Best Cabin Camping near Vantage, WA

I recently rented the cabin for the weekend in February. I've already made a reservation for a summer weekend, but this review is based on winter use.

The cabin comes with a stove & a battery lantern, with the expectation that you'll provide the fuel & the batteries. A previous user had left a propane canister and left the batteries in the lantern. It's a nice gesture, but come prepared with your own. I'd also brought along a propane lantern, and I'm glad I did. (Although this did violate the "no open flames in the cabin" rule - more on that later.) The interior of the cabin is very dark, and while the battery lantern provides light, it's only bright up close. Plan to bring your own lanterns, especially in the winter when the night's dark comes early. There are some board games and books in the cupboard, as well.

The bunkbeds are covered in plastic, but it's a thin cellophane so it wasn't noisy. There are provided pillows; I didn't use them. The bunks' mattresses are comfortable. Because of the way the Forest Service installed the bunkbed & the cupboards, the bunkbeds don't fully benefit from the heat of the woodstove. In the winter, you'll want a warm sleeping bag.

I broke the "no open flames in the cabin" rule because it was 16°F outside, and my meals needed to simmer. I imagine this rule is designed to protect the cabin as well as to protect visitors from CO poisoning. I placed the stove near a window and opened the window a crack, and I never turned my back on the stove. There's a CO monitor in the cabin, and truth be told, the cabin's drafty. But if you're going to break the rule, understand the risk you're taking, and for the love of all that is holy do not burn down this cabin.

The lock on the woodshed is the kind that the tumblers need to be lined up before you take the key out, but it's also a little worn so it's possible to take the key out without it being lined up. If that happens - as it did with me - it's really difficult to get the key back into the lock far enough to unlock it. (I had to heat up the lock & the key with a candle to get the tumblers "unstuck.") Be very careful with the lock, or you may find yourself having a chilly night. (Wood is only provided during winter rentals, so this doesn't apply for the summer folks.)

The toilet paper in the vault toilet is kept in a heavy plastic tote. My guess is this is to protect it from rodents. Please keep the lid on tight.

I wish I'd brought along a pair of camp shoes to keep my bed socks clean. There's a warning that you should expect every surface in the cabin has been contaminated by mouse urine & droppings. Consider that during food preparation. (I used some plastic wrap to cover the countertop to give me some clean space to work.) I didn't see any rodents while I was there, but there were droppings in a few places. There's no running water, so I'd recommend bringing hand sanitizer as well.

I was carrying more than my usual backpacking load, and I'd planned to haul things in on a sled. Unfortunately, I failed to test out my sled setup & practice pulling a sled, and on the trail it turned out to be a dismal failure. I got very lucky in that a nearby cabin owner saw me, took pity on me, and hauled my gear in & back out for me. However, his was the only one of the cabins along the road in use that weekend. If you're going to do something similar, be smarter than I was and test out your gear & your technique ahead of time.

Although the river is nearby, it has a steep bank and I wouldn't risk trying to get water out of it during the winter. I utilized the woodstove's cooktop & melted snow. It's not the tastiest, but it's fine for cooking with.

I will definitely come back, and next time I will be better prepared. I enjoyed the brief glimpse of life in a remote cabin: splitting wood & kindling, needing to keep the woodstove going through the night, et cetera. But I'm grateful someone else cut the wood and stocked the shed, and that I had access to modern winter clothing & recreation devices like lightweight snowshoes & waxless skis.

I really like this place, but a lot of it depends on which level site you want to spring for. I’ll start with the cons: camp sites are pretty close together. Tents sites are real close RV sites are so close that or picnic table was only 6 ft from the sewer connect for the next site. No grass at the mid level trailer hook ups, either. Also the dock was down (I blame COVID), but I can’t hold it against them. Fire pits at each site. Tons of amenities: Pool and hot tub (also COVIDized) shuffle board basketball court, Kids play structure, mini golf board and boat rentals, a store... The lake is great, though, once you get past the first 6 feet of muck. It’s warm, shallow, but appropriately named. The water tastes soap and has a film, but that’s the “healing” part, right? The premium RV sites are great. Bigger, some grassy areas, at least one even has a hot tub. There are also teepees and cabins. It’s a cool little space.

