Traveling in an RV is an amazing way to spend time with your loved ones. And the experience can be made even better if you select a great campground to stay at. This led me to put together this list of the best camping spots in Eastern Washington.
The best overall camping spot in Eastern Washington is Fairholme Campground. Fairholme Campground is near the Olympic National Forest and has excellent facilities. It is also very close to Puget Sound and Salt Creek, so there is plenty to explore nearby.
Selecting a camping spot for your family depends on what kind of activities you would like to do. So, let’s have a look at the 19 best camping spots in Eastern Washington, and what they have to offer.
1. Alta Lake State Park
This is one of the best places you can visit if you like water sports. At Alta Lake State Park, you can get boat rentals or take your own kayaks and watercraft. It will be one of your favorite places if you are a water sports enthusiast!
Furthermore, there are many miles of hiking trails in the area that you can explore. These are a short distance from the campsite. The campsite at Alta Lake is suitable for small RVs.
Camping and trout fishing are the main attractions here at Alta Lake. North of the campground is Alta Lake Golf Resort. So, if you want to have a more relaxed vacation, you could head there. This state park is located south of the Methow river.
Alta Lake State Park, Washington State. Family camping destination every summer for over 50 years! pic.twitter.com/aUL1WBtGVl
— [email protected] (@Ma9Dukes) June 14, 2021
2. Blue Valley RV Park
This is one of the best camping spots if you have a large RV. Here, you will have the space to park a large class-A motorhome if you have one. In addition to that, there are many shops in close proximity to the campground.
There are also facilities like flush toilets on site, making it a great place to stay if you have kids. At Blue Valley RV Park, you will have easy access to the fabulous hiking trails near the Washington-Oregon border.
This campground is also near the city of Walla Walla. This is a nice quiet city with a population of just under 40,000. So, if you want to be close to shops and other conveniences, this is a great place to go.
3. Colonial Creek Campground
At colonial creek campground, you are very close to Diablo Lake. Here you can do lots of watersports, and they have excellent hiking trails too. If you have a jet ski or other water vessels, this campground has a boat launch that you can use to have fun on that.
This is the perfect place to go in the summer when you want to have fun on the water. The campground is close to Thunder Lake and Thunder Arm. This campground is also very easy to access. The Northern Cascades Highway runs right by it.
Colville National Forest, Washington 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/2JhmMZ2nPe
— Jack Stewart Chamberlain (@JackStewartCham) April 29, 2020
4. Colville National Forest
This campground is very close to the Canadian Border, so is more North than East. Nevertheless, it is situated on over a million acres of woodland! So, when you are heading to the campground, you get to enjoy the forest road.
You will have miles of trails right at your doorstep. It is an amazing place for all kinds of recreational activities. Colville National Forest is a popular destination for mountain bikers who love to explore the old-growth forests.
To the east of Colville National Forest is Lake Roosevelt. This is a super calm lake with pine trees surrounding it. The shoreline of this lake has beautiful white sand, and it is a very relaxing place to spend some time.
Another lake in Coleville National Forest is Sullivan Lake. Here you can go fishing. The fish species here include German brown trout, rainbow trout, and ling cod.
5. Fairholme Campground
This campground is in Olympic National Park. Here you can do activities such as horse riding, and in the summer months, you can do water sports on Lake Crescent. It is one of the most breathtaking places on the Olympic Peninsula.
It is not the place you would go to for quick overnight stays. There is simply too much to explore. So, if you are a serious RV camper that loves woodland, this is a serious place to consider.
To the east of Olympic National Park is Puget Sound. This is a large estuary where multiple rivers meet the sea. If you like to be blown away by the magnitude of natural features like rivers, this is a great place to visit.
North of Olympic National Park is Salt Creek. This is very close to Vancouver Island and is right next to the USA’s Border with Canada. It is cold up there, though, so pack winter clothes!
If you are planning to take your RV to a cold place, you must winterize it.
Winterizing your RV is where you prepare the RV for cold temperatures. This will allow the RV to perform in cold conditions and not get damaged. You can check out this recent article on my site, where I teach you how to winterize your RV.
Just click that link to read it on my site.
6. Curlew Lake State Park
This camping park covers more than 100 acres and has facilities for watersports, camping, and exploring the natural history of the area. There are 4 islands within Curlew Lake that you can explore at this campground.
To the east of the campground, there are a handful of mountains you can go and climb to. Places like Scar Mountain attract numerous mountaineers each year.
The most popular activities at this state park are fishing and boating. People take their fishing boats and kayaks here all the time. There is also space for camping and picnicking. And, of course, like most places, there are trails that you can use for hiking and mountain biking.
