Cranberry Lake Campground — Hotel in Whidbey Island

Great campground (should be 5 stars), but the staff is completely unprofessional (hence the 2 stars). According to their website, their sign, and other campers we talked to, the full hookup RV spots went down to $35 after Sept 15 (see 1st pic of sign). However the girl in the booth said those spots were $40. I told her about the sign and advertised prices in writing, and I didn't feel right about paying more when it was advertised for less. She said the sign was wrong and "they" put up the wrong sign. Not sure who "they" were (management)? Decided to just go to the day use. Went back later and the sign had been changed to the higher prices (see 2nd pic). Were they charging people the higher price but pocketing the extra $5? Shady!

We went a few months ago and the same employee was giving away the RV hookup sites to tent campers, so she said the park was full. She said "we don't discriminate against tents." However by prioritizing tents and giving away RV sites to tent campers they are actually discriminating against RVs. RV hookup sites are for RVs, sites without RV hookups are for tents, or RVs that don't need to plug in. So we ended up staying at the boat marina across the street since the campground was full, and got harassed by one of the park rangers, who told us to go stay at Walmart(!) very unprofessional!

I love this campground so I will be back next year, but I sure hope they make some personnel changes by then. Also suggest streamlining the check in process to make it easier for campers without a reservation. Would be easier to choose a site if the reserved sites were marked "reserved" (like other campgrounds do it), then unmarked sites are first come first served, self-check in with fee envelope, prices as marked on sign. Then we don't have to bother the employees to find out which sites are actually available, or have any...

We recently visited Cranberry Lake and had a great experience, even though it was raining when we arrived. It made settling into our site a bit tricky, but we managed to get comfortable quickly. The campground itself is beautiful and well-maintained.

There are plenty of campsites available—some right on the lake, some with electricity, and others with both electricity and water. There are also walk-up tent sites for those who prefer a more rustic experience. Some spots offer stunning sunset views, and while a few sites are side-by-side, many are spacious and private.

There’s a lot to do here—plenty of hiking trails and beach access. The campground is very popular, so I highly recommend booking well in advance, possibly even a year out.

There’s a small store on-site that sells firewood and other essentials. The restrooms are clean, have showers, and are regularly maintained. There was an attendant at the gate when we arrived, check-in was easy with no line.

Overall, Cranberry Lake offers beautiful views, especially of the bridge, and it didn’t feel overly crowded. I’d definitely come back and highly recommend...

There is so much to do around here! You have a beach with a beautiful view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca on one side and a swimming area in Cranberry Lake on the other side. The campground is kept clean, the sites are semi private and the bathrooms are very clean. There is a small store and a very cute little trailer converted into a coffee stand. Miles of trials for biking and hiking. There are also a couple of ADA trails. I saw people fishing in the lake, looked like fun! The one downside (and it is a big one for some)is the fighter jet noise from the naval base. They fly low and overhead quite a bit. If you are looking for a quiet place for some solitude, this definitely is not what you want. I grew up around military bases, so the noise doesn't bother me. I still get excited when I see the planes flying and can identify them! Photos...