We had a really fun day at Soap Lake, thanks to the great sunshine and perfect temperature. It was…read morealso not crowded at all, but it was a random Wednesday afternoon visit. The park offers amenities: public restrooms in a building and some port-o-potties; outdoor shower to remove the grime (that gets in EVERY crack); covered picnic tables. It also has some grassy areas for recreation and a playground for the kids. Plus, there's a touch of culture, with what professes to be the first human figure sundial. The sand is rocky in and out of the water, and the water is shallow, good for keeping it fails warm and for wading quite a ways out. It was nice to slather ourselves in the clay and let it bake in before rinsing it off. But be warned, the sulfur in the water and clay will keep you and anything you wear smelling even after a thorough washing. So I wouldn't plan a nice evening out after ;-) We look forward to going back for more fun this summer, after we check out some other local beaches.

Soap Lake has 2 public parks on the lake, this one is on the East shore on Highway 17 between…read moreSmokiam Campground and B&B Restaurant. There is a bath house, Beach Access, Picnic Tables and a huge Bronze & Basalt Sundial. It's a great place to stop and play or even plaster yourself in the healing mud from the lake. Swimming is easy as you float easier because of all the minerals in the water. We made a specific trip here during our vacation. Daughter and her kids played in the healing waters while wife read a book in the shade and I took the nap I really needed. Unfortunately, I took too long of a nap and missed laying in the water :( I guess I'll have to go back next year. This is the 3rd time we've come here and it is always worth a repeat visit when you are in the area.

After seeing some of the reviews I must say I was a bit reluctant to book, so I called the RV…read moreCampground and I was immediately was greeted by a nice lady that explained the park was recently under new management and help put my mind at ease (must admit it was a last resort and great price). We booked a couple of the cabins and they were clean (for camping), came with a mini fridge, and AC! I am so glad we booked! My family and I were pleasantly surprised how clean and peaceful the stay was. There was tons of activities for the kids to do right at the campground, driving range, pool, horse shoe, volleyball, tennis, pickle ball, swing set/kids playground. Needless to say, we will be back next year! Highly recommend this campground.

This place used to be so great..... Under new management or…read moreowners, it's not great. We play a lot of softball in the area, and usually our whole team stays here....after this last visit I don't think that's happening. We had reservations that we needed to cancel (within the window) and asked if the depot could be applied to the 2nd reservation we had. We were told that wouldn't be a problem. Paid for the stay, and the following weekend I got a call from the office asking when we were going to be checking in. I informed her there was a mistake and we were only supposed to have the previous weeks stay. Well the deposit from the cancelled weekend was never applied and I was told that because they held the 2nd site (which they scheduled by mistake) I wasn't getting a refund. They yelled at the kids for "being too loud" in the pool during the day. And told me O needed to control where my dog pooped while I was walking him from our campsite (by the driving range) to the doggie area (by the entrance. And yes I picked up the poo and watered where he peed along the way.

It's not the landscape, the wildlife, the trails or the views. It's the people. Most are…read moreperfectly fine and are out there to camp, hike, and fish for the sake of the activities. However, there is a percentage that is there because it's free and remote while still being accessible to a town where they can get their drug of choice. You'll recognize them by the ancient, filthy, motorhomes. My son was hiking with his girlfriend when they were approached by one of these "campers" who asked if they had any fentanyl to sell! Wow! Is there no where to escape this scrounge? Anywhere?

Mileage: estimated about 10 miles total (2 miles to where we set up our tents, then we hiked a loop…read moreof about 6 miles, then 2 miles back to the car the next day) Backpacked: April 16-17, 2016 This past weekend a group of us did an overnight backpack trek to Ancient Lakes. 3 first timers backpacking and it turned out to be an awesome trip! We had some problems trying to find directions out to the place, so here's directions from my personal experience. Directions: we stayed in Quincy the night before, so we took the 28 to Whitetail Road. Made a left on Whitetail from the 28, then a right on road 9 NW. follow road 9 NW and it turns into Ancient Lakes Rd NW. At the end of the road, you'll find the west parking lot. I am not sure how to get to the east parking lot. There's a lot of parking here, when we got there by 11 am, it was really crowded but we still found a spot. (When you are on Whitetail Rd, it might look like you are just driving through farms, but buried in there, there's Ancient Lakes!) There is a port-o-potty at the trail head on the west side. Trail head: is well marked, we hiked in about 2 miles and got to the lakes and the rolling grass area where you can set up tent where ever. There are some man made fire rings scattered through out the area. Hiking: After we picked a spot and set up camp, we hiked a loop around the lakes. We started towards the waterfall. It was a scramble up the side of the waterfall, like a class 4 rock scramble lol. Loose rocks, loose footing. From there, we went pass that waterfall and onto the backside where the east parking lot is. Which there's another waterfall there, and there's also camp spots there too. We looped around, it wasn't too hard. We estimated this part of the hike to be around 6 miles round trip back to our tents. Lots of people camping, we counted about 50 tents, then you estimate about 2/per tent, so like 100 people were out here! But you still are able to find solitude. We came across 3 snakes, an owl, and a marmot. Easy trek, not very hilly at all. Good for first time backpackers. The area can be explored in a day. I found this site useful: https://www.theoutbound.com/washington/backpacking/ancient-lakes-day-hike-or-backpack

Cannot praise this place enough. Really feels like they have thought of and have everything. One…read morething omitted from other reviews is how lush the grass is. Maybe we got lucky and they just replaced it or something but it helps keep cool, barefoot, comfy while sleeping in a tent, and helps not feel like you're in a desert in 100F temps. Another thing is proximity to the venue. It's prob not encouraged but you can easily walk to / from if you're not feeling the shuttle.

