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Big Meadow Lake is 4.1-acre shallow lake perfect for family recreating and wildlife viewing. This Lake is found in a beautiful setting of forested mountains. Visitors come for fishing, camping, hiking, birding and canoeing. It has a primitive boat launch and fishing pier. It is a shallow lake with a depth of 15'.
In Ione, WA, at intersection of Houghton Rd and State Rt. 20 (Porter's Plaza Motel and Gas), take Houghton Rd west 0.4 miles to Big Meadow Lake sign. Turn left onto 8th Ave. and go 0.1 miles to another Big Meadow Lake sign. Turn right onto Smackout Pass Road and go 2.6 miles to a "Y" intersection. Bear left and go 5.3 miles to campground on left.
Absolutely beautiful. Nice trails even a wheelchair accessible one and sights that are wheelchair accessible! Nice safe fire pits. Camp host is super great even after we accidentally broke the handle on his ax. He brought us lots of chopped wood everyday! Let us know where really cool places to hike were. Absolutely loved it!!!
Absolutely beautiful, we stayed in that cabin back in 1993 or 94 and at night we keep getting rocks thrown and hit the roof or the side of the cabin. CREEPY but awesome. Also found 3 four leaf clovers in the front of the cabin and the berries were delicious.
Love camping here great scenery, lots of wildlife to view. Bring your own water as lake water is fairly dirty with Moose and cow dung. lake is shallow mostly one big weed bed, great to kayak around view wildlife.
Editing 2021 to add: I've now visited multiple times in every season and this place never gets old. If you visit in the summer make sure you're prepared for the mosquitos; fall is my preferred time to visit. The campground is also accessible in the winter!
Hiking, birdwatching, canoeing, fishing, camping...very peaceful! I don't recommend swimming though, as there are leeches in the lake. Nice free campsites with picnic tables and fire rings. Outhouses available but no running water or trash service, so BYOB and pack everything out There's a short walk to a lookout tower that's really nice in the evening. There is also a really cool primitive cabin accessible by road or a short hike if you want to camp there as well.
