National Park Service · Ross Lake National Recreation Area · WA

Colonial Creek North Campground

10Heads up5 park alerts · 5 fires, nearest 10 mi
Wildfire
Luna fire · 10 mi away · 8,553 acres · 42% contained · updated Sep 23, 2026
Wildfire
Electric fire · 16 mi away · 495 acres · 100% contained · updated Oct 10, 2026
Wildfire
Border 2 fire · 22 mi away · 9,108 acres · 74% contained · updated Oct 12, 2026
Wildfire
Sisi fire · 27 mi away · 4,615 acres · 34% contained · updated Oct 14, 2026
Wildfire
Ptarmigan fire · 28 mi away · 25,566 acres · 90% contained · updated Oct 8, 2026
Caution
Delays on Cascade River Road Starting October 13 Due to road maintenance there may be delays on Cascade River Roa beyond milepost 20 (Eldorado) three miles before the trailhead beginning October 13.
Park Closure
Hozomeen Gate Remains Closed Until further notice, the gate at Hozomeen will remain closed; vehicle and foot traffic across the US/Canada border is prohibited. Visitors must enter through a designated port of entry.
Caution
Diablo Lake Boat Launch Inaccessible to Powerboats Due to silt accumulation, the Diablo Lake boat launch at Colonial Creek South Campground is not usable for launching most powerboats. Expect shallow or no water at the launch ramp and the possibility of needing to carry your boat to or…
Caution
Stehekin Flash Flood and Debris Flow Area The Stehekin area is prone to flooding, which increases in a post-fire environment. Know before you go – visit the Post Fire Safety page for information on what to do in a flash flood and debris flow area
Park Closure
Fire Closures - Trail, Area, and Camp Closures For closures due to fire activity visit the Fire Closures page, including trail, area, and camp closures for current and post fire conditions.
Alerts: National Park Service alerts API · Oct 17, 2026
ReservableOut of season, no booking; November 17 opens May 17.
Book on recreation.govWe make nothing when you book
Right now
Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
A night
$24From, per site
Sites
4037 on recreation.gov
30 ftLongest rig
1,230 ftElevation
299 ftWater · Colonial Creek
36.9 miNE of Darrington, WA
72%Tree cover

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 9 notices

In the agency’s own words

Colonial Creek North Campground requires reservations during the peak season, from late May through early September of each year. Important changes to booking windows : To better serve visitors, Colonial Creek North Campground will release campsites in two staggered block releases. These block releases will be 6 months in advance and 7 days in advance. Campsites #1 - #35 are available for reservations 6 months in advance. Campsites #36 - #43 are available for reservations 7 days in advance. Keep reading

Any sites not reserved during the peak season are available same-day as first-come, first-served for 1 night only and can only be claimed in person at the campground. Colonial Creek North Campground may be open as first-come, first-served after the peak season until the campground closes for the year, typically in mid to late September. The campground is remote, yet bustling and is nestled in old-growth forest. Located on the north side of State Route 20 near milepost 130, there are 37 campsites that are surrounded by forest and located on Diablo Lake. Colonial Creek North Campground can accommodate a variety of camping, whether it’s drive-in camping, or walk-in tent camping. The campsites vary in size from small to medium. Most of the campsites do not accommodate large trailers or RVs.

Recreation

Campers can access several trails from within the facility, such as Thunder Knob Trail located in the North Loop and Thunder Creek Trail from the South Loop. Fishing is allowed in Diablo Lake with a Washington State Fishing license, the closest location to purchase a license in the town of Marblemount, WA. Follow Washington State Fishing Regulations when recreating. Black bears are active in this campground and the surrounding trails. Be aware of your surroundings while hiking, picnicking, and camping. Use the provided bear boxes in your campsite to store coolers, cookware, and other odorants when not in use. If you encounter a bear around the campground or on a trail, inform campground staff or go to the North Cascades Visitor Center and fill out a bear report.

Facilities

The campground is located on the northern side of State Route 20. The entire facility offers drinking water, flush toilets, garbage and recycling, and some paved parking spaces, but most sites have uneven gravel parking. Each campsite offers a picnic table, bear box, and campfire ring. An RV dump station is located in the South Loop.

Natural Features

Colonial Creek North Campground is forested with western redcedar, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, red huckleberries, and other native vegetation. The campground has easy access to Diablo Lake for recreating. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (360) 854-7200.

Nearby Attractions

Traveling west on State Route 20: The North Cascades Visitor Center is 11 miles (18 km) west on State Route 20 from Colonial Creek North Campground, operating seasonally, typically from May to September. Campers can find the passport stamps, exhibit, park film, park store, and much more. Traveling east on State Route 20: Diablo Lake Overlook is 1.5 miles (2 km) east on State Route 20, the turquoise lake can be viewed safely from this area and there is ample day use parking and vault toilets. Ross Lake Overlook is 5 miles (8 km) east on State Route 20, this is a less developed vista point. There are two pull off areas with interpretive displays and with views of the Ross Dam and Ross Lake.

What the agency tells you

Rule

This campground is located within a hydroelectric project. A warning system is in place to notify campers of high water. See entrance area or campground staff for specific information upon arrival.

Rule

Wildlife frequents the area. All food must be stored in animal-resistant food lockers or hard-sided vehicles until use.

Rule

There are no shower facilities or electrical hookups available.

Everything else this campground posts · 6
Rule

Firewood, ice, gas, and other services are not available in the park complex. The nearest services are in the town of Marblemount, WA.

Rule

Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.

Rule

Campsite occupancy is limited to eight people, three tents, and two vehicles per site.

