Pearrygin Lake East Campground

We welcomed the change from summer to autumn with a three night stay at the East Campground at Pearrygin Lake. The site was beyond pleasant, with tons of room between campsites, a picnic table and fire pit (which we did not use) and a huge grassed expanse behind the site. The lake is especially nice and I imagine a bit busier during the summer, with an ample swimming beach and a boat launch for aquatic toys. Plenty of nice trails for walking too. We spent one day exploring the nearby town of Winthrop and REALLY enjoyed the Shafer Historical Museum. The next day, we drove over Washington Pass and enjoyed the spectacular scenery of the North Cascades National Park.

The only black mark I can think of has to do with the RV pad itself. Getting level was a challenge. We had to block the rear wheels about 4" before lowering the leveling jacks, or the tires would have been off the ground. The asphalt pad was also pretty narrow, which made for a long last step outside our entry door. Still, I'm picking nits. This was a wonderful place to spend a few relaxing days.

The east campground is a nice clean campground with fairly large sites. Each has their own large patch of grass which is super nice if you have a dog with you. It's a relatively short walk to the main lake/beach area as well. We stayed in site 13. It was nice and spacious but fairly sloped. Hard to get the picnic table level and some park genius put the sewer hookup at the top of the site (yes, uphill from the camper). You can make it work if you have the right equipment but it was still just not smart. It was quiet and not too busy. Short 10 min drive to Winthrop with lot's of great amenities. Would definitely be back, however we happened to go during the big western heat wave and when it got up to 108 degrees it wasn't that fun. But overall great site and layout. We took a look at the west side campgrounds and it was way more cramped and far less nice. Also even farther away from the main park/beach area. We'd definitely return to the easy camp if we returned.

We occasionally got 1 or 2 bars of Verizon, but even then it was fairly unusable for data - worked ok for phone calls though.

We were in spot 31 which is not great for a 27’ trailer. Smaller ones would do fine. Swimming area was nice. Had a nice hike around the lake. There was a lot of noise and waves from the boats and jet skis so we decided not to try SUP for the first time. Even kayaking might have been affected. Worth doing outside of powerboat hours though. We would come back. Winthrop is a cool little town. 3 1/2 stars would have been a more accurate rating.

Lake Pearrygin campground has 92 standard sites (no hook-ups) and 71 sites with hook-ups. While site size varies, there are many that can accommodate even the largest rig. There are both back-in and pull-through spaces and each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There are large mature trees for shade throughout the campground, sites have decent separation but only a few have any vegetation to provide privacy. Spaces and campground roads are paved. The campground has restrooms and there is a bathhouse near the swimming area with showers and several picnic areas.

There are large grassy areas, a hiking/biking trail, fishing, boating, water-skiing, and a small concession area. We enjoyed watching the golden marmots clowning around the campground. The campground seems to attract large families/groups and is popular with the power boat crowd. The groups were all well-mannered, but this isn’t the place to go if you’re hunting for quiet and solitude.

The campground is close to the touristy cowboy-themed town of Winthrop. Twisp is a little further but has a nice Saturday farmer’s market.

We had 2 bars of Verizon 3G, we could make phone calls but little/no internet connectivity.

I have to say that I agree with what Nathan, the last person to write a review of this park, had to say. Camping at a Washington State Park is a lot like camping in a nice suburban neighborhood. There is rarely if ever anything rustic or "back to nature" about the experience and the prices have gotten out of hand. If we didn't qualify for a WA State Senior Limited Income Pass which allows us to camp for half-price, we probably wouldn't use them.

As for Pearrygin Lake, well there are some positive aspects: It's really close to Winthrop and all its attractions, the lake itself is pretty, there are lots of birds and wildflowers in the spring, and there are some nice short hikes right out of the campground. Families will probably like it for all the myriad activities available for kids and adults alike. And in the heat of the summer there's no denying that having an electric hook-up for an air conditioner would be a plus too.

As for the minuses, like all the WA state parks, the reservations and site selection process is cumbersome and confusing.We were given a list of open sites by a woman at the entrance station for the one night we wanted to stay. We passed up at least two waterfront sites because they weren't on our list, but it turned out they were actually available. Whenever we had a question a ranger or camp host was nowhere to be seen because staffing has been cut to the bare bone. And as Nathan said, the ambience is more Suburbia than Campground. With that said, you may find this park to your liking - many, many people do. Reservations are a must in the summer!

I have achieved a bit of disdain toward Washington's State Parks.

Everyone knows the West is the best, but thusly in our experience of these parks I can say that every state park we've ever visited—from Florida to Maine—has been infinitely better than what the Evergreen State has to offer.

Why?

They're expensive, and awfully "RV Park".

By that I mean $30 / night at least, for no hookups, but still with a very unnatural setting. No forested sites. No "rustic" feeling. Just no hookups and big yards of fake grass (meaning it shouldn't be there). We ended up here for one night because the nearby Cougar boondocking / NFS site eluded us. That's the campground I'm referring to in the title, and I'll review it shortly with a little better directions than Google / GPS can provide.

Other notes about this place:

There's a really beautiful weeping willow at the end of the beach. The spots are sizable. There was little (but some) trash, though our campfire ring was full of garbage and WA's been under a fire ban for a month or so now. The town of Winthrop, just 15 minutes away, is definitely worth checking out. So I guess most people would like this place. A big lake to cool off in. Sporadic cell service. And they lock the gate at 10pm. Earlier if the staff is feeling weekendy.

Enjoy!