Camping at Spring Canyon Campground on Lake Roosevelt, Washington
Looking for more to do on your trip to Grand Coulee?
Try hiking up Steamboat Rock or paddling through Lover’s Lane in Banks Lake!
LOCATION
Spring Canyon Campground is located on the southern shore of Lake Roosevelt, four miles east of the town of Grand Coulee, Washington, off Highway 174.
ABOUT THE SITES
- Spring Canyon Campground offers 78 campsites plus two group sites.
- The Campground is open year round.
- Campsites cost $11.50 per night from October through April, and $23 per night from May through September.
- Campsites 1 through 31, located in the lower loop, are available for both tents and RVs. There are no hookups, but all sites have picnic tables and fire pits.
- Campsites 32 through 78, located in the upper loop, are designated “RV” sites. They do not have electrical or water hookups, but offer paved parking pads that are ideal for RVs. They have picnic tables, but no fire pits. Small tents are allowed at the sites located along the outside of the loop. On the inner loop, tents are not allowed. The inner sites border a large grassy lawn with a sprinkler system, so anyone who doesn’t follow the “no tent” rule is likely to experience a nighttime shower.
- There is little privacy between sites. This is true in both loops. Many sites are moderately spacious, but others are more cramped. The sites along the outside of the upper loop on the inland side (even-numbered sites 32 through 54) were especially tight, and probably my least favorite sites at the campground.
- All sites at Spring Canyon Campground offer some shade, but expect plenty of sunshine in summer.
- We stayed at campsite #58. It was a covered site sandwiched between two other sites, but offered a fantastic view of Lake Roosevelt. We had room for our teardrop trailer, two cars, and a small tent.
- Pets on leash are allowed at Spring Canyon Campground.
FUN STUFF
- Swim or boat in Lake Roosevelt. This is the big reason campers flock to Spring Canyon Campground — easy access to beautiful Lake Roosevelt, with a boat ramp, docks, swimming area, and a sweeping sandy beach. Bring your own boat, and don’t forget your boat launch permit.
- Go fishing! This is the other big draw. Lake Roosevelt is home to numerous species of trout, bass, and more. Be sure to follow all fishing regulations and purchase a fishing license.
- Picnic and play at the day use area. The picnic area here is huge! Located above the beach on Lake Roosevelt, it offers plentiful picnic tables, grills, and a beautiful covered shelter, spread out across a spacious grassy lawn.
- Walk the Bunchgrass Nature Trail. The trailhead for this short, quarter-mile hike is found between the upper and lower loops at Spring Canyon Campground. Check to see if printed trail guides are available at the trailhead sign.
CURRENT INFO & RESERVATIONS
- Visit the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area webpage for more info.
- For reservations, go to the Recreation.gov website.
Reservations can be made up to six months in advance. Most campsites will book up in advance during the summer season (May through September), especially for weekends.
WE STAYED HERE
May, 2022, 3 nights
AMENITIES
- Flush toilets
- Drinkable water, available from the utility sinks in the restrooms
- Picnic tables at all sites
- Fire pits in the lower loop only (sites 1 through 31)
- NO electrical or water hookups for RVs
- Dump station for RVs near the campground entrance
- Paved parking pads in the upper loop (sites 32 through 78)
NEARBY & NOTABLE
- The Grand Coulee Dam, one of the largest concrete structures in the world, is just five miles northeast of Spring Canyon Campground. The dam has a wonderful free visitor center. Free guided tours are offered during the summer season (the only way to actually go out onto the dam — legally). Also in summer, a nightly laser show gives insight into the history of both the dam and the Grand Coulee region.
- Steamboat Rock State Park on Banks Lake offers hiking, boating, fishing, and a great campground. If you’re up for a little scrambling, the hike up Steamboat Rock is fantastic. The trailhead is 16 miles southwest of Spring Canyon Campground.
- Banks Lake, located southwest of Grand Coulee, offers miles of water to explore. We took a short kayak trip through Lover’s Lane from Northrup Point. I highly recommend it!
