Nice little stop over on the way to Mt Rainier or if you are exploring the area. We went on a weekday in the fall so parking was plentiful and it was very quiet. The weather was also clear enough to see the lake, with a dock to walk around and stretch our legs. I didn't see much else to do aside from exploring the lake and whatever other water activities are involved like fishing, kayaking, etc. The restrooms are actual flush toilets with soap and water, and they were pretty clean aside from the hard water stains on the toilet bowl that is inevitable with park bathrooms. Still a better option that pit toilets. Fun Fact: The code name for Intel's 12th gen desktop processors was based on this lake. read more

Alder Lake Park - Dock at lake - Parks Near Me - Eatonville, Washington

There are two elements for me when it came to camping. One is the campground facility itself, the second one is the campers demography, or mainly the neighbors. For the campground facility I'd say this park checked all the boxes for me. There's natural water body, clean toilet (even with shower, although I didn't use it), and I got to see deers! There's also a convenient store right outside the campground. What I hate was my neighbor. To be specific, the group of people check in later on the 5th of July at the campsites of 66 and 65. I've never seen campers this obnoxious in my life. Not only they arrived late and make a scene, they also kept their boring unseasoned music all the way til almost 1am! Like what kind of etiquette was that? Who raise those people? And they also had kids too. Yeah so besides these annoying neighbor I actually find this campground quite nice. read more

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I really wish we had a better experience at this campground. We were looking for something near Mount Rainier, and this fit the bill. Some of the sites were basically right in the parking lot, but most of them were really nice. Ours was a walk-in site up the hill with lots of trees and greenery. It had a nice flat area along with a picnic table. The bathrooms were close and clean, and I loved having the lake nearby. However, the campground was really loud and rowdy. We stayed for two nights, and each night there were two to three large family groups that were loud until after 11 pm. We heard a car playing music with loud bass. A groups of kids entered the echoing bathroom and played, screaming, turning on the hand blowers, and spraying water everywhere. It was just really loud and the quiet hours were not enforced. The campground had all the ingredients to make a great stay. We just had a few loud groups that disturbed the otherwise quiet campground. I hope we just had bad timing. read more

Didn't even know they had a big campground for both RV's and a section for tents. Well maintained, Camp rangers always going around, bathrooms pretty clean w/ shower. Nice boat launches and beautiful newer dock and ample boat hookups. Nice little picnic tables w/ bbqs staggered around near lake in beach park. Nice surprise while camping there our first time. Only issues were bees, for some reason they were around more than I've seen in many years. Maybe because of the blackberries all around this time of year there.? School is now back in session so it was really quiet with mainly older group of campers. We will happily return since so close to home. read more

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We took our kids and dogs camping at Alder Lake. They were excited for their first camping trip. Quiet hours are between 10pm-6am. Our dogs were outside, in a fenced and contained area, at 9am and the hosts (who were across from us) let out their cat from their trailer to wonder the park unattended. Of course our dogs began to bark. Their barking went on for 45 seconds at most as I attempted to calm them down. The park host then came out and started to yell at me, in front of my children, and when I explained it was due to their cat she said she didn't care and barking dogs were not allowed and I needed to "Handle them". I understand not wanting dogs to bark but when you allow your cat to wonder around this is a natural response from a dog. The hosts were also selling firewood to campers during a burn ban, which was in place to prevent wild fires. We watched her sell firewood to 5+ campsites. So not only was she extremely rude but she was also breaking the law. If you go here avoid staying near campsite 40 which is where the host is located. My kids left asking why people are so mean and the only answer I could give is that you can't help people who are just plain miserable. read more

A scenic, serene place where my family and I love to relax. I'm reluctant to write a review in fear of bringing more people here, but I think it's the right thing to do. read more

I recommend alder lake for a quiet Sunday morning. Maybe bring a hot coffee! Just to relax and be peaceful lakeside. Perfect for anyone needing a reset for their week. Or maybe an afternoon with the kids you can let them run and swim and play while just chillen. I definitely recommend if you have not been here to go and enjoy this peaceful beautiful place! read more

