Playground

Black Beach Resort

On the southwestern shore of Curlew Lake in Republic, Washington—in Ferry County in the Okanogan Highlands where the Kettle River Range's forested ridges, the Colville National Forest's 1.1-million acres of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer, and the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway's Continental Divide crossing create the remote northeast Washington outdoor destination that the Republic mining and ranching community has anchored since the 1890s gold rush—Black Beach Resort, the largest camping destination on Curlew Lake's southwestern shore, provides full hookup RV sites with 50-amp service, water, and sewer on manicured waterfront grass sites, one-, two-, and three-bedroom cabin rentals with full kitchens, lake views, and private bathrooms, three fishing and boating docks, a boat launch, boat and motor rentals, a swimming area, a playground, sports courts, volleyball, a convenience store, showers, WiFi, firewood, and hiking trails in a lakeside resort whose Curlew Lake trout fishery, the Colville National Forest access, and the Ferry County's remote high-country character create the eastern Washington lake resort experience that the Spokane and Tri-Cities markets drive to find in the Okanogan Highlands' untrafficked valleys. The largest resort on Curlew Lake. Boat and motor rentals on-site. Colville National Forest surrounds it. Full hookup waterfront RV sites with 50-amp electric, water, and sewer on manicured grass alongside one-, two-, and three-bedroom cabins—each with a full kitchen, private bath, bed linens, and lake views—create the accommodation spectrum for the fifth-wheel angler and the family whose cabin preference matches the angler's routine. Three fishing and boating docks, a boat launch, and the boat and motor rental fleet eliminate the trailer-and-launch logistics for the arriving guest whose Curlew Lake week centers on the trolling and still-fishing that the lake's rainbow and cutthroat trout population sustains through the summer and fall. The swimming area, playground, sports courts, and volleyball serve the non-fishing family members whose Curlew Lake morning does not involve a rod, and the convenience store, showers, and WiFi handle the daily practical infrastructure in a remote Ferry County setting where the drive to Republic's limited services is acceptable precisely because the resort itself provides the essentials. Republic sits in Ferry County at 2,600 feet in the Sanpoil River valley, in the county seat whose gold mining heritage and the Stonerose Interpretive Center's fossil leaf and insect collection from a 49-million-year-old Eocene lake bed—where visitors excavate actual Eocene plant and insect fossils from the shale deposits—create the Ferry County identity that outdoor recreation and heritage tourism values in northeastern Washington's relatively undiscovered interior. The Colville National Forest's 1.1 million acres encompass the Kettle River Range and Selkirk Mountains' southern flank—the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway's highest paved pass in Washington State at 5,575 feet and the White Mountain Lookout's Kettle Crest panorama create the recreation inventory accessible in 20-to-40-minute drives from Curlew Lake. Curlew Lake State Park, 1 mile north, supplements the resort's amenities with additional boat ramp access and the state park day-use area on the lake's north end. Black Beach Resort operates seasonally through the northeastern Washington summer and early fall, with the Memorial Day through Labor Day trout and bass fishing season the primary open period and the September fishing—when the Curlew Lake's cooling water improves trout activity in the shallower lake margins—extending the productive season into the fall color period. Reserve your waterfront site or cabin at Black Beach Resort and let the three docks, the boat rentals, and Curlew Lake's rainbow trout deliver the Ferry County Okanogan Highlands lake resort that the Pacific Northwest's most remote and rewarding eastern interior provides.

Winchester RV Resort

14 RV Sites, 5 Cabins, 9 Tent Sites

Winchester RV Resort in Republic, Washington, offers 14 RV sites, five cabins, and four tent sites among mature maple, willow, and pine in Ferry County, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted up to 113 feet — a rare length allowance for a small, wooded property. Buddy sites, a game room, and direct Ferry County Rail Trail access round it out. Fourteen sites run from 30/50-amp back-ins to standard and deluxe 30/50-amp pull-throughs, including buddy sites for parties traveling together, all carrying water, sewer, and electric and sized to 113 feet, with picnic tables. Five cabins and trailer rentals serve guests arriving without a rig, and four tent sites cover simpler camping. A general store, propane fills, laundry, dump station, RV storage, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with WiFi throughout. One vehicle per site; extra vehicles are $5 per night. A one-time non-refundable pet fee of $25 applies. The mature tree canopy is the distinguishing feature — genuine shade that the exposed campgrounds on the Columbia Plateau below cannot offer. A playground, dog park, game room, community fire pit, and walking trails fill the grounds, with a lake on the property and hiking, biking, and horseshoes from camp. Off-roading is nearby. Pets are welcome. Republic sits in the Okanogan Highlands of northeastern Washington, with the Ferry County Rail Trail running directly from the resort and the Colville National Forest surrounding it. The town's early-twentieth-century mining heritage still shapes the area. The resort serves one of the Pacific Northwest's least-visited corners. Summer rail-trail cycling and fall color drive demand — reserve ahead for both.

from $19/night

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

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.

Alderwood RV Resort

101 RV Sites

Alderwood RV Resort in Mead, Washington, offers 101 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service just north of Spokane, open all year. Deluxe back-in, premium pull-through, and deluxe pull-through categories join standard back-in and dry camp sites, with a recreation center, walking trails, and dog park. One hundred one sites span standard back-in, back-in deluxe, pull-thru deluxe, premium pull-thru, and dry camp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted on 30 and 50-amp. The dry camp tier gives self-contained rigs a lower rate — a useful option that many resorts do not offer. A laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, showers, and RV storage handle the practical side. Check-in is 1pm and checkout 11am; contact the office about early arrivals or late departures, as fees may apply. A recreation center, walking trails, playground, and dog park with fenced pet areas fill the grounds. Skiing, a state park, and wine and beer tasting are all nearby, and the birding through the surrounding evergreen corridors is productive. Pets are welcome. Mead sits where the forested northern fringe of Washington's second-largest city gives way to the evergreen corridors and agricultural valleys of rural Spokane County — close enough to the city for dining, medical care, and the airport, far enough out for genuine natural surroundings. Year-round operation and nearby skiing make this viable well outside the summer window. Summer draws the heaviest demand, with the winter months serving snow travelers and extended stays. Reserve ahead for summer weekends.

from $72/night

North Haven Campground

20 RV Sites, 5 Cabins, 2 Glamping Sites

North Haven Campground in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, offers 20 RV sites, five furnished log cabins, and two glamping sites on the Kootenai River in Boundary County, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 85 feet. Back-in and pull-through categories carry full and partial hookups in the northernmost county of Idaho, 30 miles from the Canadian border. Twenty sites run in water-and-electric back-in, full-hookup pull-through, and water-and-electric pull-through configurations, all carrying 30 and 50-amp, sized to 85 feet, with fire pits and site WiFi. Five fully furnished log cabins and two glamping sites serve guests without a rig, with Conestoga wagons and tipis proposed for future glamping expansion. A general store — the Outpost, which doubles as the office — plus laundry, a bathhouse, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Quiet hours run 10pm to 8am, and an updated campground map shows cabin, RV site, bathhouse, and Outpost locations. On-site amenities are practical rather than extensive: a playground for families and walking trails through the property. This is a rustic and comfortable base rather than a programmed resort, and the setting does the work. Pets are welcome. Bonners Ferry sits on US-95 in the Kootenai River valley, where the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains meet in the most dramatically mountainous corner of the Idaho Panhandle, amid old-growth cedar and hemlock. The Canadian border at Eastport is 30 miles north, putting Nelson, Cranbrook, and Kootenay Lake within reach. The campground serves the northern Idaho season. Summer is peak — reserve ahead, particularly for the cabins.

