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Located at the head of Lake Cle Elum along the Cle Elum River, this campground offers 23 trailer/tent sites and a reservable group site with a capacity of 100 people. Natural Features: Okanogan National Forest offers stunning scenic views, with high, glaciated alpine peaks, valleys of old growth forest and rugged shrub-steppe country making up the diverse landscape. Elevations range from below 1,000 feet to more than 9,000 feet. Precipitation varies greatly throughout the area, ranging from approximately 140 inches along the Cascade Crest to only 10 inches along the eastern edge. Visitors can expect many days of warm, sunny weather in the summer, and winters with clear skies and plenty of snow. The surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams and diverse forests support an abundance of wildlife, including deer, porcupine, native fish and migratory birds.Endangered and threatened species, including the Northern Bald Eagle, the Northern Spotted Owl, gray wolves and grizzly bears, also find havens in nearby ecosystems. Recreation: In addition to being a prime location for hiking, fishing, swimming and birding in summer and early fall, Cle Elum River offers excellent skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling in the winter months. Anglers will find the waters teeming with rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon in the river as well as the nearby reservoir. Facilities: This large group site is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings with grills, drinking water and vault toilets. Nearby Attractions: Speelyi Beach is a great place to spend the day. Featuring a wide sandy beach surrounded by conifer forest on Cle Elum Lake, visitors will have plenty of space to wade, swim and splash around. Those searching for deeper water will enjoy a kayak outing along the shore at sunset. Visitors enjoy the Mt. Rainer National Park, where interpretive programs and exhibits offer education about the diverse landscape and history of the area. The spectacular Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), one of the worlds premier National Scenic Trails, showcases some of North Americas most fantastic scenery, winding its way its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington, and is accessible near the campground.
From Cle Elum, Washington, take State Highway 903 north for 15 miles. Turn left at the campground sign. At the T in the road turn right into the group site.
This campground was alright. Bathroom was not up to par, dirty bathroom floor.
The tent sites were very dusty and a little small.
On a positive, there's a lovely river trail and the meadow is peaceful.
All in all, I would not camp there again.
A decent campground with nice sites. Doc'd a star for the fly infestations in the bathrooms and the noise from the nearby (albeit low traffic) road. There's no cell service, which can be both a positive and negative.
Open season: mid May to Mid Sept. Heavy usage camp area. Located at the head of Lake Cle Elum along the Cle Elum River, this campground offers 14 first come/serve trailer/tent sites and a reservable group site with a capacity of 100 people. There are 3 Vaulted Toilets. Not flush toilets.
Stayed here on Friday 7/7 and there were only a handful of sites occupied; no reservations, just first come first served. Single sites are $20/night (there’s one double site for $40/night); Senior or Access pass holders $10/night. Some sites have peekaboo views of the lake. Latrines (vault toilets - no water) were in decent shape. It’s right next to the road but not a ton of traffic so not too noisy. I had phone coverage but no data. Good base to get an early start on the trails at the end of the road. No direct water access from this campground but there are some beaches just a few minutes south. For whatever activities you’re interested in (camping, boating, hiking, off-roading), I recommend researching the area and marking your map in advance as data coverage stops near the town of Ronald.
Loved this place! Nothing fancy buy the views from the water side lots was amazing. We came Saturday evening and got the last spot (not pictured). Once it cleared out Sunday we moved to an amazing large spot with a good view (same cost- only 1 site is more and that's because it's a dual party site) .
