Campground · North Cascades National Park
Old-growth camping, lake access, and Thunder Creek from the south loop.
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Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North Cascades National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the North Cascades audio tourRecorded for this place
Colonial Creek: Lake Access and Thunder Knob“You're approaching Colonial Creek, where old-growth forest meets Diablo Lake. Stop here to get down to the water: the South Campground has a boat launch and a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier.”
Plays as you drive up to Colonial Creek South Campground in the Parkwolf North Cascades Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Colonial Creek South is a 93-site campground on Diablo Lake's south shore, tucked into old-growth forest just off State Route 20 near milepost 130. There are drive-in sites and walk-in tent sites, but only some are along the water, and most sites are too small for large RVs or trailers. It is a useful base for lake access and Thunder Creek, with a busy, close-set feel; pick a site with its size and location in mind if room and quiet matter.
Some campsites sit along Diablo Lake. The campground has a boat launch and a fully accessible fishing pier; fishing requires a Washington license. Thunder Creek Trailhead leaves from the South Loop. Thunder Knob Trailhead is across State Route 20 in the North Loop, a separate campground area.
The forest includes western redcedar, western hemlock and Douglas-fir, with red huckleberries among the understory. Black bears are active around camp and on nearby trails, so keep food and scented items in the bear boxes provided at each site.
The campground has drinking water, flush toilets, garbage and recycling, an RV dump station, and a picnic table and fire ring at every site. Some parking is paved, but most site parking is uneven gravel. There are no showers or electrical hookups, and no fuel, firewood, ice or other services within the park complex; Marblemount is the nearest service stop. The campground sits within a hydroelectric project, so read the high-water warning instructions at the entrance or ask staff when you arrive.
Wildlife
101 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
20 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
77 sightingsSooty GrouseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsWhite-tailed PtarmiganMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
75 sightingsWestern ToadMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North Cascades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateThunder Knob Trail3.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayTake the steady climb for broad views over turquoise Diablo Lake.
ChallengingFourth of July Pass via Thunder Creek10.4 mi · 7 hr · 0.3 mi awayA shady creek walk gives way to steep climbing and glacier views.
ModerateThunder Woods Nature Trail1.2 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA short mossy loop with loose rocks where steady footing helps.
EasyThunder Creek Trail3 mi · 1.8 hr · 0.4 mi awayOld-growth cedars, turquoise water, and a handsome footbridge.
EasyDeer Creek Loop0.3 mi · 15 min · 2.2 mi awayA quarter-mile loop winds beside Deer Creek Shelter.
ModerateSourdough Creek Trail3.5 mi · 2.8 hr · 2.2 mi awayA forest path to Sourdough Creek Falls, with a rocky finish.
ModerateDiablo Lake Trail7.6 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA long forest climb earns a high bridge over Diablo Lake
ModeratePyramid Lake Trail4.2 mi · 2.8 hr · 2.6 mi awaySteep miles to a tiny lake threaded with floating logs.
Campground · 0.2 mi awayColonial Creek North CampgroundA wooded Diablo Lake campground with an accessible pier and boat launch.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayThunder Point CampA quiet three-site boat-in camp on Diablo Lake.
Sight · 1.4 mi awayDiablo Lake OverlookA quick roadside view of glacial turquoise beneath the Cascades.
Campground · 1.5 mi awayHidden Cove CampA single-site camp with a sheltered dock, reached only by boat.
Campground · 1.9 mi awayBuster Brown CampA lake camp reached by water, with its own boat dock.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayNorth Cascades Environmental Learning CenterBook a program for lakeside learning, meals and trail days.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayDiablo DamA public road crosses the 389-foot dam beside Diablo Lake.
Campground · 3.1 mi awayGorge Lake CampgroundEight simple sites, a lakeside launch, and a night by the water.Parkwolf’s North Cascades ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