Alder Lake Park - Alder lake - Side picknick bench - Parks Near Me - Eatonville, Washington

I camped at Alder Lake for my first time beginning of June & it was not pleasant. The campsites are very cramped and rangers were unprofessional. Also the website does not describe the campsites very well; not only were campsites cramped they were not level (like pictured on website). Will not recommend Alder lake park to any friends or family! read more

This lake was super interesting beautiful I went to the side that was not to deep where you could just walk In the basin and enjoy the water . It was so beautiful. We just pulled off to use the facilities and couldn't not walk around and enjoy the sites . It was clean , beautiful and not crowded. This was perfect ! It is kid friendly maybe not stroller friendly . read more

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It was really nice, beautiful lake, water wasnt as cold, actually was perfect for todays heat. The lake had this beautiful turquoise color, which happends because of the Mts snow mealting and finding its way to the lake. I wish I could camp here one day, I bet it would be perfect! read more

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Fun place for the whole family. Camping areas are nice and there is a lot of places to throw out trash,very nice and clean place.

Why: Great place to relax, nice sites, helpful staff, great safe swim area. It's close to mount Rainer for our families adventures. Why not: the nearest store is for anything is 20 minutes away. Don't count on the convenience store in Elbe. Just drive to Eatonville to start with. Nats we did have lots of them but they did not bite and we're just annoying. Overall loved it, family had a great time, thanks to the park staff for keeping it open. read more

So we have stayed here 4 times this year!!! Each site definitely is different from the other. Some are super private and easy access with our 32 ft Toy Hailer others not so much. I wish TPU would have a place to comment on each site specifics for others to know as they are reserving!! We have stayed in 14, 17, 15 and 1 so far!!! 14 was a back in that had obstacles on both sides and not a lot of maneuvering room in front. It took a few times but we made it work!! 17 was a back in with a fairly high incline. Bring blocks for your tough Jack if you have a longer trailer!! 15 worked really well we had to swing into the gravel to make the pull through work! The site was nice and we would stay in that one again!! 1 was a pull through. Suggest going up to the trailer lot and approaching it from that direction to get the best angle on the pull through. This site is very exposed to all the children and people walking. Not recommended if you have dogs that bark at activity which we do!! Also lock up your belongings. Our cooler disappeared from our campsite while at the lake during the day!!! Can't wait to check out more sites. This location is close to home and we are able to enjoy camping but not need a house sitter!!! Also not sure what happened but our puppy did end up super sick while camping!! Make sure that no one has dumped food in the bushes!! It definitely was something he ate at the campsite!! He is ok!! read more

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One of my favorite places to go for camping. It may not be roughing it, but it's definitely beautiful and worth going. They've got a pretty good amount of camping and RV spots available. Definitely make a reservation early, they fill up fast. Showers and bathrooms are littered through out the campsites, I think you do have to pay in order to use the showers. The lake is huge and you can see beautiful Mt. Rainier. The actual day use area is always very crowded with families. To the far left of the day use area is where you're allowed to let your pups off leash and let them swim and play. It's a great place for fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, jet skiing and lots of other water activities. Downtown Eatonville is only a short 10 minute drive. There's a market, restaurants, and other specialty shops. There's a sporting goods store that opened about a month ago that carries some affordable camping gear. I really love the coffee stand, they've got some of the best iced Americanos for so cheap (they have daily coffee specials, Americanos are only $1.25 or 1.50 for 16oz on Sundays!). Another great perk about Alder, is that it's only about 20miles from Rainier National Park. If you want to do more than hang out at the lake, you can always do a hike on one of the multiple trails at the national park. Only about a 2hr drive from Seattle, I highly recommend checking Alder out. read more

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I came toward the end of summer. The lake was low, the land was bare, which made for a terrific walk! There are trails you can take close to the lake, or make your own! It was quiet and peaceful. read more

