Antilon lake is a small lake above lake Chelan. It's not a very well defined camp ground other than there are road loops and three pit toilets. The lake itself has perch and bass in it to fish, but the bank is highly overgrown. The best part about antilon is that it is the gateway to the grade creek road which starts the trails up into the sawtooths and up lake Chelan. The one drawback to remember is that on summer weekends, especially the holidays, this is the back in the woods party spot for kids. Finding a spot, or quiet can be tough sometimes.

Picnic Point on warm lake in the cascade ranger district is one of the most amazing camp grounds out there. It is on a elevated bluff overlooking the lake and the lodge. There are 8 tent sites in this walk up only campground. When we were there there were still 4 sites available. If you are lucky you can get a site that overlooks the whole lake. The guys next to us had hammocks and an unobstructed view of the lake. During the day the lake was busy with boats and people, but it quiets down a lot at night. Pit toilets are available, and if you forgot something the lodge at the bottom of the hill will gladly charge you for it. This place was amazing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Gear review. As a dyrt ranger I also get products to test and review in the field. On this trip I reviewed some of the products I received from Green Goo. They have organic natural based balms and salves for most needs. The first day I got quite a few mosquito bites around may ankles, and man did they itch. I rubbed the green goo first aid balm on them and the itch instantly went away. I noticed that it lasted all day too, which calamine lotions usually do not. That night as we were getting ready for bed, we massaged our 1 year old son with the baby goo. It has a very pleasant smell of lavender. I'll tell you what that baby slept so well we have started using the baby goo at home. he loves it and the shiny tin keeps him distracted as we put it on him. I highly recomend all of green goos products they just work. Check them out at http://www.sierrasageherbs.com/index.html

Scootney is definitely a surprising oasis in the desert of eastern washington. Its camp ground is dry with no trailer hookups, but a dump site if you need it. The fishing is great and the locals fish out here all the time. Bass and walleye are caught almost year round here. The lake is in the scrub land though so there is not a whole lot of shade. Be prepared it can get really hot out there. The swimming area is nice and open and the day use section of the park is used by locals all year round.

Pro tip: if you want to stay at 25 mile creek state park on lake chelan and it is full, drive another 3 miles up road to snowberry. Its quiet nestled at the base of the slide ridge road and more times than not the only other visitors will be the forest service trails, or fire crews out on patrol. Mosquitos can be annoying in the late summer but the shade of the ridges and access to all of the up lake hiking makes it worth it. Also it is only three miles back down to the 25 mile creek marina, so lake access is there. This is all dry camping, tents would be best, but there are a few sites you could get a trailer into.

This place is, well, its awesome. I had driven by many times but never stopped before now. 25 mile creek is at the end of the south lake shore road on lake chelan and it has some of the most amazing views of the straights and uplake that you can get from shore. the unit is mostly dry camping, with a sewer dump for your trailers. The shower building was very nice and clean. There is a boat launch and marina there so if you are planning on exploring the upper lake area this would be a great base camp. 25 mile creek runs along the west side of the park, take a look you may see salmon spawning if you are there at the right times. this is a great place.

a short 3 hours from seattle on beautiful lake chelan is the Lake chelan state park at First Creek. This park is about 10 miles from town and has tent sites that are right on the lake, its amazing. There is a boat launch and large swimming area. because chelan is such a lake tourist town in the summer, do not expect that this is a quiet serene camping experience. But if you are looking to come to chelan book your site early. Also the fourth of july fireworks show is directly across the lake from the state park.

Hilgard junction is a small 18 site campground just below highway 84 west of La Grande. It is right on the grande ronde river which was cool and peaceful when we were there. I am not sure many people know about this spot, I didn't and I have been driving by for 6 years now. Even if you are traveling through the day use area is a great place to stop and stretch your legs. Even though the freeway is about 60 yards away and up the hill the traffic noise was muted.

Ponderosa in McCall is a massive state park complex. There are hundreds of trailer and tent camping sites. The main campground to the right of the main gate is very busy but is very close to the day use beach. the beach and day use area is great and the views of payette lake are worth it. follow the roads or hiking trails up toward the north end of the lake and there are awesome cliffs to look over the entire area as well as some really good huckleberry picking, if you know where to go.

at 47 square miles lake cascade has it all. It is a beautiful upland lake that is warm enough to swim in all summer long and deep enough to have some serious fishing if you bring our boat. there are 10 campground units spread around the lake. I have stayed in 5 of those. On the west side of the lake you have huckleberry, which is shaded from the brutal afternoon sun due to being at the foot of west mountain and about 2 minutes from Tamarack ski resort. It has water, but no electricity or sewer for trailers. the beach is sandy and very nice. Poison Creek is farther south on the west side of the lake. This is a very nice trailer camp with W/S/E. The showers are awesome there too. On the north east side of the lake is sugarloaf. if you are camping it will be very hot during the summer. The swimming area and boat launch is worth the heat though. If you are coming up for the day I would stop there. Right in the town of cascade is ridgeview campground. This is a full service camp with wide and deep trailer spaces. If you are glamping this is the place to go. 2 minutes to the diner in town and wifi. The beach here is great and the views are really awesome. Just across the bay from ridgeview is the first come first serve crown point. there is community water and pit toilets but the beaches are granite outcroppings are great. I highly recommend lake cascade. And at 70 miles from Boise it can be a day trip.