U.S. Forest Service · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · Washington

Refrigerator Harbor Campground

This boat-in campground offers a dock with a three boat capacity. There is one shelter, four tent sites, four tables, four fire rings, and two toilets. This site is accessible year-round. Good protection from down lake winds but no protection from up-lake winds. Located close to the old Lucerne Ranger Station. Lake Chelan Boat-in and Drive-to Campground Guide and Map. Kayaking and Canoeing Lake Chelan

Open nowFirst-come, first-servedFrom $10 per nightTents only

More like this: first-come in Washington · tent only in Washington

Refrigerator Harbor Campground
Photo from the area. Mr.B (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
4fires
active
Sisi · 15 mi away · 4,743 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesA Federal Dock Site Boat Permit is required from May 1 – October 31 for use of all National Forest and Park Service docks on Lake Chelan. Permits must be pre-purchased before docking. Purchase a $10 Day Permit or $75 Season Pass from one of the vendors around the Lake Chelan Valley.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestOkanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
BookingChelan District camping areas are all first come first serve.
FeesA Federal Dock Site Boat Permit is required from May 1 – October 31 for use of all National Forest and Park Service docks on Lake Chelan. Permits must be pre-purchased before docking. Purchase a $10 Day Permit or $75 Season Pass from one of the vendors around the Lake Chelan Valley.

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Refrigerator Harbor Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 6.99 inches of precipitation, 63.8 inches of snowFebruary: 4.64 inches of precipitation, 46.9 inches of snowMarch: 3.99 inches of precipitation, 34.4 inches of snowApril: 1.81 inches of precipitation, 4.0 inches of snowMay: 1.39 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJune: 1.24 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.81 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 4.38 inches of precipitation, 3.2 inches of snowNovember: 8.18 inches of precipitation, 38.1 inches of snowDecember: 7.20 inches of precipitation, 83.1 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.4°F averageFebruary: 25.9°F averageMarch: 32.1°F averageApril: 39.4°F averageMay: 48.3°F averageJune: 54.4°F averageJuly: 61.3°F averageAugust: 61.0°F averageSeptember: 53.2°F averageOctober: 41.4°F averageNovember: 29.4°F averageDecember: 22.2°F average0 in20 in40 in60 in80 in100 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Holden Village, 9 miles from the campground at 3,218 feet, station USC00453730 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 43 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 274 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates48.1993° N, 120.5874° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Sisi

    15 mi from the campground · 4,743 acres · 34% contained

  • Wildfire
    Little Giant

    17 mi from the campground · 172,912 acres · 95% contained

  • Prescribed
    Little Giant Repair Pile Rx

    21 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    East Pine Zone Rx

    33 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗20.8 mi
Outdoor gearOutdoorsman ↗26.7 mi
RV sales & serviceOmar RV ↗50.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Washington

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Washington
    Ellie Kozlowski, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Washington camping
    Tom Stienstra, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Waterfalls in Washington
    Sawyer Scheer, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Refrigerator Harbor Campground?

No. Refrigerator Harbor Campground is first-come, first-served. Chelan District camping areas are all first come first serve. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Refrigerator Harbor Campground?

A Federal Dock Site Boat Permit is required from May 1 – October 31 for use of all National Forest and Park Service docks on Lake Chelan. Permits must be pre-purchased before docking. Purchase a $10 Day Permit or $75 Season Pass from one of the vendors around the Lake Chelan Valley.

Source: Forest Service

Is Refrigerator Harbor Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Refrigerator Harbor Campground?

Refrigerator Harbor Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Refrigerator Harbor Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Lucerne Campground (0.2 mi, first-come), Domke Lake, Stuart Camp, Hatchery Campgrounds (1.1 mi, first-come), and Cascade Creek Campground (1.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby