Candi L. Swinscoe: Rascal's Roadshow: Lake Chelan, Washington

Rascal’s Roadshow 🐾

We do travel some looooong straight roads...

...and see some beautiful countryside along the way.

After a beautiful (but long!) drive from Pendleton, Oregon to Chelan, Washington 🌲🚗, we arrived at the city-owned Lakeshore RV Park & Marina.

Our first view of Lake Chelan.

The entry kiosk and office were both unmanned, and there was no paperwork waiting for us. The gates were open, so we headed to our assigned spot. The park is spacious, tree-filled, and dotted with a multitude of campsites—with only three in use. It’s still the off-season, which makes it perfect for us! 😌

A very empty, off-season, park.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as planned. Our site (#38) was too short to fit both our 30' trailer and the truck. A short retaining wall at the back blocked the bike rack, leaving the front of the truck sticking out into the road. If we unhitched, the truck would have stuck out even further! 😬

The city RV park is right next to Lake Chelan with access to
swimming along the shore...in warmer weather!

I called the park office, but since it’s city-run, it was closed for the weekend. It was Saturday afternoon—no answer. So, we made the executive decision to try an empty nearby site without a retaining wall.

Sadly, the only way we could fit there was to back in so far that our trailer jacks would have to be lowered onto the grass—and we didn’t want to risk causing any damage. We cruised through the park looking for a longer site, but they were all the same size. 😕

We met a friendly couple who had parked their trailer in one spot and had to park their truck in another. They also let us know: the park had no water! 💧 They’d filled their tanks at a Les Schwab across town.

At that point, we were tired and just wanted to park and relax. I called another place—Four Lakes RV Park, about 15 minutes away—and spoke with Ryan, who was absolutely wonderful! 🙌 I explained our situation, and he set us up with a premium site with stunning views—for just $14 more than the city park.

An evening view of both the trailer and truck fitting
nicely into the space.

It’s peaceful, nestled in the Chelan Valley away from the city, with no bright lights at night—exactly what we needed. 🌌

A bonus for those needing it: a tent area!

Four Lakes RV Park is a hidden gem! ✨ It’s new, super clean, and clearly well-maintained. We’re surrounded by snow-capped mountains, peaceful vineyards, and apple orchards—absolutely beautiful! 🍎🏔️🍇 And the cherry on top? The site was perfectly level. That’s a rarity!

This vineyard is right across the street from the RV park.

A great view while walking Rascal on the grassy hillside.

An evening view showing a different angle.

If we ever find ourselves back in this area, we’ll definitely stay here again. 💯

💻 Curious about this peaceful spot? Check out Four Lakes RV Park here!

So, while our arrival in Lake Chelan didn’t go smoothly, it worked out beautifully in the end. Sometimes, you just need to take a moment, take a breath, and carry on. Don’t be so set on your path that you can’t handle a bump in the road. ✨

Bonus: Monday morning, we stopped by the city park office. The staff were kind and apologetic—they refunded our payment on the spot. Turns out, the area where the couple had parked was closed for the winter, which is why it had no water. The other sections were still fully operational.

Although our stay at Lakeshore RV Park didn’t work out, I still recommend giving it a try—especially if you have a smaller trailer. 🚐✨ They do offer pull-through sites, which might have worked better for us, but we didn’t realize that at the time. 🤷‍♀️

💻🔍 You can check them out and see if the park is a good fit for your setup: Lakeshore RV Park – City of Chelan

All in all, a little hiccup turned into a happy detour! 🚐❤️

📍 Stay tuned for Lake Chelan – Part Two: a mouthwatering stop at Blueberry Hills Farm Restaurant 🍽️🫐 and an unforgettable boat ride with the Lake Chelan Boat Company to the remote and beautiful town of Stehekin, Washington 🚤🏞️