Camping at Deception Pass State Park in Washington State

Looking for more fun things to do at Deception Pass State Park?
Try hiking to Rosario Head or the top of Goose Rock, or take your kayak or paddle board for a spin on Cranberry Lake.

AMENITIES

• Flush toilets
• Drinkable water from spigots placed regularly around the campgrounds
• Some sites offer hook-ups or partial hook-ups for RVs. Check the status of your site when reserving online.
• Showers are available at each campground
• Fire pits and picnic tables at all sites, including cabins
• Firewood is for sale seasonally from the Lake Store near Cranberry Lake Campground, as well as other items like snacks and beach toys
• Kayak and SUP rentals are available seasonally from Blue Otter Outfitters, located at Bowman Bay and Cranberry Lake
• Campstuff Coffee sells coffee from their trailer at Cranberry Lake between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends – yes, please!

ABOUT THE SITES

• Deception Pass State Park hosts three campgrounds: Cranberry Lake, Quarry Pond, and Bowman Bay. Cranberry Lake is the largest, with more than 200 sites. Quarry Pond has around 50 sites, and Bowman Bay has 20.
• Cranberry Lake Campground, where we stayed, is close to (surprise!) Cranberry Lake, West Beach, and North Beach, arguably the most popular area of the park.
• Bowman Bay Campground, while small, is near the popular picnic areas at Bowman Bay. It’s a short hike from here to Rosario Head or Lighthouse Point.
• Quarry Pond Campground is tucked away in the south end of the park, further from the main day use areas. It’s the closest campground to the highway.
• Quarry Pond Campground is open year round. Cranberry Lake Campground is partially open from March through October, and all campgrounds are fully open from April through September.
• 7 small cabins are available to rent at the Quarry Pond Campground. Cabins cost between $55 and $120 per night, depending on the season and size.

• Standard campsites (no hook-ups) cost between $20 and $37 per night, depending on the season. The larger sites are “premium” and cost a little more than smaller sites.
• Campsites with hook-ups cost between $30 and $50 per night, depending on season and whether they are full or partial hook-ups.
• There are 306 total sites, with a mix of standard and utility sites. The park also manages six primitive sites on Hope Island (reachable by boat), a group site, the Cornet Bay Retreat Center, and Ben Ure Cabin (reachable by human-powered boat).
• Most sites are shady and spacious, although some are small and less private. Check the site descriptions when you book. There are many double campsites at Cranberry Lake, allowing two parties to book connected sites.
• We stayed at site #222 at Cranberry Lake. It’s a standard site, but has a generous pull-through driveway, ideal for trailers. Trees and bushes completely block off the sites on either side, although there isn’t much privacy between it and the site directly behind it. Luckily, it’s spacious enough for that to be of little concern. All in all, we loved this site. The only downside was we had to drive through the entire campground to reach it!

FUN STUFF

• Explore the Beach. North Beach on Whidbey Isalnd is one of my favorite Salish Sea beaches, with unbeatable scenery and great agate hunting. West Beach is another favorite, with a sandy shore littered with driftwood to explore. The beach at Bowman Bay is another great option, or check out the tidepools during low tide at Rosario Head.
• Take a hike! You don’t even have to drive to reach a trailhead, just start walking straight from your campsite. On the Whidbey Island side, try the wonderful hike to Goose Rock, the highest point on the island. From Bowman Bay, hike to Rosario Head or Lighthouse Point.
• Paddle or swim in Cranberry Lake. Located next to West Beach and within walking distance of Cranberry Lake Campground, the lake is a peaceful place to paddle at any time of year. In summer, it’s also perfect for swimming, with a roped off swimming beach and boats for rent.
• Kayak or SUP in Bowman Bay. Bring your own boat or board, or rent from Blue Otter Outfitters.
• Pack a picnic. Take it to the beach or one of Deception Pass’s many picnic areas — Cranberry Lake, Bowman Bay, or Rosario Head are all great options. Open areas provide space for lawn games or catch, or bring your kite to fly at the beach.

