12 Best Washington State Parks for Camping

Camping is one of the best ways to experience the great outdoors, especially in states like Washington, where being out in nature is a way of life. You can spend your days hiking, boating, or simply relaxing, followed by peaceful nights with campfires, s’mores, and starry skies. But with everyone eager to get outside, it can be almost impossible to snag a good spot. While folks flock to campsites in popular national parks like Mount Rainier and Olympic, Washington’s 124 state parks have equally great camping opportunities and are often not as crowded. 

Available by reservation or a first-come first-served basis, the Evergreen State’s local parks connect campers to its wealth of mountains, forests, and coastlines. They’re also treasure troves of history and culture, with military ruins, 1930s-era park structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and tributes to Indigenous groups. So, grab yourself a Discover Pass, granting you unlimited access to state-managed land, and gather your gear. Whether you love roughing it or prefer to pitch up where there are plenty of amenities, these Washington state parks are the best for camping.

Deception Pass State Park

Best known for its high-flying twin bridges linking the coastal islands of Whidbey and Fidalgo, Deception Pass State Park is Washington’s most-visited state park. Marrying the best of the land and sea, visitors can trek along 38 miles of trails through coastal old-growth forests, see tide pools at Rosario Beach, kayak and boat past secretive coves, and fill camera rolls with endless photos of technicolor sunsets. If you’re lucky, you may even spot whales swimming by or bald eagles soaring overhead. Spanning 3,854 acres along the rugged Pacific Coast, the well-equipped park can accommodate both tents and RVs with more than 300 campsites. Those at Cranberry Lake Campground are arguably the best, as they provide the best access to fishing and swimming in the lake and are ideally positioned for beachcombing at North Beach. 

Rasar State Park

This small 180-acre state park just west of North Cascades National Park is a great option for families who want to sprawl out. There are more than 50 campsites accommodating tents and RVs, plus picnic spots and play areas. The park’s lush fields and forests border 4,000 feet of the Skagit River, drawing fishers and kayakers to enjoy this leisurely stretch. Second-growth forests blanket the surrounding hills and mountains. The trails here invite hikers of all ages and abilities to explore.

Larrabee State Park

Go back to where it all began by camping bayside in northwestern Washington’s Larrabee State Park. Founded in 1915, this was Washington's first state park, now offering boating, sightseeing, and hiking on the moody Pacific Coast. Its scenic location on Samish Bay looks out toward the San Juan Islands, and if the season is right, campers can try their hand at crabbing or shellfish harvesting along the beaches. If you tire of coastal activities, the forests of the Chuckanut Mountains make the sea feel a world away, with hiking trails to hidden freshwater lakes and designated mountain biking trails.

Lake Chelan State Park

Located in sunny, arid central Washington, Lake Chelan has long been a summer staple for Washington families. People come back year after year to camp, swim, boat, and enjoy locally grown wine and produce in charming nearby towns like Chelan. Situated on the southwestern shore of its namesake 50.5-mile-long lake, the 127-acre Lake Chelan State Park is a picturesque retreat with 103 standard campsites, 35 sites with hookups, and facilities like showers and restrooms. Water sports like boating, kayaking, paddling, and waterskiing are all the rage here, but lounging beside the blue lake and admiring the distant mountains is equally enticing. If you’re planning a summer trip, it's best book your campsite fast.

Lake Wenatchee State Park

Surrounded by the captivating peaks of the Cascade Mountains, Lake Wenatchee and its 492-acre namesake state park attract lake lovers all year round. In cold weather, an average snowfall of about 150 inches transforms the landscape into a winter wonderland with ski hills, cross-country and snowshoe trails, and sled runs. Come summer, swimmers, kayakers, windsurfers, and boaters fill the rippling blue waters of this glacial lake and pitch their tents in the campgrounds surrounding its shore. There are 155 standard sites and 42 partial hookups, along with facilities like showers, restrooms, and a dump station. With the Bavarian-inspired town of Leavenworth just up the road, it can feel almost like a European holiday.

