U.S. Forest Service · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · Easton, WA

Kachess

Kachess Campground sits just off the forested northwest shore of Kachess Lake in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Set in dense old-growth conifer forest and surrounded by high mountains, Kachess Campground is considered one of the most beautiful sites in the Cle Elum Ranger District.

Partly reservable 149 sites From $8 per night 110 ft max No hookupsPets okFires ok

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

More like this: first-come in Washington · reservable in Washington · big rigs in Washington · pets allowed in Washington · group sites in Washington

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of RMRC · Recreation.gov

4fires
active

Three Queens · 4 mi away · 9,575 acres

3 more within 50 miles

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups		142
Group sites		1
Host/management		6

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served. For the first-come sites, arrive early on a weekday and take what is open. The booking page shows which of the reservable sites are open. The first-come playbook

Site guide

Will my RV fit

Towing a trailerRear or front mounted accessoriesi

Tow vehicle length, ftTrailer length, ft

The longest site here provides 110 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

143 sites in 7 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Fits, ft	Surface	Shade	People / vehicles	Fires	Rating
024	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	90	Gravel	Partial	12 / 4	Yes	Standard
025	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	97	Gravel	Partial	12 / 4	Yes	Standard
027	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	86	Gravel	Partial	12 / 4	Yes	Standard
029	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	90	Gravel	Partial	12 / 4	Yes	Standard
031	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	70	Gravel	Partial	6 / 2	Yes	Standard
032	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	100	Gravel	Partial	12 / 4	Yes	Standard
034	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	77	Gravel	Partial	6 / 2	Yes	Standard
035	Beargrass	Standard	Pull-through	88	Gravel	Partial	12 / 4	Yes	Standard
037	Beargrass	Standard	Back-in	51	Gravel	Partial	6 / 2	Yes	Standard
038	Beargrass	Standard	Back-in	46	Gravel	Partial	6 / 2	Yes	Standard

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Hookups	None
Max vehicle length	110 ft
Equipment	RVs & trailers, Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Fees	Extra Vehicle Fee $8.00
Accessibility	Sites 183, 184 are listed accessible

Kachess Lake Campground offers 150 sites that accommodate both tent and RV camping, including one designated group site that can accommodate up to 50 guests. The group site and 106 single family sites are available for reservation, and the rest are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Sites are equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings with grills, vault toilets. Drinking water is available. There are no electric hookups. One motorized boat launch, one non-motorized boat launch, a swimming area and picnic areas are also available to visitors.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

Season	Early June to mid-September
Forest	Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Booking	Single, Double and Group sites: 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777) or on-line at recreation.gov. Some campsites are first come, first served.
Fees	Single Campsite: $24; Double Campsite: $45; Group Site: $130; Extra vehicle: $8, (2nd vehicle for single sites, 3rd and 4 vehicles for double sites) will be collected at the campground.

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Stampede Pass, 7 miles from the campground at 3,959 feet, station USW00024237 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 85 inches a year.

Getting there

From Seattle, travel east on I-90 approximately 62 miles, or from Cle Elum travel west on I-90 approximately 20 miles. Take exit 62 and follow Kachess Lake Road for 5.5 miles to the campground, which is on the right.

Nearest town	Easton, Washington
Coordinates	47.3548° N, 121.2434° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Fire nearby

Wildfire
Three Queens
4 mi from the campground · 9,575 acres · 33% contained
Wildfire
King
8 mi from the campground · 3,427 acres · 36% contained
Wildfire
West Fork
36 mi from the campground · 310 acres · 16% contained
Wildfire
Little Giant
49 mi from the campground · 172,912 acres · 95% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gear	EVO ↗	9.4 mi
Dump station	RV Sanitation Station ↗	17 mi
RV sales & service	OpenRoad RV ↗	39.3 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Camping at Kachess Campground. (Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area)

Worth a stop

The spectacular Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) can be accessed near the campground. One of the world's premier National Scenic Trails, it showcases some of North America's most fantastic scenery as it winds its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington.

6.1 mi
Pete Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
7.2 mi
Lake Keechelus Trailhead ↗Trailhead
11 mi
Speelyi Beach ↗Swimming

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

0.3 mi
Kachess Nature
0.4 mi trail
0.3 mi
Kachess Lake Shore
1.2 mi trail
0.3 mi
Little Kachess
4.1 mi trail
0.3 mi
Keechelus Frontage ↗
12.2 mi trail
1.7 mi
East Kachess ↗
6.2 mi trail
1.9 mi
Thorp Mountain
0.3 mi trail

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Alpine Lakes Wilderness begins about 0.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

0.7 mi
Alpine Lakes Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Forest Service · 414,322 acres
2.6 mi
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 3,858,129 acres
7.1 mi
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 2,025,595 acres

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Other campgrounds nearby

FS · WA

East Kachess Group Site

Reservable3 mi

FS · WA

Cle Elum River Group Site

Reservable6.5 mi

FS · WA

Red Mountain Campground

Cabin and lookout rentals nearby

FS · WA

Teanaway Guard Station

Cabin rental18.170385111307844 mi

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Lake Keechelus Snowshed BridgeStructure · Hyak · 5.7 mi
Salmon la Sac Guard StationBuilding · Cle Elum · 7.6 mi
Northwestern Improvement Company StoreBuilding · Roslyn · 14.9 mi

Natural features

Towering peaks, high-country lakes and old-growth forests provide visitors with a variety of landscapes. Kachess Lake, adjacent to the campground, is a reservoir that stores and provides water for irrigation for south-central Washington. The surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams and diverse forests support an abundance of wildlife, including deer, porcupine, native fish and migratory birds.

Recreation

Kachess is a prime location for fishing, swimming, boating, paddling and mountain biking in summer and early fall. The campground is also a great base camp for day-hikers and overnight backpackers. Several access trails from the area give hikers the chance to create their own excursions, whether it be a day hike or an overnight trip. Starting at the campground, the Kachess Lake Trail is a short loop next to the lake, enjoyable for hikers of all levels. Anglers enjoy fishing for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon from boat or shoreline. Box Canyon Creek is closed to all fishing from the mouth, 2-miles up to the falls. Check current WDFW fishing regulations for additional restrictions.

Guidebooks for Washington

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Best Tent Camping: Washington
Ellie Kozlowski, 2018
Find at Bookshop.org
Washington camping
Tom Stienstra, 2018
Find at Bookshop.org
Hiking Waterfalls in Washington
Sawyer Scheer, 2019
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Kachess?

For some sites. Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Kachess?

Extra Vehicle Fee $8.00

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Kachess?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Kachess?

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.

Source: Charges and cancellations

How many sites does Kachess have?

149 sites, including 142 standard sites without power and 1 group site.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Kachess?

Recreation.gov lists no practical vehicle capacity limit for the largest site here, which usually means pull-through or open parking. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Kachess?

Yes, pets are allowed at Kachess. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Kachess?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Kachess?

Sites 183 and 184 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Kachess?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Kachess?

Kachess is a prime location for fishing, swimming, boating, paddling and mountain biking in summer and early fall. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Kachess?

Easton, Washington. The spectacular Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) can be accessed near the campground.

Source: Getting there