Individual sites at this campground operate on a 6-month rolling basis:
Availability is released from Thu, May 1st 2025 through Mon, September 15th 2025.
This campground is open as first-come, first-served (FCFS) from Mon, March 31st 2025 through Thu, May 1st 2025. During this time it does not offer reservations in advance.
Season Opens
Jan 01, 2025
First Come, First Serve
Mar 31, 2025 (Today)
Reservable Start Dates
May 01, 2025
Season Closes (Reservable)
Sep 15, 2025
Facility Rates
Facility rates by season dates
SEASON DATES
SITE TYPE
NIGHTLY/DAILY RATES *
January 01, 2025 - April 30, 2025
(First-come, First-served Season)
Standard Nonelectric
$15.00
Tent Only Nonelectric
$15.00
Alk To
$15.00
May 01, 2025 - September 15, 2025
(Peak Season)
Standard Nonelectric
$15.00
Standard Nonelectric
$30.00
Tent Only Nonelectric
$30.00
Tent Only Nonelectric
$15.00
Walk To
$15.00
September 16, 2025 - December 31, 2025
(First-come, First-served Season)
Standard Nonelectric
$15.00
Tent Only Nonelectric
$15.00
Alk To
$15.00
January 01, 2026 - April 30, 2026
(First-come, First-served Season)
Standard Nonelectric
$15.00
Tent Only Nonelectric
$15.00
Alk To
$15.00
* Displayed rates do not reflect discounts, taxes, or incremental charges.
The gentle Yakima River winds for 27 miles through massive basalt cliffs and rolling desert hills between Ellensburg and Yakima, Washington. The Canyon offers excellent wildlife watching, plant viewing, fishing in a Blue Ribbon trout stream, family river rafting and camping.
The Bureau of Land Management administers over 9700 acres in the Yakima River Canyon area, including five developed river access sites. An overnight and day use fee is charged and reservations are accepted through www.recreation.gov. Hookups and potable water are not provided. The recreation sites are open year round, with the largest crowds filling the sites on hot summer weekends.
The Big Pines recreation site is BLM's largest recreation site in the Yakima River Canyon, and offers both overnight and day use amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, nearby dumpsters, vault toilets and a non-motorized river put in/takeout site. There are also several group campsites and several walk-in only campsites. The northern edge of the site is adjacent to undeveloped hiking trails on land managed by WA Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Notifications and Alerts
Dear Customers: Umtanum, Lmuma Creek and Roza campgrounds now have their own recreation.gov page! Please visit them to make reservations for these sites.
Big Pines sites 13-29 will be managed as first come/first serve this summer, due to staffing shortages.
Need to Know
Campsites will only be held until checkout time (11am) the next day. If reservation holder doesn't show up by then, the site is released.
There are no hookup services and no potable water. Cellphone coverage is limited.
Be aware of rattlesnakes, bees and poison ivy.
Extra vehicle overnight fee: Campsite fees include parking for two vehicles at each campsite. There is a $10 per vehicle, per night fee to park an extra vehicle. Extra vehicles must be registered using the yellow day use envelopes available at the fee station at each recreation site, and must be parked at the designated campsite (if room on the parking pad), or in designated extra vehicle parking spaces in the parking lot.
The reservation system is only available from May 1 - Sept 15 of each year. After reservation season has ended, all camping and day use will need to use the self-serve fee payment station at each site.
All visitors are required to pay and display on their vehicle(s) valid permits for overnight ($15.00 per night) or day use ($5.00 per day).Washington State Discover Passes are NOT valid on BLM-managed lands.
River Safety: Motorized boats are only allowed between the Roza Ramp and the Roza Dam. (1/2 mile)
Maximum length of stay is 7 days.
Fires are only allowed in BLM-approved metal fire rings.
Fishing is catch and release only. See Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations for more information.
Off-road vehicles are not allowed in the campgrounds.
Yakima River Canyon does contain private land, be aware of where you are.
Campsites are limited to 10 people and two vehicles per site.
Dogs must be on a leash.
Only one RV is allowed per site.
Natural Features
The gentle Yakima River winds for 27 miles through massive basalt cliffs and rolling desert hills in the Yakima River Canyon of central Washington. Formed from the slow carving of the Yakima River through the enormous folds (anticlines) in the otherwise nearly "flat" basalt layers of the Columbia Basin, the Yakima River Canyon shelters a range of habitats, making home to a diverse mixture of Eastern Washington flora and fauna.
Bighorn sheep, elk and mule deer can often be spotted on the river’s banks, and the canyon’s sheer cliffs and crevices are home to the state’s densest concentration of nesting hawks, eagles and falcons. Over 200 species of birds use the Yakima Canyon for breeding and nesting, as a migration route or a winter residence. A thriving "Blue Ribbon" trout stream, the Yakima is managed for quality catch and release trout fishing, and anglers share the water with summer floaters and rafters. Access to the various recreation sites and river access points is easy, as State Route 821 parallels the river. This was the first highway in Washington to be designated a State Scenic Byway in 1968, and today's visitors enjoy the same scenic beauty as experienced by Native American tribes and settlers to the area.
Nearby Attractions
The State Scenic Byway of Highway 821 follows the Yakima River through the canyon running between the cities of Ellensburg and Yakima, WA. Central Washington University, and Cowiche Canyon trails are nearby. Umtanum recreation site offers a footbridge to cross the Yakima River and access to Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Lands on the west side of the river.
Recreation
The Yakima River Canyon is enjoyed all year, by people of all ages. Summers are crowded, with thousands of people floating the Yakima River. Visitors also enjoy camping, picnicking and motorized watercraft use in the half-mile long pool above Roza dam. During the quieter months of spring, fall and winter, popular activities include wildlife viewing, hiking, hunting and fishing.
Contact Information
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BLM WENATCHEE FIELD OFFICE 915 WALLA WALLA AVENUE Wenatchee WA 98801
Physical
BLM Wenatchee Field Office 915 Walla Walla Avenue Wenatchee WA 98801
Phone Number
For campground inquiries, please call: 509-665-2100
From Seattle, take I-90 east to Ellensburg Exit 109 (Highway 821 Canyon Road). At the traffic circle, take the second exit onto South Canyon Road. Stay on the road, which will take you south through the Yakima River Canyon. Big Pines campground is located at milepost 9 on the Canyon Road.
