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Gold Basin Group Campground sits near the banks of the tranquil South Fork of the Stillaguamish River, close to several wilderness areas and hiking trails, offering visitors opportunities to experience both the serene and wild aspects of the Cascade region.
Gold Basin is the largest campground on the Mountain Loop Highway and offers the most developed and accessible camping experience.
In addition to being a prime location for hiking, biking, fishing, picnicking and horseback riding in summer and early fall, Gold Basin offers excellent skiing and snowshoeing in the winter months.
A large, open field offers opportunities for sports and group activities.
For visitors wanting to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the area, the Gold Basin Mill Pond interpretive trail is located across the street from the campground. This interpretive site includes a short, barrier-free trail that passes by mill relics and ends on a floating viewpoint. Interpretive signs discuss the history of the mill and the wildlife in the area.
This is a large campground with 99 reservable sites, including one large group site that can accommodate up to 75 guests.
Picnic areas, trails and open spaces, along with the conveniences of firewood, drinking water, showers and flush toilets, give visitors the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while still having many of the conveniences of home.
Old-growth forests of cedar, fir and hemlock line the wide, gently-flowing Stillaguamish River and tower over trails winding through moss-covered rocks.
On a clear day visitors can spot Mt. Baker, the most prominent feature of the Mt. Baker Wilderness Area. Rising to an elevation of 10,781 feet, this active volcano is perpetually snow-capped and mantled with an extensive network of creeping glaciers. Mt. Baker's summit, Grant Peak, is actually a 1,300-foot-deep mound of ice, which hides a massive volcanic crater.
The surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams and diverse forests support an abundance of wildlife. A multitude of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles make their homes here, and the area sustains more rare species like lynx, moose, wolves and wolverine.
For facility specific information, please call (360) 386-8214.
Visitors enjoy the North Cascades and Mt. Rainer National Parks, where interpretive programs and exhibits offer education about the diverse landscape and history of the area.
The spectacular Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), one of the world's premier National Scenic Trails, showcases some of North America's most fantastic scenery, winding its way its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington, and is accessible near the campground.
From Seattle, Washington, go north on I-5 to Everett. Take exit 194 onto Highway 2, then turn north at Highway 204 toward Lake Stevens. Turn north on Highway 9 then east on Highway 92 to Granite Falls. The campground is located 13.5 miles east of Granite Falls.
I love this beautiful campground, and look forward to when they reopen. I'm glad I called the forest service about the status of the campground, and it is still CLOSED.
The work being done is two-fold. (1) To shore up the bank opposite the campground, and (2) to insure the health of the salmon run, which has decreased due to silt in the water.
I'm not sure why someone mentioned in another review that the showers are closed due to COVID.
****One of the things John from the Forest service mentioned is that people have been coming up here their entire lives. I have to say I was a bit taken aback (in a good way) since this truly applied to me.
From the time my brother and I were small our dad brought us to The Granite Falls Fish Ladder to watch the salmon run, go fishing, and camping.
Way back then.....we slept in sleeping bags on the ground. On one camping trip we were startled awake by a fierce thunderstorm, followed by a torrential downpouring of rain. We grabbed our sleeping bags and bolted for the car, where we spent the remainder of the night.
Because we were soaked to the skin the windows quickly fogged up and I drew faces in the moisture while bolts of lightning lit up the night sky.
The return trip always included a stop at Zeke's, a hamburger stand that used to be across from the fish ladder. Wonderful memories 💖
So, even though it's sad and frustrating, Gold Basin will reopen (eventually) and we can all look forward to making new memories.
Great camp site. Very well kept. Because of covid the showers are closed though. But a small hike to the river and a sand bath fixes that.
Update Summer 2022: Gold Basin Campground is unfortunately closed to the public this year due to landslides making parts of the grounds unsafe. I've heard they plan to reopen when construction on the riverside is finished.
This campground is beautiful and the sites are spacious. Our spot had enough trees to set up our hammocks. The only downside was the neighboring site had about 15 people and partied loudly until 2am. We even heard another neighbor yell at them to quite down. We spoke with one of the campground hosts the next day and he must have spoken with them because the following night the partying only went until around 10/11pm. It would have been nice if camp hosts were slightly more proactive on this kind of stuff. Lots of wonderful hiking in the area also.
This is a good campground for those you want to camp tent or RV. They have both single and double sites.
Site 071 is a semi-secluded spot that is one of the closest to amenities including bathrooms, showers, drinking water and amphitheatre. While I was there, 3 nights at the end of July 2020, the showers and flushable bathrooms were closed due to Covid-19. The non-flushable bathrooms (modern outhouses) run out of toilet paper very quickly, so definitely bring your own.
Back into the parking spot to make it easier to exit. The site is very close to the exit of the campgrounds. There is a small low-grade incline to the bench and campfire area. There is a yard low-grade incline to the tent pad. There is enough foliage and forest around to keep the area cool during hot days with just enough soon coming through in the afternoon.
It is a 2 minute drive to the Lake 22 Trailhead. This trail has heavy traffic during weekends and decent traffic during weekdays.
There is river access easy at a couple of points. (Check a campground map. There is another one north of campsite 36). The water is clear and there are a couple of places where you can walk across (the water to your chest at 5'9). We were there when it was in the high 70s/low 80s and the water was warm enough to be "cool" which a quick dunk would cure.
