We decided to splurge and go for one of the waterfront sites. The website does not mention it, but there is a wonderful paved bike path that goes into town, running along the water, and also over the water in the other direction towards the refinery across the bay. (We didn't tow our car on this trip, so we rode and walked on the path a couple of times into town.) It is an expensive park, without much privacy/space between spots, but you are paying for the private beach access and views. We camped here in a Motorhome.
What everyone said before is accurate. It's not much of a CG, but our site on the water was lovely and we enjoyed the area very much. Way overpriced for the services. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We really like this campground. The reviews are mixed and people either love it or hate it. If you stay in any of the sites 1 through 68, you should have no complaints. 1 through 15 are the waterfront sites and they are the very best. You are right on the bay. Sites 16 through 68 are clustered behind the waterfront sites. They are less expensive but not by much. The rate I listed is a waterfront site with a Good Sam discount. We stayed 16 days and moved 4 times so we could stay there. 3 of the sites were on the waterfront and absolutely fabulous. The only smell I picked up was the one you get when you camp by the ocean. If you don't like that smell - go inland. We sat out in front of our rv every night drinking wine and marvelling at the views and the salt air wondering what could be more perfect. Yeah, it's pricey but there just aren't very many places where you can sit on the water like you can at Fidalgo Bay. We will be back every year just like all the people we met there. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is an ok campground but just that. By no way is it a resort RV park and way overpriced but very close to the neat town of Anacortes. Good golf in the area at reasonable prices. It rained on us the entire 4 days we were here. There are a few sites that has a decent view of bay. Our site was called bay view but due to the tide changes, I was looking at a mud pit in the bay during the day and the tide filled up the bay by around 8pm which made the scenery better, except across the bay was a big ugly oil refinery. I think the RV parks in Mt. Vernon are much better, especially the price but they were all filled up. I would definitely try to plan ahead and stay in another park next time. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Beautiful area, lots to do, biking, walking, boating, fishing. The sites are small, you are very close to your neighbors. Only a few sites are waterfront. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Actually, this RV Park is three parks--not one. First, there is the upper park (Sites 114 through 209). This part of the park is the pits. Short, gravel sites with no view, and many migrant workers. The second part of the park is the Bayfront part on the south side of the park (Sites 102-113). Sites are longer here and you have a view of the water--somewhat. Actually you are looking out over mud flats that are ugly and smelly for the vast majority of the day and a huge oil refinery. These are better than the upper park, but not much. Finally, there is the lower part of the park. These sites (1 through 62) are much larger and have actual water views of the Bay. Sites 1-15 overlook the beach and are quite nice. Unfortunately, there is only one shower/bath/laundry building for the entire park and that is at the entrance to the park (in the upper part of the park. It is quite a long distance from most of the good sites (in the lower part of the park) to the showers/bath/laundry. There is a Club House in the lower part of the park, but it has only two bathrooms (one each), and no showers and is generally for the clubhouse. The park does have excellent wi-fi throughout all sites. My advice is, if you choose to come here, be very, vary careful about site selection. If you get the right site, it can be beautiful. Otherwise, you will not be happy. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We came back to this park after driving through Washington Park and finding it was not suitable for our needs. This is the second time we have stayed at Fidalgo Bay Resort. The sites are nice. Easy access and full hook ups. Didn't notice the "transient" status others have mentioned. Quiet and peaceful. Friendly staff. Nice beach and a great paved trail across the bay. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We love this place. We have spent many weeks here off and on over the past 2 years and have had great experiences. It can get a bit windy but you are on the water. The view is wonderful and anyone who complains about a smell because of low tide shouldn't be staying on the ocean. This is a great location with sites that look out to Mount Baker (over an oil refinery), Guemes Island and Anacortes. At certain time of the year you'll see many bald eagles and blue herons. Great location, not much for kids to do other than search the beach for creatures. But well worth a trip. We will continue to go there frequently. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Despite other negative reviews on this site, we camped here and absolutely loved it! We have traveled all the way from South Carolina to Washington, and this was one of the most beautiful places we have seen. It was clean campground with friendly and helpful staff. The smell was the same as you would find at any other beach... nothing that was foul. We will stay here again. We camped here in a motorhome. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
July 2006
$30
