I feel like this campsite could be okay if it was RV only, but it should not be a tent campsite. The way the park is located, the wind comes over the top of the hill towards the sites violently strong. They have the tent sites located at the front of the lot, so the wind hits them all first. We had our absolute worst night of camping here ever, winds blowing so strong that the tent was collapsing down on us while we tried to sleep. In the morning we mentioned it to the site hosts and they said "oh that was nothing, we've had tents blowing away before". We left after one night, there is no way we could sleep through that. If you are in an RV and are able to grab a site here right on the waterfront, then you might be okay and have a good time. Otherwise I do not recommend staying here. read more

very bad. Came here during summer and had too many problems. Although we had rented the spot, we weren't allowed to have our family there

What a wonderful surprise! After reading the reviews here I was unsure what to expect for our camping trip, however we ended up loving it here. Anna, the camping host employed by the City is an absolute gem. The campground is small but brings a great family vibe. There is a mix of RV/Trailer sites along with tenting sites, some right on the edge of the lake. Lots of lake activities like fishing, floating, kayaking, paddle boarding and plenty of Mother Nature events to watch unfold right before your eyes while out on the lake. After arriving the first night we got a dreaded call stating my father-in-law was experiencing a major heart attack and so we had to leave and drive back across the mountains, leaving our trailers and everything behind. After I told Anna we had done so, she told me she would keep an eye on things for us and not to worry. She is truly a wonderful host and the young man assisting her is too. We could not have felt more warmth and friendliness from the entire crew there. One other great thing about Anna is that she gives people leeway but if you just ignore the rules of the campground she makes sure you know things need to improve on your end of things which makes it so low key and fun there. The bathrooms are spotless and the campsites were clean upon arrival. It would be great to see the City add some water equipment rentals like kayaks and floats perhaps. But other than that it's a well run great little spot for camping. Thank you Anna and crew, keep up the great work! Oh, by the way, the review about this place feeling unsafe is way off base as we left everything out and nobody touched a thing nor did you ever feel unsafe. Completely opposite of this. read more

Wapato Lake Campground - View from campsite 15 which we enjoyed. - Campgrounds Near Me - Manson, Washington

The campground was nice but we felt packed in like sardines at the campsites. It was super windy when we arrived for camping for 4 days. So windy it damaged a tent and a canopy beyond the point of repair. Having a small campground is nice if you don't want to walk far to the restroom: we had 2 tent sites and 2 RV sites for our stay, the restroom showers take quarters and last a few minutes but doesn't take long for those quick showers. The restroom wasn't always cleaned and the toilets kept getting clogged but they have a plunger in the restroom. The camp host seemed nice but you get the feeling that maybe it's one of those people who are nice to your face but the second you walk away they are gossiping about you. One of the other sites the group went to talk to the host and he said she was extremely rude to him. Sad because we will no longer camp here. Previously to this trip any phone communication was not so nice. We didn't swim in the water here. It looked too muggy and the kids thought it was sewer run off. We fished for a bit in the morning off the little docks that sway so ridIculously that it's unsafe for young children. Even adults. The little fish we caught we sent back. I wouldn't recommend eating any fish out of the lake. We did all our swimming at lake chelan. If your doing a quick stay only or won't be at the campsite all day mostly need a place to camp while you do activities at Lake Chelan this place seems to be okay: not too much shade in the front tent sites and people always walk through the sites so kept that in mind read more

Wapato Lake Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Manson, Washington

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Bugs!!! This park is infested with bugs. Unfortunately it was ridiculous how bad the bugs were and we ended up taking home a couple hundred of them in our RV. We had to go home and buy bombs and bomb our airstream in order to get rid of all the bugs because they were hiding in every crack and crevice in our trailer. They are so tenacious that they hung onto the outside of her airstream and when we got home to an ahalf hours later to Arlington Washington there were still bugs hanging on the outside of our trailer. It was ridiculous. They need to spray the campground and kill whatever bug is the little black ones that are everywhere at this campsite. We would highly recommend that from 8 AM to 8:45 AM in the morning is the absolute worst time to clean the bathrooms at the campground. It seems that almost any other time of the day would've been better !!! I'm not exactly sure why the bathrooms had to be cleaned at this time but this seems like a prime time for people to use the bathroom in the shower and have them close for 45 minutes that early in the morning is pretty much ridiculous! The best thing about Wapato lake campground is the camp host he is a hard-working guy who was always very very helpful. In addition, the gals at the Manson Parks and rec department who helped us with our moorage at the Manson marina and our campsites every time we called they were very helpful. read more

