Hells Crossing Campground sits along the river in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Naches, operated by Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. This small, budget-friendly campground offers tent and primitive sites with vault toilets, potable water, and picnic tables. Reviewers praise its beauty, privacy, and clean restrooms, though some mention ant and bee issues during warmer months.
Hells Crossing Campground accommodates both tent and standard nonelectric camping sites. "Hells Crossing Campground offers standard and tent-only sites."
Weather and SeasonsBest season: summer. Summer offers the most reliable access and the warmest, most comfortable weather for everything Hells Crossing does best: hiking, river swimming, boating and fishing. Expect daytime highs roughly 65–85°F (18–30°C) and cool nights in the 40s–50s°F (5–12°C), with long daylight and low snow at the 3,271 ft elevation. Peak outdoor recreation is in July–August, though campsites are busier then and wildfire smoke or campfire restrictions can occur, so plan and check conditions before you go.
Peak months: July, August, September, June
Avoid: October, November, December, January
Elevation3271 ft above sea level
Natural Features and SceneryThe American River runs right through camp, close enough that you'll hear it from your tent. At this elevation on the east side of the Cascades, the forest is mixed conifer. Plenty of shade from tall evergreens but not the dense moss-draped old growth you'd find further west. The terrain transitions from forested slopes to the drier shrub-steppe characteristic of the rain shadow country. Water is the main feature here: clear enough for swimming, good for fishing, and dramatic enough that the sound carries through camp at night. Views open up toward the surrounding peaks, though the campground itself sits in a forested river corridor rather than on a scenic overlook.
Lodging & AccommodationsNo hotel-style accommodations or lodges are available in the campground.
Programs & ActivitiesInterpretive signs along Boulder Cave National Recreation Trail explain geology, plants, animals, and fire history.