Prime wilderness camping at the Cougar Rock campground in Mount Rainier National Park! Plus, parks are free this weekend in Washington State (and others.) Have to give the highest of fives to @REI for starting the most excellent #OptOutside instead of sh… https://t.co/rI3yVDK8cc pic.twitter.com/ptA9wwSLhb
— Stefanie Payne (@iStefPayne) November 21, 2017
7. Cougar Rock Campground
This campground is surrounded by a network of rivers, making it a great place for kayakers.
This campground has picnic tables and potable water and is just a short drive from Mount Rainer. It is one of the most popular campgrounds in Washington State.
To the Northeast of this campground, you also have the Cle Elum Lake, which is a great place for watersports. Cougar Rock is close to the skyline loop trail. This is a challenging hiking area. So if you are young, healthy, and want to hike with a good backpack in tough conditions, this is a great place to go.
8. Gifford Pinchot National Forest
This campground is surrounded by woodland, as you would expect. So, it is not the place for watersports like other campgrounds on this list. However, this campground is close to Crag Mountain and Fryingpan Mountain. So, if you like climbing, this is an excellent place for you.
There are also countless hiking trails that sprawl for miles around the campsite. There is a primitive campground in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. So, if you want to do some tent camping, this is one of the best tent sites you can go to.
Perhaps the most popular place near this campground is Ape Canyon. There is a hiking trail there, where you can explore very old forests. You will be able to see the monumental Mount Rainer from here and Mount Adams too.
9. Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park
This forest covers more than 7,000 acres of land and has a lakefront park with a campground and beach. This campground is very close to the Columbia River and is a great place for water activities.
The beach here is on the western shore of the Columbia River and is a popular destination for RV travelers. This is a great option if you love hiking in the mountains. There are trails for mountain biking.
If you have dogs, there is plenty of space for them to enjoy too. The Columbia River is also quite close to Banks Lake. This lake is super scenic and a great place to go if you want a relaxing trip. It also has over 700,000 feet of freshwater shoreline for you to explore and hike along!
The Banks lake is also home to Steamboat Rock State Park, which has another 3500 acres of camping space for you to enjoy.
Along the Columbia River is the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They used to give tours to the public here from time to time, but not anymore.
The Columbia River also joins with the Snake River, which is over 1,700 KM long!
The ‘Tree of Life’ near Kalaloch Campground in the Olympic National Park, Washington state, US
This Sitka spruce is referred to as the ‘Tree of Life’, the ‘Kalaloch tree’ or even the ‘Runaway tree’ by some people & is seemingly just strolling along the headland! Photo N. Hunter pic.twitter.com/HUeaCDM62k
— peace1 💙🇺🇸 (@peace1) August 31, 2021
10. Kalaloch Campground
The Kalaloch Campground is open all year round and is very reasonably priced. Nearby, you have beaches and forest trails to explore. This campsite also has facilities for tent camping if you don’t want to go in an RV.
This campground also has facilities for dogs. The beach is just a one-minute, short walk from the campground. So, if you love surfing, jet skis, and other water sports, this is definitely a campsite that you need to visit!
Kalaloch Beach is a very popular place. It is covered in whitewashed logs from the sea. It looks kind of unnatural, but it is amazing and interesting at the same time.
11. Lake Chelan State Park
Lake Chelan is a huge lake and runs through Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest. This place is spectacular for kayakers. You can start your journey upstream and allow the currents to take you downstream.
This is one of the most popular campgrounds in Northwest Washington, and you can see animals such as bighorn sheep and bald eagles here.
At lake Chelan, you can actually have a tour of the lake with a tour guide. You can also play golf nearby, hire bicycles for a few days, and explore that way. What is special about Lake Chelan is the abundance of farmers’ markets.
Here you can get fresh produce, such as home-grown vegetables and pasture-raised eggs.
12. Lake Wenatchee State Park
Lake Wenatchee North Campground is a fantastic campground. Lake Wenatchee is not the kind of lake for watersports though. The water in the lake comes from glaciers and melted snow. This is a very scenic campground.
At Lake Wenatchee, you can go on Leavenworth ziplines, which is just 5 miles from the state park. They also have snowmobile tours and sleigh rides nearby. This is a great place to go if you want to explore the mountains and enjoy the snow.
It is not the kind of place you would go to if you want to enjoy sipping fruit juice at the beach!
Moran State Park, Orcas Island, Washington pic.twitter.com/y7W0zCtjUI
— The Trail Mix (@the_TrailMix_) October 13, 2016
13. Camp Moran
Camp Moran is located in Moran State Park, which has over 30 miles of hiking trails. The camping park is over 5,000 acres in size, so there is plenty for you to explore. This is one of the best primitive sites you can visit. They have facilities for tents and even hammocks!