from $49/night

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

Wolf Lodge Campground

48 RV Sites

Wolf Lodge Campground in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is situated at Wolf Lodge Bay on the eastern arm of Lake Coeur d'Alene, one of the most spectacularly beautiful mountain lakes in the American Northwest—and the site of one of the lower 48 states' most extraordinary wildlife spectacles: the winter congregation of hundreds of bald eagles at Wolf Lodge Bay, where kokanee salmon die after spawning and the eagles gather from November through January in numbers that have established this remote lake arm as one of the premier bald eagle viewing sites in the continental United States. The campground's lake position provides the kayaking, boating, paddling, and fishing access to a lake that national travel surveys consistently rank among America's most beautiful, in a protected bay setting that the main Coeur d'Alene waterfront's development pressure does not reach. The campground's facility delivers a comfortable outdoor recreation base with the services that Kootenai County lake camping requires: kayak rentals, paddle boat rentals, boating access, canoeing and kayaking on the lake, bike rentals with biking trails nearby, fishing, dining on site, a general store, propane fills, pavilion, dog park, laundry, showers, dump station, Wi-Fi, basketball, shuffleboard, corn hole, horseshoes, hiking trails, and swimming in Lake Coeur d'Alene's clear water collectively serve the outdoor recreation-centered guests whose Wolf Lodge Bay stays center on the lake and the surrounding Kootenai County forest terrain. The dining facility provides the social gathering space that lake camping communities naturally develop. Lake Coeur d'Alene's 25-mile length, 109 miles of shoreline, and the clarity produced by the surrounding Idaho Panhandle National Forest's protected watershed create a lake experience that consistently ranks in national surveys of America's most beautiful bodies of water. The lake's surface reflects the forested slopes of the Coeur d'Alene Mountains in a combination of mirror-calm morning light and afternoon whitecaps that makes the Wolf Lodge arm—the most protected and least developed section of the main lake—the most pristine and wildlife-abundant portion of this iconic Idaho lake. The St. Joe River's wild cutthroat trout waters and the surrounding Idaho Panhandle National Forest's trail systems extend the recreation beyond the lake. Downtown Coeur d'Alene, approximately 15 miles west of Wolf Lodge Bay via I-90, provides the resort amenities and commercial infrastructure of a year-round lake resort community—the Coeur d'Alene Resort's floating boardwalk and the lake's public beach front, the North Idaho College campus, the Sherman Avenue dining and shopping district, and the Centennial Trail's 62-mile bike path from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane collectively create the urban infrastructure that complements Wolf Lodge Bay's wild lake environment. Silverwood Theme Park in Athol and the Coeur d'Alene Casino in Worley provide the commercial entertainment complement to the natural recreation that defines the region's primary appeal. Wolf Lodge Campground operates seasonally from spring through fall for camping, with the eagle viewing season from November through January providing the most compelling natural spectacle available from the campground's location even outside the main camping season. Summer's warm lake temperatures, the June salmon fly hatch on the nearby North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, and the long northern latitude summer days that stretch outdoor recreation into the evening hours together create the campground's most active recreation season. The spring and fall shoulder periods offer the quietest lake conditions and the most uncrowded kayaking access to Wolf Lodge Bay's wildlife-rich eastern shoreline.

from $57/night

Whispering Pines RV Campground

71 RV Sites

Whispering Pines RV Campground in Cle Elum, Washington, offers 71 RV sites across 60 acres in the Cascade foothills, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 120 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. River back-in and full-hookup categories in both water-and-electric and water-electric-sewer versions join pull-through tiers, with a clubhouse, beach, and general store. Seventy-one sites span back-in water-and-electric 30/50-amp, back-in water-electric-sewer 30/50-amp, pull-thru water-and-electric 30/50-amp, pull-thru water-electric-sewer 30/50-amp, and river back-in water-and-electric 30/50-amp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 120 feet. The category names spell out exactly which utilities you get, which is unusually plain and genuinely useful. One hundred twenty feet accommodates anything on the road. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, and RV storage handle the practical side. A lake, pond, river, and beach support fishing and swimming, with a clubhouse, walking trails, playground, and dog park filling the rest. Pets are welcome. Directions: from westbound I-90 take Exit 84 and turn left at the stop sign, two-tenths of a mile to the park; from eastbound, Exit 84 then east on 1st Street to Oakes Avenue and right. The store runs 9am onward May through September. Cle Elum sits at the eastern approach to Snoqualmie Pass, where western Washington's evergreens give way to Kittitas County ponderosa. Summer is peak. Reserve well ahead.

