Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Introduction

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area offers a wide variety of camping and recreational opportunities that make the park your ideal home away from home. Named after President Franklin D. Roosevelt, this area is a premier destination for all things fun and lovely. Boat camps, group camps, tent camps, and RV camps are available in the park, meaning there are more than enough opportunities to relax and refresh.

Whether you want to hike on the four self-guided trails and learn about the history, geology, and features of the park, or watch a variety of resident and migratory birds, you can rest assured that you’re covered at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. Excellent fishing opportunities are also available on Lake Roosevelt, in addition to boating and kayaking adventures. The park is also open to hunting and swimming.

Lake Roosevelt NRA features 14 campgrounds that accommodate RVs and tents. There are many facilities in the park, including boat launches, courtesy docks, amphitheaters, fish cleaning station, and Visitor Center. Picnic tables, fire pits, restrooms, and potable water are available in the campsites.

Lake Roosevelt NRA was established in 1947 as the Coulee Dam Recreational Area and renamed in 1997.

Park Alerts (3)

[Caution] Spring 2024 Prescribed Fire Notice at Lake Roosevelt

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area may implement the following prescribed burn during the spring of 2024.

[Park Closure] Hawk Creek Lane Restriction at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Due to undercutting action of Hawk Creek on the access road between the Hawk Creek campground and boat launch, the road will be reduced to one lane until further notice. Use caution while on this road.

[Park Closure] Extended Fish Cleaning Station Closure

Park fish cleaning stations will remain closed while the NPS researches and tests better alternatives. This closure includes the restroom facility located at the Fort Spokane boat launch.

Transportation

Driving

Located around Lake Roosevelt in Washington, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is easy to access via different routes, particularly Washington Highway 25, so you won’t have any difficulty driving up to and locating the park in your RV, trailer, or any other motorized vehicle. Within the park, paved and unpaved roads lead to the various campgrounds and campsites. There are no driving restrictions within Lake Roosevelt NRA.

Parking

Plenty of parking options and spaces are available in Lake Roosevelt NRA for visitors and vacationers to park their RVs, trailers, and cars. Additionally, there are parking pads in the park’s campsites for RVs and trailers. Overnight parking facilities are also available.

Public Transportation

There are no direct public transportation services to Lake Roosevelt NRA.

Campsites in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Reservations camping

Spring Canyon Campground

Spring Canyon Campground features 78 pet-friendly campsites on the hillside overlooking Lake Roosevelt. RVs and trailers up to 50 feet can be accommodated in the campground, but no RV hookups are available. Group sites are present in the campground, as well as a day use area. You’ll find amenities such as a dump station, trash cans, amphitheater, potable water, and flush/vault toilets too.

Half of the campsites in the campground are reservable, while the other half are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fort Spokane Campground

Fort Spokane Campground features 67 pet-friendly campsites that are available for RVs and tents. The campsites can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 50 feet long. No hookups are available in the campground, but some other amenities like potable water, trash cans, an amphitheater, and dump station are available for use. The visitor center is located nearby, and so are stores and gas stations.

Some campsites in the campground are reservable, while others are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Kettle Falls Campground

Kettle Falls Campground, a fairly wooded campground sitting on the shore of the lake, features 76 pet-friendly campsites that can accommodate RVs, trailers, and tents. There are no RV hookups in the campground, however, you’ll be able to make use of facilities and amenities such as an amphitheater, dump station, trash cans, potable water, and flush/vault toilets.

RV/trailer length limit within the campground is 50 feet. Campsite reservations are accepted, and some sites are available on first-come, first-served basis.

First-come first-served

Jones Bay Campground

Jones Bay Campground is a rustic campground that features 9 pet-friendly campsites available on first-come, first-served basis. Campsites that support the use of RVs and trailers can accommodate those up to 30 feet long. The campground consists of gravel and dirt roads, with little vegetation. Accessing the campground by RV/trailer or car may be difficult.

There are trash cans and vault toilets in the campground, but no RV hookups are available.

Hawk Creek Campground

Hawk Creek Campground features 20 pet-friendly campsites that are available on first-come, first-served basis only. Campsites that support RVs and trailers can accommodate those up to 40 feet long, but no hookups are available. Vault toilets, picnic tables, fire pits, and a courtesy dock are available in the campground.

A small waterfall adds ambiance to this beautiful and unique small campground.

Hunters Campground

Hunters Campground has 37-pet friendly campsites that are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are group sites as well as RV sites in the campground. Campsites can accommodate RVs/trailers up to 60 feet long. No RV hookups are available.

Amenities in the campground include dump station, trash cans, potable water, flush and vault toilets. Campsites are equipped with a picnic table and fire pit. Cell phone reception is good.

Gifford Campground

Offering shoreline access to campers and scenic views of Lake Roosevelt across its 42 pet-friendly campsites, Gifford Campground can be accessed by RVs and trailers up to 35 feet in length. No RV hookups are available, but there are flush and vault toilets, potable water, trash cans, and a dump station in the campground. A boat launch, dock, and fish cleaning station are located in the campground. A group site also provides space and privacy for larger parties.

All the campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

Haag Cove Campground

Haag Cove Campground is a quiet campground that features 18 pet-friendly campsites spread out along the shore of Lake Roosevelt. Sitting within scattered pine trees, these campsites have picnic tables, fire pits, vault toilets, and trash cans. Cell phone reception in the campground is good.

