Colonial Creek Campground North Cascades National Park Washington
Colonial Creek Overview
Colonial Creek (south) campground has 161 sites situation in a lush, old growth forest along the shores of Diablo Lake in North Cascade National Park. About 94 sites are reservable and the others are first-come, first-served. Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Many are ‘walk-to’ campsites.
The north loop campsites (1-63) are first-come, first-serve and fill up quickly. Campsites 10-14 are walk-to (about 1,000 feet from the parking area). Check in is 2pm, but it’s recommended you get in line early in the morning to try and get a site.
The south loop campsites (64-164) are reservable. Campsites 128-135 and 138-141 are walk-to (tent only) campsites.
Campground amenities include drinking water, flush toilets and a dump station. There’s also an amphitheater, boat ramp and food storage lockers. Firewood is also available for sale from the camp host.
Colonial Creek – Area Recreation
Outdoor recreation activities include hiking, boating, canoeing, kayaking fishing, picnicking, mountain biking and hiking. There’s also nice wildlife viewing and photo opportunities. You’ll see a variety of bird species, deer and also an occasional bear.
You may also be interested in Newhalem Creek and Goodall Creek campgrounds.
Make a Reservation for Colonial Creek
Amenities
- Amphitheater
- BBQ Grills
- Boat Launch/Ramp
- Boat Ramp
- Campground Host
- Campsite Tables
- Comfort Station
- Drinking Water
- Fire Pit
- Fire Rings
- Firewood Available
- Golden Age & Access Passports accepted
- Grills
- Pets OK
- Picnic Tables
- Restrooms (Flush Toilets)
- RV Hookups
Activities
- Biking
- Bird Watching
- Boating
- Boating (non motorized)
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Historic Sites
- Hunting
- Kayaking
- Lake
- Mountain Biking
- Nature Trails
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Swimming
- Walking Trails
- Wildlife Viewing
Colonial Creek sold out? Get an alert when a campsite becomes available at Colonial Creek!
Create AlertBest Campsites
8, 9, 15, 21, 28, 76, 78, 79, 80, 82, 122, 150.
Regions
- Lake
- Mountains
- National Forest
- National Forest Campgrounds
- North Cascades National Park
- Pacific Northwest
Campsite Types
- ADA
- RV
- Tent
- Trailer
Season:
May – October
Elevation:
1,306
# of Campsites:
161
Colonial Creek Photos & Video
Colonial Creek Comments & Reviews
Visited Colonial Creek Campground lately? We'd love to hear about your adventure. Did you find us useful? Did we forget something? Anything our community should know before heading out to Colonial Creek?
How many tents and cars are allowed in a family site?
Hi Lorrie,
The campsites at Colonial Creek campground can accommodate two vehicles and up to 8 people per site. Generally campsites can accommodate 1-2 tents, but you can have more if there is room.
How wide of a tent can these sites accommodate?
Hi Kaela,
That depends on the campsites, but most campsites at Colonial Creek campground have a pretty good sized area for tents.Most can accommodate 10×15.
Is there a group site that can be reserved? Our scout troop is interested in camping here. Thank you!
Hi Kirsten,
Sorry, Colonial Creek (South) campground does not have a group camping site.
Can I use my Discovery Park here or it has to be a National Park Pass?
Hi Bao,
The Discovery Pass is state pass (for state parks, etc.). You’ll need to pay the entrance fee or use a National Park Pass at North Cascades National Park / Colonial Creek.
I have site 138 reserved, which is a hike in/hike to site. What does hike in/hike to mean? Is there space to park a car nearby?
Hi Jennifer, There is a parking area for your car. Colonial Creek campsite #138 is about a 300-450 foot hike from the parking area. You’ll need to hike all your gear in and out (from/to your vehicle).
Have the first come first serve campgrounds been snagged up pretty quickly throughout the week?
Hi Ann,
Colonial Creek first come first serve campsites are popular. You should have a good chance of getting one with a mid week (Sun-Thu) arrival, but recommend you get to the campground early (by 8am) to try.
We have a reservation for site 130. It says that it’s a walk-in site but looking at the map, it doesn’t appear to be so… Can you tell me what to expect? Bringing my boys and their friends so trying to prepare properly!
