Overview
Beneath a canopy of pine and fir on the banks of Chatter Creek, this campground offers a serene setting for groups and large gatherings.
Recreation
Chatter Creek Group Campground offers outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to hike, fish, ski and enjoy a long list of outdoor recreational activities throughout the year.
Anglers may want to cast a line into the pools lining the pebble-strewn shore of Chatter Creek. A variety of trout populations find habitat along the banks of this quaint creek.
The trailhead for Icicle Gorge Loop Trail is close to camp. This valley-bottom trail has easy grades along both sides of Icicle Creek. On the other hand, Chatter Creek Trail, also nearby, offers a challenging steep trail with thick underbrush.
Skiing, snowmobiling, tubing and skijouring are popular winter activities for visitors to the Wenatchee Ranger District. Both motorized and non-motorized Sno-Parks in the area offer access to both groomed trails and natural settings for those wanting to explore the winter wonderland.
Facilities
Chatter Creek Group Campground has one large site that can accommodate up to 45 people and 12 vehicles. The site is equipped with picnic tables, a group campfire ring, drinking water and accessible vault toilets.
Natural Features
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest offers stunning scenic views, with high, glaciated alpine peaks, valleys of old growth forest and rugged shrub-steppe country making up the diverse landscape. Elevations range from below 1,000 feet to over 9,000 feet.
Precipitation varies greatly throughout the area, ranging from approximately 140 inches along the Cascade Crest to only 10 inches along the eastern edge. Visitors can expect many days of warm, sunny weather in the summer, and winters with clear skies and plenty of snow.
More than 700 lakes and mountain ponds dot the glacier-carved terrain of nearby Alpine Lake Wilderness. Tree-covered valleys give way to rocky ridges and rugged peaks along the crest of the Cascades, and many peaks and slopes are permanently cloaked in snowfields. From wet forests of Douglas fir, cedar, and an understory of salal and berries, to firs and mountain hemlock, the landscape opens up to expansive meadows matted with low growth and ends with dry forestland of ponderosa pine and grasses.
Congress designated the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in 1976 with a total of 362,789 acres. Prior to designation, aggressive mining and logging operations punched numerous access roads into the area, creating a wildly irregular boundary to this popular area.
Nearby Attractions
The Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth provides wonderful opportunities for shopping, dining, and exploring its unique history.
Trekking into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a stunning adventure for those wanting to traverse higher elevations.
The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
US Forest Service (USFS)
National Park Service (NPS)
US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
Department Of Defense (DOD)
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Other Federal
State
Local
Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
Alaska Native Allotment
Road
Primitive Road
Road
Primitive Road
Trail
Roads open to all Vehicles, Yearlong
Roads open to all Vehicles, Seasonal
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Seasonal
Special Designation, Yearlong
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails open to all vehicles, Yearlong
Trails open to all vehicles, Seasonal
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Yearlong
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Seasonal
Trails open to motorcycles, Yearlong
Trails open to motorcycles, Seasonal
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" in Width, Yearlong
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" or Less in Width, Seasonal
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Study Area