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Smokiam RV Resort

42 RV Sites, 1 Cabin, 46 Tent Sites, 4 Glamping Sites, 1 Cottage, 10 Tipis

Smokiam RV Resort sits on the shore of Soap Lake in the Columbia Basin of central Washington, a mineral-rich body of water so geochemically unique that it ranks as one of only two lakes of its kind in the world. The soap lake campground sits at the edge of waters that the region's Indigenous peoples and early settlers regarded as having healing properties—a reputation supported by the lake's extraordinarily diverse mineral content, which includes sodium, magnesium, sulfate, and carbonate compounds in concentrations that give the water its characteristic feel and the lake its name. The resort delivers a full amenity package centered on the lake's distinctive character: 900 feet of sandy beach, a pool, two mineral spas, a European steam sauna, and a dock with canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard rentals give guests multiple entry points into the Soap Lake experience. A renovated playground, sport court, and miniature golf course provide recreation for guests who prefer to stay on shore. A beverage bar and espresso café are available in the renovated clubhouse, and the resort offers a range of accommodations from full-hookup RV sites to luxurious new log cabin rentals and tepee rentals for guests who want the most distinctive overnight option in the Columbia Basin. High-speed WiFi, restrooms, showers, and laundry round out the practical amenities. Soap Lake is the southernmost of a chain of lakes occupying the Grand Coulee, a massive glacially-carved canyon that runs through the Columbia Basin—a landscape shaped by the Missoula Floods, the largest known floods in Earth's history. The coulees, lakes, and basalt cliff formations of this region are among the most dramatic post-glacial landscapes in North America, and the geology underfoot at Smokiam RV Resort tells part of that enormous story. The lake's mineral concentration has naturally increased over millennia as water evaporates and minerals accumulate without an outlet, creating the chemistry that defines its therapeutic reputation. Dry Falls, about 20 miles north, is one of the great geological wonders of North America—a 3.5-mile-wide, 400-foot-tall waterfall remnant from the Ice Age floods that once carried ten times the combined flow of all the world's current rivers. The Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park that surrounds it provides camping, hiking, and additional lakes for swimming and fishing in a landscape that is simultaneously beautiful and geologically humbling. Grand Coulee Dam, one of the largest concrete structures ever built and the most powerful hydroelectric facility in the United States, is about 45 minutes north and offers tours of its extraordinary infrastructure. Banks Lake, created by the dam as a pumped irrigation reservoir, provides water skiing, fishing, and boating in a dramatic basalt canyon setting. Smokiam RV Resort operates through the Columbia Basin camping season, with the dry, sunny summers of central Washington delivering reliable warm weather from May through September. The mineral lake's soaking pools and beach draw visitors seeking the therapeutic experience year-round, and the fall hunting season brings additional guests to the Columbia Basin. The combination of Soap Lake's genuinely unique geochemistry, the resort's expanding amenity set, and easy access to Dry Falls and the Grand Coulee makes Smokiam one of the more distinctive camping destinations in eastern Washington.

from $49/night

Granite Point Resort

Granite Point Resort occupies 28 acres of Loon Lake shoreline in eastern Washington's Stevens County, offering lakeside sites and accommodations with a beach, boat rentals, a general store, and on-site dining. A recreation center, game room, and sports courts round out a self-contained summer destination in the inland Northwest. Lakeside sites and accommodations serve guests across a range of formats. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. On-site dining covers meals, which matters at a resort where guests tend to settle in for a week rather than an overnight. The lake frontage carries the recreation. A beach gives direct swimming access, boat rentals put guests on the water, and boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boats all run from the property. A recreation center and game room handle indoor hours, with sports courts, pickleball, basketball, volleyball, and horseshoes outdoors and a playground for families. The programming is well-rounded enough that guests rarely need to leave. Pets are welcome. Loon Lake sits in the ponderosa pine and mixed conifer country of northeastern Washington, among the clear glacially scoured lakes and quiet small towns of the inland Northwest — a summer retreat quite different in character from the Columbia River and Puget Sound destinations that draw the bulk of the state's visitors. The resort has built its reputation over many seasons as a family destination, and demand reflects that. Summer is decisively the peak, with returning families booking year to year — reserve well ahead for July and August.

Gallagher Lake Camping & RV Resort

89 RV Sites, 11 Cabins

Gallagher Lake Camping and RV Resort in Oliver, British Columbia, offers 89 RV sites and 11 cabins on a spring-fed lake in the South Okanagan, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 83 feet, open all year. Voyageur full service categories — including cable and a no-pets option — join a partial service tier, with a private sandy beach and pickleball courts. Eighty-nine sites span Voyageur full service, Voyageur full service 50-amp, Voyageur full service with cable, Voyageur full service no pets allowed, and Voyageur partial service categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 83 feet. Two things worth knowing: the partial service category does not carry the full hookup set, and there is a dedicated no-pets section for guests with allergies or a preference for quiet. Eighty-three feet accommodates the longest coaches. Eleven cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and recycling handle the practical side. A private sandy beach on the spring-fed lake anchors the recreation, with sports courts, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, horseshoes, walking, hiking, biking, a playground, pavilion, dog park, and picnicking filling the rest. Wine tasting and golf courses are close, along with Tickleberry's, the Golden Mile Fruit Market, and Vaseaux Lake. Oliver calls itself the Wine Capital of Canada, set in the only recognized desert ecosystem in the country. Summer and harvest drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $35/night

Sun Retreats Birch Bay

271 RV Sites, 10 Tent Sites, 5 Onsite RV/Trailers

Sun Retreats Birch Bay in Blaine, Washington, offers 276 full-hookup RV sites and 10 tent sites two miles from the Canadian border, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet, open all year behind a gated entrance. Open and standard full-hookup back-in and pull-through categories join a pool, fitness center, disc golf course, and clubhouse. Two hundred seventy-six sites span full hookup back-in 50/30/20-amp, full hookup pull-thru 50/30/20-amp, open full hookup back-in 50/30/20-amp, and open full hookup pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with picnic tables. The open categories give more space and light for guests who prefer it to a treed site. Ten tent sites round out the lodging. A laundry, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. The property was formerly Beachwood RV Resort. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a fitness center, clubhouse, disc golf course, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, golf cart rentals, a playground, and dog park filling the grounds. Biking, fishing, swimming, and picnicking round it out, with a golf course and a state park nearby. Pets are welcome. Birch Bay sits at the northernmost edge of Whatcom County, where Semiahmoo Bay and the protected waters of Drayton Harbor make a marine environment of unusual beauty. Birch Bay State Park adjoins the resort, and Vancouver is a short drive north. Summer is decisively the season in the Pacific Northwest. Reserve well ahead.

from $27/night