USDA Forest Service · Oregon
Spool Cart Campground
USDA Forest Service · Oregon, United States
- Sites
- 13
- Hookups
- 13 no hookups
- Season
- May 15 to November 1
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 3,520 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- SPOOL CART CAMPGROUND RD (NFSR 5100050) · asphalt · high degree of user comfort
- Lake
- Wallowa Whitman National Forest
- Nearest town
- La Grande
- Address
- La Grande Ranger District, La Grande, OR, 97850
- Activities
- Birding, Camping, Fishing, Photography, Water Access, Wildlife Viewing
About
Overview
Spool Cart Campground is nestled in the forest on the banks of the Grande Ronde River. This developed campground has 13 sites suitable for tents and small trailers with paved roads and accessible toilets. The terrain consists of forested areas with a mix of trees and open spaces. Nearby attractions include the Eagle Cap Wilderness and the Grande Ronde River.
Historically, trains stopped here and left spools of cable for loggers to transport to work sites using carts.
Primary use season is from late May through mid-October.
Quiet hours are from 10pm to 6am.
Facilities
Spool Cart Campground has 13 campsites, each with picnic tables, fire rings, and parking spaces.
Fees
Overnight Use: Single Site: $10/night.
Interagency Senior/Access Recreation Passes provide a 50% discount to Single Campsites ONLY. The discount applies only to the fee for the campsite physically occupied by the pass holder, not to any additional fee or campsite(s) occupied by members of the pass holder's party. https://store.usgs.gov/recreational-passes Please be prepared to pay with CASH or CHECK.
Single unit campsites = $10.00/night.
A self-service fee station is located at the campground.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 25° | -4° | 48° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 37° | 24° | -8° | 50° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 44° | 28° | 13° | 70° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 48° | 32° | 13° | 74° | 10 of 11 |
| May | 60° | 42° | 30° | 81° | 4 of 11 |
| June | 70° | 48° | 36° | 87° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 83° | 58° | 45° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 58° | 49° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 72° | 49° | 40° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 62° | 40° | 29° | 76° | 5 of 10 |
| November | 46° | 33° | 8° | 66° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 36° | 23° | 5° | 56° | 9 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Red Bridge State Wayside · Oregon State Parks · 7 mi · 20 sites
- Bird Track Springs Campground · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi · 22 sites
- Frog Heaven Forest Camp · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi
- Umapine Campground · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi
- Spring Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 11 mi · 4 sites
All public campgrounds in Oregon · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-04-04. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.