All the campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and cannot accommodate RVs/trailers more than 35 feet in length.

Marcus Island Campground

Marcus Island Campground, located beneath the trees on the shore of the lake, consists of 25 pet-friendly campsites that are available on a first-come, first-served basis only. There are no RV hookups in the campground but you’ll find picnic tables, trash cans, vault toilets, and fire pits. Just before you enter the campground, there’s a boat launch with parking spaces.

RV/trailer length limit at the campground is 42 feet.

Kamloops Island Campground

Kamloops Island Campground has 17 pet-friendly campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis at the mouth of Kettle River. The campsites support tents and RVs/trailers up to 30 feet long. There are no RV hookups.

Trash cans and vault toilets are present in the campground, as well as a courtesy dock open to the use of small watercraft.

Evans Campground

Evans Campground features 43 pet-friendly campsites that are available on first-come, first-served basis only. Group sites are found in the campground. Sites that support the use of RVs and trailers in the campground can accommodate those up to 30 feet in length.

No hookups for RVs are present, but flush and vault toilets, potable water, a dump station, trash cans and an amphitheater are available. Cell phone reception is also good. You can make use of the boat launch, day use area, and swim beach in the campground.

Kettle River Campground

At Kettle River Campground, there are 13 pet-friendly campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis. The sites that support the use of RVs/trailers can accommodate rigs up to 38 feet long. Although no hookups are available in the campground, amenities such as vault toilets, picnic tables, trash cans, and fire pits are on hand. The cell phone reception is good too.

Most of the sites in the campground sit on the shore of Kettle River, offering scenic views of the river and its surrounding landscapes. A courtesy dock is available in the campground.

Snag Cove Campground

Snag Cove Campground has 9 pet-friendly campsites that are open to tents and RVs. None of the campsites is equipped with RV hookups, but there are trash cans and vault toilets, as well as picnic tables and fire grills in the campground. A boat launch and courtesy dock are also available. The cell phone reception within the campground is good.

All the campsites in the campground are available on a first-come, first-served basis only. RV length limit is 40 feet.

North Gorge Campground

North Gorge Campground consists of 12 pet-friendly campsites that are available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Six of the campsites can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 36 feet in length. There are no RV hookups in the campground, however, trash cans, pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits are available. A boat launch is also available nearby.

The roads in the campground are paved, and so are the parking spaces within the campsites.

Seasonal activities in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Fall

Hunting

As one of the few National Park Service Units that allows hunting, Lake Roosevelt NRA is popular among RV campers who enjoy this sport. Lake Roosevelt NRA offers safe and meaningful hunting experiences to all who wish to hunt within the park, through the creation of favorable regulations. As a result, the park is full during hunting season.

To ensure safety, hunting is not allowed within 500 feet of all the campgrounds, administrative areas, and day-use areas.

Fishing

Over 30 fish species inhabit the waters in Lake Roosevelt and offer exciting fishing opportunities to campers and angling enthusiasts. Some of the fish species in the park include rainbow trout, white sturgeon – the biggest freshwater fish in North America, and yellow perch. Lake Whitefish is also abundant in Lake Roosevelt, and is mostly caught by anglers fishing for kokanee or trout in the lake. Other fish found in the park’s waters include bass, cutthroat trout, sunfish, bullhead, and pike.

When fishing in Lake Roosevelt, Washington State fishing regulations and licensing requirements apply.

Summer

Swimming

Lake Roosevelt NRA features several designated swimming beaches available for RV campers and visitors who are in search of a good place to swim or even enjoy picnics.

The Swimming beaches range from primitive beaches to developed ones with playgrounds and bathrooms. So, you get choose if you want to swim where a port-a-potty is the only facility available, or where you’ll have more modern facilities. In all the developed swim beaches, pets are not allowed.

Spring

Boating

Boating is a popular activity among visitors and vacationers in Lake Roosevelt NRA as the park features 22 public boat launches that present enthusiasts with the exciting opportunities on the lake. The use of various types of watercraft from canoes to motorboats are allowed in the park, making the park appeal to all water-related recreation enthusiasts.

It is worth it to note that seasonal fluctuations affect the level of the lake and access to the launch facilities in the park. Boat launch permits are required to use the launch facilities.

Hiking

There are four self-guided hiking trails in Lake Roosevelt NRA for vacationers and visitors to pick from and enjoy the beauty and features of the park. They include Mission Point Trail, Old Kettle Town-site Trail, Sentinel Trail, and Bunchgrass Prairie Nature Trail.

At Lake Roosevelt, campers enjoy the opportunity to walk the path where the first tribes that fished and hunted in the Columbia River used. Moreover, RV campers can hike on trails that lead to the oldest standing church in Upper Columbia and explore the history of the area. Each trail offers the chance to explore the park’s history and geology, as well as its terrain and scenery.

Winter

Bird Viewing

More than 230 bird species are found in Lake Roosevelt NRA in their beautiful colors and shapes, as well as with their relaxing songs. Some of the birds in the park inhabit the forest and waters, while others visit the park during their migration. Bald eagles, Anna’s hummingbirds and wild turkeys call the park their home, while American White Pelican and Rufous hummingbirds are examples of the migratory birds commonly found in the park.

If you want to catch sight of these birds, visit the Grand Coulee Dam, Fort Spokane, and Kettle Falls areas to see them in their beautiful natural surroundings.

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation AreaRV Guide