Best Dispersed Camping near Royal City, WA

The sign says you need to register, couldn't find anywhere to register. Sign on board says closed for camping, it was a Covid-era sign. Requires a discover pass, but otherwise, free. Didn't see any park employees. I camped on a Friday evening and was the only one there camping except for an RV boondocking in a different section. Has a boat ramp and a spot you can fish from. No campfires.

This is a Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife fishing access site. It is free with a Washington State Discovery Pass for $30/year. This annual pass will also gain you admission to state parks. There are several boat launch sites here and a number of those Sani Cans. The area is spread out over open land with smooth rocks. It can be a bit bumpy if hauling a trailer unless you stick to the smooth rock roads. No shade except along the shore.

For a free site, it has its good points: easy access to highway 24/243 which will bring you to I-90, quiet, wide open space, near the Vernita Bridge Rest Area for free tank dump site. If you arrive on the last weekend of October, there is a huge king salmon fishing derby with about 100 entrants so you will have company. But, it is usually quiet midweek in the spring and fall. It may be busier in the summer midweek as there are lots of fishing enthusiast ps and boaters who live close by in the Tri Cities area.

If you need a quiet place for one night or are hauling a river fishing boat, this is a good place to stay.

The views are amazing, plenty of open campsites and nobody was around us when we camped. A perfect quiet getaway.

Waterfall, gorge, amazing scenery! There is a pit toilet and there were some people climbing. No accessible water. Only a couple miles from the highway. It was windy, as this whole area is. But well worth it! Note: some of the rocks on the paths to the campsites were pretty pointy, but the road in is well maintained.

Beautiful overlook site. Perfect for Overland type vehicles. The entrance to the site is rough. Scouting is a good idea before attempting entry with a trailer.

This, like the other spots in Frenchman Coulee, is seldom empty, but it's much less packed than the areas closer to the climbing. This spot offers the best views, sunrises, and sunsets, at the cost of no shade and a healthy dose of wind. If you're going for the rugged feel, this'll do it. OF NOTE: The vault toilets are about a mile away from here.

Popular rock climbing area that gets many people through the day. Dispearsed camping in 2 areas. The first spot as you come from the road is much smaller and doesn't have any pit toilets. I prefer to park here when its not busy as the "Feathers" basalt columns are really pretty to camp up next to. The second open site down the road has pit toilets and is a much larger area. Both are nice but also there are many cars, campers, tents and becomes a much more lively area in the evening depending on the crowds.

I think this is a great spot but I move on during the day when the rock climbing crowds start to swarm and park near you. There are some nice trails that take you up above the climbing area and you can get to the backside to get some nice views and away from the crowds. Can get pretty hot here in the warmer months but a beautiful spot to camp if you can avoid the busy/peak times.

Great location so close to 90 but tucked away - will be staying here often

I travel for work and I stay here almost every week to save money on hotels. I’ve also taken my family here over the summer for camping and hiking. We all love it. Very quiet. Weekends can get kinda busy due to hikers and rock climbing enthusiasts. I suggest coming up early if you plan to stay the weekend. Many beautiful views. There is even a waterfall I sleep across from. On clear nights you can see all the stars. Which is my favorite! There are lots of sites to camp. In car/tent/RV it’s pretty accessible. There are some rougher spots where you probably should have four-wheel-drive or at least a higher stance vehicle.

Very nice and quiet spot (at least while I was here mid march). Best to have high clearance as there are some good size rock outcroppings. Few people rock climbing, tall waterfall across the valley. Very quiet. Can hear birds fly by. Best to show up during daylight hours unless you have lots of Baja lights. Many sharp rock outcroppings and difficult terrain to drive over to find a spot.

Camped here in February and November and in generally recommend it for fall and spring. Avoid summer when it gets too hot and ticks and rattlesnakes are around. It gets cold at night so come prepared.

There are several established sites near Ancient Lakes and Dusty Lakes that can be accessed from the lower trailhead hiking or biking in.

Ancient Lakes sites are only 2 miles from the trailhead on flat terrain which makes it for an ideal first backpacking experience.

Only catch is that the lakes are polluted with agricultural runoff so that water should not be used for drinking not even if filtered. Pack all the water you will need.

No facilities at the lakes. Port-a-potty at the trailhead.

Need Discover Pass to park here.