Visitors attempt to socially distance in line at a shop at Riffe Lake Campground Monday afternoon near Mossyrock.
‘Welcome to Riffe Lake Campground’ is written on the roof of a guest center seen Monday afternoon near Mossyrock.
‘Welcome to Riffe Lake Campground’ is written on a sign at the enterance Monday afternoon near Mossyrock.
A family enjoys a picnic at Riffe Lake Campground Monday afternoon near Mossyrock.
Campers pitch tents and covers as they soak up the sun at Riffe Lake Campground Monday afternoon near Mossyrock.
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MOSSYROCK — Located on the northwest corner of the picturesque Riffe Lake, the Riffe Lake Campground has been serving as a camper’s dream for 27 years.
Ashley Hadaller took over ownership of the campground from her parents six years ago, who built the place in 1993. Hadaller grew up spending summers there and remembers helping build the flower beds as a child. Her dad grew up in Mossyrock and was a contractor up north when he married Ashley’s mom.
“He’s like, ‘I’m not going to raise my family in Seattle,’” Hadaller said.
So they moved to Mossyrock in 1988. The current location of the campground was a dairy farm at the time with cattle and hay fields. Her parents bought the land, sub-divided it and sold a few parcels east of the campground to pay for the construction of it.
Now the nine-acre campground hosts thousands of campers from all over the world each year.
Riffe Lake, a man-made reservoir that was created in 1968 from the construction of the Mossyrock Dam, is over 23 miles long with over 50 miles of shorelines. It’s a fisherman’s paradise, full of chinook and coho salmon, trout, bass, bluegill and other freshwater fish. The lake, which is the campground’s biggest draw, was stocked with 405,000 rainbow trout in late April.
It also helps that there are miles of walking, hiking and biking trails, along with waterfalls and Swofford Pond, a 240-acre shallow pond with catfish and trout. It is less than three miles by road from Mossyrock Park and its boat launch, as well as five miles east of Mossyrock, where a grocery store and a few restaurants are available.
The campground, surrounded by towering trees, boasts 54 total sites, including 35 tent sites, 16 RV sites and three cabins that sleep four. Pets are allowed at all sites other than the cabins.
Private campgrounds were deemed essential by the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the campground has been able to stay open throughout. Business, in fact, has been equal to, if not better, than a normal summer.
“This is a super busy summer,” Hadaller said. “With everyone being out of work and everything like that, I’ve noticed my weekday clients are tremendous.”
Weekends are even busier.
Every site for every weekend this summer is already completely booked. One yearly regular customer has been trying to get a weekend cabin for months to no avail. About 85 percent of Hadaller’s clients are repeat customers, 10 percent were referrals and the other 5 percent stumbled across the campground while searching online, she said. People are eager to get outdoors after being cooped up in their houses during quarantine the last five months, she added.
“Everyone is very thankful,” Hadaller said. “I get so many people (who) say, ‘Thank you for being open. Thank you for allowing us to feel normal for a weekend.’ Everyone wants out of their homes.”
Hadaller does, however, see signs of people worried about their health and safety. She’s seen an uptick in cancelations. One big group that was planning a family reunion canceled their reservation recently because one of their family members had open heart surgery and they didn’t want to risk being exposed to other people.
“There is a small group of canceling, but not a lot,” Hadaller said.
Riffe Lake and the campground are both open year-round. Prospective campers can make reservations online at www.riffelakecampgroundwa.com, or by phone: 360-983-8122. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday.
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Reporter Eric Trent can be reached at etrent@chronline.com. Visit chronline.com/business for more coverage of local businesses.
