Alta Lake State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Since its designation in 1951, Alta Lake State Park has provided camping and water activities on the eastern slopes of Washington's Cascade Range. The 174-acre camping park sits on Alta Lake's northern shore and offers access to 220 surface acres of water with two launches, a 60-foot dock, and an ample shoreline. Towering stone cliffs generate a breathtaking backdrop to park adventures, with Goat Mountain rising 4,200 feet west of the lake. Lots of fall and winter precipitation helps feed the blue waters of Alta Lake that stand out from a terrain that straddles a border between mountainous forests to the west and desert to the east. With easy access off US Route 97, Alta Lake State Park remains a busy family destination, even after the 2014 Carlton Complex fire. Its convenient location is near the small city of Pateros if you need to shop for food, gas, or supplies. Nearby Cities: • Omak, WA • Wenatchee, WA • Chelan, WA • Grand Coulee, WA
Spring 30-68 F
Summer 51-84 F
Fall 30-73 F
Winter 21-35 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Alta Lake State Park
Alta Lake State Park Campground •Water hookup: Yes •Electrical hookup: Yes •Sewer hookup: Yes •Wi-Fi: Yes •Pet-friendly: Yes •Max RV length: 38 feet •Other amenities: Dump station, picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms, and showers
Alta Lake State Park Campground
The Alta Lake State Park Campground has 32 RV full-hookup campsites, one of which is reserved for ADA campers. Located right on the lake, the campground has four restrooms and 12 showers. The longest RV space is 38 feet in length. Firewood and food are available at the park store.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 30/50-amp
Sewer Hookup: No. Dump station on site
Wi-Fi Available: Yes
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fee: $30-$50 per night
Office hours: Summer hours, 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Closed during the winter months from November through March
Carlton RV Park
The Carlton RV Park is a privately owned and operated campground about 20 miles north of the lake. While you can get a homemade breakfast every Sunday, your RV can enjoy partial or full hookups. Located on the shores of the Methow River, the park is a great sight for rafting, fishing, swimming, and tubing.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 30/50-amp
Sewer Hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi Available: Yes
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fee: $40.00 - $50.00 per night
Office hours: Open 24 hours a day
Pine Near RV Park
Located 40 miles north of Pateros, WA, Pine Near RV Park is a full-service RV campground offering both partial and full hookups with access to the Methow River. The park offers 31 RV campsites within walking distance of Winthrop, WA. Pine Near provides some fantastic activities, such as horseback riding, hot air ballooning, fishing, biking, hiking, and visits to the local art gallery in Winthrop. Call ahead to make reservations as this park tends to fill quickly during the weekends.
Water Hookup: Yes
Electric Hookup: 20/30/50 amp
Sewer Hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi Available: Yes
Pet Friendly: Yes
Fee: $36.97-$48.50 per night
Office hours: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily
What to Do at
Alta Lake State Park
The Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission has developed a public recreation area that lets you take full advantage of water sports on the mile-long lake through boating, fishing, and swimming. Facilities like the launches, a dock, and an on-site park store make it easier to enjoy your time here. The location on the edge of the Cascade Range keeps this state park filled with abundant wildlife and flora that nature enthusiasts can enjoy through binoculars or cameras.
A visit to Alta State Park will revolve primarily around camping and enjoying time on or in the water. The park does not offer rental equipment, so bring everything you need to enjoy your outdoor recreational adventures.
Inside Alta Lake State Park
Alta Lake State Park is small in size but broad in content, covering an area of 181 acres adjacent to the 220 acres of Alta Lake. The park is recovering from the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire that blackened many of the trees along its outskirts. Visitors arrive for fishing, boating, swimming, and other watersports. A concessionaire rents kayaks and paddleboats for those who wish to view more of the lake or enjoy some uninterrupted sun.
Fishing
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that Alta Lake holds up well to summer fishing and has healthy kokanee salmon and rainbow trout populations. You'll have a shot at trout in the 11 to 13 inch range, with holdovers from previous seasons potentially reaching 16 inches or more. Salmon fishing has picked up since 2014, with specimens in the 11 to 13 inch size commonly harvested by anglers.
Geocaching
If you want to try your skill with a scavenger hunt, try finding the park's hidden secret while you are here. Washington State Parks supports this activity, and sites like Geocaching.com list cache locations you can hunt for.
Nature watching
You can grab your binoculars or camera and enjoy the variety of avian and mammalian species when you aren't out fishing. Birders can observe crows, ravens, doves, pigeons, ducks, eagles, geese, grouse, gulls, hawks, hummingbirds, jays, owls, quail, woodpeckers, and wrens. On the ground, you might encounter bears, bobcats, chipmunks, coyotes, deer, elk, marmots, muskrats, rabbits, raccoons, or squirrels.
Stargazing
You can enjoy decent dark skies here that rate as Class 3 Rural on the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale. Naked-eye observations of objects with 6.99 magnification (M) are possible and will extend to 16 M at 320mm magnification. These conditions allow you to see complex structures within our galaxy's center and clearly make out the Andromeda galaxy with averted vision.
Flora and fauna
If you are a naturalist who enjoys time among the state's vegetation, Alta Lake State Park lets you observe many plants firsthand. Some species found in the park include berries, birch, cherry, daisies, Douglas fir, lupines, maple, Ponderosa pine, poplar, roses, and thistle. Just exercise caution around the park's allergenic plants like poison ivy.
Boating
Getting out on the waters of Alta Lake is a must-do for many park visitors, and the two watercraft launches and 60-foot dock facilitate this. Regulations here limit personal watercraft and water-skiing operations to daytime hours only, and you will need a launch permit. The water in the southern portion of the lake is shallow enough to bottom out on, so use caution.
Swimming
A roped-off swimming area on the northwest shoreline allows swimmers to enjoy the blue waters of Alta Lake without worrying about watercraft. The shoreline is ideal for warming up in the sun between dips and fills with visitors looking to sunbathe during the summer. It is worth noting that there are no lifeguards on duty here.
How to Get to
Alta Lake State Park
Use US Route 97 to reach the town of Pateros before heading west on WA State Road 153. Turn and head south on Alta Lake Road, following it as it turns into NF-2917 before entering the park.
Entering Alta Lake State Park
Parking is available in the day-use area near the entrance, near Loop One, and by the park store.
Alta Lake State Park One day pass : $10.0
Alta Lake State Park Annual pass : $30.0
Frequently Asked Questions About Alta Lake State Park
Most people enjoy visiting the park between June and August because this is when water temperatures are best for boating and swimming. Camping and reservations are also open during the summer only. You can visit Alta Lake State Park for day use throughout the year.
Dogs are welcome here when leashed and under constant control, including on pathways and campsites. Owners will need to clean up after their pets.
There are 32 sites between loops one and two offering full RV hookups. The maximum site length at the park is 38 feet at limited campsites.
Birding is popular at the park, with chances to see familiar species such as pigeons, doves, and crows. Waterfowl such as ducks and geese are also plentiful. Small mammals living here include squirrels, rabbits, and marmots. Large mammals like bears, deer, and elk move through often.
The park is popular, so you should take advantage of reservations between April 15 and September 30. Prices range between $27 and $50 per night, depending on the type of site and when you visit.