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We camped here during the Fall. It was quite rainy when we went in November. The area is beautiful, but I'm giving it a rating of 3 due to the lack of trails to hike. read more

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This place was a lot of fun for a quick camping trip that's not too far away from home! We didn't have the best weather (it rained a lot) so hopefully next time it will be sunnier and warmer and we can rent kayaks! read more

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I just came back from camping here this past weekend and it was awesome. The campsite itself is huge - there is a section for just tents, RVs, and even group camping. Everything is easily accessible - the bathrooms, garbage cans, and water faucets. The park has a nice swimming spot, though it was a tad bit chilly for me to fully submerse myself. If you are a balla and have a boat, there is a dock to accommodate you..be sure to invite me :) The only downside is that because it is so close to civilization (~2 hour drive from Seattle), it is swarming with folks, especially on the weekend. Also, the campsites arethisclose to each other. Other than that, it is a pretty decent camping spot. I'd recommend this park to noob campers and for people who just want a quick getaway for the weekend. read more

This is by far the nicest park we have camped at in Washington state. We stayed in the Main campground site #74 in our 24' travel trailer. We had full hookups (water, electrical & sewer) and our space was super clean with a nice picnic table and fire pit. The grass was mowed and there was shade provided by the trees. The utilities were in good condition (hose connected to faucet easily, no spiders in electric box, etc.) Our space was a back-in type, so we didn't have as much privacy as the pull-thru sites, but we enjoyed watching the kids riding bikes and people walking dogs as they passed by. The pull-thru sites on opposite side from us offered more privacy because RVs open to woods instead of the road. We walked around to see the other sites, including the tent-camping area - all had nice, flat tent spaces, firepit said and clean restrooms nearby, as well as a "dish cleaning station" which was clean. The Osprey tent camping area is for walk-in camping, so you must park in the lot and haul your gear to the site. There are community water faucets, but not at each site and of course there is no electricity for those who prefer to "rough it"! Firewood is available to buy from the Campground Hosts (it appeared there was a host in each loop). The Alder Group Camp area was very nice, where multiple groups can reserve a min of 5 sites together (20 sites total). Each site has a small firepit and there are larger, community fire pits where a group can gather together. There are also covered shelters for group meals, restrooms & coin-operated showers and a nice playground as well as open areas for games or kids to run & play. It looked like all these sites had full hookups, but also plenty of space for tents. We looked at the Elk Plain camp area and would not want to stay there because sites are too close together. There is a restroom/shower facility, grassy area and playground, however. Perhaps this would be OK for families and there is easy access to the water near the damn. We didn't go check out the Rocky Point campground which is 4 miles south of the main campground. It appears to be closer to the highway, so perhaps road noise would be bad. The rest of the park facilities were super nice. There is a boat launch and a free 20-slip moorage dock that is first-come, first-serve. There is also a nice day use area with many picnic areas on the water and there is a large swimming lagoon (enclosed by floating logs) with a sandy beach. There is also a large playground and clean bathrooms here. We didn't fish at Alder Lake (we drove to nearby Mineral Lake where we could use our canoe and caught trout for dinner!). There is a small grocery about 5 min outside the park and you are about a 10 min drive to Elbe, where there are more stores and places to eat. I recommend Alder Lake for both RV and tent camping. If you have a ski boat, this would be a great place to camp & play! read more

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It's a tradition for a friend and I to to make a drive up a few times a year for day trips during the summer and bring the kiddos. Love it so much! Can't think of a better place to spend a hot summer day than swimming in the lake. Well worth the drive for a day trip. Zero entry areas for the kids to play on the beach and in the shallow water. Bring floatie toys and be aware that it can get crowded when school is out. read more

We did a day trip to Alder Lake. It was really nice. There was lots of picnic tables, a swimming area, grills, and beach area to fish from. The kids could play on the playground. The bathroom facilities were a little messy and older. That would be the only complaint that I had. It was very peaceful and even though it was a beautiful day, it wasn't super crowded. I would really like to go back and camp there when I have the opportunity. I will say that trying to fish from the shore was very difficult because speed boats fly by the shore creating a lot of waves. read more

