Hot tip: Washington State Parks has a new reservation system for the more casual planner and has added 26 more campsites for same-day reservations. For flexible dates, visit the reservations system and follow these steps: 1) Choose a flexible date, 2) pick a park and a timeframe up to four months in advance, and 3) add group size and equipment. The flexible dates option makes it easier to pick a spot without sifting through many dates. You can also go back and add filters to accommodate your specific needs.
Same-day reservations allow visitors to secure campsites before heading to a park instead of loading up and heading out, not knowing if an empty site will be available when they arrive. This offering also allows parks to better fill empty sites during cancellations. Visitors can make same-day camping reservations until 4 p.m. Book your stay online, or by calling (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
Same-day camping reservations are available at the following parks: Alta Lake, Belfair, Birch Bay, Bridgeport, Cape Disappointment, Conconully, Curlew Lake, Deception Pass, Fort Casey, Fort Worden, Lake Chelan, Lake Easton, Lake Sylvia, Lewis and Clark Trail, Lincoln Rock, Millersylvania, Moran, Ocean City, Pacific Beach, Pearrygin Lake, Riverside Bowl and Pitcher, Sequim Bay, Schafer, Twanoh, Twenty-Five Mile Creek, and Wenatchee Confluence.
Summer is here, and if you haven’t already booked a camping trip, it’s n:ot too late! While Washington state park campgrounds usually book out quickly, if you can be flexible with days, you may catch a break and land a spot. Most have both tent and RV sites (check out this mom’s tips for making RV camping a success), and all are summer bucket list-worthy.
Here are 11 dreamy options for state park camping. All have good facilities and most are in expansive, have-it-all locations. And for more info on state parks, there’s a guidebook for that.
Deception Pass State Park
41229 State Route 20, Oak HarborDriving time from Seattle: One and a half hours.
Washington’s most visited state park has miles of salt water shoreline, beautiful forests, including a large stand of old growth, and tranquil freshwater lakes. Then there’s Deception Pass itself, a narrow waterway between Whidbey and Fidalgo islands with ferocious tides that create whirlpools and standing waves. A gracefully curved pair of bridges carry people 180 feet above the churning water and provide some pretty impressive photo opps.
Booked up? On Whidbey Island, Fort Ebey and Fort Casey state parks both have lovely camping and access to spectacular beaches.
Tide pools at Deception Pass State Park
Camano Island State Park
2269 Lowell Point Road, Camano Island
Drive time from Seattle: One hour.
On the west side of the island that does not require a ferry, you’ll find Camano Island State Park, a beautiful expanse of forest, hiking trails, and striking views along the Saratoga Passage. Check out Cama Beach, just a mile north (you can hike the trail to this neighboring state park), and take a peek at the row of cabins from the 1930’s fishing village. Those are also available for rent, but book out fast.
Booked up? Head north to Larrabee State Park near Bellingham.
Moran State Park
3572 Olga Road, OlgaDriving time from Seattle: Three and a half hours.
After a scenic ferry ride through the San Juan islands, you drive over hills and around a big bay until you come to a forested refuge. Moran State Park, the fifth biggest of Washington’s state parks, is largely covered with old growth Douglas Fir forest. The massive park offers five camping areas, five freshwater lakes for swimming, and tons of stellar hiking. Its five camping areas are situated around two of the park’s freshwater lakes. There are many hikes to be had here, the most epic of which is to the summit of Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juans. (If you’d rather not hike, there’s a road there too.) Atop Mount Constitution, you’ll have a 360-degree view, and on clear days be able to see all the way to Canada. The observation tower features interpretive displays and a staircase to (yep!) more views.
Booked up? If you want to be on Orcas Island, there are some private campgrounds. If you’re inclined to venture elsewhere in the archipelago, there are three San Juan County parks, each reservable 90 days in advance: Shaw County Park, San Juan County Park and Odlin County Park
Mount Constitution, Moran State Park / Photo: Allison Holm
Spencer Spit State Park
521 A Bakerview Road, Lopez IslandDriving time from Seattle: Three hours
Spend a weekend on Lopez Island, camped by an endless beach. Kayaks and SUP’s are available to rent: the perfect means to explore the coastline. And the island’s flat roads are a bicyclist’s dream. Be sure to check out Shark Reef Sanctuary, where you can (most likely!) spot seals basking in the sun.