Wapato Lake Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Manson, Washington

A group of us planned this trip to end the summer, we were greeted by a staff member that had a very bad attitude. The next morning the women bathroom was plugged, when a gentleman notified her at 10 in the morning she came out with the most gross attitude saying out loud that someone had intentionally plugged it. Another member came out and her behavior changed dramatically. All of a sudden she was acting as if she was the nicest person. At 10 pm while my wife and two daughters were in line, the bathroom were plugged again, she came out upset and thew the plunger at the group of us splashing us all on our feet. I dislike making a scene and we walked away promising to our selves that we would never come back. I promise you that we have never experienced such a bad taste in any of the many campsites we've ever visited. I hope this person realizes what a big damage she is causing this business. The janitor was very polite and so was the other person that came to see what was happening to the bathroom. But the person that was rude and was attending the guests had the most humiliating and grotesque attitude. No one deserves to be treated this way! read more

Below is the letter sent to the campground after our dreadful experience, I think it sums it up. Our family recently stayed at your park to camp over the 4th of July weekend. We were highly disappointed! The main issue we all had is Cookie, the camp host who lives on site. From the moment we showed up, she was offensive and rude, and downright nosy. She drove by each campsite every hour, asking people what they were doing, reminding us our flames in our fire pit were too high and illegal (about 6 inches above the grate), informing us of the consequences and fines if we break any of the rules, etc. We also at one point asked if there was anything we could do for a friend, who wanted to join us. We understood that you were booked, but being that we only had one tent per sight we had plenty of room. We were told of the strict rule, one tent per site, no exceptions. If that is true, then why were there 3 tents on neighbor's single site? Let me say this, I understand rules need to be enforced, I also understand that without rules the property would not be as clean, so I am all for rules. However, part of the appeal of camping is to be a little free, out in nature, and NOT have someone hovering over your campsite every hour between 6am to 11pm. The cherry on the sundae was when we were checking out our last day, my nephew was sneaking a smoke by the bathroom; she came up to him and actually had the audacity to say, "For such a large group, I thought you guys would be so loud! I thought for sure we would have problems with you, listening to that rap music, but you're welcome back any time." Considering we have never listened to rap music in our lives, how did she come up with such an assumption? Since she has never met us, it was an obvious preconceived notion from either our looks or age of which she saw us as. That is incredibly inappropriate. Lastly, I took a shower in the paid showers on site, and I have a tip for you. The area where a person can dry off and change, after coming out of the shower is extremely damp, and quite slippery. I fell and broke my arm/wrist in multiple locations due to that damp slippery floor. I would advise you to put some mats down, something rubber that can be washed, so there can be some traction on that floor. The next person that falls might not be as kind as me, and might run off and call their attorney. As regular camping families, none of us has ever come across blatant disrespect for privacy and such an overbearing, maternal campsite host. We are adults and can behave as such with little reminder from outside influence. Fortunately for us, we don't have to visit your campsite again. Unfortunately for you, we will not speak a single good word about this campsite to any friends and family except for the many anecdotes we have collected from the nightmarish "Cookie Experience". read more

This small campground has a quiet, beautiful, close-to-the-water feel. It is clean and quiet. Lots of ducks and birds and beautiful grass. Kinda funky but pure nature. The gal that runs the place is cool. We stayed 5 nights and I'd come back. A good remote, beautiful lake. read more

Wapato Lake Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Manson, Washington

Pictures are not the best representation of this park. The hosts are a little on the cranky side with a sort of sarcastic "just-kidding-but-I'm-sorta-serious" side of communicating. If traveling in a trailer there is ONLY electric and water. If there is a dump site they didn't mention it to us when we ask about the hook ups for dumping. Be warned. The showers are coin operated. And they are not the most convenient as you'll have to walk through one person's shower to get to the next shower or exit yours. Our tent camping friends said the wind off the lake was strong and very loud. They didn't sleep well. The only saving grace is it is pretty quiet and the lake view (tents are right at the lake's edge) is beautiful. I would not recommend this park for camping. read more

