CAMPING
There are few ways to commune with nature that compare to sleeping under the stars. Central Washington Camping is a must-visit mecca. With campgrounds sprinkled throughout the county and national parks in our backyard, you could camp all summer and not see the same place twice!
If your ideal campout involves sleeping in your comfy RV bed, we have RV parks (many near water!) that will satisfy your every glamping desire! You’re definitely going to need to get out here.
Do you have a great camping memory from Central Washington? Tell us about it!
Beverly campground is located along the North Fork of the Teanaway River. There are 14 tent-picnic sites available first come-first serve. There is no potable water source and all trash must be packed out.
Not accessible until the snow has melted off in early summer. Campground can be used year round, but it is not serviced from fall to spring. Please pack-out trash. This campground can accommodate tents, trailers, campers and RVs.
Fee: $8-night for single unit. Payment by cash or check.
At the end of the Cle Elum Valley Road #903 & WA-903, north side of road, 19 miles north of Cle Elum. Must have livestock to camp at Cayuse Horse Camp. Facilities: Potable water, flush toilets, community kitchen, stoves, tables, loading ramp, troughs, corrals and hitching posts. Units: 13 camping. Activities: Tent and trailer camping, picnicking, fishing, hunting, hiking, and horseback riding in the area.
This is a popular gathering place for trail riders heading into the mountains on several popular trails. It has spacious tent and RV sites. Water is available from a hand pump. Opens once snow has cleared, sometimes not before late June or early July.
Must have at least one stock animal per campsite. Horses must be kept in the corrals which are located in a common area separate from campsite.
Fee: $21 single, $42 double, $8 for an extra vehicle.
A 375,000 acre outdoor playground is closer than you think. With 200 days of sunshine, only 20 inches of rain and 80 inches of snow, recreation opportunities are endless. Whether you enjoy the serenity of an alpine lake sunset, wildflowers in spring, vibrant fall colors or hitting the snowy trails of winter, the Cle Elum Ranger District is the place you can find it all just an hour’s drive from the Puget Sound Metro area.
Fee: $18 single, $36 double, $115 group site, extra vehicle $6
72 full hook-up sites, pull throughs, indoor pool & spa, clubhouse, community kitchen, modern restrooms & showers, laundry, and modem-friendly recreation. 20, 20, 50 amp hook-ups. Good Sam & Woodall’s rated.
De Roux Campground is on North Fork Teanaway Road & FS Road 9737, 29 miles north of Cle Elum. Open season: early June – late October. Facilities: Vault toilet, tables, fire grills, no potable water. Units: 6 camping or picnicking. Parking for 8 vehicles with trailers. Activities include camping, picnicking, fishing, hunting, hiking, horseback riding, and motorcycle riding.
Trailhead with camping area. Horses are permitted at the campsites and there are hitching posts. The road to the campground in passable. Higher clearance vehicles are recommended.
Fees: $5-vehicle-day or Northwest Forest Pass required.
This is a primitive campground with few amenities. There is a beautiful stream in close proximity that is worth going to. Activities near this campground include hiking the Lost Lake Trail, whitewater paddling, hiking, fishing, and swimming.
Group camping site that can accommodate 100 people and 25 vehicles. No individual sites at this location. Reservations required. Weekends usually fill during the summer, but if you arrive before mid-morning on Friday there are usually spots. Vault toilets. No potable water.
Do not move picnic tables. Campfire wood cannot be cut or collected in the camp area. Lake Access on very steep cobble stone beach.
Fee: $65 Mon-Thursday, $90 Friday & Saturday
Set on the Yakima River, this KOA is a great base camp for fishing or rafting. Rent a raft on-site or buy a fishing pole at the campground store. Shuttles for boaters-rafters available for a fee. You’re well-situated for touring the Clymer Museum of Art, searching for the Ellensburg blue agate, enjoying a concert at the Gorge Amphitheatre, hiking the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, stargazing on Table Mountain or visiting Roslyn, where Northern Exposure was filmed. Central Washington University’s campus is also located in town. This KOA features wooded sites, some right on the river. Wireless Internet is centrally located near the office-store.
