Thousand Trails in Plain, WA (Leavenworth)
Our trip to Leavenworth was the first non-holiday weekend of July. Despite an ill-conceived plan to pull the trailer up Blewitt Pass (maybe our Suburban is not quite the best vehicle for pulling a loaded trailer up those long steep hills), we made it from Lake Tapps to the campground within three hours. It was a warm weekend - 80s or so, and the park was pretty full.
Something to keep in mind about this campground is that it is much farther from the city of Leavenworth than one might think. Also, the road between the two - the Chumstick highway - is twisty, turny, narrow and has one hell of a hairpin. It’s been redone recently (as of 2015), but the extreme weather in this area probably leads to quick wear and tear. Those 25 minutes between Leavenworth and your slip would be really exciting in the snow!
The mosquitoes were a nuisance here, but the bees, wasps and flies were way worse. The staff put up traps seemingly everywhere, but it does little to keep these nasty pests from harassing your site, especially if you have any food out. I'm not sure how universal of an experience this is, but my husband had an insane allergy attack here. The air was definitely stagnant and hot, but I did not pay attention to things like pollen count. He was miserable. Fortunately, Safeway in Leavenworth has a pharmacy that was very useful. Our spot was in a thickly wooded area, but don’t expect much privacy from your neighbors. Like most RV parks, there are a few outlying slips that offer more space, but from the looks of it, they were for smaller RVs.
Thousand Trails had several great amenities. We were near a pretty cool horseshoe pit and the rest of the family entertainment is all clustered around the main office. The pool is huge, but barely warm enough for our kids. The pool area bathrooms were older and reminded me of most community swimming facilities…somewhere you want to pass through, not use. Next to the pool was a small playground at the edge of an expansive grassy field. The field was really nice, and were most families congregated. Sand volleyball, pick-up soccer matches and Frisbee golf were going on at all times.
The main clubhouse has an activity room full of older sports equipment, but plenty of things to keep a group of kids occupied. There is a big chalk wall, a small shop full of snacks for purchase, reasonably private restrooms (though they were BLAZING hot the one time I used it), a TV room (side note - a pair of old ladies watched Family Feud in there allllll day long on Saturday), table games like pool and fooseball….probably a few more things I forgot as well. The clubhouse was practically deserted, but it was gorgeous outside during our stay, so most families were outside.
The restrooms closer to each wing of sites were older but clean. Showers are free, but my husband encountered an extended wait while someone’s teenage son pretty much camped out in the men’s shower. Ew? My girls and I tried to wash our hands at one point and were met with two pre-teen girls who had the entire countertop covered in beauty products. They were sitting on the counter painting their nails. It smelled like a perfume hut and the air was glittery. I told my girls that what these young ladies were doing was NOT called camping!
Overall, I would say that Thousand Trails should get three out of five stars. The amenities and entertainment options are above average, but the facility is dated and just too far off the beaten path.