Hi Michele,
Colonial Creek campsite #130 does have a parking area for 2 vehicles. The table/tent area is walk-to (about 10 feet from the parking area). This is a tent-only camping site and you can have up to 8 people. Have fun!
I have site 142 reserved. Is this a walk in site? If so, hard far is the parking from the site?
Hi Alison,
Colonial Creek campsite #142 is not a walk-in site. It has a parking spur that is 24 feet in length and can accommodate two vehicles. You can park a car, trailer or RV in the site. Tent camping is also permitted. And you can have up to 8 people.
How does first come first served work? Do you just look for an empty site and setup camp? What are the fees for a FF site? Would coming at check out time be a good time to be there?
Hi Alison,
The Colonial Creek first-come, first-serve campsites are very popular.
The north loop campsites (1-63) are first-come, first-serve and fill up quickly. Check in is 2pm, but it’s recommended you get in line early in the morning to try and get a site.
How big is the ADA site #071? Hoping to still have some privacy and can’t tell from the Rec gov website. We’d like to fit 2 large tents for 7 of us.
Hi Tiffany,
Colonial Creek campsite #71 (ADA) is a walk-to (40 feet from parking area) tent-only campsite. It can accommodate 2 vehicles and 8 people. Also, the tent pad area can accommodate two semi-large tents (10×10 – give or take) each.
Are there 63 first-come, first-serve sites in the north campgrounds? We need 2 sites and are planning to be there at the site by 11.30 am on a Friday (for the 2 pm check in). Should we even try? haha!
Hi Amar,
Correct – campsites 1-63 (north loop) are first-come, first-serve at Colonial Creek campground. Expect those to be gone by early Friday morning though. I recommend getting in line around 7am Friday (or arriving mid-day Thursday) for a better chance. Best of luck!
Thank you for the reply. A couple of follow-ups:
1) if a few family members (3 people) get there by 7 in the line (in one car), can they get 2 sites?
2) is there any registration they need to do on site? Or just just grab any ones that are open?
3) one site can fit 2 tents? or more?
Thanks for the help.
And one more question. sorry.
Even if we get the site, I read that the check in is 2 pm. Does that mean that we can’t really put the stuff on the site and use it until after 2 pm?
Yes, you don’t need to have a vehicle to reserve a first-come, first-serve campsite. However, I recommend you don’t have everyone in the same vehicle when initially trying to get a campsite. Probably should walk up separately to check-in office/kiosk. Bring your ID and vehicle license plate for each site you’re trying to get. And most sites can fit 2 tents.
Check out is noon and check-in is 2pm. You can reserve a spot prior to check out, but usually you won’t be able to occupy until 2pm. Sometimes the ranger/camp host will give you the okay to occupy earlier – especially if someone as cleared out early morning.
For the FF campsites, can you stay multiple days?
Yes, you can stay up 7 consecutive nights during peak season.
We are wanting to come for Labor Day weekend. If we arrive Thursday evening, do you think we will get a spot?
Probably not (unfortunately). The Colonial Creek first-come, first-serve campsites are extremely popular – especially on a weekend and/or holiday weekend. People will definitely try and get those sites on Thursday morning, or even Wednesday before Labor Day.
I have a 30′ trailer. would that fit in your sites. and how would i go about trying to get one
Hi JFJ,
Yes – there are campsites at Colonial Creek campground that can accommodate a 30 foot trailer. You can click on the ‘Make A Reservation’ button to check availability, pricing, size and make a reservation. You can also try the first-come, first-serve campsites, but those are very popular and are usually taken by Thursday afternoon (through the weekend) of each summer. Another option is to try our Campsite Assist feature. It will send you an alert (text and email) if a campsite becomes available on the dates you want to camp. There is a one time fee for Campsite Assist and it will monitor availability for 3, 4 or 6 months (depending on the plan you purchase).
I have a site reserved but will be arriving late (around 6). Will they give up my spot if I miss the 2 pm check in?
Hi Casimir,
The camp host/park ranger at Colonial Creek will not give up your campsite if you don’t arrive by 2pm. You have until the next morning to check in, but I would try to arrive on the day you’re suppose to check in.
Hello, I have spot 147 reserved, if our group has three cars, where can the third car park?