The staff are very nice, helpful, courteous BUT the upper campground is basically a gravel parking lot. Very little privacy, poor quality sites, and not all are level. The campground is much nicer -- larger sites, more privacy, and more of a resort setting. BUT -- we would not consider the upper campground to be a resort at all. Many permanent residents, refinery workers, etc. there, and not much of a vacation setting. Great access to Anacortes by bike or walk (paved trail runs through the "resort". Again, friendly, helpful office and maint. staff. Would we return? Only if we could hand-pick our site. And, too bad they only offer monthly rates for the upper campground, which is the least desirable of the two. Finally -- the much vaunted wi-fi connections (one for the upper and one for the lower campgrounds) does not work consistently. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Back of park (Bayview section) has a large population of transient workers (oil refinery) that make this more of a "Trailer Park" than an RV Park as a function of the early morning noise and general park appearance (lots of old trailers). Not an attractive place to stay but the proximity to the local bayfront and Thompson Trail (walking and biking) is nice. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Weekend full park but not unpleasant even though spaces are close. Reservations made easily. Water pressure in camp showers very low. Showers clean but show age. Wifi decent with separate attenna for upper and lower lots. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We have been here for 11 days and love it here. Not exactly as reported in Trailer Life and Woodalls, but suits us perfectly. Best place to be is in the lower campground near the water. There is no smell from the mud flats, shell beach, and bike or walking track right into town from the campground. It is central for Whidbey Island, ferries to San Juan Islands and the Cascade Mountains. We have a Direcway satellite dish and have very good reception. Like it so much here that we have booked back in for latter part of August for another week. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very overpriced park. Bathrooms dirty. Sites not cleaned of grass and mowing needed. No public phone at all. No modem hookup. Did have wifi but no other way to access internet. No one checking park to see if rules obeyed. Certainly not what I expected based on past reviews and on current ratings in other publications. Not a bad spot just not what was expected. Probably would not return unless management gets a grip on operations. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The person who said that pictures don't lie obviously never visited this park. The website shows a beautiful view of glorious blue waters and a large site. The actuality is that (a) if you stay in the lower part of the park, your beautiful view is of smelly mud flats, (b) if you stay in the upper part of the park, your view of the smelly mud flats is enhanced by a view of an oil refinery. The brochure for this place, along with the "beautiful" photos, says this place "is known as one of the finest, friendliest, and most modern RV parks in the nation." Don't believe it for a second. This park is a second rate dump with elbow to armpit spaces that wants you to believe it is modern and has a good view. It does not. The only saving grace is that it has one of the best wi-fi systems we have encountered, with antennas in both the upper and lower section and excellent reception throughout the park. But the excellent wi-fi doesn't cut it by itself. Stay away or at least visit before you make a reservation. You will be shocked! We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a very good and very clean park. The staff was excellent. I would suggest you get in the lower section. It has been bought out by a local Inidan tribe and changes may be forthcoming. The rumor is that thare will be more to the good than bad. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
2004
$24
Being fulltimers and traveling all over the US and Canada, we were completely taken aback
when we got to this resort. Touted as one of the premier resorts in the US we expected maybe too much. Sites were gravel, narrow and unkept. The bayside lots give you an intimate view of the oil refinery across the bay. The bay empties out and leaves you a not so sweet smelling bay of mud with no beach that isn't there even at high tide. Oceanside has no "beach" but a bit of a better scene. The park is very overrated. Would not go back. Visited in early May, 2004. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2003
$28
This is our favorite campground. Very friendly and helpful owners. A beautiful campground in a beautiful setting. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
2001
$40
Not very well run by office. If you are in the lower (close to bay) nice park. If you are in the upper area gravel, unlevel sites with almost no grass between sites and no view. Had reservation for 3 months stayed 2 because we wanted to be in the area and could not get a monthly rental at another campground until after 2 months. We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2001
$36
We found this to be a wonderful park. We stayed for four days during Memorial Day 2001. We were in the lower part of the park near the new club house and only about 50 feet from the waters edge. We were in what's called a VIP site, which I think means it has phone hookup. When you reserve, they give you your phone number right then so you can let people know. We were in the second row behind the waterfront sites but still had a wonderful view. The office staff were very friendly and helpful. The upper part of the park looks to be older and is probably less desirable. The tideflats they face are mudflats at low tide. Where we were, there was always water at low tide. We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 3 / 10 ]
2000
$30
The park discourages children and is vocal about that. There is absolutely nothing for children to do. One of the worse managed parks we have ever stayed at. Dogs run wild and rules are definately not enforced. Sites they advertise as waterfront are actually on a huge bay of mud that stinks when the tide goes out. Most sites are very small and narrow. Not a park for large rigs. Very scenic views with very unfriendly staff and management. We camped here in a camper.
This park is fantastic. Nice wooded sites with full services. This is the closest thing to a National Park! Great playground. Perfect Wi-Fi and cable. Owners super friendly. This is the first park I have ever given a 10 to! Book early, it fills every night in summer. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The rate is monthly. Daily rate is about $30. This is a very nice, well run park. The owners, managers, and staff are all doing a great job. The park is being remodeled to add 55 more rv sites with full hookups. The old covered wagons are for sale. The park is also for sale. If you park in a site in the trees, you will get a lot of pine needles on your roof and you probably wont be able to use your satellite tv but the cable is adequate. There are sites in the sun if you prefer. The park allows open campfires at each site so there can be a lot of wood smoke in the park if there are several fires. The park is usually full from Memorial day to Labor day so make a reservation. We camped here in a Motorhome.
WOW, If you want a great camping spot you have to come here. The managers are exceptional; they are friendly and courteous. They make sure you are set up in your camp site by walking down with you and help you park your rig. They are always around; they make sure everything is to your liking and that everything is working well. The rest of the staff are quite nice as well. They make you feel welcome and at home. The sites are large enough and well groomed. The park is a great place for the kids as are the trails and the basketball court. This RV Park is excellent. We are here for the month and will continue to come back. Thanks for such a great place to stay!!! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great park in a great location. Friendly staff member guides you to your site and helps if needed. Large older trees throughout the park and very quiet here. The wifi was ok but not very fast (see older review). Cable was good with lots of channels. Good fire pits at each site that were clean (wood available at the office). A picnic table at each site. We were more than pleased with our stay and will be back again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great Park. Woodsy - well cared for - staff is really nice. Big rig friendly. Cable / WiFi. Rates are really good - have long term discounts too. Week-ends area really busy - suggest reservations. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice large site. The staff was very friendly. It was an excellent location for exploring Whidbey Island and Anacortes. WiFi worked. Not much grassy area for dogs. Shaded sites and very quiet. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is an older park with mature shade trees. Unlike the other nearby park, most of the spaces are very generous, although some are fairly close together. Management is friendly, helpful, and the park is well maintained. The location is close to Anacortes and La Conner. Showers and laundry are clean, but busy (only 4 washers and 4 dryers). Sites are gravel and most are level. We were here a month in a 50-amp site, with no electrical problems. Cable TV was very good, so no need for satellite in our site. That said, most sites are not suitable for satellite TV because of the many mature trees in the park. We learned that we could drive 30 minutes to La Conner to the cable supplier (Wave Broadband) and for $24 rent a cable modem for the month to obtain secure, high-speed Internet service which complements the cable TV service included in the campground fee. Otherwise, the WiFi seemed to be overwhelmed (translation: slow) most of the time. We camped 31 nights in a 25-foot travel trailer with no pets. Our per-night price reflects our one-month stay. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a very nice rv park. Our site was huge. Woodalls said average site width was 20 feet. Ha! I'd say a whole lot wider than that! Huge trees, very rustic. People who run it very nice and accommodating. Only facilities we used were laundry and it was clean. We were in a 50 amp site and then moved to a 30 amp. Didn't have to run the air much so can't say how good the power was. All in all, a great campground if you like rustic and wooded. WIFI was great and free. Only reason I wouldn't give them a 10 is because they charge $2 a night extra for pets. We would return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Pro's - quiet, big trees, great staff, good value, moderate price, good water and sewer, very good ambience overall. Con's - 30 amp sites may have low voltage if it gets warm. Our motorhome disconnected automatically and we could not use more than about 15 amps without dropping out. I think the 50 amp sites are better. The park was full most of the time while we were here so we could not move sites. The cable tv signal is weak so your picture may be snowy or noisy. There are only a few sites that can use satellite dishes. The wifi worked fine when it worked but there were intermittent outages. Most of the park is gravel/dirt roads so if it is dry it will be dusty. We liked the park a lot and will return again but will get a reservation for a 50 amp site. The rate reflects the monthly rate. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The family that runs this was very friendly. It was a good place to stay just outside of town. Halfway between Anacortes and Deception Pass. Lots to do here. But their website state a outdoor hotub, but it hasn't worked for almost a year. The ivy is taking over and it doesn't look like they are going to repair it. That was disappointing but I would come back here. Of course, I love the San Juan Islands nearby so... We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Great hook-ups, friendly staff, well maintained grounds, quiet park. We camped with a group of 6 RV's. I would definantly return. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We were here a year while working in the area. Very beautiful park, Wonderful host, would return to this park if in the area again We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a nice park with a 'campground' rather than resort feel. Trees are everywhere, which is nice. Our site was pretty level, though we saw quite a few that weren't. The big problem here is the showers. There's mildew and they operate on a push button system that can't be adjusted for temperature. Wifi was nice and strong since we were right under the antenna and the staff is super nice and helpful. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We have stayed at this park a couple of times and found it to be OK. This park has the potential to become a great RV resort if they would make it kid friendly by adding a swimming pool and a recreation/game room. The owners also need to give consideration to the seasonal/permanent residents who are letting their campsites get junky. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Beautiful treed park. They had free Wifi and also were knowledgable about satellite sites. The laundry room was clean and moderatley priced. There are plenty of nice places to walk your pets. They have you sign a contract upon arrival acknowledging rules and regulations. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a very nice and clean campground, very wooded with fern undergrowth, very nice playground, clean rest rooms and showers, the laundry room was rather small and always busy so we went into Anacortes to do laundry. Friendly manager and staff. We stayed for two weeks in July 2005 for the weekly rate of $150.00, very reasonable for such a wonderful park We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We stayed at the Pioneer Trails RV Resort Campground and found this resort to be all they say it is in their advertisement. The park is very clean and well taken care of. The staff is very helpful. We were provided a guide to our site and he guided us into our RV space. We were able to obtain a space in the trees and recommend these sites. They are very spacious, big and semi-private. The resort provides many recreation activities. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We stayed at Pioneer Trails RV Resort Campground because we don't like parking lot type
campgrounds and we love to camp among the trees and ferns. Other campgrounds in the area simply couldn't match the larger campsites or fantastic natural setting of Pioneer Trails. We stayed here for five weeks and were thrilled with the campground and the friendliness of the manager and staff. Trash was picked up every day and there were two or more staff members always maintaining the grounds. They have just completed a major renovation with all new electrical, water, cable TV (60+ channels) and sewer system. The packed gravel sites were level and drained well. We were a little skeptical when we saw their web page with the cabins and covered wagons that reminded us of KOA's. Once we got there we found the park to be very large, and those other accommodations were located away from the RV campground and were no problem. We're already planning our return visit. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Not much to add to previous reviews except to be prepared for the odor from nearby oil refineries when the wind shifts. Park fills up fast so make sure you have reservations. Office staff needs to leave the office and check out the park since they claim that the Internet map is deceiving and all pull thru's are the same length. They Are Not ! Spaces are close together and they are expanding the parking lot so maybe a laundry facility is in the future. The price is right though, for what you get. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Pretty good RV park for a casino. Better than dry parking in a casino parking lot. Great WiFi signal and good TV signal. Grounds are well maintained with walking trails down to the river and blackberry bushes everywhere. No restroom or shower facilities available. For the price, it's a fair deal. Nothing spectacular but not disappointing. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I have stayed at this park a number of times. The reservation policy does not consider the size of your rig. All the pull-thrus are 30/50 amp. All the back-ins are 30amp only. There were lots of campers and trailers in the pull-thrus and they only used 30amp. They should assign spaces based upon the rigs electricity requirement. One of the pull-thrus had a camper shell and only used 1/3 the pull thru space. I would think they would assign spaces when you arrive rather than when you make a reservation. And reservations do not require a credit card number. Not well organized. You are given a coupon book worth a number of things, including a free round of golf but we were never able to book a tee time thru Guest Services - no one ever answered the phone. But the park is much better than the alternatives in the area - Fidalgo Bay and Pioneer Trails. Fidalgo Bay is very run down and Pioneer Trails is an old park with too many trees. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Park is great and easy behind a casino. Had a nice view of the bay. Didn't have reservations, but it is advised. The only drawback is no showers or restrooms, but gal at desk said there are rumors of maybe one someday. Would stay here again. Found the office help to be very efficient, not as others had experienced. They were friendly and helpful. Tuesday is Senior Day so the park is usually very full due to special discounts for seniors. We camped here in a Motorhome.
