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Trail Lake Dispersed

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

Free and unmarked, Trail Lake Dispersed sits off a rough access road near a barbed wire gate with no signage to indicate you've arrived. The Bureau of Reclamation manages this no-cost, drive-in or walk-in site on the shores of Trail Lake, south of campgrounds around Coulee City. There are no toilets, no pay stations, and no formal site designations. Campers close the cow gate behind them.

The lake is the main draw. The camping area spreads across a peninsula-like stretch of shoreline, with room for a large group or several spread-out parties. Anglers fish from small boats, and swimmers use the water to cool off in summer heat. The ground is rocky, which makes tent staking a challenge, and there is no tree cover, so shade is nonexistent. Cell reception has been consistently reported as strong, at least on T-Mobile. Roads nearby generate some audible traffic through the night, though the highway noise doesn't carry as far as some reviewers expected.

Trash is a recurring problem. Multiple visitors have found litter scattered across sites, consistent with the area drawing local day users and fishing crowds. Bugs are equally persistent. Mosquitoes, small flies, and no-see-ums can be severe near the water, especially when the wind drops. Bug repellent and a fire going are the most-cited countermeasures. Kevin C. sums up the tradeoff plainly: "keep the doors closed and the bug spray handy." Campers wanting developed facilities nearby can consider Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park Campground to the northwest.

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RV Road Trip Guides

Map & DirectionsTrail Lake Dispersed is located in Washington near Coulee City

Detail location of campground
Dispersed Camping

Coordinates

47.539596 N
119.284624 W

Open in Google Maps

Connectivity

Presented byT-MobileT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile5G
    Excellent Coverage
    Verified by 4 users
    Last on 7/24/26
  • signal strength bars
    Verizon
    No Coverage
    Verified by 1 user
    Last on 7/24/26
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Good Coverage
    Verified by 15 users
    Last on 7/24/26

Connectivity

Presented byT-MobileT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile5G
    Excellent Coverage
    Verified by 4 users
    Last on 7/24/26
  • signal strength bars
    Verizon
    No Coverage
    Verified by 1 user
    Last on 7/24/26
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Good Coverage
    Verified by 15 users
    Last on 7/24/26

Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Site Types

  • Dispersed

Features

For Campers

  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

DISPERSED CAMPING

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Trail Lake Dispersed needs a permit.

Contact

General Info

Drive Time


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Reviews9 Camper Reviews - Trail Lake Dispersed

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5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

33%
11%
45%
0%
11%

3.5

out of 5

9 Reviews

Visitors often highlighted the beautiful lake setting with good swimming and water activities, plus secluded campsites. However, recent reviews noted severe mosquito issues and significant trash problems affecting the experience.

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile
Reviewed Jun. 23, 2026

Quiet but trashy

As others have mentioned, there’s lots of trash in the area. However, you can’t hear the noise from the highway and I had great cell reception

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Michele Z., June 23, 2026
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Michele Z., June 23, 2026
Reviewed Oct. 16, 2025

Great for a night or two

Not my favorite place. Too much trash and bugs and the lakeside had an odd odor. But, keep the doors closed and the bug spray handy and you'll be in for a pleasant and quiet night's sleep. No services. And, it is a pretty spot. I wouldn't take anything big in here, it's really a van-lifer or small TT area.

Sitea handful of unmarked sites
Month of VisitMay
Reviewed Sep. 19, 2025

Nice, but…

The road is rough but short. Plenty of spots available to park/set up a tent. The lake is large and a beautiful clear blue. The downsides is that it’s close to a loud popular road, the mosquitoes are horrendous, and there’s trash all over the place because it’s a local fishing spot. Overall a decent place to stay.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Josh P., September 19, 2025
Reviewed Sep. 5, 2025

Trash Everywhere

We checked out about 5 campsites here and each was covered in trash. One even had a full black garbage bag. Looks like a place for people to go and party. It was a shame because the views were beautiful and I would’ve loved to stay and paddle-board.

SiteN/A
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2025

Nice Lake, bugs are very friendly 😁

Enjoyed our time here. The entrance is not marked that I can see. Follow the directions to a Bob wire fence where you turn in. There is a turn off not too far in on the right. I assume there are more campsites. Unfortunately, when we went, there was a sizable mud puddle that I didn't feel like driving through. I'll explore that next time. But further ahead it opens up to the beautiful lake. The campsite(s) are surrounded by the lake. Kinda like a peninsula. It's a large area with room for a good size group or maybe up to 5 individual sites. There were remnants of a few fire rings. Only one other small family camping when we were there. The water is nice and cool. Good for cooling down on a hot day. Saw a few people fishing from small boats. There are no trees for shade. But there are lots of very friendly bugs that want to say hi. When we first arrived, it was pretty breezy. As soon as it died down the welcoming community came out in full effect. Which just happened to correspond with when we were making dinner for the night. They, of course, invited themselves. It got so bad that as soon as we were done cooking, we each took our plates, and scurried away to our tents to eat and turn in for the night. There was a good variety of bugs. Mosquitoes, small flies, no see'ems. They probably wouldn't bother you too much if you had a fire going and maybe some bug repellent. But bugs are to be expected when you're next to water. And since there were lots of bugs there were also lots of birds to watch. As far as the actual camping, it's kind of a chore to set up tents just because the ground is so rocky. But if you have a good mallet and sharp tent steaks as well as some patients you'll be fine. It got pretty cool during the evening, even chilly overnight. So it was pretty comfortable overall. There is a noise factor to deal with though there are some roads nearby so you do hear cars throughout the night. But overall, it's a pretty nice place with a beautiful lake. The cell reception for T-Mobile was great. It seems to be a first come camp. I believe it is free. We have a Discovery Pass. But we saw zero signs to say either way and there was no pay station. We would definitely come back. Just with better bug protection and floaties for the lake😁

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by billie J., August 9, 2025
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by billie J., August 9, 2025
Reviewed Aug. 2, 2025

So many mosquitos!!

Beautiful spot, but literally the most mosquitos I’ve ever seen (and I used to work in the woods of northern Maine). My family can deal with basically any conditions and we bailed to drive into the night after 30 minutes of painful tent set up.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jun. 2, 2025

Great location on the water

We stayed on a side access trail right before this pin drop and it was just as nice, if not better. A few other campers spread out around the lake but very separated from each other. Sandy dirt that is pretty firm. Beautiful view of the lake and hillsides.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Ryan S., June 2, 2025
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Ryan S., June 2, 2025
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Ryan S., June 2, 2025
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jul. 1, 2024

Perfect

Easy to get to. Different pull outs felt secluded enough. Lots of bugs. Felt safe

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Shay S., July 1, 2024
Reviewed May. 20, 2023

Great spot

Great spot to disperse camp, no toilets , great for swimming fishing kayaking paddle boarding and disperse camping, sunken boat at edge of water cool feature. Lots of bugs and spiders. Also close the cow gate.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Maui F., May 20, 2023
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Maui F., May 20, 2023
  • Review photo of Trail Lake Dispersed by Maui F., May 20, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Are fires allowed at Trail Lake Dispersed?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Trail Lake Dispersed, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Trail Lake Dispersed have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Trail Lake Dispersed does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Trail Lake Dispersed?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, there is good coverage for AT&T, excellent coverage for T-Mobile, and no coverage for Verizon.