Lake Sylvia State Park — Attraction in Montesano

We absolutely adore this campground! We've been 3 or 4 time over the last 6 years (twice in the past year) and always have a great time. The campsites We stay in are either right on, with access to, the lake, or in a short walk's distance to the lake. I believe there are other walk-up sites on the other side of the lake near the swim area and playground. There are bathrooms at both the campground and the day use site and both have pay showers available. The sites available for reservation are situated on a loop, speed limit of 10 mph, most can fit a camper/trailer and a tent. The paved loop makes a perfect track for the kids on their various wheels. No motors allowed on this small, quiet lake, so it's perfect for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. We've seen salamanders, otters, and bald eagles on our trips here. Lots of fishers here, but our kids have only successfully caught and released one small fish, so I can't say how good it is for fishing in general. If you like to hike, there are multiple hikes of varying lengths/abilities right in the park! A short loop (1.5 miles) starts right near the overnight guest parking and goes around the lake. Another begins near the day use bathrooms and takes you through an old saw mill Town with signs explaining what you're seeing along the way. I believe that trail is 2.3 miles. We will be...

I was supposed to be able to fish at a lake and at my camping spot. This lake is known for lakeside camping and that is why I was charged over $140 for 3 days of camping. But instead of the five feet they said they drained the lake. It was more like fifteen feet they drained it. Not only at the camping spots but even at the day use area. You can walk across and see the bottom. There is no fish in the lake anymore. There is no lake anymore. More like a 3 foot deep duck pond. Than it rained on us half the time we were there but there was a burn ban in effect the whole trip. I live in grays harbor and it had been sprinkling off and on for over a week before the trip and the ground would have puddles from the mist. So I am not sure why they say a person can't have a camp fire when it is wet and raining. I tried to make it work but truth is it was a waste of time and waste of money. I spent over a hundred dollars on fishing licenses and gear for this camping trip. Just to get to a drained lake with no fish and told I can't have a campfire in the rain. It was so bad we left...

Beautiful park and hiking trails. There is also a decent sized playground for the kids. The lake has a rope to divide the shallow from the deep area for safety. There is no dock and no lifeguard so it's a swim at your own risk situation. There is also limited shade and absolutely no shade right along the swimming area so bring umbrellas or another way to make shade if you need it. BBQ pits are available for making food but you need to clean them out before. There are changing/restrooms available near the lake as well. The swimming area looks a little murky and during busy times the water doesn't look real clean but it's not too awful bad. You need a Discover Pass to use the park so make sure you get at least a day pass for $11. I watched several cars receive tickets the last day I was there. And it's not a cheap...