Hi Sara,
We have not been able to find out whether there is overflow parking at Colonial Creek campground. You may try calling the campground phone number at: 360-854-7200
Hi, we have reserved site 134 which is a hike in spot. How close can you park the car?
Hi Joanna,
The hiking from the parking area to campsite #134 is about 250 feet.
Wondering how far the *walk-in* is for site 70. thx
Hi Melanie,
It’s about a 50 foot walk from the parking lot/area to campsite 70 at Colonial Creek campground.
We are camping at Colonial Creek and arriving tonight. Have reservations. Are we allowed to have fires at the site in the fire pits?
Hi Kim,
Yes, you can have fires in the fire pits at Colonial Creek campground.
Hi,
We’re thinking about trying to get there Friday morning around 6:30am to get in line. A couple of questions:
1. What are our chances of getting a site for 2 nights (Friday’s and Saturday’s nights)?
2. Where is the line? Is there a ranger station or host site at the North campground?
Thank you!
Ben
Hi Ben,
I’d say your chances are fair-good for getting a first-come, first-serve campsite with a 6:30am arrival. I’d recommend first driving through the north loop to see if any first-come first-serve sites have been vacated. If so, you can occupy and pay at the kiosk station (and entrance to north loop). If all sites are filled when you arrive, you’ll probably need to get in line at the kiosk. Overflow parking is available nearby if you can’t wait in line with your vehicle.
Hello, a couple questions.
1. We’re planning to arrive at the north loop around 7am on Friday, is that early enough to get a spot? And if so what are some good spot numbers we should look out for?
2. I read that each site has a table and a campfire ring. Does the campfire ring have something to grill food on?
Thank you!
Hi Koontzy,
Colonial Creek campground is popular over the weekends, but a 7am arrival should snag you one of the first-come, first-serve campsites. Campsites 1-43 are first-come, first-serve. I’d look at the photos of those and pick a few out to target, but you’ll probably just have to pick what comes available. There’s also a fire ring and grate (for cooking) at each site. Best of luck!
How early do I need to be there to get a site in the North Loop next Wednesday? I know it’s a guess, but I’m just hoping for some guidance. Thank you!
Hi Bryan,
You’re right – it’s a guess, but I wouldn’t push it much past 10am. Wednesday arrival is good and camping is easing a bit, but still there are a lot getting out there.
Do you have sites that will accommodate a 32′ travel trailer? If so, are there multiple sites or only a select few? Can you provide possible site #’s so that I could look at them?
Since it’s FF, if we don’t get a site, do you have a suggestion on where we should drive next to find a campground since we will be quite a ways from home?
Hi Troy,
There are some Colonial Creek campsites that can accommodate a 32′ travel trailer. You can click on the ‘Make A Reservation’ button to go to the Recreation.gov page. From there you can click on the individual campsites and see site details (which provides size limits per campsite). Also, two other campgrounds in there are you may be interested in include: Newhalem Creek (116 campsites) and Goodell Creek (21 campsites). Both have reservable campsites that can accommodate your trailer.
I have a site 65. How close is it to other site? I have exactly 8 folks in our group with 3 tents. Is this site can accommodate 3 tents?
Hi Phuong,
Campsite 65 tent pad area can accommodate 2 small to medium sized tents. You might be able to squeeze 3 small tents in there. You can have up to 8 people in the site.
Also, the campsite is about 20 feet from one site and about 40 feet from another in the area.
Hi, how early do you recommend we arrive on a Saturday to snag a first-come first-serve camp site?
Thanks!
Probably all sites will be gone by Saturday. You’d have a better chance of getting a site with a Friday arrival (no later than 2pm). Labor Day weekend will probably fill up on the Thursday afternoon.
Hi,
How much are the first come first serve sites at Colonial Creek?
Also do you think it’s better to show up Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning this week?
Thank you!
Hi Natalie,
Not positive, but the Colonial Creek first-come first-serve campsites should be the same as the reservable sites – $16 per night. And arriving the earlier the better is a good idea to get a campsite through Labor Day weekend. Thursday morning (8am to get in line – check in is 2pm), but Wednesday night would be better. Hope you get a campsite you like!