from $62/night

Golden Riverfront Campground

25 RV Sites, 37 Tent Sites

Golden Riverfront Campground in Nicholson, British Columbia, offers 25 RV sites with water and electric on 30-amp service and 37 tent sites along the Columbia River, with rigs accepted to 60 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Cabins, a beach, and a pond sit at the edge of the Canadian Rockies, 20 kilometers south of Golden. Twenty-five sites carry water and electric on 30-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables — note there are no sewer hookups at the sites, though a dump station is available. Thirty-seven tent sites make this a genuinely tent-friendly property, unusual among RV parks. Cabins serve guests without a rig. Laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, and WiFi handle the practical side. Reservations can be made online, by email, or by phone, with full payment required at booking; online is preferred. The river setting carries the recreation. A beach and pond support swimming with inflatable water toys, and fishing, canoeing, and kayaking run from the property. Walking trails, a playground, pavilion, dog park, sports courts, and volleyball fill the grounds, with hiking and biking from camp and strong birding in the wetland and forest. The campground also operates as a wedding venue. Pets are welcome. Nicholson sits in the Columbia Valley, which serves as basecamp for the densest cluster of national parks in Canada — Yoho, Kootenay, Glacier, and Mount Revelstoke are all within about two hours via the Trans-Canada Highway, with Rogers Pass and the Kicking Horse Canyon close by. The campground runs the mountain park season. Summer is peak — reserve well ahead.

from $26/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

West Beach Resort

11 RV Sites, 21 Cabins, 10 Tent Sites, 9 Glamping Sites

On the rocky western shore of Orcas Island—the largest of the San Juan Islands and the one that most consistently tops Pacific Northwest island rankings—West Beach Resort provides a waterfront campground that delivers the full San Juan Islands experience in a setting where kayak and SUP rentals, fishing charters, whale watching excursions, and a beachside cafe with gourmet espresso and made-to-order pizza anchor an outdoor recreation environment that the Salish Sea's extraordinary marine ecosystem makes possible. Ocean-view and non-view RV sites with power and water, tent sites, and platform camping positions serve the full accommodation spectrum for the ferry-riding camper who chooses Orcas Island as their Pacific Northwest island destination. Ocean-view and non-view RV sites with power and water connections accommodate self-contained rigs on the west beach's open and shaded positions, with each site including a picnic table and fire pit with grill. View and partial-view platform camping sites extend the accommodation options, and tent camping positions with varying levels of tree cover and privacy serve the non-motorized camping community. The on-site cafe's gourmet espresso, made-to-order pizza, Lopez Island Creamery ice cream, local draft beer, and a fully stocked mini-market with groceries, bait, and fishing supplies eliminate the need to drive into Eastsound for daily provisions. The resort's kayak, canoe, and SUP rentals place guests directly on the Salish Sea's protected Judd Cove waters—a marine environment where Steller sea lions, harbor seals, river otters, great blue herons, and bald eagles share the waterfront with campers who paddle in the kelp bed and tidal flat ecology that makes the San Juan Islands one of the most biologically productive marine ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. Fishing charters for salmon, clamming and crabbing on the beach during the appropriate seasons, and daily beach bonfires through the summer season complete the waterfront recreation menu alongside volleyball, badminton, and ping pong for the guests who stay on shore. Moran State Park, accessible by a short drive across Orcas Island, encompasses 5,252 acres of the island's forested highlands around Cascade Lake and the summit of Mount Constitution—at 2,409 feet the highest point in the San Juan Islands, accessible by a hiking trail and a winding summit road revealing one of the most panoramic views in the Pacific Northwest, spanning the Olympic Mountains, the North Cascades, Vancouver Island, and the full extent of the San Juan archipelago. The park's Cascade Lake beach, rental rowboats, and the Cascade Creek trail system give West Beach campers a complete inland recreation alternative when the marine environment's tides and weather conditions favor a forest day. The San Juan Islands' temperate marine climate delivers mild summers with lower rainfall than mainland western Washington—a rain shadow effect from the Olympic Mountains that makes the islands sunnier and drier in the summer months when most camping visits occur. The ferry from Anacortes, a 75-minute sailing through the island-dotted Salish Sea, serves as the trip's first genuine scenic experience rather than simply a logistical step, and the island's lack of a direct land connection keeps the overnight visitor population small enough to feel genuinely remote despite the resort's full amenity complement. Reserve well ahead for summer dates—West Beach Resort's island position and marine recreation options create demand that fills the campground's limited site inventory months before peak season.

from $25/night