## Overview

 Hells Crossing Campground is located along the American River in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington\'s Cascade Range. Warm summer days and easy access to an abundance of recreational activities make the campground a perfect setting for individual and group camping excursions.
## Recreation

 Hells Crossing Campground offers outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to hike, fish, ski, raft and enjoy a multitude of recreational activities throughout the year. The American River, which can be accessed from within the campground, offers a scenic backdrop for swimmers braving its cold, refreshing waters. Whitewater enthusiasts may enjoy a rafting trip on the American or on one of many scenic rivers in the area.
## Facilities

 Hells Crossing Campground offers standard and tent-only sites. Picnic tables, vault toilets and drinking water are available; however, there are no electrical hookups. There are two sections in the campground, each with its own entrance; sites 1-10 are in the eastern section (just over the American River), while sites 11-18 are in the western section.
## Natural Features

 The Okanogan-Wenatchee is a unique National Forest, where high, glaciated alpine peaks tower along the Cascade Crest. Lush valleys of old-growth forest define its western boundary, and at its eastern edge, rugged shrub-steppe country comprises a more arid region. Elevations range from below 1,000 feet to over 9,000 feet. Precipitation varies greatly thoughout the area, ranging from approximately 140 inches along the Cascade Crest to only 10 inches along the eastern edge. Visitors to the area can expect many days of warm, sunny weather in the summer and plenty of snow in the winter. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Boulder Cave National Recreation Trail is one of the most popular places in the Naches District. Visitors can walk the accessible trail along the river or explore Boulder Cave. Interpretive signs along the trail explain the geology, plants, animals and fire history of the area. Hikers may want to traverse a portion of the spectacular Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), one of the world\'s premier National Scenic Trails. This trail showcases some of North America\'s most fantastic scenery as it winds its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. 
## contact\_info

 This location has limited staffing. Please call (661) 702-1420 for general information.
## Charges &amp; 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. 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.\_\_\_\_ Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.\_\_ In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Hells Crossing Campground

Summer has been cool and wet so far this year in western Washington. We decided to take a long 4th of July weekend and head over to the east side towards Mount Rainier National Park. 

  

There are many National Forest managed campgrounds and dispersed camping spots to choose from along Highway 410 in Washington. The American River runs along this road and there are many places to hike. Naches is about 45 miles away and has a great pizza place/brewery. We booked somewhat last minute so we did not have many open sites at campgrounds in that area to pick from. 

  

Hells Crossing has two loops, one on either side of the American River. Several sites border the river, the others border the highway which can be very busy. There are vault toilets on both loops. They started on Thursday very clean and pleasant but by Sunday they were pretty smelly and the toilet paper was running dangerously low. We did not see anyone come to check them over the whole weekend. The website says there is potable water, but it appeared that the water was either broken or still shut off as we had to go to another campground down the road to fill our 5-gallon jug when we started to get low. Fires were still permitted and you can buy wood at several other spots between this area and Naches. 

  

Our site (6) was heavily shaded and bordered the highway. There were many trees, great hammock spots, and plenty of space between us and the other campers. We have a small 16 foot trailer but we tow with a quad cab, long bed old Dodge truck. I think it's longer than our trailer. This campground is tight. We had to move the large log that was separating our parking area from the rest of the camp site back a few feet just so we could fit the trailer in and pull the truck in front. All traffic had to stop until we could level and unhook as there was no space to go around. The ants were terrible but if we wear shoes and prop your feet up when sitting, they are a minor annoyance. 

  

The river is lovely and very cold. It's a nice walk around the loops and there are a couple trails across the highway to explore. There are a few sites that are better than the one we had (10 is primo!) so with better panning this would be a place we would return.