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Colville/Gillette
Overview
Nestled within the dense evergreens of the Colville National Forest, the Gillette Lake Campground offers a serene escape for travelers seeking a deep connection with nature. This site serves as a peaceful gateway to the Little Pend Oreille chain of lakes, providing a rustic camping experience that emphasizes the beauty of Eastern Washington. It is a place where the sounds of the forest and the call of loons replace highway noise, making it a favorite for those who prefer quiet surroundings over modern resort amenities.
Location & Surroundings
Located approximately 25 miles east of the town of Colville, Washington, this park is situated directly on the shores of the scenic Gillette Lake. The terrain is characterized by rolling hills and thick stands of western red cedar and Douglas fir trees. As part of a four-lake chain, the location provides a unique aquatic landscape where visitors can easily paddle between bodies of water. The surrounding Colville National Forest offers thousands of acres of wilderness to explore, providing a dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains.
Amenities & Park Features
As a traditional Forest Service destination, the amenities here focus on the essentials for comfortable dry camping. The park features paved interior roads and parking pads, though travelers should check site lengths for larger rigs. Notable features include:
- Vault toilets located conveniently throughout the campground loops.
- Standardized fire rings and heavy-duty picnic tables at every site.
- Hand-pumped potable water stations for filling jugs or tanks.
- A developed boat launch providing easy access for watercraft.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
Outdoor recreation is the primary draw for this region. Anglers often frequent the area for trout fishing and perch, while the calm waters are ideal for kayaking and paddleboarding. For those who prefer land-based adventures, the Rufus Trail offers miles of hiking and mountain biking with scenic overlooks of the lake system. Wildlife enthusiasts should keep a lookout for white-tailed deer and bald eagles. Additionally, the nearby Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge offers further opportunities for nature photography and birdwatching.
Who This Park Is Best For
This park is ideal for self-contained RVers who enjoy the art of dry camping and want to unplug from the digital world. It caters specifically to travelers with smaller trailers, truck campers, or camper vans who appreciate a secluded forest setting. If your travel style involves morning coffee by the lake and days spent on the water rather than seeking luxury clubhouse features, this destination is the perfect match for your Washington adventure.
Amenities
- Recreational Facilities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Facility
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
K S
Easy to get lost in if you don't know the place. Make sure you don't wander too far unless you're with someone who knows it well. Very beautiful and pristine area.
Brandon Humphreys
The Colville National Forest is a beautiful wilderness full of conifers such as spruce, fir, cedar, pine, and alder. Wildlife is all around with abundant signs of bear, cougar, elk, wolves, deer, mountain goats, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, owls, woodpeckers, and much more. Most of the summer you will run into campfire bans, but in the spring and fall the weather is perfect and on the cool evenings by the fire you can look up and see an astonishing amount of stars in the sky. Plenty of lakes, rivers, and streams provide many other outdoor activities as well.
Lorilee Technetium
We came in under chewelah and drove for hours. We used all the back logging roads. It was absolutely amazing. Definitely know you're logging roads or take a map. You could get lost if you didn't know what you were doing. Luckily I went with my husband who knows those roads well. The scenery was amazing. We didn't see very many animals. We heard a lot of birds. And there was a ton of mosquitoes.
Brett Schoenberger
Amazing place. This was a favorite of mine, so large you can get lost. Tons of animals and beautiful trees. Caution is due to wolf and cougar tracks I found but well worth the trip. Please respect the land and pack out what you pack in!!
David McConnachie
Hiked kettle crest trail south. Was an awesome hike, many spectacular views. Saw one bear, just made a bit of noise and obviously didn't approach it and it watched for 30-40 seconds and left. Had bear mace, I suggest you buy some of your hiking anywhere a bear may be. Don't feed the animals. A fed bear is a dead bear. The trail as of 06/07/18 was mostly clear of snow, just a few spots of snow to go through. Trail was very clear aside from the spots with snow.