Rule

Campground reservations are accepted during the specified season dates. Campgrounds may be open before or after the reservation season on a walk-up basis. For more information on camping in the North Cascades visit, www.nps.gov/noca.

Rule

No Show Policy: If you do not arrive at a campground or cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date, your reservation will be cancelled. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. Please cancel your reservation if you are unable to use it to make spaces available for others. You can contact the park at 360-854-7301 to assist with changes for a reservation or to notify about a late arrival.

Rule

Refund Policy   Customers may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Customers may also initiate a refund request through the call center at any time after their reservation has ended. Fees: Applicable fees, such as reservation fees, service/cancellation fees, lottery application fees, and change fees, are non-refundable. Debit or Credit Card Purchases: Refunds for debit or credit card payments made after October 1, 2018 will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. In the event that a customer has cancelled this card, they will need to contact their card company to have the funds released. We cannot issue refunds to any card other than the one used to pay. If a customer paid with a debit or credit card prior to October 1, 2018 their refund will be issued in the form of a Treasury check. Check or Cash Purchases: Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. You may update the address at the time you request the refund. It may take up to 6-8 weeks for the Treasury check to arrive. Please make sure your address is up to date in your customer profile. Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within your Recreation.gov customer profile.

Read them on the agency’s own page →

Tents and rigs

Sites
40 · 6 walk-in
Hookups
None
Longest rig
30 ft
Paved pads
3 of 40
Accessible sites
1
Pets
Allowed
Campfires
Allowed, barring fire bans
Shade
Every site
Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Toilets
Flush Toilets - seasonal · Vault Toilets - seasonal
Drinking water
Yes
Dump station
Yes
The agency record says no. recreation.gov’s amenity list says “Dump Station”. The record stands.
Bear boxes
Yes
Camp host
On site
recreation.gov lists “Host”
Stay limit
30 nights
recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Source: Stated in the agency description · Aug 23, 2026

Around the campground

On the water
Lake, Creek
Birding
Boating
Canoeing
Fishing
Hiking
Kayaking
Paddling
Water access
Wildlife viewing
Night sky · 84th darkest of 400 in WA
Bortle 2
Fall color · reported 14 days ago, 34 km away
Peak color
Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026
Fall color: More Than Just Parks foliage tracker, joined to this campground by distance (34 km) · Oct 3, 2026

No reading yet, book on recreation.gov

recreation.gov lists 37 of the 40 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.

No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.

Booking windowOut of seasonOut of season, no booking. On November 17, 2026 at 10 AM ET, availability opens through May 17, 2027.recreation.govAdd to calendar (.ics)
Max stay30 nightsthe facility record
A night$24plus $8 to reserve, once per bookingthe agency’s rate schedule
A weekend$56DerivedFriday and Saturday, everything includedours, from the lines above
If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservationrecreation.gov’s schedule
Runs itNational Park ServiceBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record
Watch for a cancellation

Full? Watch it.

One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Tell me when the season opens

Watch for the season to open

One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

We’ll write once, when the season that starts Mon, May 17 2027 is open for booking.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Book on recreation.gov

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 12

What you actually pay

The sign priceNational Park Service
A night$24
Tent Only Nonelectric$24
These are next season’s rates, May 17, 2027 to Sep 5, 2027. The campground is between seasons now.
The booking feerecreation.gov
Reservation fee, booked online$8
One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.
Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.
What a stay costs
One nightDerived$32
A weekend, Friday and SaturdayDerived$56

Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $24 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.

If your plans changerecreation.gov
Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10
Cancellation fee$10
Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night
No-show$20 + your first night

Who keeps the booking fee

The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →

How we know this receipt · 5

rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

40 sites

All 40 sites

SleepsTakes a
CCNC01walk to
CCNC02walk to
CCNC03walk to
CCNC04walk to
CCNC05walk to
CCNC06walk to
CCNC07standard nonelectric22 ft
CCNC08standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC09standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC14standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC15standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC16standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC17standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC18standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC19standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC20standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC21standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC22standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC23standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC24standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC25type not stated
CCNC26standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC27standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC28standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC29standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC30standard nonelectric25 ftyes
CCNC31standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC32standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC33standard nonelectric30 ft
CCNC34type not stated
CCNC35standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC36standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC37standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC38standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC39standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC40standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC41standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC42standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC43standard nonelectric25 ft
CCNC44type not stated25 ft

25 of 40 listed

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Coordinate48.69100, -121.10100
The phone360-854-7200
The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

The weather

the next four days · the thirty-year normal

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

Overnight47°Rain96% rain
Saturday52°Rain Likely then Mostly Sunny68% rain
Saturday Night37°Mostly Clear3% rain
Sunday55°Mostly Sunny

NWS forecast for Marblemount, WA

Typical weather

Typical October night 42°F, day 58°F.

Coldest month of the year: typical January night 30°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.

90°32°20°

Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more

A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Augusts are colder than the August line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.

Measured at: DIABLO DAM, WA (USC00452157), 3 miles away and 339 ft lower

The land, and who answers for it

who answers for it

Who answers for this land

Rick Larsen, official portrait

Colonial Creek North Campground is in Washington’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Rick Larsen (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from
Right now: National Park Service publishes no season and no closure for this campground, and it takes no bookings we can read. That’s a gap in the record and not a locked gate: the number below is the only way to be sure.
Fall color: More Than Just Parks foliage tracker, joined to this campground by distance (34 km) · Oct 3, 2026
Cell signal: the Park Service’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.
Nearest place of any size: Marblemount, WA, 16.9 mi ENE (a census designated place). Straight line.