NEARBY & NOTABLE

• Fort Ebey State Park is another wonderful state park to explore on Whidbey Island. It’s a 30-minute drive south of Deception Pass State Park, and offers trails, beaches, and a historic WWII era gun battery. The trail at nearby Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve is also highly recommended.
• Coupeville, located near Fort Ebey State Park, is a charming village of white-washed houses with a historic waterfront on Penn Cove.
• Langley, on South Whidbey Island, is another great small town to explore. If you have the chance, stop by Callahan’s Firehouse and watch some glassblowing.
• Whistle Lake, near Anacortes on Fidalgo Island, offers fun opportunities to hike, swim, and paddle.
• Anacortes may not have the same charm as Coupeville or Langley on Whidbey Island, but has some great places to stop for food, ice cream, or beer on your way to or from Deception Pass. Try Mad Hatter’s Ice Cream for a tasty treat! Anacortes is also the gateway for ferry service to the San Juan Islands, including our favorite, Orcas Island.
• Bay View State Park is another camping option located on the mainland across from Anacortes. It’s only half an hour from Deception Pass State Park, and a good alternative if the Deception Pass campgrounds are full.

THE VERDICT

Deception Pass State Park is a wonderful place to camp. Even though the Cranberry Lake Campground is quite large, sites are spacious and wooded, offering a reasonable amount of privacy. The campsites are well-kept and the restrooms, while not without wear, are remarkably clean considering how much traffic they receive. Deception Pass itself packs an immense variety of options into a relatively small area, giving you a lot to explore within just a few miles. Beaches, hikes, viewpoints, and even a lake for summer swimming and paddling — it’s perfect for a weekend getaway.

Naturally, thousands of Washingtonians agree, which means this place gets absolutely packed when the weather’s nice, particularly on weekends and holidays. Booking in advance for spring through fall is a must! Still, it’s always worth checking with the park in case there are any last-minute cancellations. During our stay, we saw a few sites remain empty even though the campground was completely booked up.

Crowds mean that this isn’t a campground to visit when you want to escape it all. But for the times you just want to have fun and enjoy the great Pacific Northwest outdoors, Deception Pass can’t be beat. For those who want a quieter stay, try visiting in winter. Sure, you’ll need to prepare for inclement weather, but those steely grey winter skies possess a beauty all their own.

Getting on the road for a weekend camping trip in a timely manner is always a bit of a challenge for us. It was 7pm by the time we left our house in Seattle, and we still needed to stop for dinner en route (fortunately, Taqueria La Bamba turned out to be an excellent choice). Once again, we found ourselves setting up camp after dark. On the plus side, we’re getting pretty good at it.

The next morning, we surveyed our lovely site at Cranberry Lake Campground. We lucked out with a long, pull-through driveway (it’s so much easier when you don’t have to back in the trailer) with plenty of space on each side. The wooded area between our site and the campground road was the perfect spot to hang the hammocks.

The closest site was the one behind ours, and they turned out to be quiet campers, just what you hope for on a relaxing weekend getaway. I can’t claim we were always the quietest neighbors, as the boys yelled and whooped while kicking the soccer ball back and forth. But by evening time, everyone was ready to mellow out around the campfire.

On a weekend family camping trip, the keys to success are staying flexible and letting the kids help set the pace (something I admit I sometimes struggle with). After our late arrival, we took it easy in the morning, sleeping in and lingering over breakfast sandwiches around the picnic table. The boys cheerfully washed the breakfast dishes. Somehow, daily chores are always more enjoyable when camping.

You know what else is enjoyable? Cooking over the campfire! We were excited to break in our new pie irons with a delicious pie iron pizza dinner. I stretched out squares of refrigerated pizza dough, then placed them in each iron, filling them with sauce, shredded cheese, and pepperoni before placing them in the fire to bake. Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without the requisite roasted marshmallows for dessert. It was our first time camping with Buddy, our golden retriever, so we had to be especially careful that he didn’t try to grab a marshmallow of his own off the roasting stick!

In the afternoon, we took a short drive to Bowman Bay to hike to Rosario Head, then enjoyed some paddle time on Cranberry Lake. The next morning, it was time to pack up, but fortunately we still had a hike to Goose Rock with friends to look forward to. While I would love to have stayed longer, we left Whidbey Island feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Despite the harried start, our weekend camping trip to Deception Pass State Park was exactly what we needed.