Antilon Lake
Camppground
Antilon Lake Campground
The Antilon Lake Campground is a no-fee campground located on the shores of Antilon Lake, a reservoir 8 miles north of Manson above Lake Chelan. There are four separate areas, A through D, spread out along Grade Creek Road. While each area originally had a number of designated camping sites, the remnants of which can occasionally still be seen in some remaining numbered markers, there are now just a few obvious clearings with fire pits per area.
Sites A through C are run by the Department of Natural Resources and do not have any facilities outside of stone firepits. Additionally, the roads to the campsites, while short, can be a little difficult for low clearance vehicles. Site D, on the shores of Upper Antilon Lake, is run by the Forest Service and features two vault toilets on site. Camping is allowed year round, however the forest service road to Antilon Lake is covered in snow during the winter and used as a snowmobile route. In the summer, the area can be a bit dusty and very hot, and while there is nothing prohibiting swimming in Lake Antilon, it's not a popular swimming spot, with a good portion of the shoreline covered in reeds and mud.
Sites
Antilon Lake Campground is composed of four separate sites, A through D, with sites A through C managed by the Department of Natural Resources and lacking any facilities, while Site D is managed by the Forest Service and has two vault toilets.
Site A
Site A, sometimes referred to as Smiley Face Rock, is the first of the Antilon Lake Campground Sites you will encounter while driving on Grade Creek Road. There are a couple of different potential spots to camp within Site A, with two of the spots being close to the water and providing some privacy. The road down the spots next to the water can be a little rough, and may not be suitable for low clearance vehicles.
Site B
Site B is on your left a short distance off Grade Creek Road and right next to Lake Antilon; however the road leading down to the campsite is typically rocky and rutted, and may be difficult to get a trailer down or for low clearance vehicles. At some point there were multiple campsites here, with markers still visible for B1 and B2. While it's now hard to discern where one site begins and the other ends, there are a couple of level areas with fire pits, and enough parking to accommodate one large group or two to three smaller groups. There is an old boat launch off to the side, which is now partially overgrown; however you may still be able to use the launch to get a canoe or other non-motorized boat onto Lake Antilon.
Site C
Site C sits just off of Grade Creek Road, with two distinct areas for camping on both the right and left of the road. Each area has a fire pit, while the area to the right has a number of level spots or potential parking areas and was likely composed of multiple different campsites at one point. None of the spots in Site C on either side are very far off the road, so don't expect any privacy from passing cars.
Site D
Site D is maintained by the US Forest Service, and unlike Sites A through C, Site D has two well maintained vault toilets. Like Sites A through C, actual designated campsites are hard to determine, as well as the road to the lower spot is pretty bumpy. To head to the lower spot, stay right as soon as you enter the Site (there is a jeep trail which heads down as well, but it is very rough). The US Forest Service is considering making this a paid campground and implementing yet to be determined improvements, however as of now this is still a free campground, with no reservations. At the lower campsite, there is a small wooden walkway extending a few feet out into the lake, providing easier fishing access.
