Easy location to get to only 3 hours from Seattle, beautiful lake and close to a lot of good hiking and backpacking. Sites were a bit close together but we were staying in a big group so it worked out. Very crowded and loud, but it was a holiday weekend. Tough to get a good lake view unless you walked down to the boat launch. Not much lakefront to swim at. No firewood or ice available nearby. Nice flushing toilets and running sink water was good for multiple days. Lake access from site 99 but too cold to swim at this time of year. Floats, paddle boards, or kayaks are a must but be careful because there is current and a lot of wind so make sure you have a paddle to get back to shore.

We stayed at this campground on Diablo Lake for 1 night on our drive from BC to Portland. We were there on a Tuesday night in early June with not a lot of people. I think typically this campground would be very crowded but we were lucky to be there at a time with not a lot of people around. We grabbed what seemed to be the last available site right on the lake and it was PERFECT! The views were breathtaking and we felt very comfortable and safe in our site with a fire pit, bear safe locker, picnic table and enough space to feel pretty private. I definitely recommend this camp site if you're traveling off season, slightly off season or during the week.

This campground stays pretty busy during the spring/summer/fall months. You are not able to make reservations so if you are planning on going on a weekend, get there early friday if you can. There are two loops and we always stay at the one on the left if you are heading east on 20. There are a few hikes that leave from the campground which is nice but there are tons within a short drive from there. The bathrooms are nice and there is plumbing. No showers though. There are bear cabinet things at the campgrounds for you to store you food.

Get there early on a summer weekend. We arrived to the campsite Saturday around 11AM ($10/night). Each site had its own table and fire pit - ours was tucked into a nice private spot. Some of the sites had bear lockers and there were bathrooms nearby with running water and large trash bins throughout.

Stunning.. a little bit of a drive from Seattle but worth it!

It's hard giving so many different kinds of campgrounds 1-5 stars because there are so many different "categories". Coming back from the Outerbanks of North Carolina where every state run campground is upwards of $40 even if they don't have hot water showers or flush toilets for that matter it's somewhat refreshing coming to my west coast home and finding $12 lakefront campgrounds.

Colonial Creek is a beautiful spot, though the campground itself is cramped and very popular. Colonial Creek will be able to be reserved next year, though there will be a number of first-come-first-served sites on the boat launch side of the road. Not the campground of choice for me - except to make sure I get my canoe on the water at dawn without having to drive in the dark so I can get to the really beautiful backcountry sites!

On the edge of Thunder Arm of Diablo Lake and amidst huge peaks, sits this beautiful campground that is run by the National Park Service. Very wooded (some with old growth forest) with private sites. Great for tents and small campers, but not too much for anything over 30 feet. Clean bathrooms, flush toilets, camper dump station, fish cleaning station, water spigots and a boat launch for small fishing boats or canoes/kayaks. In the summer months, the lake is glacially-fed, making the water turn a gorgeous turquoise color from the minerals that are brought down with the glacial flow. Lots of great hiking options in the area, including Thunder Creek which starts at the far end of the campground. This site is just 1.5 miles west of the Diablo Lake Overlook – which is hands down the best place to watch the sunset in the area. Also, most of NOCA’s evening ranger programs are held at this site. First come, first served. Cost=$16

Such a nice campground! This place is so well kept, and the views are absolutely amazing! The camp sites are pretty private, and some are right on the lake! I just couldnt get over how beautiful this place was!

I visited this campground last summer with my friends and it was a good solid campground. Lots of shady campsites, and two next to each other were able to hold the 12 of us. The rates are cheap too! The only thing is with a burn ban in place there is no light at all on the campsite, just pitch black. There are restrooms, that were semi cleanish, but no showers or potable water. The lake is also frigid, way too cold to enjoy swimming in it. Its more like a walk in to the ankles and run back out kind of lake. But it was beautiful, sunny, and in the 90s the whole time we were there in august.

I've been to Colonial Creek Campground twice, both in winter. The first time was wonderful. It's deserted in winter, and it's located right before where the highway closes off in winter. It's in the mountains, and on a cold winter night, the stars are spectacular. You can hear the ice cracking all night and the mountains are more than beautiful. I rated it as three stars because on my second trip, a transient approached our campground at night and we ended up having to pack our things and leave in the middle of the night. I've been informed by others that state campgrounds in the winter can be popular for transients. Lesson learned, but it has inspired me to do more winter hiking, perhaps just in a less popular location.