The best camping near Lake Wenatchee State Park

Lake Wenatchee State Park is a wonder in all four seasons; the kind of place you want to make lasting memories with friends or fly solo with ambient jams in your headphones while you discover the beauty of Mother Nature. Across 489 acres you have a choice of both South and North Park; South offering campsites with sick views of glacier-fed Lake Wenatchee, horseback riding, and swimming. North offering a more chilled out vibe, less development, and lots of lush forest to explore. No need to choose sides though! The park’s automated pay system makes it easy to stay for a few days. And you’ll want to with robust activities including 8 miles of hiking and biking trails, windsurfing or water skiing in addition fishing, kayaking, swimming, rock climbing, and even golf. A visit in the winter is just as spellbinding with 25 miles of cross-country skiing, interpretive snowshoeing trails, ice climbing, snowmobiling, and dog sleddin’. Perhaps best of all, they offer groomed sled riding trails. With over 150 inches of snowfall every winter, you can barrell your bottom down those groomed hills until your heart’s content. Go back to where you started, and do it all again.

• Great for boating: Lake Wenatchee South Campground offers easy access to a public boat launch.
• Great for larger RVs: Lake Wenatchee North Campground has dump stations and plenty of pull-through utility sites suitable for RVs.

1. You can reserve campsites and one of the two picnic areas over the phone or by using the Washington State Parks online reservation system. Reservations can be made up to nine months in advance. New sites go live at 7am Pacific Time.
2. If you can't find a campsite for your entire stay, you can split your stay across two campsites without having to pay double reservation fees. However, this can only be done over the phone.
3. Campsites operate on a first-come, first-served basis from mid-October until late March. Winter camping takes place in the south day-use area and Sno-Park permits are required.

If you like warm temperatures and aren't fond of rain, the best time to visit is in July or August, when weather is at its finest. However, plenty of people come for winter camping, when the park and its surroundings are covered with white snow, ideal for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding. December is a great time to come to experience the holiday festivities in the nearby faux-Bavarian tourist town of Leavenworth.

• Lake Wenatchee Park Store sells basic prepared foods, espresso drinks, firewood, ice, and other supplies from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend.
• Outside of high season, the nearest place to pick up supplies is Leavenworth, where there are banks, a supermarket, gas stations, and lots of German-inspired restaurants.
• While there are heated restrooms and a hot shower for wintertime use, hookups are not available during the November through March offseason.
• Burn bans are common during the summer wildfire season. During such periods, campfires and some types of cooking devices are prohibited.
• You will not need a Discover Pass (annual access permit) if you are camping in the park.