Moran State Park

This all-seasons state park on Orcas Island in northwest Washington is a great place to unplug. While hiking and mountain biking the 30-plus miles of forested trails, paddling and swimming in sylvan freshwater lakes, or scaling the historic stone watchtower on the summit of Mount Constitution, you’ll get a taste of “island time.” After all, when you’re camping on a remote island that can only be reached by boat or plane, you learn to slow down and move with the rhythms of nature. Campers have four different areas and about 130 sites to choose from around the park. Reservations are required between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Beacon Rock State Park

The 848-foot Beacon Rock invites adventurous travelers to scale its windy, switchbacks to the monolithic summit, where some of the best views of the mighty Columbia River Gorge await. But those eager to spend more time in the area can grab one of the 30 first-come, first-served year-round campsites within the 4,464-acre park, which offers rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. Surrounded by the greater Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, it’s also a great home base for exploring both the Washington and Oregon sides of the gorge.

Riverside State Park

At 9,194 acres, Riverside State Park is Washington’s second-biggest state park, eclipsed only by Mount Spokane. Hugging the banks of the Spokane and Little Spokane rivers, this wide-open wilderness full of ponderosa pine forests, surging rivers, rocky canyons, and wildlife-rich marshes is the ultimate outdoor playground for local Spokanites. Pretty much any kind of outdoor recreation you can think of can be found here, from swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating, and fishing on the rivers and lakes to hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and birding on land. And the fun doesn’t stop after summer, as winter brings snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The park contains smaller recreation areas like Nine Mile and has several different camping areas for tenting and RVing. Bowl and Pitcher is especially popular, due in part to the scenic suspension bridge spanning the rapids of the Spokane River.

Cape Disappointment State Park

Although the British fur trader who named this wind- and wave-battered headland at the mouth of the Columbia River may have been disappointed in his find, history buffs and those who love sensational coastal landscapes are sure to have a field day. Located on a peninsula where the Columbia meets the Pacific Ocean, the 2,023-acre Cape Disappointment State Park has numerous historical distinctions, like marking the end of Lewis and Clark’s expedition. It’s also the home of ruined World War II-era fortifications and steadfast lighthouses. Hiking through ancient forests, walking across briny beaches like Deadman’s Cove, harvesting clams and crabs, and soaking up the lore of this history-drenched park are just some of the ways to experience it while camping in a tent or RV. If you’re lucky, you may even get to watch boat captains navigate the treacherous Columbia Bar or see waves crash against the cliffs on stormy days.

Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park

When the cataclysmic Missoula floods washed across eastern Washington some 13,000 years ago, they created a massive waterfall four times the size of Niagara Falls. At Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park in central Washington, you can camp quite literally in the shadow of these former falls, at the base of the 400-foot-high, 3.5-mile-wide cliffs the torrential cascade once poured over. Although the falls are now a desertscape of eerie black basalt (and a key site along the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail), Sun Lakes-Dry is a veritable oasis surrounded by an arid landscape, with sparkling lakes cradled at the base of the cliffs and waving grasslands all around. Campers can boat and paddle on Park Lake and Deep Lake, fish for trout in Dry Falls Lake, hike through the surrounding shrub-steppe landscape along popular trails like Umatilla Rock, and dive into the geology and history of Dry Falls at the interpretive center. The park has 151 standard campsites and 40 full hookups, as well as restrooms, showers, picnic areas, and a dump station.

Sucia Island Marine State Park

For adventurous campers who love going the extra mile, Sucia Island Marine State Park in the San Juan Islands is ideal for an off-grid stay, as it's only accessible by boat. Apart from 60 campsites, picnic shelters, group sites, potable water, and composting toilets, as well as two docks and ample moorage sites, this horseshoe-shaped isle is undeveloped. Campers must pack all supplies in and out. The remote location, difficult access, and lack of infrastructure keeps crowds thin, offering a truly solitary camping experience. There are 10 miles of forest trails, driftwood-strewn beaches, and other nearby islands to explore. 

Millersylvania State Park

A name like Millersylvania conjures dreamy images of tree-lined ponds in quiet backwoods, where canoers paddle past birdlife and rustic cabins peek out between the trees. That’s exactly what you’ll find in this tranquil state park covering about 900 acres near Olympia. Rimmed by tall stands of old-growth cedar and firs, Deep Lake is the park’s main attraction. Day trippers and campers alike come to picnic, fish, float, swim, and paddle on the lake's glassy surface, to hike or bike through the nearby woods, and sleep in the great outdoors. While serene nature is Millersylvania’s biggest draw, the park is also home to several 1930s-era historic structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.