We have been to the Blue Lake Resort during June 2021. The location is awesome, quiet and peaceful for a relaxing vacation. The breeze is welcoming& gentle enough to get fresh air. Very friendly staff, good walking, can get out onto calm rides on water, get some fresh water swimming, catch good fish. Newly added Domes and Glamping sites are nice and they are more attrea We stayed in newly renovated cabin. Very clean with new management upgraded everything they can think of. Cabin has all the amenities including full kitchen. The location is awesome, quiet and peaceful for a relaxing vacation. New Management renovated the entire reort including RV, Camping spots, Cabins and especaially bathrooms. All the amenties water/electric, showers, kayak and motor boats rental are included in rental price. So no surprises at the end. It's a must visit stay place for camping/glamping and dome experience

This is one of the larger KOAs I have been to.  Plenty of room for RVs, trailers, and tents.  They also have a few cabins to stay in.  Our site was near the playground which was central to the camp ground. There is a TV/ play room that my littlesloved but not as much as the heated pool, yes, they have a heated pool! 

This site lies on the banks of the Yakima River.  My dad was able to go fly fishing and my littles were able to search for rocks and fish in the shallow areas. 

The general store has all your basic needs, but a difference from other KOAs was that they sell bee and wine! 

The hosts are great but are pretty strict with quiet hours (which I prefer with littles).

Very well kept campground. There are bathrooms with showers right in the center of the park. They are sticklers on the parking situation so don’t expect any leeway. I believe it was 2 cars max with one boat and camper. Either way though they will only allow 2 cars. Otherwise quiet hours start at 10:00. you can walk right down to the water. Bars are a 10-20 minutes walk depending on which one you go too. Camp spots have electrical hookups only. It’s a dry campground but as long as you have covers on your beers or are using a cup then they won’t bother you.

Campground Review:

Potholes State Park is located in Central Washington, a bit south of Moses Lake. The climate is arid desert so expect hot days, cool nights, and occasional gusty winds. The park itself has some fun features and if you are into fishing or wildlife watching, I found it to be a great spot for both. The campground is divided into RV or hookup sites, a separate area for tent sites with some cabins mixed in, and a large day use section with a boat launch, restrooms with showers, a huge tree filled lawn with picnic tables, and a pretty fun little play ground. You can reserve ahead on the Washington State Parks reservation website. We did not make a reservation and there were a lot of open sites when we arrived on Saturday, even with the beautiful weather. I strongly doubt that will be the case as the summer continues. I would check ahead to see what you can get before heading out.  

The RV sites have power, water, and sewer. They are arranged like a wheel, you drive around the small center and the other trailers are the spokes in the wheel. There is no barrier between you and your neighbor, but all the sites are grassy and the loops are surrounded by a ring of poplar trees. There is a bathroom with flush toilets and token operated showers centrally for all to share. There are 6 wheels like this, a total of 60 RV sites just opposite of the boat launch and day use area. 

We stayed in the primitive or tent sites in the lower area of the campground. The sites along the water are in full sun most of the day, so be aware if that's not your thing. The sites along the inner part of the loop have a mix of poplars and other trees. That provides some shade and tress for a hammock.  No designated tent pad, but plenty of flat spots. All have a picnic table and fire ring. Not a ton of privacy, but it's much more secluded than the RV sites. Also, the bathrooms down here are vaults. No hand washing or showers for us, at least without a walk. There is a loop towards the group tent site and another towards the boat launch, for a total of 61 sites. Mixed into the primitive sites are cute cabins with air conditioning, if you really want to get away from the heat!