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park is a 7,470-acre park with year-round camping at Wanapum recreational area. The park features 27,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Wanapum Reservoir on the Columbia River. Petrified wood was discovered in the region in the early 1930s, which led to creation of the park as a national historic preserve. Ginkgo Petrified Forest is a registered national natural landmark. It is regarded as one of the most unusual fossil forests in the world.
20+ miles northwest of Ellensburg on Forest Service Road 3300. Located on Taneum Creek, this campground offers 15 campsites. The campground accesses North Fork Taneum Trail No. 1377 and has a beginners motorcycle loop trail that originates in the campground.
Set in dense old-growth evergreens surrounded by high mountains, this campground is a good place for family camping. One launch is paved the other gravel. On busy summer weekends, the boat launch and day use parking areas fill up fast. It opens late May… snow melt permitting. Reservations required for group site, available for all sites.
Bathroom, Campground Host, Day-Use Area, Group Camp Site, Potable Water, Lake Access.
Fee: $21 Single, $42 Double, $8 Day Use
With over 20 rentable rooms and spaces on property, there is always something that will fit your needs. Room occupancy varies from 20 people banquet style to over 400. The Center offers an indoor arena, barns, stock pens, 100 RV hookups, and plenty of free parking. Call ahead or register online to save your spot!
Positioned on the shores of Lake Easton in the Cascade Mountain foothills, relax year-round at Lake Easton State Park. Discover the picturesque mountain views and explore the scenic hiking trails. Come for a restful afternoon or spend a few days camping. Marvel at the old-growth forests, dense vegetation and freshwater marshlands of the park.
This is a primitive campground with few amenities. Among the things you can do in the vicinity of Lion Rock Spring Campground are swimming, fishing, whitewater paddling, and hiking. There’s whitewater, so check out Rill Adventures Raft Rentals. There’s also good hiking along the Devils Gulch Trail. Marion Lake is in the vicinity; hiking is a popular thing to do around Lion Rock Spring Campground; Miller Peak Trail is a glorious local trail.
This canyon has been designated as a state scenic route and offers excellent wildlife viewing, fishing in a Blue Ribbon trout stream, family river rafting and camping. Lmuma Creek is the smallest river access site the BLM manages in the Yakima River Canyon.
Many clearings that provide good visuals. The Northwest section of LT Murray Wildlife area and Manastash ridge usually has early season elk and deer. As it gets colder and snows, the elk and deer tend to migrate down into the south eastern section of the wildlife area. Whiskey Canyon on the lower portion is steep but will present opportunities for elk and deer as well.
Hiking at its best is close to this campground. Fishing, swimming and whitewater paddling are also available.
Seven regular sites and one group site that can accommodate 50 people. Open Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Reservations required for group site. Single sites cannot be reserved.
Fee: $18 for campsite, $80 Group Campsite. Extra vehicle $7
Five miles off the Cle Elum Valley Road above Lake Cle Elum at Cooper Lake. The turnoff is approximately 16 miles from Cle Elum.
Facilities: Vault toilets, stoves, tables, parking lot, boat launch, no potable water. Units: 22 walk-in camping only; camper/trailer facilities and parking not available. Activities: Camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking, photography, and non-motorized boating.
Not accessible until the snow has melted off in early summer. Sites are tent only – the campground is walk in but near the road. Primitive boat launch near campground. No motors, gas or electric are permitted on the lake.
Walk in (tent only) sites: $14/night. Extra Vehicle Fee: $6 (2nd vehicle for single sites). Fee will be collected at the campground.
This campground is on the Cle Elum River. It is located 16 miles north of Cle Elum on Cle Elum Valley Road-903. Facilities include a vault toilet, stoves & tables. There is no potable water. There are 10 single campsites available for day use (picnics) Monday through Thursday only and open for camping 7 days per week from late May to early October. Additional activities: Picnicking, fishing & hiking.
Fee: $14 single site, $6 for a second vehicle. Day use fee $8.
25 miles west of Ellensburg on Forest Service Road 3100. This campground is not accessible until mid-June although it does not technically close in the winter. It has seasonal stock water from the creek and an improved dispersed camp area for groups. Bathroom, Group Camp Site, No Potable Water. ATVing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Jeep-4-Wheeling, Motorcycling.
