Camping at Lake Creek Campground in the Washington Cascades

Looking for more to see and do along the Entiat River?
Try hiking to Silver Falls, or go for a swim at Entiat Falls or Stormy Creek Preserve.

AMENITIES

• Vault toilets in the campground
• Drinkable water from two hand pumps located at each end of the campground
• No showers
• Picnic tables and fire rings at all sites
• No cell service
• No utility hook-ups
• Paved parking pads
• Most sites can accommodate two vehicles

ABOUT THE SITES

• Lake Creek Campground has 18 campsites.
• Half of the campsites are available for reservations online up to six months in advance at recreation.gov. The remaining campsites are first come, first served.
• Lake Creek Campground is open from mid-May through October. Reservations are available from late May through early September.
• Campsites cost $15.00 per night.
• There are no electrical or water hook-ups at any campsites.
• Paved parking pads can accommodate two vehicles at many of the campsites.
• Most sites are spacious and relatively private. This is especially true for sites #1, #2, and #6 through #9.
• Many sites are shady, but some are more open. The sunniest sites are #2 and #4 through #9.
• Be prepared to walk up or down a short slope to reach your campsite from the parking pad. This isn’t true for all sites, but many sites are situated above or below the parking pad.
• Site #4 is nice… except for its proximity to the vault toilet.
• Our campsite, #1, was nestled next to Lake Creek, and very private. It’s a beautiful spot tucked away below a generous paved parking pad, but be prepared to hear the rushing creek at all hours. Don’t pick this site if you have a large tent, but it works for trailers, RVs, and small tents. There is no true tent pad, and the ground isn’t exactly level.
• Our friends stayed at campsite #2. While not adjacent to the river, this site is huge, can accommodate large tents, and is spaced well apart from any neighboring sites. Together, sites #1 and #2 occupy the north end of the campground.

FUN STUFF

• Relax by the river. The Entiat River flows along the west side of Lake Creek Campground. It’s possible to get down to the water’s edge, or at least get a good river view, from a few places between campsites #1 and #10. If you’re lucky enough to score campsite #1, Lake Creek tumbles down the ravine right next to the site. Please note, the river here is wild and rocky, and not suitable for swimming.
• Go for a hike. The South Tommy trailhead is within walking distance of Lake Creek Campground. There’s a small parking area at the trailhead if you prefer to drive. The South Tommy Trail is, like many other trails in the area, a multi-use trail, so you may encounter a few dirt bikes.
• Play in the woods. With such spacious, private campsites, you’ll find wooded areas to explore throughout the campground.
• Gaze at the stars. On a clear night, you can even see the Milky Way. Incredible!

NEARBY & NOTABLE

• The Silver Falls Trail is a wonderful short hike, and the trailhead is only a few miles up the road from Lake Creek Campground. While the hike is only about 1.5 miles total, there is significant elevation gain, so be prepared with good footgear and water.
• Box Canyon is a quick stop between Lake Creek Campground and the Silver Falls Trailhead. This viewpoint looks out over an impressive canyon along the Entiat River.
• Entiat Falls lies just off Entiat Valley Road, a 15-minute drive north of Lake Creek Campground. It’s a small waterfall, but worth a stop, especially in late summer when the pool below the falls transforms into a gotgeous swimming hole.
• Stormy Creek Preserve is another prime swimming hole located a 15 to 20-minute drive south of Lake Creek Campground. Make that swimming holes, as there are several along this slow-moving stretch of the Entiat River. You won’t find Stormy Creek Preserve on many maps, so check out my review for more details.

THE VERDICT

Lake Creek Campground is a beauty. With its location along a boulder-strewn stretch of the Entiat River and sprawling campsites, this small campground on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains provides a real sense of peace and privacy. This is especially true when staying in campsites #1 and #2, which occupy one end of the campground and feel like a world unto themselves. Not all the sites are quite so private, but even those closer together (sites #11 through #18) offer ample space.

For my part, I enjoyed our own little oasis at sites #1 and #2. With Lake Creek rushing by, I could almost forget I was at a campground. Of course, the pit toilets and water pump were there to remind me. Lake Creek Campground is a typical no-frills national forest service campground. Thankfully, the vault toilet wasn’t too smelly, at least as vault toilets go. And for a camping experience like this, I can’t say I minded. For those looking to escape into nature without going totally into the wild, Lake Creek Campground is a stellar choice.

The first time I laid eyes on our campsite at Lake Creek Campground, I couldn’t believe our good fortune. There, just beyond the sloping ground that led from our parking pad to the campsite, Lake Creek tumbled down a forested ravine. There wasn’t much level ground for a tent, but our friend’s fit neatly between the table and the fire ring, while on the opposite side of the table we had plenty of room to set up our camp chairs. Normally, this might not be the best arrangement, but with a fire ban in place, the fire pit was currently out of commission.

Naturally, the best part about the site was its proximity to Lake Creek. The sound of rushing water filled my ears as soon as I stepped out of the car. Between the Creek and the roaring of the Entiat River, the campground isn’t exactly quiet, but fans of nature’s own white noise will appreciate the nightly lullaby.

Fortunately for us, campsite #1 sits at the north end of the campground next to a large patch of pavement. We had ample room to park the teardrop trailer and pop up our new rooftop tent.

There was also ample room for other cars to turn around. Because half of the campsites at Lake Creek Campground are first come, first served, and because there is no signage indicated which way to turn when you enter the campground, it wasn’t uncommon for trucks and cars to head our way, only to find no available sites. They had no option but to turn around, leaving us to enjoy our own personal corner of the campground.

Gorgeous as campsite #1 was, we found site #2 had the better picnic table, so this was where we ate the majority of our meals. Although this site lacks the unbeatable ambiance of site #1, it is truly a huge site, with plenty of open space to enjoy. Plenty of space for dish washing, too, with water procured from the nearby pump.

Speaking of pumps, on our first evening at camp, we mistakenly believed the only water pump was located at the far end of Lake Creek Campground. With the campsites so spread out, it was a long walk to reach the water source, especially when carrying full jugs back to our site. Fortunately, my older son, J, discovered a much closer pump the next day, hiding incognito in the bushes just off the main entrance road. We adults had totally missed it! If you stay at the north end of the campground, this is the pump for you.

Unfortunately, the water from this particular pump had a distinctive brown tinge to it, probably caused by iron in the water. It was safe to drink, but didn’t quite have that fresh mountain spring taste. Maybe the other pump was the better option after all, at least when it came to filling our water bottles.

During our stay, we took the opportunity to explore more of the Entiat River Valley. We admired rainbows shimmering in the mist of Silver Falls, braved the frigid waters of Entiat Falls, and discovered an unexpected swimming hole at Stormy Creek Preserve. Back at the campground, the kids explored Lake Creek while the adults relaxed at the campsite. I wandered the length of the campground, checking out the various campsites. Although it was Labor Day Weekend, I was surprised to find that more than half the sites were vacant on Sunday afternoon.

When it was time to depart on Monday morning, I was a little sad to say farewell to our beautiful campsite. Back home in Seattle, work was waiting, and school was about to start. Summer, it seems, was on the wane. Regardless of what lay ahead, I could think of no better way to end the summer than our weekend away at Lake Creek Campground.