A Thousand Campers a Night: Inside Lake Chelan State Park

During peak summer season, Lake Chelan State Park can host nearly a thousand campers every night. Behind the scenes, that responsibility falls on one park manager.

In this episode of the Exploring Washington State Podcast, I sit down with Brian Frahm, the park manager at Lake Chelan State Park, to talk about what it actually takes to operate one of Washington’s busiest state parks. Brian oversees daily operations, staff, safety, and law enforcement across the entire park — responsibilities most visitors never see.

We talk about the reality of seasonal staffing, what happens when the park reaches capacity, wildlife encounters, emergency incidents, and how quickly the quiet of spring turns into full-blown summer chaos. Brian also shares what it’s like to raise a family in a state park and why the slower shoulder seasons are when Lake Chelan really shows its character.

This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people and systems that make Washington’s state parks work — and why they deserve more appreciation than they often get.

If you love spending time outdoors in Washington, this episode will give you a new perspective the next time you pull into a full campground.