4
Pull-thru
Bureau of Land ManagementYakima River Canyon · Washington
Big Pines
Overview The gentle Yakima River winds for 27 miles through massive basalt cliffs and rolling desert hills between Ellensburg and Yakima, Washington.
Sites4338 reservable
Elev.1,289ft
Comf.Apr-Oct7 months
Max rigtents4 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Yakima0h27real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 1,289 ft, Big Pines has a 7-month comfortable window (Apr-Oct). Winter nights average around 28°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 43 sites total: 38 reservable and 5 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 4 pull-through, 3 walk-in. Within about 4 miles: 1 peak, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and quiet. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Apr-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
96%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 16
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 21.
63°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Yakima
16 mi
0h27
02
Seattle
127 mi
2h34
03
Spokane
189 mi
3h35
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 4.3 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 43 SITES
Color byShow only
43 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
3
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
5
Prime
43
Sites
★ The standout
Site 01
Big Pines · prime location · shaded.
To neighbor
69 ft
Location
Prime
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
29
Peaks
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
4.3 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.