Vasa Park Resort

I had a 6-month work assignment near Seattle. We expected to stay in various parks, RV resorts and boondock during our time in Washington; however, the job and Washington's summer-season did not allow for that. Instead, we ended up staying at *most* of the State Parks and RV "Resorts" in the area. We have to say, this was our overall favorite. In short, the State Parks lack hook-ups (only a problem in the heat of the summer or middle of the wet, cold winter) and have a stay limitation. The RV "resorts" are pretty much parking lots where you are literally on top of your neighbor.

VASA is a park, campground, and highly desired community picnic location. Site fees vary based on time of year and full hook-up or partial hook-up spots. With no traffic, you can make it to downtown Seattle in 20 minutes. Even during rush-hour commutes, the longest it took was just over an hour, but a regular rush-hour commute is about 45 minutes. Vasa is 25-30 minutes from Snoqualmie Falls, and an hour and a half from Tacoma and Leavenworth. The Issaquah Zoo and Sammamish State Park are only 5 minutes away, along with a natural grocery store and other amenities. Marymoor Park (with a HUGE off-leash dog park, complete with open space, woods and river access) is about 20 minute north.

The Great
- You have lake access all day long, even after the park closes to the public.
- Lots and lots of green.
- Laundry on-site.
- Dump station on site.
- Park across the street also owned by the property, and is a nice place to take the dogs and kids to run.
- The managers, Susie and Walt, really care about the park and the safety of everyone there.
- Full access to the playground for kids all the time.
- Volleyball court and horseshoes also available.
- Had T-Mobile and AT&T Cell Service as well as Verizon Jet Pack service, but don't recall the strength.

The Good
- Hook-up sites are on gravel and mostly flat.
- The partial hook-up spots are in the grass/dirt and some are more level than others. Though we really liked these spots, some people would prefer pavement or gravel.
- Monthly rates are sometimes offered through the off-season months, but fill up quickly and are only available on a limited basis.

The Eh
- There are only 6 highly coveted full hook-up spots.
- The other (15?) or so spots only have 15/20amp (not enough to run the AC) and water.
- Dogs only allowed in the designated campground area for the safety of public guests.
- In the summer, there can be 1000-2000 people onsite for picnics, parties, and lake swimming. (Though you cannot participate in these activities, we enjoyed the hustle and bustle, though it IS loud and not for everyone.)
- Weddings are held in the building across the street and you can sometimes hear the noise.
- The street is the main through-fare for people commuting to and from Microsoft each day.
- Park is open to the public 9am-8pm everyday.
- Beware the steep hill coming down toward the campground off the highway - sharp turns and abrupt stops.

We lived here for about 4.5 months and despite the drawbacks, really, really loved it here. It's a great location if you're passing through, want to visit the Seattle area and environs, have kids, and want to experience lakefront living. As mentioned previously, there are a few other good options in the area depending on what you're looking for [Saltwater State Park (just beware the airport noise) and Lake Pleasant RV Resort in Bothell (only 55+ for weekly/monthly rates and no units more than 10 years old... nightly rates much higher but have fewer restrictions, including any age RV, dog flexibility and children... but is a much farther drive from Seattle proper).

We would absolutely stay here again.

Surprisingly nice here! We were't expecting a whole lot, so I suppose that helps. The kids LOVED the slide into the water, they have a great playground and its pretty quiet in the off season. Sites are close, but there's a huge grassy, open, meadow so lots of space to stretch out. We stayed in a full hook-up site. I bet its pretty slammed with day trippers during the summer though!

Camp WiFi is decent. 5MB upload is a nice change of pace.