No bathrooms or shower. Can use bathroom in Casino. Discount coupons for casino given. Good food. Good cable and Wifi. Very clean. Mostly Big Rigs. We stayed 2 nights. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Park was clean, level and within walking distance of casino. Wifi was excellent as was the cable TV, both free. Would camp here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Satisfactory park-nothing special. Water view was let down-would not describe as "ocean view". Had distant view of mountains. Fairly long walk to casino but guest services accommodated my disability by sending a golf cart. Best price in area (with discount). Food in casino was good. Ok place/ would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This campground is very convenient to the casino and has all the amenities you would want. The staff is friendly. The park is clean and easy to navigate. The only criticism I have is that you register at the gift shop and if they are busy it takes a while to check in. Otherwise, a great stop for a night at the Casino or on the way to the Ferry in Anacortes. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here during the Tulip Festival and were pleasantly surprised. This is a great rv park with excellent free WiFi, level sites, security cameras, paved roads, good cable and was clean. The low rates are an incentive to spend a few bucks at the Casino but that is part of the fun. (The Casino is clean, well ventilated and appears to be well run.) Some good comedy acts appear here. The Casino also has good food at reasonable prices. You get a discount book for the Casino at check-in with discounts for food, gambling, etc. We enjoyed our stay and will return again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a neat and tidy park. There are no shade trees. Grass, picnic table and paved parking at each site. We stayed in site 30 which has a view of the ocean. The park is adjacent to Swinomish Northern Lights Casino. The only issue we had was at check in. They had us reserved in a site that we had not requested. There were two others in our group who had also reserved in advance, who were assigned a different site. I would recommend when reserving a site to have the person you are speaking with to repeat the information back to you and also obtain this person's name. We have stayed at this park 3 times and will stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great park, clean, level sites. Well kept lawn, no trees. Just a walk across the green belt to the casino and restaurant. Nice views of the water. Staff was friendly and helpful. This is a great place to stay if you want to base yourself to take in the local attractions. Cheap rates! Self contained units only, as there are no showers available to guests, and the nearest rest rooms are in the casino. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We actually did not spend the night at Washington Park. After a long detour over extremely rough road, we arrived at the park. The narrow one-way road was overgrown and muddy. Had trouble negotiating the steep grades in the mud. 5th wheel scraped on sides from trees and brush. The sites were small, for this novice...too difficult to back in to, and I doubt I would have had room to extend the slide. For those wanting a "deep woods" experience, this park might be just the ticket. It simply wasn't for my wife and myself! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
The only reason we stayed here is because A. We didn't know any better and B. Our friends house was a block away. The park is owned and operated by the City of Anacortes and it appears that there is no one here that knows how to run an RV park. This is definately NOT a big rig freindly park. Our motorhome is only 30' and we had a heck of a time in this park. The roads were dirt and very muddy as well as narrow. My biggest problem with the park is that it is layed out so that you have to pull nose in to all the sites as the hookups are at the front of each site and on the wrong side. However, the traffic flow through the park is backwards making it extreemly difficult to pull into a site. Because of the backward flow the pull through site we found had the hookups on the wrong side. I had to do a big turn around number to get into the site. The pay station was a vending machine type of system that wouldn't accept crisp new $20 bills, so we had to wait for one of the park employees to find us (the office wasn't readily identifiable) The park is situated in the woods with really tall cedars, which means that your satellite receiver won't work. Because of the density of the forest, little or no sun gets through either. Trees are so close that awninings are practically useless. On top of all this, the park doesn't accept reservations except from residents of the city of Anacortes! WHAT!!!! I can't even begin to try and comprehend this policy. My advice would be to bypass this one and go 10 minutes down the road to Deception Pass State park. Besides the main campground there is a little known and smaller campground on Bowman bay that is great. We camped here in a Motorhome.