Colonial Creek South Campground — Ross Lake National Recreation Area

This campground is in such a beautiful setting! Big trees, piles of moss, and lots of ferns. Mostly tent campers, so it feels like actual camping. Unfortunately, no showers, but there are flushing toilets. My only real complaint is because of the popularity of the place, you do have noisy families and poor camp etiquette (ex: running to your cars a lot, slamming doors, headlights flashing at night, beeping your car to lock it... etc.)

Beautiful Campground for our class c. Great location if you plan on hiking around Diablo Lake.

Our camp spots were close to the lake. The cedar trees gave great cover from the rain. The trails around camp were well maintained.

Beautiful campground with many large shaded sites along Lake Diablo. Absolutely gorgeous. Each site has its.own bear boxes and the bathrooms were pretty clean.

Lovely but busy spot in North Cascades NP. We were fortunate with really good weather. You can swim in the lake, there is a boat launch and there is a hiking trail across the street. Super convenient. Thunder knob trail.

Bathrooms were clean. Sites a little close. Lots of people come into the park on the weekends from Seattle though it is the least visited of the three Washington Parks. Lovely scenery, turquoise lake.

You need to be prepared when you arrive. Closest camp store is about 25 minutes with limited supplies, but can get you by.. there are restaurants and gas stations in Marblemount, but that is all from what we could tell.

Great summer escape

Went two years in a row on Memorial Day weekend. Crazy busy but 100% worth it if you plan accordingly. Swimming in the lake is an absolute must if after a long day outdoors if you can brave the cold!

Colonial creek south #80 is our favorite site. It's a double site so there's room for a couple of tents, close to water and toilets. The sites close to the water are packed tight, often one on top of another. No privacy. We had screaming kids at all sites around us, so it was hard to relax. Still a great campground. We saw bald eagles, hawks and deer. There were bears sited within the campground, so the rangers were being very vigilant.

Beautiful site! Try to get a reservation if you can, this campground can get really busy! Nice tent pads, and food storage lockers which is great. Like others mentioned, lots of winding trails nearby and the lake is amazing!

What can I say that others haven't!? Some of the best car camping in the Cascades. The lake is shockingly blue and COLD, but after a sweaty day of hiking is the ultimate in refreshment! Camp sites are close but feel secluded enough. If you walk into the tent sites on the north side of the campground you have some better options if you want to lug all of your gear with you.

This is by far the nicest campground in North Cascades National Park that one can drive to.  If you are lucky to be able to reserve beach side spots on Diablo Lake you will also have lots of privacy and incredible views of this amazing turquoise blue lake and maybe even your own water access/beach.  If not, the dock and beach are only a few steps away. Bathrooms are pretty basic, no showers. Cell reception is non-existent.  Amazing access to the lake and incredible hikes from your campsite!

Colonial Creek South was SO busy when we visited but still so awesome!!

Finding parking can be the first challenge. Due to the boat ramp and hiking trailheads there are A LOT of people/ vehicles. Getting a reservation can be a challenge, good luck. There are walk up sites also, however the system they use can be a little frustrating. Time of year and day of the week I’m sure factors in.

Once you are in though it is deep cedar/pine forest camping. Several walk in sites are right by Diablo Lake which is beautiful. There’s bear boxes at each site , picnic tables and areas to set up. Water activities galore and hiking trailheads in the area. So much to do. I want to go back!

I’m not by any means a pro fisherman but this camp gives great access to any fish that stray away from the lake in to the inlet. The sites are pretty spread out compared to other camp sites in western Washington for sure. Everything is pretty open and there is a nice trail at the end you could take to go backpacking or just a day hike

When we planned our two week camping trip, COVID was not even on our horizon. Luckily

Diablo lake is one of the most stunning sites my eyes have feasted on! We love this campsite. We’ve done first come first serve here, but I think that there are reservable sites too. The hiking, the swimming, the drive in! This place is truly magnificent and magical.