The campground is clean, but built in the 50s,so there's not much room. You are close about (10 feet )to your neighbors with no screening. Some tent sites are right next to the water, and some RV sites are close. It is a beautiful setting when the campground is not full. The bathrooms are cleaned daily in mid morning and the host seems to check them periodically throughout the day. Some rules have changed, such as one vehicle and one RV or tent per site for people per site (except for parents with kids )dogs must be on a leash at all times; boat and boat trailers are not allowed in camp ground( except for 15 minutes )to unload, but there is a nice boat launch parking lot (you can easily see your vehicle from campground) to park your boat trailer and your second vehicle (free). The new 2018 host is nice, fair, but does enforce the rules. The campground seems more well run then in the past. I did notice signs banning alcohol in the campground on memorial day weekend. I was told that this used to be a rowdy, drunken weekend in the past with the sheriffs deputies arresting and citing people for various dumb acts . The park & rec board is trying to make the campground a more family-friendly place. Yay!! Prices are fair $25 for a tent site $30-$35 for an RV site and sites include water and electric RV. There is no sewage hook ups or dump station. We dumped at the mobile gas station in Manson 3 miles away for $5. Overall it was a very enjoyable stay and the fishing was excellent. read more

We came here every year for over 10 years and my husband for many years prior. Cookie and he husband Clyde were running the show then. We always spent a week and never had a problem. They didn't allow partiers in or the ones who liked to sneak in in the middle of the night and then refuse to pay or leave. Saw that on several occasions. Yes, Cookie can be brash, but she says it like she see it...lol! Yes, bathrooms were not the cleanest....but have seen worse...I just learned to take some bathroom cleaner with me... We loved the fishing.That is why we went there (and the casino lol!)..would get our fish limit every day...Have to have a boat, not gonna catch anything off the dock. Worse thing the county did was to allow ski boats on that small lake. Just too small, Not good for the lake or the fish. And if you are out there fishing in a small boat..the ski boats don't seem to care or remember to stay a safe distance away from the fisherman. Get's pretty scary rocking in a small boat, because of the waves the ski boats make!! Sorry to hear Cookie moved on. She was there a long time. Wish her well..would love to have the job there myself...hmmm. This is not a lake meant for swimming, even though they have a small swimming area, it is not maintained well and has lots of growth. You can go to Chelan or there is a park in Manson with a nice swim area on Lake Chelan. This was primarily a fishing lake and should go back to that. read more

what's up yelp fam! this campground was a true goldmine and well kept family secret for 2 years! in that span of time we had great times and memories that will last for eternity! wow ain't that some jazzy stuff! after coming back here for our annual camping trip, things took a turn for the worse. the campsite is now run by a new, gwumpy owner who doesn't understand what heatstroke is. that's right. i got heatstroke and turned into a geyser of bile and mister grouchy didn't appreciate this. he tried to explain to us that i was drunk, but in fact i was trying to turn myself into a raisin over the span of the day and forgot to hydrate. boy am i a silly boy. anyway he kicked us out after one night of fun. overall 1 star for the owner. read more

Cookie has moved on as camp host. While partiers continue to not be welcome at the campground another group has found a home at Wapato Lake, casino refugees. Mill Bay in Manson is one of the Coleville tribe's casino properties and Wapato Lake is the nearest campground. They have dry camping on the property but no hookups. What that means is a lot of smokers at the campground. When there's no burn ban on it's not a problem. The smell of campfires permeates the park. But, burn bans are becoming routine in eastern Washington now, just about every July through October. Last weekend (Labor Day) we were book-ended by smokers. There was no escape from the smell and one poor fellow had emphysema so bad, he was practically coughing up a lung every morning. Come and enjoy this beautiful park but bring incense or a smudge stick and maybe ear plugs! read more

