Best Tent Camping near Pateros, WA

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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