A forested campground near hiking, and mountain biking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.
2 miles down the road or reachable by trail, and it houses the historic 200-inch Hale Telescope used for research on near-Earth asteroids and distant galaxies. Across the road from Fry Creek, Observatory Campground provides level cement platforms for telescopes and an amphitheater, and it hosts the monthly Explore the Stars astronomy gatherings April through October when amateur astronomers share views of planets and constellations.












Length limits vary by campsite.
Availability on Recreation.gov.
| Site | Fr 13 | Sa 14 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 006 standard nonelectric | ✓ | R | $15 |
| 010 standard nonelectric | R | R | $15 |
| 007 standard nonelectric | R | R | $15 |
| 001 standard nonelectric | ✓ | R | $15 |
| 002 standard nonelectric | ✓ | R | $15 |
| 009 standard nonelectric | ✓ | R | $15 |
| 015 standard nonelectric | R | R | $15 |
| 017 standard nonelectric | R | R | $15 |
| 018 standard nonelectric | R | R | $15 |
| 011 standard nonelectric |
Hookups (individual campsites): 12 no-hookup individual sites.
Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.
Themes from recent written reviews on Recreation.gov. Quotes are verbatim.
“Typically quiet and relaxing. A lot of the sites are pretty isolated giving you a sense of privacy.”
Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (58 reviews, ★ 3.0). Not written or edited by us.
“Been going to Fry Creek for about 8 years. Always enjoy it. Typically quiet and relaxing. A lot of the sites are pretty isolated giving you a sense of privacy. ”
“Really cute and peaceful little place, and the trail up to the observatory was the perfect hike. ”
“Nice campground, well spaced sites. Lots and lots of birds (acorn woodpeckers, nuthatches, Steller's jays, mountain chickadees). Bring a headnet for the flies ”
| R |
| R |
| $15 |
| 019 standard nonelectric | R | R | $15 |
| 005 standard nonelectric | R | R | $15 |
✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights3 sites open for every night
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights5 sites open for every nightAn idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.
Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 12 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

Pop-up camper · 11 ft · sleeps 3 · 51 mi from campground
$50/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available
View rental
Travel trailer · 11 ft · sleeps 8 · 68 mi from campground
$165/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available
View rental
Pop-up camper · 12 ft · sleeps 2 · 148 mi from campground
$61/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available
View rentalPaid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

19 mi · 5 hr · from $109/person

30 mi · 2 hr · from $64/person

30 mi · 3 hr · from $94/person

39 mi · 1 hr–2 hr · from $34/person
For May weekends, book about 72 days ahead. Three in four May Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 36 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.
| Arrival month | Fri/Sat arrivals: half booked at least | A quarter at least | Other days: half booked at least | A quarter at least |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 23 days ahead | 43 days ahead | 18 days ahead | 43 days ahead |
| May | 36 days ahead | 72 days ahead | 20 days ahead | 38 days ahead |
| June | 39 days ahead | 53 days ahead | 16 days ahead | 33 days ahead |
| July | 37 days ahead | 54 days ahead | 17 days ahead | 36 days ahead |
| August | 27 days ahead | 48 days ahead | 13 days ahead | 27 days ahead |
| September | 32 days ahead | 62 days ahead | 19 days ahead | 39 days ahead |
| October | 29 days ahead | 42 days ahead | 14 days ahead | 37 days ahead |
| November | 25 days ahead | 36 days ahead | 16 days ahead | 32 days ahead |
Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.
Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (5,089 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

39 mi · 3 hr · from $175/person

39 mi · 1 hr · from $42/person

39 mi · 1 hr · from $42/person

39 mi · 5 hr · from $249/person

39 mi · 3 hr–4 hr · from $14/person
12 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7. Rates are the listed nightly rates.
Tent, van or small RV, no power
12 sites · $15/night
Loops: FRY CREEK CAMPGROUND (12)
0 open Nov 13–Nov 15