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This place is fun for a day trip or a camping trip! The day use area has a grassy field, picnic areas with barbecues, play area, fishing docks, a small beach, restrooms & plenty of trails! Beware of the grass, sometimes there is goose poop! However it's not usually noticeable! I LOVE the trails here! You can walk them & end up all over the camp ground! The trails go along the lake for the most part & have many places that you can go off trail & have your own private little spots on the water! There are also many play areas throughout the camp grounds, which are very nice and well kept! The trails lead to the dam out there & you can read about it as well as see it from many different angles! Very beautiful fun place! Does usually cost money! read more

Alder Lake Park - The main field, beach & lake - Parks Near Me - Eatonville, Washington

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It was okay. Site 35 is roomy enough for a 31' trailer. Not much privacy though. A little tight actually getting to the camp site though. A lot of sharp turns, which is challenging with a long trailer. Within walking distance to the beach. Can be quite busy and noisy when the park is full. Not a whole lot of things to do locally but that is fine for those who aren't interested in that sort of thing. Nice beach with park and picnicking. We will probably return. read more

We love this place. Great clean lake. Friendly people. Campsites. Playground on site. Restrooms on site. Great place to have a picnic or BBQ. Big open field for kids to run around. Its actually pretty majestic feeling near the water. There is a section of the lake that is tied off for the children to swim. We stay for hours sometimes overnights for the weekends. Just overall a great place that's not too far from home. read more

I just came back from Alder Lake Park this weekend, which had mostly sun with a little bit of cloud. If you're looking for my top tips, scroll to the end of this review. The amenities were awesome. If you reserved a spot online and arrive after posted hours, you will find that the gates are closed, but not locked. I'm not sure if you're supposed to, but you can enter provided you close the gate behind you. The same applies to leaving ahead of business hours. Try to arrive before dusk. Wood can be purchased from the main campground. The lake is stunning and picturesque; the clarity was ok and I can see why people want to bring their boats down. Because we're still in early season camping, the park was mostly empty, however the boating crowd were enjoying the pristine waters. We had a few people blasting past in the early morning around 8am, and I can see that happening sooner during summer. The beach has a sectioned off portion for swimming. The beach itself is a sand beach, and appeared to be raked and cleaned on a regular basis. This is good because there is a significant population of birds nearby (most likely geese), and where there's geese, there's goose poop. The beach was very clean, but for the pet lovers, pets are not allowed on the beach. On the top of a grassy knoll close by there is a shower and toilets. At the time of this review, showers cost two quarters to start. In my opinion, Alder Lake is doing all of their users a massive favor by using quarters instead of tokens like many other parks, and this is a huge plus. There's a foot trail that runs throughout the park, allowing easy pedestrian access as well as something to do during the day. The walk is not bad, however I would consider bringing footwear you're not too worried about getting muddy. There were portions of the trail that were under about an inch of water. Some of the other reviews mention cleanliness, and I'll just say this - I've never been to a campsite as clean as this. Although they are vault toilets (aka hole in the ground) the toilets are very clean, all have trash cans that are cleaned at least daily, and plenty of toilet paper. There were groups of trash cans located around the park and a single receptacle for aluminum cans at the Elk Plains campsite, all of which were emptied frequently. They are also located sufficiently far enough away from all of the camping locations that in the heat of summer, the smell shouldn't impede your ability to enjoy the campsite. Pet rules are pretty straightforward and are best summed up as the 8 ft leash law applies, no dogs in the restrooms/showers and be courteous to others when Fido poops, pees or might bark. Dog poop bags were provided on the information board at the entrance to the camp area. Security was good and patrols are somewhat frequent (checking on the grounds, checking on the toilets), however you won't be able to find a number to call security if you browse the website or call the front desk. This may be something to clarify with administration before you arrive. There are three main places to stay, and while the filters on the site work well, you can accidentally have a not-as-nice experience if you don't look carefully. I fully intend to come back here and try one of the other camping locations now that I know what I do. My top tips to have a good time: * Bring quarters - The showers take quarters, 2 to start. Showers are located in the Osprey, Main Campground west, and at the beach. * Bring gloves to handle firewood, $5 per rack of wood, and bring an axe to split overly large pieces. Racks of wood are very generously sized and were priced at $5, and you get to pick out your own wood (you pick the wood you want, place the wood you want to buy in to a metal frame approximately 2 ft long by 1 ft high). Apparently Memorial Day Weekend totally cleaned them out, so all that was left were enormously sized wood. Thankfully, I'm handy with an axe. * Elk Plains are almost entirely dedicated to RVs. In my opinion, the top RV site is site 309. There's a huge grassy portion behind it so you really get your money's worth, and if you back it all the way back you won't have anything to the left or right of it should you have something like a Outback Sydney 290RLS, which has a portion that expands out to the left. * For tent camping, Sites 308 in Elk Plains and 236 in Osprey would be my pick. 308 is in full shade, has a fire pit and is a large camping area with a view of the lake. 236 is basically the same, but on grass and without a view of the lake. * Despite the close proximity to the dam, there is gated access and the gate is locked, so you won't be able to enjoy walking out on to the dam. I'd absolutely go back just to do this if they were to open it up to the public. read more