We were surprisingly pleased with this campground. Our site was was a tent site only. The sites are spread out and do offer a little privacy. The sites have a picnic table, fire pit and a bear box. The restrooms a bit dated and you could defiantly tell they need to be updated. Diablo lake is beautiful and plenty of hiking trails to keep you busy. We will be back.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this campground. The maps made it look tight and the park didn’t make much sense to me but I was in for the biggest surprise of our trip. This campground is astounding. The spacing was great especially for a national park campground, the walk ins weren’t to far away but not to close either, the bathrooms were placed appropriately and the attractions are right at your site. There had to have been a dozen old growth giant trees in our site and the views to really help you relax. The bathrooms didn’t have a shower and you could tell the plumbing was old but it didn’t matter. The sites all have a normal fire ring and table. Our site was for tents only and it is recommended to check each site before you book a reservation. Reservations are a must here as well.

Our family really liked the camp ground itself. The only complaint really is other campers. Our "neighbor" obviously wasn't in the know about campground etiquette. Spot lights on until 11 PM and were very loud. But the campground was in a beautiful area close to the beautiful Diablo lake view point. The lake was right at the campground and it was just amazing.

We loved this campground! In the off-season only a few walk-in sites are available for free. The main restrooms and water are locked up, only a vault toilet is available at this time. Site #64 is the best site, much farther away from the nearest campsite and larger. This campground was very quite during the weekends but got busy on the weekends. Next to a few popular overnight hikes, right on the lake, boat dock access. Beautiful spot!

This was our first stop of a 7 day road trip! We arrived in the dark and only stayed for the night. Surprisingly there were plenty of open spots! Our site was small, equipped with a bear locker, fire ring and picnic table. The camp ground had flush toilets, the bathrooms were very clean. They also had a garbage and recycling service, and even potable water available. We explored the camp ground during the day. This camp is right at Diablo lake! There were even camp sites right on the water! Fully accessible fishing pier and boat launch. Kayaking was rough as the winds were strong while we were here. Hiking and more available to those that stay. Fishers had a place to clean their catch! We paid 16 dollars for 1 night. Typically camp at dispersed sites but I would certainly stay here again.

Colonial Creek is right on Diablo Lake. My boyfriend and I were at a spot with the water just in the other side of the trees and it was phenomenal. We had a deer walk through the campsite the next morning, but other than that our spot felt secluded and was one of my favorite campsites I have had.

Colonial Creek is situated in the heart of the North Cascades. It has easy boat access to Ross Lake and trails along Thunder Creek. Has clean restrooms and spacious campsites. Sites are first come, first served. Sites are wooded and bugs were minimal.

It is a very clean peaceful campground, many trails to explore and view the mountains and glaciers that are just stunning. Many old growth trees that dwarf you in this majestic place.

Not super quiet but not crazy busy. Close to water and great hikes!

Tuesday June 19th Colonial creek campground north loop. (pay cash/check at box) Temps in the 80’s in Seattle, hot at campground wIth cool breezes. Spot #21 $16 a night first come Bear lockers provIded Parking in site. Great for a small travel trailer. No hook ups. Neighbors barely visible through thick foliage. Direct access to creek. Rocky banks, lots of fell trees. Trees for a hammock. Bathrooms and water spigots are equal distances away in opposite directions. Nearby Diablo lake is a beautiful light teal green and is colder than hell freezing over. It would be nice for kayaking, but not even the quickest dip. Leashed dogs allowed. no showers

Love this place! The lakeside space is awesome and makes for a relaxing getaway with some beautiful alpine views. And diablo lake is a gem always changing coloring depending on the lighting...truly magical! Make sure you bring bug spray if headed out in July. My only negative is all the summer weekends reserve out way early in the season :(

pet friendly (on 6’ leash), quiet, shaded. Clean bathrooms, but no showers. Fire ring, table, and bear proof cabinets at each site. surrounded by forest and on Diablo Lake! water is cold, but stunningly beautiful. some really nice hikes