Lake Chelan State Park

Lake Chelan State Park sits on the forested south shore of Lake Chelan, about 15 minutes from downtown Chelan. It is the most established campground near town, with direct lake access, a large swim beach, a boat launch, moorage, showers, and a mix of tent and RV sites spread through several campground loops.

The campground is split into three main areas. West Loop has tent sites, most of which sit in the shade. The Trailer Loop has full-hookup sites on pavement with limited shade on the north side, while the south side has partial-hookup sites with more trees and dirt surfaces. The Beach Loop has a couple of drive-in tent sites across the road, but most sites require walking about 10 yards from the road and there is no parking directly on the loop. About half of the Beach Loop sites sit above the waterfront in a treed setting, with stairs down to the lake and a little more privacy. The rest are right off the waterfront with splendid views of Lake Chelan.

On-site recreation is easy: swim from the beach, launch a boat, rent paddling gear seasonally, or hike the Little Bear Trail from inside the park. The campground is also close enough to Chelan and the south shore wineries that it works well as a base camp for a broader Lake Chelan trip.