A nice little park with a lake to swim in! It's not too crowded in the summer and there are a ton of camping sites at the nearby campground as well. The water is warm and there are docks to fish from and beaches to lay out on. A very calm, relaxed place. read more

Very beautiful and cleanest park we saw from Florida to Washington that we stayed at while traveling We was very fortunate that they needed a camp host for a few months and we was looking and it worked out for everyone. The staff is great and soon all became friends and wonderful to work with Are campsites soon became our own and while we was there we maintained them as our own. It was the great campers that came there left it like they found it. So happy camping and thanks Brian and Gary for giving us a chance read more

This is a great park with camping areas that accommodate RVers and tent campers alike. The park is managed as part of the Nisqually River Project by Tacoma Public Utilities. RV sites range from small to spacious and RV sites are equipped with water and electric service. Some sites also have sewer service as well. A dump station is conveniently located near the entrance to the park. The facilities and grounds are clean and well maintained and because of the closeness to the Tacoma area, expect the campgrounds and day use areas to be packed on summer weekends. The swimming area is large and deep and there is a boat launch for small craft like canoes and kayaks near the ample day use picnicking areas. The day use area also has two bathrooms-one with bathhouse facilities as well. Covered picnic shelters are available too. Alder lake is a reservoir created by Alder dam and has some of the cleanest most beautiful mountain glacier water you can imagine. It's a joy to swim and float in on a hot August day. There are four RV camping areas. East, West, a fantastic group camp as well as an RV campground near the Alder dam. There are also many tent sites to choose from, all within easy walking distance of bathroom/shower facilities. There is a large boat launch facility just prior to the main entrance to the park. Be warned that on summer weekends, the boat launch will be packed and parking will be nigh impossible to find unless you arrive early. There is a main lot and an overflow and by mid afternoon, they will be full. The staff is friendly and helpful and campfire wood is available from the camp host at 5 bucks a rack....the rack size is large so it is one of the best values around. Cell phone coverage in the park is spotty and Verizon seems to be the only carrier that works at all... though not well. If your RV has a DirecTV dish you should be able to get a signal if you can find a hole in the trees. We have camped here at many different sites and so far we have always been able to find a hole in order to get a good signal. Your experience may vary. The Alder Park store is boarded up and appears to be closed for good so that leaves nearby Elbe or Eatonville as your choices for supplies. Elbe is very limited as to what you can get and the only grocery store in Eatonville doesn't take credit cards but does have an ATM machine. Elbe features a couple of restaurants...Scaleburger and the Mount Rainier Railroad Dining Company. Both are OK but hugely overpriced. The Mount Rainer Scenic Railroad is worth the trip. For the price ($24 per adult) you get a excursion to nearby Mineral Lake on a real restored steam train. It's a lot of fun and worth your time. Elbe also has a Church near the railroad depot on the register of national historic places. Check it out. Of course right down the road is Mount Rainier National Park and all of the myriad activities there. This is one of our family's favorite summertime destinations because it is close to home but allows us to get away from it all for a few days. It's a great park and I highly recommend it for your next family getaway. read more

