Battle Ground Lake State Park, WA--and vicinity

1/2/2020

We traveled up New Year’s Day, a free WA State Parks day, to check out Battle Ground Lake State Park. Otherwise it’s $10/day, or $30/year for a Discovery Pass good at all of Washington’s State Parks (day use). Pay stations offer on-the-spot purchase. Be prepared for a boat launch fee and have a fishing license if those activities are in your plan. Reserve camping ahead of time online.

The Lake
Battle Ground Lake is a little volcanic crater. Its volcano let off steam about 100,000 years ago and the crater filled with water, which is now stocked with trout late winter through spring. Or you can bring your gear and scuba dive its depths—as a caldera, it’s not shallow. Only non-motorized watercraft are allowed.

The State Park
Battle Ground Lake is only about a half hour from Portland. Click on the Google link below for directions. As you enter, there’s a vault toilet and some parking on the left. Continue toward the little entrance building (Ranger Station, the map calls it), and there’s parking on the right for the day area. From day use parking the road heads down a steep hill to the boat launch, fishing dock, and swimming area. A convenient little loop lets you head back up the hill in your vehicle, and hopefully no one will be blocking it

The Day Use Area
Paved paths around the day use area provide easy, flat access. The day area has the playground and field, picnic tables & covered group areas. The field can accommodate baseball, volleyball/badminton, horseshoes, and soccer--if you work out something for your goals. Two picnic shelters are first come first serve. A water faucet serves all three picnic shelters. The third shelter is reservable for a larger group and has 2 sinks with water inside, as well as electric outlets. If you want to grill for a group, you may want to bring something to complement the 2 small grills just outside the reservable picnic shelter.

Caution: burn bans can start as early as June, when the weather makes it too dangerous for open flames. Charcoal, propane, and electric cooking should still be ok. The grassy field will be looking pretty golden.

Just before you head down the hill, or when you come back up from swimming, accessible restrooms with accessible showers inside are handy. New Year’s Day they were locked about 3pm, just before we got there :-\ Next door is a concession stand, understandably closed in winter. Previous years you could buy something to eat there, but at the time of this post, there was not a concessionaire for the coming season. There’s an ice machine hugging the concession stand.

The kayaks, all tied neatly in a row, can be rented by credit card. Instructions attend them. This PDF brochure is helpful but doesn’t say anything about concessions or rentals. https://parks.state.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/9272/Battle-Ground-Lake-State-Park-PDF?bidId=

The Campground
Up the hill from the day area are the campsites. Two of the four cabins (#13 & #15) have a view of the lake below. They sleep 5 if some double up, 3 if everyone wants to sleep solo. Each has a table & chairs, and electricity inside & out. And a heater, for cooler times.

We saw one handicapped camp, and it was close to the restrooms/showers there. Unfortunately, the restrooms/showers in the campground were not very amenable to wheelchairs. The cabins are not too far from the restrooms, and all but #21 are a flat roll over.

Accessibility
Is Battle Ground Lake State Park accessible? There is handicapped parking convenient to the day use area, and the fishing dock. The day area has paved paths that are flat. The restrooms/showers in the day use area are accessible (I couldn't picture, because they were closed when we were there). The restrooms by the lake are just single rooms, quite maneuverable in a wheelchair. The dock is probably not ADA, but it’s accessible to a wheelchair. One guy was fishing from a shored up shore, so that would be amenable to a wheelchair.

The hill down to the lake or up to the campsites is better traveled in a vehicle. Three of the four cabins and the one handicapped camp site are close, and a flat wheel to the restrooms/showers, but the restrooms/showers in the campground were not very wheelchair friendly. People with other disabilities might not have any problems.

Great for Gatherings,
but not a Wheelchair Convention
A group camp offers 3-sided bunkhouses (bring your own mattress & bedding) as well as room for tenting, beside water and restrooms. These are not conducive to wheelchairs but could be fun for others.

One scenario for a family reunion might be for the main group to camp in the group camp, those needing an RV space or cabin in the regular campground. Reserve the reservable kitchen to gather in the daytime, with activities in the day area and swimming, boating, and fishing at the lake. Hiking and horseback riding can also be available. Or, spend a day at Alderbrook Park, and/or Lewisville Regional Park, both below.

There’s an RV dump by the entry/ranger station.

Plenty of trails exercise hikers, horse riders, and dirt bikers who don’t mind sharing with horses. A primitive horse camp is separate from the other camping areas.

Battle Ground City and nearby Amenities,
most less than 10 min from the Campground
About Battle Ground city:

Update 2-22-24--see photos of downtown at bottom.

