By:
Submission
I haven't been to Baker Lake in years, and I was disappointed that the beach was practically nonexistent at Horseshoe Cove. This area used to have a huge beach and was beautiful. When we went, the beach was mostly dug up holes from the kids, and I actually fell in one trying not to step in someone's space. I have no plans to return.
I loved this spot which I was lucky enough to scoop just a couple weeks in advance. There are no hookups and primitive toilets but for a short camp it wasn't an issue. There are spigots with running water.
The spot I lucked up on was south loop 27 which was very spacious and a short walk to the water and a peaceful overlook. The perfect spot to sit and watch a sunrise/sunset, have a drink, etc. The site had parking for one car, fire ring and grill grate. Plenty parking on the loop road for other cars if you need for your party.
The swimming area was pretty sizable and busy when we were there. There's no view of Baker from this campground. Mosquitos were out in force early July so pack that spray!
I did have LTE service via T-Mobile near the lake and an inconsistent signal at the campsite.
We stayed at Horseshoe Cove Campground on Baker Lake, campsite # 23, in July 2023. The lake itself was very nice with a swim area and boat launch. The campground was fine, no hookups, no dump station, we found one water spiket with a threaded faucet to fill our fresh water tank. #23 was large and level with a small view of the lake through the trees. Our issues had to do with day-use people; boat engines revving all hours of the day & night; and the campground hosts having their off-duty sign up the entire time. Day-use people completely took over the swim beach during the weekend. Many left trash, a couple had uncontrolled aggressive dogs, & some smoked pot. Boat owners zoomed all over Baker Lake which could be heard as late as 11 PM and as early as 4 AM. There was no evidence of the hosts trying to request compliance with rules and they definitely did not clean the swim beach area. Too bad, it should have been a better camping experience.
Camp ground was great. Beautiful scenery. The only issue was the field mouse climbing into our vehicles. We had our food stored away in bins and coolers inside the vehicle in hopes of not attracting the bears, which I did see a mom and a cub just outside the entrance to camp.
Tremendous campground. We stayed in early September and the water was cold but not so cold you couldn’t swim. Great spot for kayaking. Amazing views of the mountains, lots of wildlife, chipmunks and blue jays galore! Sites are large and mostly level with decent privacy. We stayed in site 19 and had amazing access to the lake though privacy suffered a bit because of the trails to the lake next to the site. Definitely could hear sounds of children and parents from the beach and campground all weekend, but largely had an amazing time.