I am the Host at Wapato Lake Campground. Although new to Wapato Lake, I am not new to Hosting, enforcing rules or being in campgrounds. I have a lot of experience in each. Wapato Lake CG is small. When full, people are packed in pretty tightly. There is no sewage hookups or RV dump. All the RV sites have 30 or 30/50amp service and water. All sites have a fire ring except for the 50 amp service sites. The lake is a good fishing lake, but there seems to be a lot of debris (cattails, algae, etc) in the water. Swimming from shore doesn't look fun, although, there is a roped off swim area (no lifeguard). The campground is clean (except for the geese poop that all area CG's are dealing with), bathrooms are clean, and there's lots to do in the area. The rules will be enforced this year. Some of particular interest are: Dogs must be on a leash at all times. One vehicle per site; all other vehicles need to be parked in the boat launch parking lot next door. One tent or RV and up to 4 people per site (exception made for families with more than 2 kids). Boats on trailers and empty trailers are not allowed in CG. Using other sites you have not paid for is not allowed. See mansonparks.com for the brochure that has most of the rules listed. If you don't like campground rules enforced, this may not be the CG for you. Manson Parks and Rec is trying to provide a safe, family oriented, well run, fun place to camp. I will see that happens. This CG runs as a non-profit. Any profit made HAS to be put back into the CG. I have had comments from people who have been coming here for 40+ years that the CG has never looked so good. If you respect CG rules, please come to Wapato Lake CG and enjoy yourself. read more

We're hoping to check out Wapato next week. While our 4 children were growing up back during the 80's, we went to this campground every year - at least once for the week leading up to Labor Day. Or sometimes right after Labor Day when we had the place to ourselves. Bob and Kari Serafine (not sure if the spelling) ran the place back then and we considered them our friends. They kept the place "family friendly" without being annoying or overbearing. So many great memories and so It's sad to hear what's happening to the place now. read more

Pros: Quiet lake, beautiful views, nice campsites Cons: Really windy, which we heard happens often. Dirty swim area with lots of aquatic plants. Camp host did not enforce quiet time. Worse yet...camp host does not enforce no-wake policy in swim area. We happened to be there on a weekend where several sea-doos were in operation. Not only did they scream in and out of the dock area, they also came dangerously close to the swim area. We pulled our kids out of the water any time they went out. We complained to the camp host, who told us it wasn't their responsibility. Really? Isn't the swim area part of the campground? Did I mention the WIND?? We won't go back. read more

I have no idea how someone could not like this camp ground, the older post must have been at a different camp ground because we travel over 500 miles to camp here. Cookie is the best, she is helpful and runs a tight ship which makes it very enjoyable and good for families. We tow our trailer and tow our boat to enjoy the lake. There is a dock to tie up to and the kids can fish also. 2 thumbs up on this place. read more

I haven't even stayed at this campsite yet but just trying to book my reservation over the phone was a nightmare. The woman who answered the phone at around 5pm was extremely rude. When I told her I wanted to reserve a spot she was silent and then said, "Well do you want me to pick your dates for you?" I said no I have my dates right here and then she said, "The office is closed you'll have to call back tomorrow." Then she hung up on me. If my friends weren't already staying here I would NOT have even bothered. read more

We had a group of friends and everyone was getting a site there...before we even made our reservation we heard from people camping there to skip it...we were told the camp host went out of her way to come by and was very rude to them all....the place was very dirty and the host actually ruined everyones experience...i am surprised that as many times that i have heard of this camp host cookie that she continues to be able to run the place....we have camped all over the state and most of all the camphosts are wonderful people... read more

We were also disappointed in this campground. Ducks and Duck doo everywhere along the lake and in the water. The water was disgusting. My grandkids would not swim in it. Campground was overcrowded and the camp host was rude. The bathrooms were filthy. You couldn't even see the vent for the gunk. Dead bugs and spider webs on the ceiling and walls. The people next to us also were leaving after one night. I would not recommend this campground to anyone. read more

My husband, my son, and I booked this campground and while I was doing a bit more research saw that Yelp gave this campground a 2 1/2. I reluctantly looked at the reviews but after reading through the reviews we decided that even though the reviews were bad we would give it a try. When we first arrived the camp host was friendly and greeted us with a smile. We set up camp, all was well until our neighbors showed up at 11pm to set up camp. They were loud and then from 12am to 2am their daughter cried and screamed. They did nothing to hush her, in the meantime on the other side of us was a guy that snored so loud he woke up all of Lake Chelan. Keep in mind that I have a son who is almost 2 who slept through it all, my husband and I did not :( In the morning we woke up and were going to try and make the best of it. Then on her golf cart comes the camp host. She had the audacity to tell me that she got complaints of my dog barking all night. I told her that he did not bark all night, she said it came from this camp site and that she heard him barking too and that I should keep him in the car. I was so taken back that I did not argue, but I did load all of my gear up and we did not stay another night. I did not want to tell her about the child crying and screaming next to us or the man who snored all night. It was the simple fact that we had nothing to do with the noise that night and she didn't hear our dog barking she just wanted something to regulate on. We will NOT be going back and I will not refer anyone I know. read more

This is a wonderful campground, quiet and off the beaten track. The lake is not that big but clean, and not that busy if you have a boat. The camp host was polite and left us alone. I don't know what the previous posts are talking about, but don't let them put you off visiting a great place to relax and recharge. read more

This is our third trip to this campground, and if you are in a tent, and reserve early, it is a wonderful spot. The new host, Bonnie, was warm and welcoming and made us feel like we had known each other forever. Even though it was not that busy, we saw her work tirelessly to maintain the campgrounds with frequent mowing and trash pickup. The parks staff came daily to clean the bathrooms and to do other grounds maintenance. Our tent spot was under a tree with lots of shade, and right on the water so we could put our kayak in right from our spot. read more

We stayed here in our coach after trying to get into 4 other full campgrounds. Who knew Chelan was so full of people? The campground was pretty and there were hardly any other campers there. The camp host put us in a nice spot near the water, warning us that we could only stay 2 nights because she had some friends coming that needed that spot. When I asked if we could move to another empty spot after our 2 nights, I was told no. After persistence, I was finally told I could park in overflow parking. Her "guests" never came and our spot by the lake remained empty, as did the rest of the campground. Turns out we could have stayed longer in our spot or any other if the psycho host knew what she was doing. Heard she was retiring this year. Good riddance! We'll be back maybe when a new host is there because it is a pretty spot. Now clean up your bathrooms! They are really filthy! And all the litter around the campground, too! read more

This was a huge disappointment. I would not recommend this campground to anyone. They have people crammed in so tight that people have to move cars in order for other people to leave. Trailers were unable to open their awnings because they were so close to trees and how we got out with our trailer in one piece is beyond me. We had our two small dogs with us and the host treated us like criminals from the moment we got there. He repeated at least 10 times in a very loud voice that they do not tolerate dogs off leash or barking. Dogs were also not allowed in the swim area so we were unable to bring them down while our kids swam. Apparently duck poop is much better than a dog taking a swim on a 100 degree day. He had my husband move his truck from our campsite to an entirely different parking lot due to lack of space. The host walks around with a clipboard looking for rules to enforce. We are a family of four and very low key. We left two days early. STAY AWAY from this campground! read more

The campground is neither great, nor bad. However, the management and customer service is horrible. For Memorial Day weekend, my brother's family and my family paid for one cabin site and an adjacent tent site. We paid the exorbitant fee of $300 total. When we arrived on Friday night, the adjacent tent site was occupied. We set up our tent next to the "cabin", sharing a fire pit (which we had to drag out of the water) and a picnic table. Because we were family, we didn't mind sharing as long as we were charged for only the cabin site and a nominal +1 tent fee. After many attempts to correct the $120 over-charge, the Director of the Parks Department said that we were occupying two sites and refused to provide us with a partial refund. Apparently the Parks Department thinks it is okay to ignore its mistakes, steal your money, and give you a "site" that does not include its own picnic table and fire pit. read more

very disappointing we planned to stay 4 nights and ended up only lasting 1 there were massive bugs the lake was disgusting and dirty and lots of wildlife. we literally had and 8 foot by 12 foot site my bedroom is bigger. the host was called a camp nazi by some she was not very nice read more