Ross Lake Campground is one of the lesser known campgrounds close-ish to Vancouver in BC, Canada. It is located in Skagit Valley Provincial Park and next to North Cascades National Park in Washington.

We fell in love with the incredible scenery around Ross Lake, and with the campground itself. There are a mix of shady campsites closer to the lakeshore, as well as more open sites with fabulous views of the surrounding mountains. The area is so remote (on both sides of the border) that it is also great for stargazing and seeing the Milky Way.

How to reach Ross Lake

Access to Skagit Valley Provincial Park and Ross Lake is via Silver Skagit Road. Turn off near Hope, and drive past Silver Lake and the trail to Eaton Lake. The road is unpaved, with a lose surface but was in pretty good condition in 2025 (no need for 4×4). The road is open from mid-April to mid-October. It is a treat to drive through this area as it is simply gorgeous.

Booking campsites at Ross Lake

Book campsites via the BC Frontcountry Camping Reservation website (choose Skagit Valley to find the option for Ross Lake). In 2025 it costs $18 per night for frontcountry camping plus $6 booking fee. Or $18 in cash if you go with one of the first come, first serve sites.

• 88 vehicle-accessible campsites
• 31 are bookable, 57 are FCFS.

Ross Lake Campground map

This map is from the BC Parks website.

There is also a group campsite for 15-50 people (Reservation for the group site is here.)
In 2025 the cost is $80 per group site per night, plus $5 per adult (age 16+, minimum charge for 15 adults), plus $1 per child (6-15). Children under 6 are free!

It is not shown on the map above, but it is the opposite side of the road to the main campground, before you get to the International Point day use area.

Ross Lake Camping dates

• Open from May 1 to October 15 2025
• The gate is closed outside of the operating season, so no winter camping

Ross Lake Campsites

We had one of the double campsites, at the edge of a meadow. There are sites on grass or gravel, as well as quite a few shady sites closer to the Skagit River. Each site has a bench and a fire pit.

Ross Lake Camping Facilities

This is a pretty rustic campground, but we were impressed that everything seemed to be in really good repair.

• Water taps (the old kind that you pump yourself)
• Recycling stations
• Pit toilets that seemed new, not too stinky.
• Playground
• In addition to the campsites, there is a day use area with a boat launch. This was nowhere near the water in June, as the water fluctuates. The lake is closer to the campground from July.
• Amphitheater that hosts events and shows, including nature displays.

Swimming at Ross Lake

Ross Lake itself is a reservoir, and the level is controlled to the south in Washington; It is used to generate power for Seattle, but they allow the waters to rise in late July/August. When the waters are at their highest in the summer, the lake reaches right up to the campground. It also reaches the International Point day use area (which was still grassy in June.)

When we visited (in June) you could still swim in the Skagit River. The water is very cold, but great for cooling down.

The Mosquito issue

One reason I was a little worried about camping here is that I read that this campground can be terrible for mosquitoes! It sounds like if you visit later in the summer, there might be swarms of the bitey-bastards sharing the campground with you. However, of you visit while the lake waters are low, this was not an issue at all. If you hate bugs, it may be best to visit in June, early July, or right at the end of the summer.

The USA-Canada Border

This campground is right by the 49th parallel, so when the border is open you can wander over to the American side and hike around the giant trees. However, in 2025, that was not possible: “The US National Park Service has indicated that until further notice, the gate located along the Canada/US border at Hozomeen will remain closed; vehicle and foot traffic across the Canada/US border is prohibited and visitors must enter through a designated port of entry.” (info from the Skagit Valley Park website)

Campfires at Ross Lake

When there are no campfire bans, you can cook within the fire rings. You can buy firewood at the campground, but it is a looong drive out, so we bought lots from Hope before we drove down here! You might be able to tell from the next bunch of photos, but we LOVE cooking on campfires.

Great Camping Food

On this occasion we were camping with foodie friends, who also love making good grub in the wilderness. The lads (Marc and Bernie) cooked up a storm, while Zoe and I relaxed and walked their dog, Arla.

The menu involved:
– Prawns cooked with rosemary on skewers with humus and salad and pita
– Scallops and zucchini, with arugula, pine nuts and a zesty dressing
– A giant trout that the lads stuffed with slices of lemon, herbs and garlic, served with pan-roasted potatoes and mushrooms
– Roasted fruits with custard, berries and campfire meringue and chocolate sprinkles.

This was a bit posher than our normal camping grub, but we do have loads of ideas for cooking on campfires, so click through if you’d like to steal other ideas.

Historical and Cultural notes

Archaeological evidence (and oral traditions) show that humans have been using the Skagit Valley for around ten thousand years, since the continental glaciers receded from this area at the end of the last ice age. The Skagit Valley is part of the traditional territories of multiple Coast Salish and Interior Salish peoples who maintain strong connections to this land. This includes the Nlaka’pamux, Sto:lo and Upper Skagit people. The area was also visited by Silikameen and Nooksack groups.

If you visit when the level of Ross Lake is low, you can still see hundreds of stumps from the forest that used to cover this area before it was flooded. However, in the middle of the twentieth century, this whole valley was marked for further flooding (2,000 hectares were going to be below 35m of water). Thousands of people on both sides of the border wrote letters and protested to fight to save the rest of the Skagit Valley. I am so glad they did!

I should probably also mention, that the reason I have been posting a bit less recently (and I will probably continue to post a bit less often, even though I have loooads of hikes I want to write about…) is I am growing a future hiker. Watch this space, as at some point I’ll start sharing camping and hiking adventures we can do with a baby.

I was really surprised by the Campground at Ross Lake. It was such an calming area to visit with beautiful views and relaxed campers (not to mention amazing food – but you have to bring that yourself!) We are used to camping within forests at other BC Provincial Parks, so it made a pleasant change to have epic views of the mountains, right from our tent! I will be back, for sure!