We stayed this past weekend at Rocky Point site number #423. We had a pull thru spot with the least amount of privacy. We had several people and cars drive thru our camp spot to take pictures of the lake. Cars that drove through were driving right next to the fire pit and picnic table. To close for comfort!! The public lake access was ok. Not a lot of beach space, really more of a boat launch. Neighbors were loud(screaming kids, music, barking dog) from the moment we got there until quiet hours of 10pm. Might try the larger campground next time. This one will not be a return for us. read more

The camp site was fantastice. Just the right amount of trees and sunshine. One downfall was the drag boater who showed up at dust and ran the lake over and over and over.....that didn't detract from the place. The lake is glacier water fed, and cold wasn't the issue. The water was not bad. The issue was the water clarity. Snorkeling around was dangerous :-) Beach could have used some good sand. Sand and pebbles mostly. Kids weren't complaining. We would come back. We have been to three state parks ( i know this one isn't a state park) in Washington state and haven' been disappointed yet ( Millersylvania and Cape Disapointment) kudos to the state. We would come back again! read more

It was our first trip with the travel trailer to Alder Lake Park this past weekend from Southwest Washington and for me, my wife, and daughter - it will also be our last. We made the mistake of not "pre-visiting" the site as it is several hours north of us. We decided to 'take a chance' based on some of the reviews we had read and reserve a space for two nights (Friday and Saturday). We were well aware that it was the weekend and that the sites were not 'private' and did not have high expectations however, on the other-hand, we did not expect a massive tailgating party! We arrived in the early evening and all but one (1) of the spaces were already occupied. In hindsight, thank goodness for this, it gave us the insight to see the site at capacity prior to setting up. There are approximately 25 trailer sites that comprise the Elk Plain Loop. The spaces are so close together that raising a conventional retractable awning places the edge of the awning at your neighbor's space line. Upon reaching our space, the two neighboring campers had already encrouched upon our space with their personal belongings. Music filled the air and children darted back and forth across the loop road between the play area located in the center of the loop and the perimeter camp sites. The inner portion of the loop road was a parking lot with vehicles parked bumper to bumper allowing just enough room for the children to walk between and access the play area. We stopped in front of the space we had reserved, got out, walked to the head of the space, looked around, and stood in shock and silence. It was complete chaos. Without speaking, my wife and I looked at each other and made our way back to the truck - we knew what each was thinking "Not for us". I put the truck in gear and we drove off into the sunset. The folks checking us in at the gate were puzzled by our decision and must have thought we were crazy, driving 2+ hours only to turn around and leave. However, we have learned to just roll with life and cut the losses when you see them. We did not ask for our money back - I figured the Park will need the 'donation' for the cleanup they will have after the weekend - so it is my contribution. To be fair, there was a time in my life where this specific environment and situation would have been just fine, however, those years have long past and as y'all know we embrace different priorities as time marches on. - On this point I say: "Happy Trails" read more

My husband and I went to Alder Lake Park and the lake is beautiful with the tree filled hills in the background. One review I read commented that it was not busy during the summer but it was full when we stayed. My comments are that it is a clean park and the hostesses are nice. We drove around and the group sites are spacious but the other sites do not allow much privacy. We reserved for two nights and we stayed one. We chose to go home after the first night due to being a loud campground. No one comes around to make sure certain parties are somewhat quiet. The park staff also came around 4:30 a.m. to check on someones spot and was not the quietest. Morning time was not bad with the one shower for 40 campsites. There is another at the day use park. Commenting on the bathrooms, there is only two stalls in our area and the men's only have one toilet and one urinal. It was an okay park but not what we were expecting. read more