Buck Creek Campground

Wallowa Whitman National Forest — hiking

Location: La Grande, OR, OR

Price: From $10 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

Located on the western side of the Eagle Cap Wilderness and very close to the wilderness boundary, the Buck Creek Campground/Trailhead was built to meet the needs of both wilderness trail users and overnight campers. After crossing the Buck Creek Bridge off the North Fork Catherine Creek Road, the narrow dirt road travels through isolated forest and towering rock cliffs to the combination campground and trailhead. The campground has large, up to 60 foot long, pull-through and back-in parking are

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/buck-creek-campground-or to be notified when sites open up.

Buck Creek Campground offers direct access to the Eagle Cap Wilderness with hiking and backpacking opportunities. The campground serves both wilderness trail users and overnight campers in an isolated forest setting with towering rock cliffs.

Wildlife alert: Least Chipmunk, Clark's Nutcracker, Wild Turkey, Ponderosa Pine Crossbill, American Dipper, and Northern Rubber Boa documented in the area.

Insider tips for Buck Creek Campground: Book early as this is a federal campground with only 4 tent sites Large pull-through and back-in sites available despite being listed as tent-only Use as trailhead access point to Eagle Cap Wilderness

Skip Buck Creek Campground if: You need hookups - none available at this campground. You're visiting outside May-October season when campground is closed. You want a developed campground - this is isolated with minimal amenities.

Best time to visit Buck Creek Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: North Fork Catherine Creek Group Campground (La Grande, OR), Moss Springs Campground (La Grande, OR), West Eagle Meadow Camping (La Grande, OR), Two Color Guard Station (La Grande, OR).

Cell Phone Coverage at Buck Creek Campground

Cell signal at Buck Creek Campground (La Grande, OR): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Wallowa Whitman National Forest — hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Buck Creek Campground

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La Grande, OR, OR★ 4 (0 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Located on the western side of the Eagle Cap Wilderness and very close to the wilderness boundary, the Buck Creek Campground/Trailhead was built to meet the needs of both wilderness trail users and overnight campers. After crossing the Buck Creek Bridge off the North Fork Catherine Creek Road, the narrow dirt road travels through isolated forest and towering rock cliffs to the combination campground and trailhead. The campground has large, up to 60 foot long, pull-through and back-in parking areas which welcome long RVs and horse trailers.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesBackpackersSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups - none available at this campground✕ You're visiting outside May-October season when campground is closed✕ You want a developed campground - this is isolated with minimal amenities

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with only 4 tent sites

Large pull-through and back-in sites available despite being listed as tent-only

Use as trailhead access point to Eagle Cap Wilderness

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Least Chipmunk, Clark's Nutcracker, Wild Turkey, Ponderosa Pine Crossbill, American Dipper, and Northern Rubber Boa documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
800-111-1111· Wallowa Whitman National Forest
Getting there →

From La Grande, Oregon, travel south on State Highway 203 for about 25 miles (the road is known as the Medical Springs Highway after leaving Union); Turn left on the Catherine Creek Lane (which becomes Forest Road 7785); Travel on Forest Road 7785 for four miles to Forest Road 7787; On Forest Road 7787, travel about 4 miles to Forest Road 150; The campground and trailhead are about 1/4 mile further up Forest Raod 150. Advisory: Part of the Forest 7787 road is narrow and steep with a gravel surfa

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Wallowa Whitman National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Wallowa Whitman National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Buck Creek Campground cost per night?+
Buck Creek Campground costs $10 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Buck Creek Campground open?+
Buck Creek Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Buck Creek Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Buck Creek Campground?+
Buck Creek Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Buck Creek Campground?+
Buck Creek Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Buck Creek Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Buck Creek Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Buck Creek Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Buck Creek Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$10 /night★ 4 (0)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Buck Creek Campground cost per night?+
What season is Buck Creek Campground open?+
Does Buck Creek Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

North Fork Catherine Creek Group Campground

La Grande, OR

From $40/night

Moss Springs Campground

La Grande, OR

From $10/night

Forest campground camping

West Eagle Meadow Camping

La Grande, OR

From $10/night

Two Color Guard Station

La Grande, OR

From $80/night

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