Find campgrounds, boat launches, and swimming and paddling spots a short drive west of Spokane.
Named after President Franklin D. Roosevelt, sprawling Lake Roosevelt, which is technically part of the Columbia River, rises out of the arid Eastern Washington landscape, offering lake-lovers a wide range of ways to cool off and play in and along its waters.
Lake Roosevelt hosts some of the region’s best lake-based outdoor recreation opportunities and is managed as a National Recreation Area by the National Park Service. Public access sites, including campgrounds, day-use areas, boat launches, boat-in campgrounds, historic and interpretive sites, and swimming beaches ring the lake. A few of the closest and most amenity-rich sites are also the easiest to get to from Spokane via Lincoln County.
Two of these popular access areas and boat launches are Fort Spokane, near the town of Davenport (at the confluence of the Spokane River) and Spring Canyon near Grand Coulee. Situated among shade-casting ponderosa pine trees, Fort Spokane boasts 67 campsites with a boat launch, swimming area, and fishing opportunities. Visitors can learn about the area’s history along the nearby Sentinel Interpretive Trail. Spring Canyon Campground is a picturesque lake-side oasis with a day-use swimming area and beach, boat launch, shady trees, and nature trail to complement the 78 camping spaces. Plan your Lake Roosevelt adventures at Lakerooseveltandmore.com.
