Today we visit Alta Lake State Park.

Alta Lake State Park can be reached from Highway 97 by heading west on Highway 153. If crossing the mountains on the North Cascades Highway then you would turn onto Highway 153 a few miles past Twisp. The State Park itself is a few miles off of Highway 153 and is clearly marked. You’ll drive through some light housing and past the Alta Lake Golf Resort before reaching Alta Lake State Park.

Alta Lake State Park is a great location for many activities. Water and fishing access is available on the lake itself which is about two miles long and a half mile wide, or also on the two nearby rivers; the Columbia and the Methow. There are also many hiking opportunities at or near Alta Lake, including some right at the campground itself. There is a semi-sandy beach with a roped off swim area for the little ones and a boat launch for the big kids. On most days there is even a small campground store that stocks snacks and some camping necessities.

There are two main areas to camp at, when you first pull into the campground there is what is called the “Meadow Campground”. This is a mainly grassy area with few trees and the camping spots seem to be very close together. There is also what is called the “Forest Campground”, these sites are more typically what people think of as camping, with a lot more tree cover and pine needles and wood chips instead of grass.

Chief Joseph Dam, Wells Dam, Chelan, Pateros, Brewster, Twisp, and Winthrop are all within easy driving distance of Alta Lake; making it a great place to headquarter for spending some time in the area.

The Alta Lake Golf Resort just outside the entrance to the park is a popular 18-hole area golf course. Another great activity to participate in while you’re “roughing it” in the great outdoors.

The area of land containing the current Alta Lake State Park was given to the State of Washington by the City of Pateros in 1951. Alta Lake gets it’s name “Alta” from the first name of the daughter of a local jeweler and miner.

More photos of Alta Lake State Park are viewable here.

More photos of the State Parks of North Central Washington are viewable here.