Salmon la Sac is another very nice, albeit, rustic Forest Service campground. Originally built during the Great Depression by corps of CCC workers, it has been well maintained and "modernized", but is still rustic. It is a solid 35 minute drive to Roslyn or Cle Elum, on the rather slow and windy state hwy 903. Provisioning for your camping trip in Cle Elum is easy as there are multiple grocery stores, mini-marts, and a number of other specialty retailers in town. Like most Forest Service campgrounds, services are limited. Modern pre-fab vault toilets are located throughout the campground. The vault toilets are cared for and decent... as vault toilets go. Potable water sources are also located throughout the park. Most of these are large hand pump sources, requiring a bit of strength to get going and outputting a decent amount of water per pump. It helps to have a friend come along to align your water container or jerry can as the flow from the hand pumps isn't super straight. There is one solar powered electric pump near the group pavilion, however when I was last there it didn't seem to work. No signage was up indicating that it wasn't operational. Two campground host couples monitor guests coming and going, taking care of the toilets and are great help when trying to locate a first come site. If you arrive early enough in the week you'll find a number of first come sites, plus the camp hosts will direct you to the ones that are available. The whole campsite is very peaceful. Bordered by two rivers, there is plenty of water white noise present and some very nice riverside campsites. Because of the campground's distance from any population, on a clear night the stars in the sky are brighter and more visible than you can imagine. No cell service whatsoever. So, if you want to get away from it all, this location works well. You can pick up cell service in Ronald, which is about a 20 minute drive from the campground. Campsites range in size. Some larger than others. Some more private than others, some closer to water than others. It all depends on what you are looking for out of a camp site. Most campsites can handle multiple tents or shelters pretty easily, ground isn't always level at all campsites. If you are RVing, the paved parking lanes at each campsite vary greatly in terms of how level they are. Pull thru driveways are fairly generous. I found the entry arc of my pull thru at Salmon la Sac to be a little sharp, but the exit drive was dead straight. Again, a beautiful campground, be prepared for dry camping, and you'll have a great time.
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✅ Amenities & Features
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📖 About This Campground
Salmon La Sac Campground is bordered by the Cle Elum and Cooper Rivers in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. This campground is a popular gathering place for individuals and families wanting to enjoy the mountains and a multitude of recreational activities at an elevation of 2,300 feet.
Salmon la Sac Campground offers drinking water, trash collection and vault toilets. There are 67 sites for both tent and RV camping, 40 of these are reservable. Sites are equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings with grills.
Okanogan-Wenatchee 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 over 9,000 feet. Visitors to the area 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.
In addition to being a prime location for hiking, fishing, swimming, horseback riding and mountain biking in summer and early fall, the area offers excellent cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter months. Snowmobiles are not allowed in the campground.
Salmon la Sac is closed to camping October through April. Nearby Salmon la Sac Sno-Park offiers access to groomed ski trails through the campground December through March.
Salmon la Sac Campground is also popular among anglers, with rainbow and cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon available in abundance.
Hikers will enjoy traversing rugged terrain from the Waptus River Trail, located within walking distance of the campground. Forested and lined with an underbrush of blueberries, hikers reach Hour Creek after strolling 3 miles. Take your lunch next to this clear mountain stream and return to camp or continue another 6 miles along the Waptus River to stunning views of Waptus Lake and craggy peaks of Summit Chief Mountain.