Cle Elum River Group Site

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Ronald, WA, WA

Price: From $158 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (8 reviews)

Season: May through October

Cle Elum River Group Campground is located within the Cle Elum River Campground situated just off its namesake river in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Set in a mixed-conifer forest at an elevation of 2,300 feet and surrounded by high mountains, this campground offers a large site suitable for large family and group camping excursions. This location has limited staffing.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cle-elum-river-group-site to be notified when sites open up.

Cle Elum River Group Site offers a large site suitable for family and group camping in a mixed-conifer forest at 2,300 feet elevation within Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Campers consistently rate it 4.9/5 stars, praising the natural surroundings including forest, river access, and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities.

Wildlife alert: Mountain Lion, Rocky Mountain Mule Deer, Mule Deer, Snowshoe Hare, American Pika, Pileated Woodpecker, Western Tanager, Sooty Grouse, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Alligator Lizard, and Valley Garter Snake documented in the area.

Fire rules: Fire allowed through end of June based on verified camper reports.

Insider tips for Cle Elum River Group Site: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand Hand-driven water pump available on-site Spring water flow is too high in spring months; plan accordingly One group site accommodates large family and group camping excursions

Skip Cle Elum River Group Site if: Seeking hookups — no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs. Visiting Friday-Saturday during peak season — campground gets crowded. Needing year-round access — seasonal operations May through October only.

Best time to visit Cle Elum River Group Site: May-June — Fires permitted through end of June; season officially runs May through October. Summer-Early Fall — Prime location for hiking, fishing, swimming, and birding; avoid peak Fri-Sat when campground gets crowded.

Nearby campgrounds: Red Mountain Campground (Cle Elum, WA), Cayuse Horse Camp (RONALD, WA), Salmon La Sac (Ronald, WA), Wish Poosh Campground (RONALD, WA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cle Elum River Group Site

Cell signal at Cle Elum River Group Site (Ronald, WA): 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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Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cle Elum River Group Site

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Ronald, WA, WA★ 4.4 (8 reviews)From $158/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Cle Elum River Group Campground is located within the Cle Elum River Campground situated just off its namesake river in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Set in a mixed-conifer forest at an elevation of 2,300 feet and surrounded by high mountains, this campground offers a large site suitable for large family and group camping excursions. This location has limited staffing.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites:TentRV
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
Max RV40 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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:✕ Seeking hookups — no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ Visiting Friday-Saturday during peak season — campground gets crowded✕ Needing year-round access — seasonal operations May through October only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand

Hand-driven water pump available on-site

Spring water flow is too high in spring months; plan accordingly

One group site accommodates large family and group camping excursions

Best: May-June

Fires permitted through end of June; season officially runs May through October

Best: Summer-Early Fall

Prime location for hiking, fishing, swimming, and birding; avoid peak Fri-Sat when campground gets crowded

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: Mountain Lion, Rocky Mountain Mule Deer, Mule Deer, Snowshoe Hare, American Pika, Pileated Woodpecker, Western Tanager, Sooty Grouse, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Alligator Lizard, and Valley Garter Snake documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
509-852-1100· Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Getting there →

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.

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 — Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cle Elum River Group Site cost per night?+
Cle Elum River Group Site costs $158 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Cle Elum River Group Site open?+
Cle Elum River Group Site is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cle Elum River Group Site have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Cle Elum River Group Site?+
Cle Elum River Group Site can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cle Elum River Group Site?+
Cle Elum River Group Site 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 Cle Elum River Group Site?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cle Elum River Group Site is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cle Elum River Group Site open, and what are check-in times?+
Cle Elum River Group Site is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●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.

$158 /night★ 4.4 (8)
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 Cle Elum River Group Site cost per night?+
What season is Cle Elum River Group Site open?+
Does Cle Elum River Group Site have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Red Mountain Campground

Cle Elum, WA

From $22/night

Cayuse Horse Camp

RONALD, WA

From $27/night

Salmon La Sac

Ronald, WA

From $27/night

Wish Poosh Campground

RONALD, WA

From $22/night

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Cle Elum River Group Site — Okanogan-Wenatchee | CamperWatch