bans, as they are often in effect in the summer. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires!

  • J
    Jul. 22, 2021

    Jones Bay Campground — Steamboat Rock State Park

    Primitive camping, good overnight stop, nice views

    I stayed here one night in July 2021. The sites are in groups of four with one gravel/dirt parking spot for each campsite. Behind the parking spots are picnic tables, a tent area and a fire ring for each site. Generally the area is weedy, grassy or dry dirt/sand. Most sites have lake view / access, although it seemed grassy and muddy to get there. Probably ok to put in a kayak or a canoe. It seems like many people come here for fishing and boating.

    Sites 8-18 weren’t open when I came.

    -Vault toilets. I didn’t use, so I can’t comment. -No water or trash available

    Verizon 1 bar 1x (useless?) ATT 2 bars LTE (decent) Both marginally better with a booster

    The views were beautiful at sunset.

    The larger campground to the south costs $37-$50 a night. That campground is more developed with amenities, grass but very close neighbors. Osbourne campground to the north is also primitive like Jones Bay and also $12 a night but the sites are in one giant parking lot all facing each other so you have lots of neighbors.

  • 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

  • Carrie J.
    Aug. 30, 2016

    Foggy Dew Campground

    Cheap site, great hiking

    This is a small campground so you don't have to worry about too many people disturbing you. There are 12 sites available at this campground and each has a fire ring. Several of the sites are located along the creek. It's so peaceful to sit next to your campfire and hear both the crackling of the fire and the bubbling flow of the creek. Definitely some nice sounds to fall asleep to! There are also picnic tables at the site, so don't worry about bringing camp chairs unless that's your style.

    I believe there is some RV access but I much prefer to tent camp so that's generally all that I pay attention to.

    There are vault/pit toilets here which is a plus considering you're so far in the middle of nowhere. Great hiking is right outside your tent!

  • 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 Pateros

Tent camping near Pateros, Washington offers diverse experiences in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The region sits at elevations between 775-1,200 feet and maintains hotter, drier summer conditions than western Washington, with temperatures regularly exceeding 90°F in July and August. Winter camping requires preparation for snow at higher elevations, while spring brings wildflower displays throughout the surrounding hills.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: At Lake Chelan State Park Campground, anglers can access both shoreline and deep water fishing. "The swimming area is nice, with grassy and shoreside areas to lay out," reports Kate I., making it convenient to alternate between fishing and relaxation.

Wildlife viewing: Spring and fall camping seasons provide better wildlife viewing opportunities with fewer crowds. At Antilon Lake Campground, visitors report seeing "tons of wildlife, wild flowers, hiking trails and all around good views," according to Jess G.

Water recreation: Beyond swimming, the region offers kayaking and paddleboarding options. Lake Chelan State Park features "amazing dock system and access to the lake, great day use area where you can rent kayaks and paddleboards," notes Marie L., making it easy to get on the water without bringing your own equipment.

What campers like

Lakefront access: Several campgrounds offer direct water access. At Mitchell Creek Campground, Paije A. mentions, "Lots of boat parking with breakwater. Pit toilet was very clean... Fun view from our site of some rock cliff jumping."

Natural soundscapes: Many campers appreciate the quieter spots. Antilon Lake provides "just sounds of nature," according to Chris, while Curtis H. describes Lake Chelan State Park offering "the option to stay in a spot that you would listen to Frogs all night, or next to the stream that sounded like Niagara Falls."

Fishing variety: The best tent camping near Pateros includes diverse fishing opportunities. Don at Antilon Lake reports, "I caught sun fish, crappie, and brown trout... The brown trout I grilled was good, too!" Christine R. adds, "I caught 3 gorgeous brown trout from my kayak, which made 2 delicious meals."

What you should know

Campsite availability patterns: Weekdays offer better chances for prime spots. "We arrived Thursday night and there was plenty of space. By Sunday sites were all full," notes Paije A. about Mitchell Creek.

Seasonal considerations: The region has distinct camping seasons. At Safety Harbor Campground, the "great swimming area" mentioned by Shari G. is primarily usable from late June through September when water temperatures become comfortable.

Bug preparation: Mosquitoes can be problematic, especially at certain campgrounds. Serena G. warns about Antilon Lake: "After setting up our tent and bunking down for the night we found probably 100 mosquitoes INSIDE of the tent... spent the rest of the night listening to thousands of mosquitoes fly at all sides of the tent."

Access challenges: Some campgrounds require specialized access. David H. notes about Antilon Lake: "Our visit was a completely random one... we arrived after dark, set up camp, told a few stories, and went to bed. the view in the morning is beyond description."

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Snowberry Bowl Campground provides a quieter alternative when other locations are full. Steven G. advises, "Pro tip: if you want to stay at 25 mile creek state park on lake chelan and it is full, drive another 3 miles up road to snowberry."

Kid-friendly amenities: Several locations offer facilities designed for children. Courtney J. describes her experience at Lake Chelan State Park: "This was our son (who is two) first official camping trip... he had a blast! The water was still a little chilly but he was able to dip his toes in the water and get a little wet. There was also a nice playground for him to play on."

Food options: Some campgrounds offer convenient food access. Shari G. mentions Lake Chelan State Park has a "store, and a restaurant across the street with burgers and great milkshakes. Staff really helpful!"

Tips from RVers

Water access: When camping with RVs, water access is crucial. At South Navarre Campground, Andrea F. notes, "Stock water nearby" but cautions about access: "Travel is best in a high clearance vehicle with good tires. It's a long drive on a dirt mountain road. NOT for trailers."

Site selection: Choose your site based on practical considerations. Marie L. explains about Lake Chelan State Park: "The sites are smallish and a little weird shaped but you get direct access to the water... The water sites you park at the top and carry your things down to the site so be prepared for that."

Storage precautions: Wildlife can be an issue for food storage. Marie L. warns: "Watch for the critters they are ruthless so cover ALL your dry goods!"

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pateros, 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 Pateros, WA?

TheDyrt.com has all 86 tent camping locations near Pateros, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.