Hello, We are coming up this Wednesday night and hoping to snag a spot in the North Campground. How far is the walk to sites 10-13? Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Lisa,
First-come first-serve (walk-to) campsites 10-14 are about 1,000 feet from the parking area. A Wednesday evening/night arrival should get you a campsite! Best of luck and have fun.
Thank you so much!
You are welcome!
Is site 82 a FF site? What are the chances of getting a site if I arrive at 7am on Thursday?
Hi Brye,
Colonial Creek campsite #82 is a reservable campsite. The first-come, first-serve sites are 1-63. I’d say your chances are very good to get a (FCFS) campsite with a 7am (Thursday) arrival.
I have a small group coming for next Thursday the 17th, plan is to get in around 5-6pm. How likely is it to find a FF site? Or one with a lakefront view? thanks!
Hi Arren,
I say chances are pretty good you’ll get a Colonial Creek campsite with a Thursday evening arrival. The lakefront sites will probably be taken by noon though.
I’m looking to reserve 2 camp sites in July next year, when is the earliest time I can reserve? And can I reserve 2 sites For myself? Are there parking fees, or permit fees, passes or whatever fees I need to know? If there are additional cars, are there parking available?
What are the best sites for family with young kids, regards to easy access to water or swimming area, etc.
And how I can optimize my chance of getting good sites? Like the lake front ones
Thank you
Hi Thuy,
Colonial Creek campsite reservations are on a 6-month rolling schedule. In other words the first day you can try to make a reservation is 6 months prior to the day you arrive. For example, if you wanted to begin your stat on July 10th, then the first day you can try and make a reservation is on January 10th at 7am PST (10am Eastern Time). Since it is a very popular campground (during the summer), I recommend you login to your Recreation.gov account about 20 minutes before 7am PST, then have your campsite chosen and dates entered. At exactly 7:00am PST click on the ‘Check Availability’ button to try and reserve your site. If it is taken, you can quickly check for any availability in the campground and try and get a site. You’ll need to be logged in with two different accounts to try and get two campsites.
Hope this helps!
Will I have favorable chances of getting a first come first serve campsite this weekend (Saturday) in late September?
Hi Mariah,
A Saturday arrival may be iffy, since it is a very popular campground and people will be looking to get a few more camping trips in before the weather changes.
how big are the tent pads? is it the same on all the sites? i’m looking at site #79, it looks like it’s big enough for 3 medium or large tents?
Does Site 78 have direct access to / view of water, or do you have to walk through 79 / 80 to get to it? It’s hard to tell from the photos.
Hi John,
Yes – Colonial Creek campsite #78 does have direct access to the water and you do not have to walk through sites 79 and 80. The area in between site #78 and the shoreline is heavily wooded though.
Hi,
I am looking to book two campsites and want them to be close to each other. Do you know if it’s better to book 78&79 or 79&80 if we want to stay closer together?
Also, which one of these have water access?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris,
Sites 79/80 are a bit closer together than 78/79. All three campsites (78, 79 and 80) have direct access to the water, but the area between the sites and waterfront is heavily forested.
I reserved sites 68 and 69, both campsites look a bit small from the pictures. Can each hold 2 medium tents? Like 10×14 or smaller ? And does it have lake view?
Hi Tom,
The tent pads at both sites are about 15×15. Most of the time (depends on camp ranger) it’s okay to pitch a tent outside the pad. You can also see the water through the trees from both sites.
We have a 24 ft. motorhome. can you suggest a few sites that would be appropriate to reserve. Due to our refrigerator it will need to be fairly close to level. Thank you!
Hello,
We have site 75 and 122 booked for one weekend and need to cancel one. We like the idea of the proximity to the water for 75 but you listed 122 as one of the best camping spots. Why does 122 make the cut on beat campsite? I was just curious to your criteria for the list of best campsites.
HI Ashley,
Great question. Generally our photographer(s) will choose our favorite/best campsites based on location, size, if they have a view, closer to water, privacy and if site is fairly level. Waterfront or sites near the water are almost always are on our favorite list. The photographer liked Colonial Creek campsite #122 because it was fairly large, level, private and had some really cool (large) trees in the site. Hope this helps!
I have a campervan. Do I have to reserve an RV site or can I reserve a tent site?
Hi Nicole,
Here a tent or RV site is fine with your campervan – as long as it fits in the parking area of the site.