There’s a skate park and Community Center with kid activities in downtown Battle Ground:

https://www.cityofbg.org/192/Parks-Recreation

Bowl at Bailey’s Tiger Bowl

http://www.baileystigerbowl.com/

Watch a movie at Battle Ground Cinema
(Lots of shopping & places to eat in the vicinity.)

http://www.battlegroundcinema.com/

The Library is in Battle Ground Village, with various small businesses, dining, shopping, & apts.
819 SE 14th Loop, Battle Ground, WA 98604

https://www.bgvillage.com/

Along Hwy 502 you will pass Indigo Acres (used to be Kaye’s Blueberries), a u-pick farm. The season runs from late June-August. “Visitors coming from I-5 must follow NE 219th street slightly beyond Indigo Acres and complete a U-turn at the available turnaround 1/4 mile past the farm.” I have picked there in previous years, from a wheelchair. The terrain is flat, but it is a farm, not paved.

http://www.indigoacresblueberryfarm.com/the-farm.html

Clark County Fairgrounds is on the way to Battle Ground, from the south on I-5. The fair is in August

https://www.clarkcofair.com/

I was intrigued by these listings:
Liberty Alpacas “in” Battle Ground

https://www.facebook.com/liberty.alpacas.3/ some years ago hosted events

Alpacas of Lavender Lane

http://www.alpacasoflavenderlane.net/AboutUs.asp

Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas & Alpacas—up the road a bit at Ridgefield, across from Ilani Casino

http://www.indigoacresblueberryfarm.com/the-farm.html
https://classycamelids.com/visit schedule a visit

Alderbrook Park is a private day use venue open to the public about half the days of the week, and you can reserve it for your group or event. Additionally, it has special events for the public, such as cruise ins and movies. Outdoor swimming pool, paddle boats on a small lake, wonderful playgrounds for kids, bouncy houses, field sports, mini golf, food, tables and fire pits with seating. 12 min (7 mi) south of Battle Ground Lake State Park, in Brush Prairie. Also a great group gathering spot.

https://alderbrookparkevents.com/park-amenities

Lewisville Regional Park, on the east fork of the Lewis River, is another alternate option for the day. It's only 11 min (5 mi) from Battle Ground Lake State Park (still less from Battle Ground City itself). It has an inexpensive parking fee ($3/car, etc; free to walk or bike in), which is well worth the day. "Outdoor activities abound including fishing, picnicking and horseshoes. There is one main baseball field and several play fields, playgrounds and restrooms throughout the park." First developed by the WPA in the Depression era, it still has the flavor, but improvements have been added over time. More info and photos about this park at

https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/saturdays-and-other-days-in-the-parks (scroll down)
Check out the great facilities at https://www.clark.wa.gov/public-works/lewisville-regional-park

Vancouver (25 min south of Battle Ground Lake) has a Mall, if you have an addicted shopper. Of course, Portland is only a little over half an hour away, depending on traffic.

If camp food doesn't cut it
Battle Ground city has the usual fast food chains, plus a couple Thai, Mexican, Teriyaki, and a Pita House, as well as BG Pho Vietnamese . . . You’ll see most of them as you drive along Hwy 502 and a grouping on either side of the road about a half mile south on SW 10th Ave (aka Hwy 503, to or from Vancouver, WA).

For non-campers
There’s a Best Western Plus Inn & Suites in Battle Ground; it looks like it has a lift for the pool. Some rooms are themed, and some have a view of Mt. St. Helens. They are larger than the usual. The Best Westerns where I've stayed serve a great Continental Breakfast.

https://www.guestreservations.com/best-western-plus-battle-ground-inn-suites/booking?msclkid=8c1ee470a7b316973ba481b33750de4e

For more information

Battle Ground Village & the library
I was at the library on a day they had volunteers offering free tax help. It's a pleasant place to spend time and travel in your mind. The library is a part of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library system (FVRL), so you can borrow books from sites all over Clark County.

https://www.fvrl.org/

Alderbrook Park—24414 NE Westerholm Rd, Brush Prairie WA
Went with friends in July of 2018, and found it's a wonderful way to spend a day.

Lewisville Regional Park--26411 NE Lewisville Hwy, Battle Ground, WA 98604
Another great place to spend the day with family and friends. Photos from 2017 & 2020.

Update 2-22-24: photos of downtown Battle Ground
Battle Ground WA is a bedroom community for Vancouver WA, and even Portland OR. Most of its businesses serve the locals, but there are some tourist amenities developing.

Main Street east of Hwy 503 (aka 10th Ave)

https://www.cityofbg.org/258/Battle-Ground-Community-Center Community Center
https://www.cityofbg.org/790/Fairgrounds-Park Fairgrounds Park: skate park & ballfields

Main St west of Hwy 503
Each major grocery chain store is surrounded by a variety of small businesses, restaurants, & shopping. Fred Meyer and so forth. There is one hotel, though it's not very obvious, Best Western at 502 Plaza--Main & SW 15th Ave (go south on SW 15th Ave for the entrance to the hotel). There are plenty of places to eat within walking distance, various auto repair & maintenance businesses a block away, Albertsons et al, and Vancouver Clinic/Urgent Care for travelers in trouble (locals too, of course) within a half mile of the hotel.
Best Western Plus Battle Ground Inn & Suites

https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.48167.html?iata=00171880&ssob=BLBWI0004G&cid=BLBWI0004G:google:gmb:48167

Vancouver Clinic/Urgent Care, Battle Ground branch--2005 W Main St Suite 120, Battle Ground, WA 98604

https://tvc.org/services/urgent-care/

Millcreek Town Center & The Gardner Center--Hwy 503 aka 10th Ave, south of Main St, Battle Ground WA
(aka NE 122nd Ave). Jim Demetro, a local sculptor commissioned by Elie Kassab, has created seven fabulous life-size bronze statues in front of various businesses throughout the Gardner Center. Not all are still there, it seems. Apparently they were not given the care they deserve.
Battle Ground Health Care, free clinic--1910 SW 9th Ave, Battle Ground, WA 98604 (The Gardner Center)