When we arrived, the Ranger at the park office offered to let us drive down and choose what site we wanted. I was sure from looking online, that I wanted one by the water. Once we got to the site I chose, we realized that we would be baking in the hot sun all day with no relief. It was at the beginning of the loop so we got the traffic and dust from everyone driving by and we were right on top of neighbors on either side. My husband went up to see if we could move and the Ranger was so nice! It was no problem to move across the road to a shaded site with trees so we could hang out and put up our hammocks. We had no neighbors the entire time. It got a little noisy on Saturday night with the sounds of other campers having fun, but by Sunday night we were alone and when we left on Monday, there was one other camper in our end of the tent loop with us.  

We encountered lots of animals in the park. The bird sounds are incredible. I wish I would have made a recording. Mourning doves, quail, robins, and red wing blackbirds among the many. Deer walked through the campground and beavers and otters were swimming in the reservoir while we did some fishing from the group camping area. We did not encounter too many bugs, but the season is still early. We did see two snakes. One swimming towards us while we were fishing on the boat, the other in our camp site. This was a baby rattlesnake, not a gopher snake. My husband noticed it as he walked by our picnic table because it hissed at him. It was curled up underneath. Very angry with us and ready for a fight when we got a stick to move him. It put up a good fight. I am just glad we noticed it before we stepped too close in shorts and sandals! I want to be clear, this is not anything against the park. You are in snake country and this is that animals home. Just be aware especially if you have little kids running around. 

We went to Potholes to go fishing with some friends on the reservoir for Walleye and Bass. If fishing is your thing, this park is great. You don't need a boat either. There are plenty of shore fishing spots and hiking trails to pass the time. The businesses right beyond the park have good food, a bar, gas, a golf course, and really good ice cream! I love this area of Washington and I can't wait to go back.  

Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, from time to time I get awesome products to put to the test while camping. On this trip, I got to test the RovR RollR 60 Cooler. Check out the product website here: https://rovrproducts.com/product/505229344820/6841244385332

First, the basic stats on this RovR RollR 60. This is a 60 quart capacity, rotomolded body cooler. It has foam insulation and an airtight gasket. It has a fast flow drain plug and is certified bear resistant. It sports all terrain, puncture resistant tires and has an aluminum dual sided padded handle so you can pull it from either side and not clip your heels. The color offering is green, orange, white, or pink at least for this size. The fun features that really set it apart are the inside dry bin, the top mount soft wagon bin for extra gear hauling , and all the extra attachments you can purchase to make your RovR perfect for you. You can add on, for an extra cost, a fishing rod/umbrella holder, dual cup holder, cutting board, stash bag, or bike hitch. Yes, you can attach it to your bike and tow it around! You can also get the wagon bin in other colors /designs. This cooler according to the website promises to compare to the other “high end” pricey coolers out there, if not outperform. RovR even promises to keep ice for 11 days under proper use and conditions!

I was excited to take it to sunny, warm Eastern Washington and test it on a fishing trip with friends. I knew it would spend a full day out in the direct sun, be opened and closed countless times, get banged around at speed, and have to be drug to the boat and back by hand. Also, my friend is a fishing guide and a Yeti fan, so I was looking forward to his opinion.

RovR’s instructions are to pre-chill the cooler 24 hours prior to loading with a sacrifice bag of ice and only add cold items to the cooler when ready. When it was time to load, none of my “sacrifice” ice had melted at all from the prior day. We were able to fit most everything we needed for food into the cooler for the whole long weekend. It is large but fit in the back of the SUV without an issue. When we arrived at Potholes, we set it out in out campsite and got to work with dinner and beverages. Everything was icy cold with no melt. Our fishing guide friend came over and fully checked out the RovR. He was pretty impressed! He thought it was cool looking and loved the wheels and handle, a feature his large Yeti does not have. That and his Yeti is poo brown not beautiful green like my RovR. The next day, we drug the RovR across two campground loops over to the boat launch. The mini monster truck tires handled all the dirt and gravel with ease. It was easy to pull and maneuver. We loaded it on the boat and had a full 9 hour day of fishing for Walleye and Bass in full sun. Even at speed, the RovR did not bounce or wander around on the bow. Overall, it did a great job and I am very happy with its performance!

