Spool Cart Campground

Its sites are first-come, first-served (no reservations), camping costs Single Site: $10 per night, and it is open from May to After bull elk season. Spool Cart Campground is a National Forest campground near La Grande, Oregon.

First-come, first-served

National Forest · La Grande, Oregon

Managed by: National Forest

Spool Cart Campground sits inside Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.

Getting a site

Managed by: National Forest
Reservations: None, first-come
Fee: Single Site: $10 per night

Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29

What's there

✓ Toilets
✕ Potable water

On site: Toilets. No potable water.

Rules

Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.

Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29

Access and cell service

Elevation: 3,504 ft

Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)

AT&T: No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE mapped about 0.3 mi away
T-Mobile: No coverage mapped
Verizon: No coverage mapped

Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection, data as of December 31, 2025

Outdoor coverage each carrier reports to the FCC at this campground's map point, and the nearest mapped coverage within about half a mile. The FCC map only includes 4G LTE at 5/1 Mbps or better and 5G; a weaker signal, a text, or an emergency call may still get through, but don't count on it. These are carrier predictions, not measurements, and can be wrong either way: real service in canyons, under trees, and inside a tent or vehicle is often weaker. 5G speeds are the FCC's 7/1 and 35/3 Mbps tiers. This product uses the FCC Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.

45.2025, -118.3949 in Union. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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Season and winter services

Spool Cart Campground is open from May to After bull elk season , at 3,504 ft.

Sources: epqs.nationalmap.gov, accessed 2026-09-29; fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29

Common questions

Do you need a reservation at Spool Cart Campground?

No. Spool Cart Campground is first-come, first-served: there is no reservation system, so arrive early to claim an open site.

How much does it cost to camp at Spool Cart Campground?

Camping at Spool Cart Campground costs Single Site: $10 per night.

Is there drinking water at Spool Cart Campground?

No. Spool Cart Campground has no potable water, so bring all the water you need.

When is Spool Cart Campground open?

Spool Cart Campground is open from May to After bull elk season.

Is there cell service at Spool Cart Campground?

Not at the campground on the FCC map, but AT&T shows 4G LTE about 0.3 mi away. The FCC's National Broadband Map (data as of December 31, 2025) shows no 4G LTE or 5G from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon at Spool Cart Campground itself, and nothing from T-Mobile or Verizon within about half a mile. The FCC map only includes 4G LTE at 5/1 Mbps or better and 5G; a weaker signal, a text, or an emergency call may still get through, but don't count on it.

Who manages Spool Cart Campground?

Spool Cart Campground is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Around Spool Cart Campground

fishypedia.com · 19 miles

The nearest lake with a fishing page is Anthony Lake, whose mapped center point is 19 miles away in a straight line. Stocking record and species: Anthony Lake fishing on fishypedia.com.

First-come Red Bridge State Wayside La Grande · State Park First-come Bird Track Springs Campground La Grande · National Forest First-come Frog Heaven Forest Camp La Grande · National Forest

First-come Umapine Campground La Grande · National Forest

More campgrounds: camping near La Grande and campgrounds in Union.

Sources

apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-28
epqs.nationalmap.gov (elevationFt), accessed 2026-09-29
broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27
fs.usda.gov (quietHours, season, fee, toilets, water), accessed 2026-09-29

Photo credits

Photo 1: USDA Forest Service, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)

First-come, first-served Single Site: $10 per night

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