I’ve been striving to get out on more trips in our RV, so I decided we needed a winter trip, before spring shows up.
I’ve previously camped at Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island, Washington, but stayed in the older (much larger) campground above Cranberry Lake, in the park’s core.
The park has a smaller campground open year-round: Quarry Lake Campground. Quarry Lake has its own entrance and is on the eastern side of Hwy 20, which goes through the park as it enters Whidbey Island. The campground is reached off of Cornet Bay Road. It was designed for RV and trailers, whereas the much larger older campground is more designed for tiny trailers and tents. The turn in from both the highway and into the campground road are manageable even for large trailers and RV’s.
Winter rates are affordable at $30 a night for sites with electricity and water, though the park does shut the water off in the winter till March. We planned on dry boondocking but did find the park had the water back on, with it being March 1st. We chose not to use it as our RV’s lines were still winterized. It’s not a huge issue to dry camp for a few nights. Having electricity for shore power is far higher on my list so that I can be nice and cozy.
When I was younger, I lived down the road from this area before it was a campground. And even though I had hiked all over, I had no idea there was a lake until a few years back. The quarry is old, it dates back to before WWI for when it ran.
The pond has a picnic table and benches to sit and enjoy the view from, and even room for a couple of cars.
Even though the pond sits very close to the highway, it feels quiet. Don’t turn around because you will see the convenience store with its bright lights along the highway (it’s been there forever). That is the only downside of the entire campground. Don’t get me wrong, having access to snacks is a highlight of any trip, but it’s very close to the pond and needs more trees to filter it. Thankfully for most of the campground you cannot see it, nor the highway.
The campground itself is nicely kept up. There are several pull-through sites, but most are back-in sites. A few are for tents only; one was for hikers/bicyclists. They also rent tiny cabins ($55 in winter? Wow!) with heat and beds.
It is built on a hill, so while the sites are flat overall, if you are on the lowest loop (which we were), it’s a long walk uphill if you need the bathroom. The campground has one bathroom. It was clean, warm, and well-lit. A lack of dead bugs was a bonus. They have showers, but they are old school state park style, where the showers are just a curtain for privacy in the main bathroom area. Some Washington State Parks have upgraded to where the bathrooms are single use, with single person showers, with locking doors. Overall, I’m not too fond of the old showers. I don’t feel safe in them as a female. So, something to consider.
Our site.
Easy to back in, even in the dark (we pulled in just after last light). It was a wide site. Many were similar, even large Class A RV’s could do it. Ours is a petite Class A.
We could have easily parked a car or truck alongside the RV or in front. We are 28 feet long for our Axis RV.
It meant we had plenty of room for a fire without fearing it being too close to the vehicle.
While our site was listed as having 30+ feet of level space, it wasn’t exactly level, and we did have to be levelers under the wheels on one side. Putting them out is not a huge issue, but never leave to camp without those on hand. As you stack and click them, I always think of them as Legos for adults.
Front tire leveling blocks. Rear (double tires) leveling blocks. Everytime we use them, I think of every night I spent sleeping in tents on what looked level but by 3 am you are in the far corner, having rolled or slid down. And I don’t want to do that in our RV for sure, with the slideouts.
Our non forecasted hail and snow storm on day 2 was entertaining. I was grateful I could cook inside and not have to be outside getting wet and cold. I am fully ok with living all bougie these days. It’s kind of nice to go hiking in the off-season, then come back and get warm, not sitting in a tiny tent cold.
I enjoyed walking around the campground multiple times: a good leg stretcher and an excuse to visit the pond.
Notes:
You are supposed to turn into the main part of the park first, to check in at the main entrance, for campsites. We came in after dark so just entered the campground, and found our site. We never checked in because I didn’t feel like walking a long distance to do it the next day. Just put your confirmation letter in your dash (be sure to print it before leaving). If you come in really late, they close the gate, but you can open it to get in, then close it behind you.
In winter the full service sites are $30 a night, with fees we paid $34 a night.
This park includes the dump fee for your tanks with your reservation. It is located across the highway in the main park area.
Most sites have 20, 30, and 50 Amp electrical service. The sites in the far upper loop are no electric, and are priced far lower at $20. They are smaller sites for tents. There is a spigot near them for water.
This state park is under the flight path for NAS Whidbey, Naval Air Station. Planes fly over the park regularly, but that’s a perk for us. We found the campground was quiet in the evening, even with being so close the highway (it’s a rural highway and the speed limit is low in the park section).
Dogs on leash.
See here for the park map. See here for a more detailed map, including hiking.
~Sarah