My favorite feature has to be the dry bin inside. It keeps items cold but dry. I can’t tell you how many wet egg cartons and soggy zip lock bags I’ve dealt with over the years. If you camp for any length of time, at some point you inevitably have a chilly swimming pool of food. Not with the dry bin! I was able to load my salsa, meat and cheese, eggs, but it will also hold liquor or wine upright and cold. The bin is held down with a screw in disk so it’s removable if you have a need for more room. While my ice was fairly melted by Monday, everything was still icy cold. I am also sure that if it was not left out in the 80 plus degree sun ALL day, it would have performed admirably. But again, all my food and drinks were still as cold as before the day of sun, so that’s really saying something about performance potential. Also, when we arrived home, the wagon bin was great for throwing the headlamps, shoes, hammocks, and all the other loose items into it and hauling them down to be put away in one trip. It never leaked or showed condensation. It was also easy to open and close, unlike some of the other fancy coolers, even though it has similar rubber gasket type latches.

The only issue I have with my RovR RollR 60 is that it’s heavy! Fully loaded, my husband and I had to team lift it into the back of the SUV. My kitchen is also downstairs so to load it and get it to the garage I have to maneuver it up and down our stairs. It’s not an easy task. The other super minor, picky complaints are the handle, which is really comfortable to pull and hold in your hand, hangs centimeters from the ground. In our dusty campsite, the handle got really dirty which makes your hands really dirty. If you are trying to prep food out of your cooler that might be an issue. Finally, the wagon bin that the RovR comes with is white in color, initially. I don’t know about you, but I get pretty dirty while camping. White is an unfortunate color choice for the outdoors. We left it behind completely for fishing even though when flat it makes a nice cushion to sit on. You can get other super cool prints, but you have to buy them separately. Once my white bin becomes super gross I will definitely upgrade.

It doesn’t matter if you have an RV or prefer the tent, a good cooler is an absolute must. And, if you are going to invest the money in a cooler, why not buy one that not only performs at an outstanding level but has some neat features and a little spunk as well?

We have made 2 trips to Blue Lake Resort during 2021 year. The place is quite serene and beautiful. I highly recommend staying in the dome with lake view. The morning and evening views are spectacular. The staff was very friendly and accommodating to our requests. Free kayak and paddle board was icing on the cake. The lake breeze and the freshness of air kept me 2 more days than planned. The public restrooms and showers were very clean. Another advantage was the dedicated cooking sites. Couple of days it was hard to use the outside cooking due to wind and those enclosed cooking sites were a great option. This saved us from traveling for food. Second time we stayed in the renovated cabin. Well thought layout and having a dedicated kitchen and bathroom is very convenient. The only drawback is, these cabins are not waterfront. You still have the view of water but not as good as the dome or glamping site. Kids enjoyed the glamping sites more than the cabins. Prices are reasonable and most of the facilities(kayaks/paddleboard) are included in the pricing. Kids enjoyed the kayaks and paddle boards. Overall it’s a good value and we will be regular here.

The campground is located on O'Sullivan Reservior in the middle of nowhere.  It has excellent fishing and a plenty of room to boat to different areas to fish.  The campground has tent and RV spaces with hookups.  There is a fish cleaning station and a shower, restroom area near the docks.  Fish that can be found are:  Walleye, Crappie, Bass, Trout.  There are also a lot of Carp to encounter. Be prepared for various weather conditions and sometimes windy conditions.  Fishing can be done on the banks.  Lots of little hidden potholes in the area if you are willing to look around the area.  There is a country store within a comfortable driving distance or bike ride.  Picnic tables and grass are available.  The camping can be cramped with little shade.  The Park Rangers can be cantankerous and at times can be rude.  The Park Host changes so you never know if you will get someone helpful or military rules.  Don't expect the other campers to respect your night of quiet.  Seems there isn't much in the way of enforcement.  Overall the Reservior is worth it and just enjoy it.