Purple Point Campground
The Quick Take
Purple Point is one of the most uniquely accessed campgrounds in the entire national park system. You cannot drive here. Full stop. Getting to this tiny, six-site campground requires a ferry ride up Lake Chelan, a floatplane, or a serious backpacking commitment -- and that barrier to entry is exactly the point. Once you step off the boat at Stehekin Landing, it is a short ten-minute walk to your site, where you will find vault toilets, food lockers, and not much else. The campground sits at the head of Lake Chelan with a lakeside setting that larger, drive-up campgrounds simply cannot match. The trade-off is real: no showers, no cell service, no store within easy reach, and you need to plan your food and supplies carefully before boarding the ferry. This is the campground for people who want to feel genuinely remote without committing to a backcountry permit.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 6 sites are reservable.
Book at North Cascades LodgesWhat You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
Accessible restrooms available. No wheelchair accessible sites available. Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Rules to Know
- Fires:Campfires in designated campfire rings only.
- Generators:Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 6 am.
- Bear Safety:Do not feed or tease wildlife - keep your food and other appealing items in your vehicle at all times except when eating/using them.
- Checkout:Checkout time is 11:00 am on day of departure.
- Stay Limit:Camping is limited to no more than 14 days from July 1 to September 1 and no more than 30 days in a calendar year.
Pro Tips
Summer reservations open six months in advance on recreation.gov and these six sites disappear fast -- set a calendar reminder and book the moment your dates become available. Winter is first-come, first-served, but you will also be hauling your own water and packing out trash.
The Lady of the Lake ferry from Chelan is your most practical access route, but it only runs once or twice daily depending on the season. Miss it and you are stuck. Build your itinerary around the ferry schedule, not the other way around, and check departure times well before your trip.
Pack in everything you need for your entire stay, including all food, cooking fuel, and toiletries. Stehekin has a small bakery and a seasonal shuttle to a general store, but selection is extremely limited and prices reflect the remoteness. Treat this like a backcountry trip with the luxury of a picnic table.
Photos
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
There are no roads or car access into Stehekin. Accessible by foot, boat or plane only. Visitors may take a passenger ferry or their own boat, which may be parked at the public docks in Stehekin with the purchase of a federal dock permit. Purple Point Campground is located approximately a ten-minute walk north of Stehekin Landing.
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