Getting there
Stehekin has no road access. Arrive by passenger ferry, private boat or plane, then follow a dirt trail to camp. Cars, RVs and trailers can’t reach the sites, and none are wheelchair accessible.
Overview
About Purple Point Campground
Why stop
- A campsite looks across to Lake Chelan and distant mountains.
Heads up
- Morning boat and road noise can carry into camp.
Map
Where it is
Loading the North Cascades map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Getting there
7 active North Cascades alerts
- ClosureWildfire closures and Stehekin fire advisoryMentions this placeWildfire-related closures remain in effect; stay out of all closed trails, camps, and areas.Official details
- ClosureStehekin Valley Road closed after landslidesMentions Stehekin Valley Road, referenced in this guideStehekin Valley Road is closed because landslides damaged it; additional precipitation and flood-related hazards persist.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Your drive to Purple Point Campground, narrated.
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
Stehekin Landing and Golden West0:00 / 0:31
“You're approaching Stehekin Landing, the boat gateway at the head of Lake Chelan. Make this a waterfront break, with a short uphill walk to Golden West Visitor Center.”
Plays as you drive up to Purple Point Campground in the Parkwolf North Cascades Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Garden: Stehekin's Farm Stand
- Stehekin Pastry Company: Cinnamon Rolls and Coffee
- Rainbow Loop: A Traverse with Lake Views
- Buckner Orchard: Heirloom Apples and a Working Ditch
- 83 audio storiesacross North Cascades’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Mule Deer, and 10 more
- Works offlinemaps, 88 trails, 76 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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
More about Purple Point Campground
A walk-in base for StehekinPurple Point is a six-site, tent-only campground at the head of Lake Chelan, about a ten-minute…
Purple Point is a six-site, tent-only campground at the head of Lake Chelan, about a ten-minute walk from the boat dock at Stehekin Landing. It makes sense if you’re staying overnight to explore Stehekin and don’t mind carrying your gear a short way. The sites are first-come, first-served.
The simple setupExpect a low-service campground: picnic tables, designated fire rings, food-storage lockers and…
Expect a low-service campground: picnic tables, designated fire rings, food-storage lockers and vault toilets. Potable water and garbage service are seasonal, so check the park’s current guidance before traveling. Campfires belong in the designated rings and can be restricted during fire bans. There’s no camp store, shower or laundry.
Lake Chelan and morning activityThe campground sits beside Stehekin Valley Road, close to Lake Chelan.
The campground sits beside Stehekin Valley Road, close to Lake Chelan. At least one campsite looks past the road toward the lake and distant mountains. The tradeoff is some early activity: visitors report that boat and nearby road noise can carry into camp in the morning.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North Cascades
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.