Camp Moran has lakes where you can go fishing and swimming. If the weather is bad, that’s not a problem. Because at the campsite they also have volleyball courts and a basketball court too! It is a really nice, well-maintained facility.
This is a great place to go if you want to meet other RV owners and make some connections with people.
14. Cougar Rock Campground
This campground is located in Mount Rainer National Park. Cougar rock campground is about 3,200 feet above sea level, so it is a little cold up there!
This campground allows you to take an RV up to 35 feet or a trailer up to 27 feet in length. It is open from late May to Late September.
Not everyone needs a large RV, especially if you are traveling alone.
Check out this recent article on my site where I talk about the best teardrop travel trailers. These mini trailers can be towed with a car and cost a fraction of what an RV would. They are easy to maintain too.
Just click that link to read it on my site.
At Cougar Rock, they have picnic tables, fire platforms, flush toilets, and a dump station. You are not allowed to have your dogs or pets off a leash here, though.
15. George Lake Campground
This campground is located in the North Cascades National Park. In this national park, there are over 300 glaciers and over 300 lakes. So, it is a super amazing place to explore. Some of the mountains in this national park exceed over 8,000 feet in height.
The north cascades national park is known as the Alps of America. The cascade mountains are a very popular, mountainous tourist destination. The central cascades are also amazing.
This is not the kind of place you would go to relax. It is more for young adults that have lots of time and energy to explore the wilderness. There are also many other famous mountains in the area. Perhaps the most famous is Mount Baker and Sherman Peak.
So if you are looking to do some hardcore hiking and mountaineering, George Lake Campground is a place you should seriously consider.
Just west of the North Cascades National Park is the San Juan Islands. This archipelago is a wonderful place to explore if you have a boat, jet ski, or kayak. It is very close to the Canadian border, though, so it will be icy cold in the winter, so consider a good space heater!
The San Juan Islands are a very popular tourist destination in Western Washington. You will see many water features here, including tide pools.
The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is a large & diverse landscape, encompassing over 4 million acres along the east slopes of the Cascade Range in Washington. Rugged peaks, impressive rivers & endless adventures.#InternationalDayofForests pic.twitter.com/x1vGaMUgxJ
— Forest Service NW (@ForestServiceNW) March 21, 2022
16. Domke Lake Resort
This campground is in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. There is so much to do here. You can go boating, hiking, fishing, camping, climbing, biking, and even horseback riding. The forest covers more than 1.7 million acres. You could spend your whole life here and still won’t discover everything.
17. Mountain Lake
Mountain Lake campground is close to Cascade Creek Falls and Twin Lakes.
This is a great place for slow, relaxed hiking and watersports. The calm waters are excellent for paddleboarding and improving your confidence in easy waters.
18. Ranger Creek Campground
This campground is close to port Angeles. There are actually a handful of RV parks in close proximity to this campground. Just south of this campground is Olympic National Park. This campground is quite close to the East Coast of the USA too.
So you can drive down and enjoy the North Pacific Ocean too. Another campground in this area is the Forks Sol Duc Campground. This campground is very small and only covers about 28 acres of land.
Miocene aged basalt along the Spokane River at Riverside State Park, Washington. pic.twitter.com/SrMqG5kb6B
— Brian Allison (@brian_allisonMN) June 28, 2014
19. Riverside State Park
This is the campground to go to if you want to be closer to other people. It is not in the middle of nowhere. Nearby, there is Landolt Farms, where you can do clay shooting. A few more miles away is Pegasus MilSim – where you can enjoy playing airsoft and other skirmish games.
This is one of the best campgrounds in the state of Washington if you like to be close to stores and other conveniences.
Conclusion
Washington is home to some of the most amazing national parks in the United States. And these national parks have great campgrounds too. There are some campgrounds that are primitive campgrounds that cater to tent campers.
Then there are some campgrounds that are RV parks and have lots of facilities, ranging from flush toilets to volleyball courts!
Overall, it is important to make sure that you select a campsite where you and your family will be able to do the activities you enjoy. If you have older family members, it would be a good idea to stay away from the mountainous regions. And if you are scared of water, stay away from beaches and lakes.
There are countless campsites all over Washington state, and you are always going to be able to find a great place for your needs. Furthermore, Washington has state routes that you can use to get to the state from anywhere in the USA.
Washington is known as the “evergreen state” because of the expansive evergreen forests it has. It is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the world. Many of the national parks in the state are managed by the National Park Service.
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