Crater Creek

Federal campground in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Location: Carlton, WA, WA

Price: From $10 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

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/crater-creek to be notified when sites open up.

Crater Creek offers affordable camping at $10/night in a scenic alpine setting. The campground features fire rings and picnic tables for a classic camping experience.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, and Bald Eagle present in the area. Also Pacific Marten, American Pika, and American Red Squirrel.

Insider tips for Crater Creek: Arrive early or book ahead — federal campground operates first-come, first-served only Download Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival to use Scan and Pay feature for sites that support it From Twisp, take State Route 20 south 2 miles to SR 153, then south 12 miles to Okanogan County Road 1029

Skip Crater Creek if: You need hookups — no hookups available. You require RV camping — only tent sites available (1 site total). You're visiting November through April — seasonal closure.

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

Nearby campgrounds: Foggy Dew (Carlton, WA), Blackpine Lake (Twisp, WA), War Creek (Twisp, WA), Mystery (Twisp, WA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Crater Creek

Cell signal at Crater Creek (Carlton, 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.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›WA›Crater Creek
See all photos
Federal campground in Okanogan-Wenatchee National ForestLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Crater Creek

Share:
Carlton, WA, WA★ 4 (0 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

Best for:CampersNature loversFamiliesSites: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 — no hookups available✕ You require RV camping — only tent sites available (1 site total)✕ You're visiting November through April — seasonal closure

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Arrive early or book ahead

federal campground operates first-come, first-served only

Download Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival to use Scan and Pay feature for sites that support it

From Twisp, take State Route 20 south 2 miles to SR 153, then south 12 miles to Okanogan County Road 1029

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: American Black Bear, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, and Bald Eagle present in the area. Also Pacific Marten, American Pika, and American Red Squirrel.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
N/A· Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Getting there →

From Twisp, take State Route 20 south for 2 miles, to junction with State Route 153. Take State Route 153 south for 12 miles to Okanogan County Road 1029 (Gold Creek Loop) and follow a short distance to County Road 1034 (Gold Creek Road). Take County Road 1034, which becomes Forest Service Road 4340, about 6 miles to Forest Service Road 4340-300 (Crater Creek Road). Take Forest Service Road 4340-300 for 4.6 miles to the Crater Creek Trailhead.

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 Crater Creek cost per night?+
Crater Creek costs $10 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Crater Creek open?+
Crater Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Crater Creek have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Crater Creek?+
Crater Creek is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Crater Creek?+
Crater Creek 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 Crater Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Crater Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Crater Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Crater Creek 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.

$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 Crater Creek cost per night?+
What season is Crater Creek open?+
Does Crater Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Foggy Dew

Carlton, WA

From $10/night

Blackpine Lake

Twisp, WA

From $20/night

Forest campground camping

War Creek

Twisp, WA

From $15/night

Mystery

Twisp, WA

From $10/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$10 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability