Camping with a Baby at Lake Wenatchee State Park
- ChasingBuffaloesandBeyond
- May 4, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 19, 2022
Tent Camping - with a baby! Yes, many people are squeamish when you put the words 'tent' and 'baby' in the same sentence. But to us, tenting and travel were something we vowed we would not stop doing once we had a child. As a married couple we loved to travel the world - Mexico, Asia, Australia, Europe and our favorite - camping. After 10 years of marriage, we were blessed to become a family of three! As new parents, we made a pact that we would continue traveling!
And so, with a 7 month old baby - we set off on our first camping trip to Lake Wenatchee State Park in Washington State - And it was a blast! Yes, our son cried a little bit more than usual as we put him down to bed that first night in the tent. But we got through it, and it was fun - yes fun! Part of camping is learning to go with the flow. On this particular trip - in early June, it was already well over 100 degrees during the day and due to how early in the summer it was, mosquitoes were everywhere! We quickly learned that a screen tent to put over our table area was an absolute necessity when camping with a baby. Yes, we got a few mosquito bites, but the memories made on this first camping trip were well worth it.
EXPLORE LEAVENWORTH
Day 1: Lake Wenatchee State Park is a quick 30 minute drive from the Bavarian town of Leavenworth. So after a leisurely morning of playing around the campground we headed into Leavenworth. We spent the afternoon strolling the Bavarian themed streets of Leavenworth. Browsing the shops and dining at one of the wonderful German cuisine restaurants in town made for a wonderful day. Leavenworth Sausage Garten is where we ate dinner and it was absolutely delicious!
Don't forget to save some time to visit one of the great wineries found in Leavenworth! We stopped at Kestrel Winery in downtown Leavenworth for a sampling and it was wonderful! There are currently 15 different wineries or tasting rooms within a 15 minute drive of Leavenworth - so there are many to choose from!
ICICLE GORGE HIKE
Day 2: To kick off our day we headed to Icicle Canyon in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to hike the Icicle Gorge Trail (4.2 miles roundtrip). This is a relatively easy hike as it only has 150 feet in elevation gain and was a wonderful family hike. Luckily, our son loved riding in his Osprey baby backpack, so we could enjoy this great area! Following Icicle Creek, the views thru-out this trail are just gorgeous!
ENJOYING TIME AT LAKE WENATCHEE
After the hike we were ready to head back to Lake Wenatchee to enjoy some time at the beach and campground. And although the water was quite cold (it is fed by glacier and snow-melt), it definitely felt good due to the 100+ degree temperatures that day!
Overall, what a wonderful weekend! Our first camping trip as a family of three was a success and we are now looking forward to many more camping trips thru the years.
Interested in planning your own trip to Lake Wenatchee State Park? Below is our summarized itinerary for you to follow or adjust to your own preferences. ENJOY!
Day 1: Spend the morning enjoying the campground, then spend the afternoon in Leavenworth. Shop/browse the shops, eat at a German cuisine restaurant (Leavenworth Sausage Garten is highly recommended), stop at one of the wineries in downtown Leavenworth (Kestrel Winery is just one of the many choice in downtown Leavenworth).
Day 2: Head to Icicle Canyon in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and hike the Icicle Gorge Trail (4.2 miles with 150 feet in elevation gain). After completing hike, head back to Lake Wenatchee State Park and spend some time enjoying the crystal clear water! Take a refreshing swim!
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