Cle Elum River
Its 15 sites are first-come, first-served (no reservations), camping costs Single site: $24 per night, and it is open from Late May to Mid-September. Cle Elum River is a National Forest campground near Ronald, Washington.
Closed First-come, first-served
1 / 2The Cle Elum River Campground entrance sign. Photo: USDA Forest Service, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)
- Managed by
- National Forest
Cle Elum River sits inside Okanogan-Wenatchee 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: $24 per night
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 15
- Group sites
- 1
- Group site capacity
- Up to 100 people
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Potable water
On site: Toilets and potable water.
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Rules
- Stay limit
- 14 consecutive days; 28 days total per calendar year
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 2,259 ft
Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)
- AT&T
- No coverage mapped
- T-Mobile
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE mapped about 0.4 mi away
- 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.
47.3511, -121.1044 in Kittitas. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Season and winter services
Cle Elum River is open from Late May to Mid-September , at 2,259 ft.
Sources: epqs.nationalmap.gov, accessed 2026-09-28; fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Current conditions
Closed Agency notice, as of 2026-09-29: Closed for the 2026 season because of the Three Queens Fire.
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Cle Elum River?
How much does it cost to camp at Cle Elum River?
How many campsites does Cle Elum River have?
Is there drinking water at Cle Elum River?
When is Cle Elum River open?
How long can you stay at Cle Elum River?
Is there cell service at Cle Elum River?
Who manages Cle Elum River?
Around Cle Elum River
The nearest lake with a fishing page is Cooper Lake, whose mapped center point is 6.2 miles away in a straight line. Stocking record and species: Cooper Lake fishing on fishypedia.com.
Hot springs and waterfalls nearby
Nearest to Cle Elum River, in straight-line miles: Franklin Falls (waterfall, 16 miles), Goldmyer Hot Springs (hot spring, 16 miles), and Scenic Hot Springs (hot spring, 25 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.
Reservable Cle Elum River Group Site 
First-come French Cabin First-come Red Mountain Campground First-come Little Salmon More campgrounds: camping near Ronald and campgrounds in Kittitas.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-28
- epqs.nationalmap.gov (elevationFt), accessed 2026-09-28
- broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27
- fs.usda.gov (stayLimit), accessed 2026-09-29
- fs.usda.gov (sites, closure, season, fee, water, toilets), accessed 2026-09-29
Photo credits
- Photo 1: USDA Forest Service, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)
- Photo 2: USDA Forest Service, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)