Closed for the 2021 season. Reopening is anticipated in 2022, contact the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Cle Elum Ranger District for more information, (509) 852-1100.
Located 27 miles northeast of Cle Elum on Hwy 97. 3200ft elevation. There are 22 tree shaded campsites, and a large picnic area with some sheltered tables on Swauk Creek, a few miles south of Blewett Pass. A hiking trail is nearby. The area has 3 winter recreation areas. The snow parks have snowmobiling and cross country ski trails.
A beautiful campground nestled in a grove of large Ponderosa Pine and western Larch trees, it has a CCC era picnic shelter and picnic site. Open from late May to mid September. No host at campground, but there is one nearby at Mineral Springs Campground. Bathroom, Picnic Shelter, Potable Water.
Fee: $18 single, $36 double, extra vehicle $7
Taneum Cabin is a small four room cabin with indoor plumbing. It is available for rent from Memorial Day to Labor day. Propane used for light, cooking, refrigerator and waterheater. There is a fire ring and picnic table outside. Max stay 14 nights. Bathroom, Potable Water, Shower. Must have reservations!
Fee: $75/night (max 4 people)
This campground has a 15 vehicle and 75 person capacity. There is also an improved dispersed area for group camping. Campground can be used year round, but it is not serviced from fall to spring. Pack in what you need and pack out your trash. Bathroom, Group Camp Site, No Potable Water.
Activities: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Motorcycling, Mountain Biking
Fee: No pass or fee after September 28th (no services provided after that time.)
12×18′ one room cabin. Set of bunk beds, table, chairs and wood burning stove. Kitchen has Coleman stove (need to supply 16.4oz propane bottles.) It can be rented ealy May-Mid Nov and Mid-Dec to early April. Maximum 2 people, max stay 14 nights. No pets.
Double check location with forest manger. Moved the point to match the coordinates on the web page – but not 100% sure I have precise location. (The location from the data layer is in the TCF).
Fee: $40/night. Reservations required!
Umtanum Creek Recreation Area is a great place to explore, with a fine canyon hike leading to rolling hills above. The canyon, just a quick drive down the Yakima canyon from Ellensburg, is known for wildflowers and sage, aspen, cottonwood, birds, beaver dams, and an old apple orchard largely chewed down by the beavers.
Located on the majestic Columbia River at I-90! They have tent camping, full hook-up sites and pull thru sites. Over 100 sites located between the hills and the town with some view of the river. Open camping at the Riverfront available on select dates. Bring the family! They have a playground for the kids, two restaurants, a basketball court, hiking trails and lots of water fun!
Wanapum Recreation Area (State park) Boat Launch
Two miles south of Vantage is Wanapum Recreation Area. The park’s grassy, tree filled area features picnicking, swimming, a boat ramp, trailer park and camping. This is a popular area for water skiing and soaking up the sun.
The boat ramp is made of concrete planks, but in fair shape. The road to the boat launch is paved and striped. The campground in the park is within short walking distance. Wanapum Dam is just two miles south of the park. A $4.00 fee is charged to use the ramp. The campground provides full hook-ups.
From I-90 take Exit 136. Go south on Wanapum Rd for 3 miles. The park is on the left.
Two miles south of Vantage and the Vantage Bridge, this stretch of the Columbia River is one of the more scenic in the area as it carves its way through the Columbia River Gorge. This run of the river is somewhat unique in that, as opposed to other areas of the Columbia River, most of it does not have a roadway running along its shores. This stretch of the river sees a good many recreational boaters, jet skiers, and water skiers enjoying it.
From I-90 take exit 136 and go south on Wanapum road for 3 miles. The park is on the left side of the road.
This campground is a popular gathering place for families to enjoy water sports and hiking. It is open Memorial Day to late September. The paved boat launch is typically out of the water by mid-July as water levels drop to meet irrigation demands. Wish Poosh Campground is situated on Lake Cle Elum, 10 miles north of Cle Elum, WA on Highway 903. This campground is a popular gathering place for families to enjoy water sports, hiking and camping. Bathroom, Campground Host, Potable Water.
Fee: $20 Single, $40 Double, $8 Day Use