THE VERDICT
I was a little uncertain about what to expect at Spring Canyon Campground. Our campsite, #58, was sandwiched between two other RV sites, not exactly the kind of camping experience I usually seek out. But when you’re booking a camping trip over Memorial Day weekend only a month in advance, you take what you can get.
And what we got was actually quite nice. The view of Lake Roosevelt was fabulous, and even with other campers on either side, we had a reasonable amount of privacy. The covered parking pads were wide enough to fit two vehicles side-by-side, and the small partition between each site provided a clearly defined boundary.
Restrooms were reasonably clean (although the utility sink, which resembled a giant toilet, was a bit off-putting, as the bowl was often filled with dirty water) and the grounds were well kept. As usual, plan to bring your own soap. My one complaint was that there were no water spigots available around the upper campground loop, only the odd utility sink in the restroom, but hey — it worked!
Spring Canyon Campground is clearly popular with families, and for good reason. The grassy lawn in the middle of the upper campground loop is a wonderful place to play, and it’s an easy walk or drive down to the day use area on Lake Roosevelt. Since we visited on a cool, cloudy weekend, this area wasn’t very busy, but I imagine it draws crowds on sunny summer days. With sandy beaches, sweeping lawns, a roped off swimming area, and a boat launch, there’s plenty to keep you entertained all day.
The proximity to the Grand Coulee Dam and Steamboat Rock State Park is also a plus. While Steamboat Rock Campground is larger, it often fills up well in advance on summer weekends, while Spring Canyon Campground sometimes has sites still available. All in all, Spring Canyon Campground is a great home base for exploring Grand Coulee and Lake Roosevelt.
Our Experience
Perhaps it should come as no surprise (at least if you’ve read many of my other campground reviews) that we arrived to our campsite at Spring Canyon Campground well after dark. Thankfully, backing into the site wasn’t terribly difficult, and getting our new teardrop trailer ready for bed was a breeze. Besides, it made it all the more thrilling when we awoke to this:
What a view to start the morning! I opened the kitchen of our teardrop camper to prepare breakfast. All we needed was hot water, and soon we’d be enjoying steaming bowls of instant oatmeal.
Except… I had no way to attach the camp stove to our propane tank. The hose that came with our new tank had the wrong valve, and I’d left our other hose at home. Well, as I often say, I always forget something! Fortunately, Spring Canyon Campground is not far from civilization. We changed plans and drove into Grand Coulee for breakfast at Voltage Coffee. Later that afternoon, we even managed to find the correct hose for sale at the local hardware shop — tomorrow’s breakfast would be served hot and fresh at the campsite!
After touring the Grand Coulee Dam and Visitor Center, we headed back to our campsite in the afternoon to meet with our friend, Dustin, who would join us for the next two nights. The boys helped Dustin set up his tent, and later that evening we gathered around our propane fire pit to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. The campsites in the upper loop at Spring Canyon Campground have no fire pits, but fortunately propane grills and fire rings are allowed when no burn ban is in effect.
The next morning dawned cool and cloudy. The kids joined a newfound campground friend for a game of soccer while Dustin prepared breakfast. After a leisurely meal, we headed to Banks Lake for a beautiful kayak trip from Northrup Point through Lover’s Lane. A brief rain shower rolled through as our time on the lake drew to a close, but back at the campsite it was still dry. I was eager to check out the day use area along Lake Roosevelt, and this was the perfect time to do it.
It was a typical evening at the campground — tacos for dinner, games at the picnic table, and drinks around the fire pit. I went to bed exhausted, glad that we didn’t have to rise too early the next morning.
Much to my surprise, I awoke to discover puddles around our teardrop trailer. We may have had a covered site, but the uneven pavement allowed water to freely flow across our parking pad. No matter — the rain had already stopped. True, we would have to air dry a few things back at home, but this is hardly unusual when you live in the Pacific Northwest (although I have to say — Eastern Washington, I expected better!).
We began the tedious task of packing up camp. Thankfully, the teardrop trailer makes packing up a bit easier, although I still wouldn’t call it a breeze. Too soon, we said our goodbyes to Spring Canyon Campground, hopeful that some sunny day we will return.
