Spool Cart Campground

Wallowa Whitman National Forest — riverside, fishing

Location: La Grande, OR, OR

Price: From $10 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: Late May through September

Spool Cart Campground is nestled in the forest on the banks of the Grande Ronde River. This developed campground has 13 sites suitable for tents and small trailers with paved roads and accessible toilets. The terrain consists of forested areas with a mix of trees and open spaces.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Fishing

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

Spool Cart Campground offers affordable riverside camping on the banks of the Grande Ronde River with direct access to the Eagle Cap Wilderness and nearby outdoor recreation at just $10/night.

Wildlife alert: Northern Pacific Rattlesnake and Valley Garter Snake present in area. Also Snowshoe Hare, American Beaver, American Great Gray Owl, Red-naped Sapsucker, Canada Jay, Wild Turkey, and Western Terrestrial Garter Snake.

Insider tips for Spool Cart Campground: Book early — federal campground with only 13 sites and seasonal operation fills quickly. Campground is on the Grande Ronde River with verified fishing access and water recreation. From La Grande, take I-84 West to exit 252 (Highway 244 towards Ukiah), then travel 12 miles west on Highway 244 to Forest Road 51.

Skip Spool Cart Campground if: You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites.. You plan to visit outside Late May through September — campground is seasonal only.. You require RV facilities — site types listed as tent-suitable with small trailers only..

Best time to visit Spool Cart Campground: Late May - September — Official operating season per RIDB data; forest conditions optimal during primary use season..

Nearby campgrounds: Bird Track Springs Campground (La Grande, OR), Spring Creek Campground (La Grande, OR), Mud Lake Campground (NORTH POWDER, OR), North Fork John Day Campground (Or) (Ukiah, OR).

Cell Phone Coverage at Spool Cart Campground

Cell signal at Spool Cart 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.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›OR›Spool Cart Campground
Forest campground camping
See all photos
Wallowa Whitman National Forest — riverside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Spool Cart Campground

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

Spool Cart Campground is nestled in the forest on the banks of the Grande Ronde River. This developed campground has 13 sites suitable for tents and small trailers with paved roads and accessible toilets. The terrain consists of forested areas with a mix of trees and open spaces.

Best for:AnglersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

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

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Fishing

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 at most sites.✕ You plan to visit outside Late May through September — campground is seasonal only.✕ You require RV facilities — site types listed as tent-suitable with small trailers only.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground with only 13 sites and seasonal operation fills quickly.

Campground is on the Grande Ronde River with verified fishing access and water recreation.

From La Grande, take I-84 West to exit 252 (Highway 244 towards Ukiah), then travel 12 miles west on Highway 244 to Forest Road 51.

Best: Late May - September

Official operating season per RIDB data; forest conditions optimal during primary use season.

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: Northern Pacific Rattlesnake and Valley Garter Snake present in area. Also Snowshoe Hare, American Beaver, American Great Gray Owl, Red-naped Sapsucker, Canada Jay, Wild Turkey, and Western Terrestrial Garter Snake.

Location

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

From La Grande, Oregon travel north for 8.5 miles on Interstate-84 West to exit 252 (Highway 244 towards Ukiah); Turn off the Interstate onto Highway 244 and travel west for 12 miles to Forest Road 51; Turn left on Forest Road 51 and go south for about 5 miles; The campground is on your right, along the river.

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 Spool Cart Campground cost per night?+
Spool Cart Campground costs $10 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Spool Cart Campground open?+
Spool Cart Campground is open Late May through September. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Spool Cart Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Spool Cart Campground?+
Spool Cart Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Spool Cart Campground?+
Spool Cart 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 Spool Cart Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Spool Cart Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Spool Cart Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Spool Cart Campground is open Late May through September. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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)
SeasonLate May through September
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Spool Cart Campground cost per night?+
What season is Spool Cart Campground open?+
Does Spool Cart Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Bird Track Springs Campground

La Grande, OR

From $10/night

Forest campground camping

Spring Creek Campground

La Grande, OR

From $10/night

Mud Lake Campground

NORTH POWDER, OR

From $16/night

North Fork John Day Campground (Or)

Ukiah, OR

From $8/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