Crystal Lake Group Campsite

This group site was spacious and relatively private! The tent sites were well laid out and although many of the trees in the campground were cleared, there were some tent pads with trees near enough to provide some shade. The ample picnic tables were a great benefit - two or three of them needed new boards though. The bathroom dedicated to the site was not as clean as the day-use trailhead bathroom and we were fortunate that we brought our own toilet paper as it was needed. During our stay we did close the gate to deter day hikers from coming into the group site as the dedicated parking pad for the group site was larger than the day use parking area. This is something to keep in mind if you are at this site during weekends as the ice cave trail is fairly popular and hikers may park in the group site lot if they are able to. We saw much wildlife and insects during our stay and entirely enjoyed the rich and diverse plant life that lives in this valley. The water from the spigot was clear and drinkable, and the lake water levels were surprising as I was warned that the lake can dry up by August. We were able to wade across no problem. We look forward to booking this site next year, and hiking the trails further. What a beautiful site! We even came across a trio of volunteers who frequent the trails and help with trail maintenance.

Group site blocked by day use and overnight vehicles at the gate. arrived with two horse trailers parked side by side at the group entrance. our campers could not enter forcing use of single sites when reserved group for that day. Please post do not block gate sign to prevent blockages.. especially when gate is closed. and allocate more parking for influx of day users.. and/or change entrance to group site?

some of the restrooms stunk so bad I thought I was gonna barf

Our large campsite was perfect for our family. The area had been cleaned up with no debris left from other users. We thoroughly enjoyed the hike to the Ice Caves and canoeing in the Lake. Other campers were very good about practicing distancing during this time as well. The area is still so beautiful even with the absence of the trees in the campsite areas. We will hope to come up and camp again.

Crystal Lake is a nice area. To get there it's a mix of about 20 miles of gravel and 1 lane paved roads. The gravel roads are well maintained. The 1 lane paved roads are a little iffy if you're pulling a trailer and its a busy travel day. The lake is beautiful and small enough hike around it if you have a few hours. The surrounding area is gorgeous as well. The campground isn't very big, there's about 20 or so sites in the loop and I believe they are all first come first serve. There is a Group campsite and a cabin which are reserveable. We reserved the Group Site which sits closer to the trail head. ONE thing to know if you reserve the Group site, call ahead during the week and get the lock pass code. We overlooked that requirement and almost had to stay in the regular camping area because the gate was locked. Luckily during the evening the camp host came down to see if we paid the nightly fee and he had the code. That said, the camp host wasn't clearly identified anywhere and apparently they were camped out behind the cabin. It appears that at one point either there was a fire or beetle kill in the meadow that the camp sites are in as there are no trees in the immediate area. Its kind of like an large open area that has a lot of overgrowth. The Group site area has what appears to be a great tent camping layout but the brush is way overgrown and you cant really tell. The regular campground looks the same. Don't get me wrong, the Crystal Lake area is stunning, its just seems like the campgrounds haven't been really tend to in a few years. We saw a few fish being pulled out of the lake, lots of hikers heading up the trails and a few deer passing through the meadow. Overall it was a nice experience. Good hiking trails and beautiful (smaller) lake to play or relax on. One thing it lacked, for us at least, is trees in the campground and area's to ride our SxS.