Just back from an incredible weekend seeing Brandi Carlile at The Gorge, made easy and fun by…read morestaying at the Wild Horse Campground. Our little cabin was a delight, especially since we were coming from California without camping gear. It was perfect for the three of us and we even had a semi-private bathroom right outside our door. If we were tent or RV camping, this would also be my first choice versus camping at The Gorge. The sites were grassy, everything was super clean, nice family vibe, helpful staff, felt very safe, and even some fun activities like crafting and tie-dyeing shirts. One of the best features of staying here is the shuttle service to The Gorge. You can enjoy the show, then come back to a well-run, charming campground that makes everything better!

This is my favorite place in the whole world. I've been coming here since I was 3 (I'm now 27) and…read moreit's an absolute must to come here in the summer atleast twice. Definitely worth the 3.5 hours drive each time!! I love camping here even though the wasps and mosquitoes are really annoying

Site we booked online was on grass and steep, they didn't hesitate to move us to a much better…read moresite. Had a great meal at their restaurant and we enjoyed drinks and karaoke on Friday night.

A beautiful state park, with gated entry and paid use. The parking area is large and likely packed…read morein peak months of summer. We were pleased to find picnic tables where our small group could enjoy our packed lunches with water views. A walk along the water, towards docked boats and campsites made for a lovely stroll.

I am so happy with the staff at the little store here. My sandal broke when I was in the lake…read more Joanne gave me a needle and thread so my wife could fix it. Thank you Aubrey and Joanne. Great workers for the State Park here.

Stayed here over Memorial Day Weekend. I was a bit skeptical driving out to Desert Aire because…read morethis campground has very little internet information. Well internet, IT EXISTS and I survived to tell the tale. The campground is in Desert Aire which is a little community south of Matawa on the Columbia River. lf you're interested in boating or want a base to explore the rest of the area this is a great place to stay. During memorial day weekend the place was full (so reserve online ahead), the people there were mostly families and it wasn't very noisy at night. If you have a boat, the boat launch was rebuilt this year and is really nice. Couple of downsides to keep in mind: there's only pit toilets and no showers, there's one water tap from a well near spot 14, it can get windy in the evening so if you have wind protection you can put up bring it, the grills are near the lake and not by the camp spots so if you have a portable grill/firepit etc. bring it too. Closest big grocery store is in Mattawa, but there's a gas station and convenience store in town.

I really had a great time here. This place is well maintained and is a great place for the kids…read more The scenery is gorgeous. My only complaint is that the boat launch isnt next to the beach area. It would be great if they put up another dock but overall it was a great day and can't wait to go back!

Nice clean quiet park. Nothing much around so you do have to drive a bit for shopping. Host is very…read morefriendly and helpful and the price is right.

The Mrs & I were traveling & only needed to spend the night. This clean property is right off the…read morehighway & very easy to get in & out. Easy to find too, as you can see it from the Highway. Even though it's close to the highway it's quiet. Asphalt roads leading to fairly level gravel sites. 50 amp power only, but the office did loan us a 50 to 30 reducer. We've stayed here before & wouldn't hesitate to stay again.

I have been in this state park on numerous occasions. Take my airstream and hang out. It's a…read moregreat place to stage for traveling up and down the river. RV sites are large and open for the most part with electric, water and sewer. The winds at night are a riot during the hot parts of the summer. They blow like crazy. There is a day park separate from the RV park that you can walk to to swim and/or just relax. During the summer it is always crowded. Vantage has a gas station with food if you need it. Gorge is very close. Across the river are parks that are supported by Grant County PUD which are very nice and usually not many people. I'm impressed with the money and resources that Grant County PUD has put into the area. Just south of the Wanapum on the same road is a small park on a lake (small) that no one is ever there. Called the cove. If you have a boat you are in heaven with the Colombia River at your call.

Fun little park with toys for kids and a dock for fishing. Wish I had a kayak with me. The water…read morelooked dirty and swampy. No way in hell I am swimming in that. Lots of parking very quaint. Nice day to visit

Very nice and clean campground, hiking and trails nearby. A little bit annoying.Everyone cutting…read morethrough your camp Trying to get to the water all day

This is definitely my favorite state park!…read more My partner and I spent one night camping, though it would've been easy to stay for a longer duration. The camping loops are clean, great picnic tables, fairly clean bathroom/shower building, and friendly rangers. We spent a fair amount of time swimming and floating in the water. It's not too chilly and mostly shallow to the first water buoy. Beware, there's a lot of plant life which can entangle you. Sandy beach. We completed the 1-1.5 mile hike up Steamboat Rock. Stunning view accessed by a sometimes steep and loose rock journey. Go early in the morning and really take your time to stay safe.