Booked up? If you want to stay on Lopez, try Odlin County Park, a San Juan County Park, which is reservable 90 days in advance. If you are up for exploring another island, try these San Juan County campgrounds: Shaw County Park and San Juan County Park.
Shark Reef Sanctuary, Lopez Island / Photo: Allison Holm
Penrose Point State Park
321 158th Ave SW, LakebayDriving time from Seattle: One and a half hours.
Tucked into the side of Carr inlet, in the part of South Puget Sound where the inlets, islands, and peninsulas swirl around each other in a fingerprint pattern, this park offers calm waters, forested trails, and a beach that expands to a teeming mudflat at low tide.
Booked up? Try these serene Puget Sound retreats: Scenic Beach State Park or Dosewallips State Park.
Lake Wenatchee State Park
21588 SR 207, LeavenworthDriving time from Seattle: Two hours
It’s a great launching point to explore the spectacular Leavenworth area (the peaks! the larches! the lederhosen!), but your family could also have an action-packed weekend staying within the park boundary. The lake has a sandy beach and a great swimming beach for kids, and there are trails for hiking and biking.
Booked up? If you want to explore the Leavenworth area, Wenatchee Confluence State Park is another option, or the Eightmile Campground in Okanogan-Wenatchee national forest (where there are also first-come first-served sites). If you don’t need to be in the Leavenworth area and are looking for a woodsy lakeside retreat, try Millersylvania State Park, or Silver Lake Park, a Whatcom County run facility that opens its reservations three months in advance.
Wenatchee Confluence State Park
333 Olds Station Road, WenatcheeDriving time from Seattle: Two and a half hours
This park’s spectacular location, where the Wenatchee River flows into the Columbia, mixes natural areas with serious recreation. The trail system connects to a bridge over the Wenatchee River and leads to the Horan Natural Area — a teeming wetland preserve. Also check out the 10-mile Apple Capitol Recreation Loop trail that runs along the scenic banks of the Columbia.
Booked up? Try Lincoln Rock State Park and Beebe Bridge Park, a first-come first-served campground run by the Chelan Public Utility District.
Fort Flagler Historical State Park
10541 Flagler Road, NordlandDriving time from Seattle: Two and a half hours
Located near Port Townsend at the tip of Marrowstone Island, this park is a great place to spend a long weekend. With over three miles of shoreline, clam-loaded tide flats, and old Douglas firs, it’s got a bit of everything. Check out the collection of historical military buildings and bunkers, or pop into the museum. There are two main campgrounds: one in a sunny meadow between the beaches, and another perched on a bluff amid the firs.
Booked up? Try Fort Worden Historical State Park, or Dungeness Recreation Area, which is run by Clallam County.
Lake Chelan State Park
7544 S. Lakeshore Road, ChelanDriving time from Seattle: Three hours
This is one of the busiest campgrounds in the state, and many of those who come here are repeat visitors. Some have been coming for decades, and for good reason. Washington’s largest natural lake, and the third deepest in the U.S.A., Chelan’s turquoise-green water and mountain surround never gets old. There’s a great swimming beach, boat rentals, and prime hiking.
Booked up? Try Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park, or maybe the City of Chelan’s Lakeshore RV Park, which has tent spaces as well as RV hookups.
Cape Disappointment State Park
244 Robert Gray Dr, IlwacoDriving time from Seattle: Three and a half hours.
Set where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, Cape Disappointment sprawls along the Long Beach Peninsula, boasting tidelands, sand dunes, old growth forests, and spectacular views everywhere you turn. Check out the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, fly kites, have a sand castle building contest, or tour the lighthouse.
Booked up? Try Grayland Beach State Park or Ocean City State Park.
Steamboat Rock State Park
51052 Highway 155, Electric CityDriving time from Seattle: Three and a half hours.
Ice Age floods over the last 13,000 years created this stunning and dramatic canyon. Today, the state park features three campground areas, freshwater shoreline, and plenty of hiking, biking, and horse riding opportunities. Steamboat Rock itself is a 650-foot tall plateau with high basalt walls, looming over the lakeside campgrounds. It’s a quick, hard scramble to the top, with panoramic views as the prize.
Booked up? Try Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, or, if that is full, try Spring Canyon, in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. You can make reservations there six months in advance.
Happy camping! And for booking more last minute campsites, check out this list of favorites.
