Takhlakh Lake Campground

We camped here for 4 days this summer. It was peaceful and quiet. The view from the camp site is simply stunning. The glassy smooth waters reflect Mt Adam's glacier like a mirror. The campsite we picked was large enough to accommodate our 22 ft trailer plus truck and a Jeep. The outhouse was cleaned daily but can get stinky at the end of the day. There is no official swimming area, but the shoreline has many great places to take a dip in the clear cold water. There was a few mosquitoes but not too bad. Best to go in late summer to avoid the mosquitoes. The road in from Randle is a bit rough at times for a car but doable.

Beautiful views Quiet and secluded campground with plenty of campsites available in the Fall. The trail around the lake is peaceful and easy-going, with views of Mt Adams at the day-use parking lot. There are campsites along the water with trails to the water. This campground is a perfect spot for lakeside hanging, fishing, and paddleboarding. 

The restrooms didn't have toilet paper, so make sure to bring your own. No potable water at the campsite either.

After 22 bumpy miles on NF-23, you’ll eventually come upon a truly hidden gem. Under a 4 hr drive out of Seattle, Takhlakh is worth the drive, every time. A campground nestled in dense forest with a perfect view of Mt.Adam’s in the background, you’d think this place were an early 2000’s PC screensaver. You’ve got fishing, swimming, nature-walks, hiking, or just sitting by the campfire. Takhlakh has truly something for everyone.

*Last visit (2008) basic vault toilet. Could be different now (2022)

Mid September ideal time with hardly any people and no mosquitos. Hiking trails to giant rockfall and slopes of Mt. Adams readily available. Pulled a small camper trailer in with no problems, although the last few miles are dirt, so pay attention to ruts and holes.

We picked up a last-minute reservation here for Labor Day weekend. The campground sits right on a lake northwest of Mt. Adams.

Our site was set up with a single tent pad up a little hill from the driveway and fire pit. It might not have worked for multiple tents.

We did some hiking on the trails right around the campground. There’s a nice loop trail around the lake through huckleberry-rich woods. From that trail, there’s access to the Takhlakh Meadows trail that climbs along a lava flow to a plateau with views of many surrounding mountains.

There is no drinking water or electricity available.

Amazing views, campsites were okay and the bugs werent so bad when we went, definitely warrants a visit back. Floated on the lake all day, can go fishing as well

We camped for two nights. The lake is beautiful with a killer view of Mt. Adams and we were able to hike and SUP from camp. The mosquitoes were vicious but apparently much better than last week. They did not care about either of our two repellants. If you kept moving you were safe, but there was no relaxing in our chairs at camp. We camped in our 30 foot trailer. This campground can technically accommodate trailers of this size but it’s not a great idea to bring one in. We definitely got into some hairy spots. The road in from Randle is really rough for a rig. Ours is built to off road but if it wasn’t I’d be worried that the chassis wouldn’t make it. The other way towards Trout Lake was much easier getting out.

The place is hard to get to, but is very beautiful. The lake is warm and the views are so pretty. We spent much more time than planned getting in and out of the area so plan for that.

If you are a fishing person, it looked like everyone was doing really well out on the water, I saw multiple people with several fish.

The road to get here is long and bumpy but worth every slow mile! The beauty here is astounding. Not too crowded, small campsites, but I'd be willing to sleep in my car and wake up here every morning. The hiking is great and the water is cold!

I dont know why Mt Adams seems to stay more free of the crowds of other mountains in the area but I'm sure glad it does.  This one is a bumpy ride to the site but you are rewarded with breathtaking views and outstanding hiking.  It was a busy weekend but we were able to get a great site and there were a couple open for the night.  Lake is like a postcard.  Weather can be hot and you'll need to bring water.

Amazing place. Lots of spots in this small campground but it doesn't feel cramped. If you have a trailer, some of the spots are pretty tight getting the trailer in due to the amount of trees. While this does add a layer of difficulty backing the trailer in, its worth it with the added shade and feel of the campground. Like any NW campground near a body of water, mosquitoes are present, so plan accordingly. Bring you kayak or paddleboard and have fun!

