Osoyoos Lake State Park

Because we didn’t get tickets to Sasquatch this year before it sold out, we decided to camp wherever space was still available for Memorial Day weekend. (Washington State campgrounds book quick!) Luckily, there wasn’t much decision necessary since Osoyoos Lake State Park was the only place with available campsites when we searched two days before the weekend started! We booked right away and packed for a weekend in Okanogan County.

Osoyoos Lake is supposedly the warmest lake in Canada, and a little portion of it sticks out over the Canadian border, right near Oroville, Washington. From Seattle, it is approximately a five-hour drive, across Highway 2 to Lake Chelan, then north for another two hours. The State campground there is small, with 80-something campsites. A lot of them are in broad daylight, and it is HOT. Gloriously, sometimes scorching, hot. Some of the best spots to snag at the campground, if you have a choice, are sites 1-11 since they are along a wall of trees for shade. Shade is key. We were only able to sleep in past 5:30 A.M. because of our makeshift shade wall we created from Mike's Jeep. We were impressed with how clean the campground was – the bathrooms are practically brand new, and each campsite features a picnic table and fire pit. The lake is located within a daytime park, and has a roped area for swimming, in addition to a dock for boat launching.


One of the greatest things about the campground is that it’s located right next to a gas station and across the street from a huge store called Prince’s, which had everything you could possibly think of. The location of these two places obviously made the campground not very remote, but it sure made it convenient! We picked up a really awesome two-person inner tube raft that had mesh in the bottom (so you could get some relief from the heat) and a cooler in the middle! It’s like we were floating on our own personal island, which we certainly needed in the heat. We also ran there when the sun burnt our lips into cracked and dry deserts, we needed floss after our steak dinner, and we wanted coffee in the A.M. (Hey – it’s hard to totally leave the comforts of home!)


Another great feature of the campground – it’s in Okanogan Wine Country! We brought our bikes, and were able to bike into town to taste test at two wine-tasting rooms, Okanogan Estate & Vineyards (free tasting) and Lake Crest Winery ($2.50 for tasting). If you travel over the border (I forgot my passport), you’ll find 60+ wineries, and supposedly this really neat little adventure place called Rattlesnake Canyon that has mini golf, rides and an ice cream place with 48 flavors. If we go back, we’re definitely bringing our passports with us!

We love corn on the cob with butter and Lawry's seasoning!

Another little recommendation - if you're driving toward Oroville, or out of Oroville, there's a great little diner called Shannon's Place in Tonasket, Wash. It is a family-run place, with excellent sandwiches and salads. I ordered a bacon-cheddar baked potato, and Mike enjoyed a roast beef sandwich dip. They even offer ice cream, espresso and breakfasts on Sundays, and they're outdoor patio is fantastic, with all-you-can-drink ice tea! (My fav).

Final verdict: Probably go back. The weather was awesome; you can’t beat living in a bathing suit all weekend! The campground was clean and convenient. Overall, we liked the location, and while the drive was quite long, we’d head back to check out the Canadian side of things!