Icicle Group Campground

Great group camp! I definitely recommend going later in the season (reserve asap, this gets booked fast) if you want to avoid cold overnights. My sister and Mom drove over from western WA to meet my family (NCW) for a camping trip. We grew up as "blue tarp campers" and are used to camping in the rain, but the wind coming off the Icicle was cutting and bitterly cold. Thankfully, there was no burn ban in effect since we were so early in the season so we were able to enjoy a roaring and toasty fire.

In previous reviews I read you needed to "pack in" your gear from parking and use a provided wheelbarrow. That was not our experience at all, but I brought a garden cart just in case. Parking is down the hill beyond the gate right at the tent sites. So as long as you have the gate access code (which is emailed to you), you shouldn't have to pack anything in. Instead, we let our kids ride down the hill in the garden cart and used it to haul wood to the fire pit. So it was good to have just the same.

There are three picnic tables, so if you have a larger group you probably want to bring extra tables. My sister and her fiancé brought two folding tables for food prep and holding water jugs (no water provided on site) and used one provided picnic table for cooking and we sat at the others or around the fire in our chairs. We had 5 adults, 5 kids, and 2 large dogs in our group and this site was the perfect size. Plenty of room for our tents (we used a total of 4 tents), chairs, the two extra tables, and canopies. We had access to the creek in a couple spots and the two port-a-potties were well-maintained and clean. Vehicles going further up the road were mostly hidden by the trees above. The creek was loud enough to drown out any of that potential noise out.

The space is serene and we didn't have issues with yellowjackets (probably too cold for them yet) and while there were plenty of ground bees, they weren't a nuisance at all and left us alone.

Great group camp! I definitely recommend going later in the season (reserve asap, this gets booked fast) if you want to avoid cold overnights. My sister and Mom drove over from western WA to meet my family (NCW) for a camping trip. We grew up as "blue tarp campers" and are used to camping in the rain, but the wind coming off the Icicle was cutting and bitterly cold. Thankfully, there was no burn ban in effect since we were so early in the season so we were able to enjoy a roaring and toasty fire.

In previous reviews I read you needed to "pack in" your gear from parking and use a provided wheelbarrow. That was not our experience at all, but I brought a garden cart just in case. Parking is down the hill beyond the gate right at the tent sites. So as long as you have the gate access code (which is emailed to you), you shouldn't have to pack anything in. Instead, we let our kids ride down the hill in the garden cart and used it to haul wood to the fire pit. So it was good to have just the same.

There are three picnic tables, so if you have a larger group you probably want to bring extra tables. My sister and her fiancé brought two folding tables for food prep and holding water jugs (no water provided on site) and used one provided picnic table for cooking and we sat at the others or around the fire in our chairs. We had 5 adults, 5 kids, and 2 large dogs in our group and this site was the perfect size. Plenty of room for our tents (we used a total of 4 tents), chairs, the two extra tables, and canopies. We had access to the creek in a couple spots and the two port-a-potties were well-maintained and clean. Vehicles going further up the road were mostly hidden by the trees above. The creek was loud enough to drown out any of that potential noise out.

The space is serene and we didn't have issues with yellowjackets (probably too cold for them yet) and while there were plenty of ground bees, they weren't a nuisance at all and left us alone.

Pros:
- Lots of trees for shade, but open enough to get lots of sun, too.
- Flat, sandy soil, good for tents, lots of room.
- Three picnic tables, steel fire pit, bear proof trash cans, 2 clean porta potties are well stocked.
- Right by the river (it's loud, so that might be a con for some).
- You can drive right up to the tent/table area to unload.
- Great fishing/swimming hole nearby.
- No trash around, very well kept.
- Beautiful area and river!!

Cons:
- Sandy soil blows around pretty bad if it's windy. Gets in EVERYTHING.
- The gate is kinda hard to unlock because the lock has been abused, needs replacement. Also quite certain the code never changes, so other people could easily get in if they've been there before.
- Porta potties needed emptying.
- Fish in the river are very small, but plentiful.

General comments, suggestions:
- Bring fire wood, if fires are allowed - make sure you check before you come.
- Bring a few wasp traps in mid-late summer - BIG black & white hornets, but not too bad early summer.
- Lots of ants, beetles, flying bugs, some mosquitoes, so come prepared.
- Bring buckets for water, and a shovel.
- Good river for fly fishing, but spinners ok too, just harder. COLD water.
- This is bear/cougar country - bring protection.
- Lots of good hiking trails and rock climbing spots nearby.

Pros:
- Lots of trees for shade, but open enough to get lots of sun, too.
- Flat, sandy soil, good for tents, lots of room.
- Three picnic tables, steel fire pit, bear proof trash cans, 2 clean porta potties are well stocked.
- Right by the river (it's loud, so that might be a con for some).
- You can drive right up to the tent/table area to unload.
- Great fishing/swimming hole nearby.
- No trash around, very well kept.
- Beautiful area and river!!

Cons:
- Sandy soil blows around pretty bad if it's windy. Gets in EVERYTHING.
- The gate is kinda hard to unlock because the lock has been abused, needs replacement. Also quite certain the code never changes, so other people could easily get in if they've been there before.
- Porta potties needed emptying.
- Fish in the river are very small, but plentiful.

General comments, suggestions:
- Bring fire wood, if fires are allowed - make sure you check before you come.
- Bring a few wasp traps in mid-late summer - BIG black & white hornets, but not too bad early summer.
- Lots of ants, beetles, flying bugs, some mosquitoes, so come prepared.
- Bring buckets for water, and a shovel.
- Good river for fly fishing, but spinners ok too, just harder. COLD water.
- This is bear/cougar country - bring protection.
- Lots of good hiking trails and rock climbing spots nearby.

The trash was full when we arrived and the walk to the camp could be avoided if they just opened the gate.

We absolutely loved this group campsite! The nearby swimming hole was a huge hit with both adults and kids, and the slow-flowing water right by the site was perfect for the little ones to play and rinse off. The grounds offer a great mix of shaded and open spaces, accommodating our large group of 20 very comfortably. Our only issue was that the trash bins were completely full upon arrival. With 20 people, we had to store our garbage in our vehicles to avoid attracting bears, and only put it out right as we left. It would be a major improvement if larger or more frequent trash bins were provided. Despite that, we loved it so much that we’ve already booked our annual trip for next year. Highly recommend!