Not a lot of people and love that it’s unknown

We love this campground. It’s remote and peaceful and the view is unparalleled. It’s a great place to play in a lake, take a hike or two, or ride bikes around the dirt roads. The mosquitos are unreal though - like clouds of them as if in a cartoon. Come prepared! Bathrooms were clean and I was surprised the actual camp roads were paved (which was great for the kids to ride bikes in the loop.) There weren’t any “bad” sites - nice to be by the water for the view, but them more bugs, so it’s a trade off.

Takhlakh Lake campground is an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. We came in July and the weather was not that great but we were still able to enjoy ourselves. The site we stayed in had stairs that lead up to your vehicle. Beware of this if you need an ADA ore stair free site. The camp host was very friendly and had bundles of wood for sale. There is no potable water, so you must bring up your own water. The bathrooms are dump toilets and there are no showers.

While this place was beautiful, it was completely infested with mosquitoes. We had a bug canopy so got away from most of them, but I stopped counting my bites after 40. If you come, remember to bring ALOT of bug spray.

Our campsite was spacious for three couples and three dogs, and the lake is absolutely gorgeous to float on. Bathrooms are pretty well kept up, and there is firewood for sale with the camp host.

I expect bugs to be present while camping, but we all left with at least 20 mosquito bites (even after going through 4 bottles of bug spray) and the nearby hike had so many flies we had to turn around after 2 miles. Would be perfect without bugs - I would love to come back not in July.

Although there is no potable water here, the magical lake makes up for having to haul in your own water. No motors allowed on the lake, so you can spend hours just floating around the peaceful lake, with Mt Adams watching over you. Just under 30 minute drive from Trout Lake, but feels like you are in the middle of nowhere.

I camped here two nights on the ends of a backpacking trip. Lots of sites and lots of people. No water other than what’s at the lake. We also had a lot of bugs, mostly mosquitos. Great view of Mt Adams and a nice trail around the lake. The camp host was not super friendly either. Generally speaking the campground had a weird vibe.

peaceful, serene, heavenly! you won't find a better place to camp with lake access and a view of Mt. Adam's! non motorized boats allowed only. we brought our kayaks and it was perfect! the lake is pretty decently sized and very good fishing. the only downfall was the amount of mosquitos so dont forget your bug spray!

This campground was very crowded and there were many dogs off leash. We were looking for a quieter get away. We drove the entire campground and found a few non-reservable spots available. However, most of them had slanted tent pads or were beside bathrooms and garbage recepticals. If you are looking to camp someplace with a gorgeous lake and great fIshIng this would be an ideal location. I suggest making a reservation.

We've camped here several years in a row to watch the perseid meteor shower and it was always so peaceful. the lake is beautiful and perfect for paddling. the view of mt adams (my favorite!) is stunning and the light changes so much that it continuously feels new. there's plenty of walking around the lake and outside of the campground. huckleberries galore in august. the sites used to be 1st C/1st S and they accepted no reservations. the last time we went out it was a mess. really busy, most sites already reserved, very noisy and crowded. just a totally different vibe. we paid for three nights but left after two. i still love the location and the beauty of the area but will have to research a quieter time to visit.

A beautiful spot with wonderful views but make sure to bring bug spray. The mosquitoes seemed almost vengeful!

This is a popular campground, but the incredible views make it well worth it. Be sure to drive a car with good clearance as the road can be challenging.

While my husband trekked up Mt Adams, I sat and enjoyed this peaceful lake with beautiful scenery.

There is a tent only loop and an RV/Tent loop. We stayed in the tent only loop and were lucky to snag a spot on the lake side. (Sites 47 to 51). There were peek-a-boo views of the lake and the mountain from here, but no direct access to the lake. you have to go back on the path for that.

Note that most of these sites you park your car and haul your stuff to your site. There are some lakeside sites on the RV side, but I didn't stay over there. It seemed there were TONS of kids on that side though so if you want a little more quiet, I would go for the tent-only section.

The campground has a lake access, where you can bring a raft to float and enjoy the views.

The ONE issue with this site is the mosquitoes. There are LOTS so dousing yourself in DEET is a must to have a pleasant experience here.