USFSOkanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · Washington
Salmon LA Sac
Overview Salmon La Sac Campground is bordered by the Cle Elum and Cooper Rivers in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Sites6948 reservable
Elev.2,438ft
Comf.n/a
Max rig127 ft10 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Yakima1h49real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from RIDB · Open-Meteo OSM · OSRM Updated 2026-05-27
Sits at 2,438 ft. 69 sites total: 48 reservable and 21 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 10 pull-through, and the longest takes a 127-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 11 named hiking routes, 28 peaks, lake or river access.
What campers say
SYNTHESIZED · MODERATE SIGNAL
Sites
01 / 05
Riverside sites along the Cle Elum and Cooper draw the strongest praise.
Multiple campers single out sites in the 30s and 40s (notably 30, 43, and 44) for direct water access and the sound of the river through the night. Sites are generally well spaced under old growth with paved interior roads, though layouts vary from open to deeply shaded.
Booking
02 / 05
About 40 reservable, 27 first-come, and weekends fill by midweek.
Of the 69 sites, roughly 40 are reservable on Recreation.gov and the rest are first come first served. Experienced campers report that grabbing a walk-up spot for a summer weekend typically means rolling in Wednesday morning.
Facilities
03 / 05
Vault toilets and hand-pump well water, no hookups or showers.
Reviewers describe the vaults as generally clean and water spigots spread through the loops, but the hand pumps don't fit a standard RV hose, which makes filling tanks awkward. There are no electric, water, or sewer hookups and no shower house.
Weather
04 / 05
Summer nights drop into the 40s at 2,300 feet, bring real layers.
Even during warm July and August days in the 70s and 80s, campers consistently report nighttime lows in the 40s and low 50s. Several call out being underprepared for the cold and recommend a real sleeping bag rather than a summer-weight quilt.
Trails & access
05 / 05
Waptus, Cooper, and Pollallie trailheads sit a short walk from the loops.
The Salmon La Sac trailhead is a quarter to half mile from the campground entrance and feeds the Waptus River, Cooper River, and Pollallie Ridge trails into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Hikers note the trailhead lot is packed all summer and free wilderness permits are required at the register.
Synthesized from public trip reports and forum discussion, summarized in our words and never quoted. This is durable sentiment, not a live feed.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade 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.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Yakima
79 mi
1h49
02
Seattle
99 mi
2h14
03
Spokane
216 mi
4h14
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 11.1 mi away.
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.
