Minam State Recreation Area

Having some warranty work done at factory in La Grande and it was finished on first day scheduled we opted to spend two nights at a couple of smaller campgrounds prior to heading over to WLSP where we had 10 nights booked. First night ww opted to stay at Catherine Creek, 2nd night at Minam.
Getting down the 2 miles of roadway off the highway we just kept hoping for no traffic coming out. Thankfully there was not. Very narrow road pulling a 24 foot pull behind. There were a few pulloffs but nothing really large enough to allow another large camper to get past. The host did tell us this CG is used mostly by rafters and mostly tent campers. He also suggested waiting until all the rafters had left for the day before making our way back out the narrow road. We left around 10 and within about 1/3 of a mile we saw a truck coming towards us. It turned out to be a ranger, who thoughtfully backed up to a wide corner and allowed us to get by him, easily.
Probably 7 or 8 spots large enough for larger rigs. The morning we were leaving a TT pulled in that was probably close to 40 ft, plus his truck and was able to find a large enough site.
Site 11 was great for solar, very little shade being located in the inner part of the loop with a lot less trees.
Campground was immaculate. Water spigots available.
Small beach area behind a push gate, dogs enjoyed a couple of trips there to fetch sticks.
No cell service. Starlink worked great.

Stayed at Minam State Rec Area as an overnight on my way to Wallowa State Park. It's a really nice, remote campground that appears to be primarily used by rafters. The 2-mile road going in was a well maintained dirt road, with just a few bumps that even my very low profile trailer was able to navigate. Some have mentioned concern for narrow cattle crossings - I didn't really feel they were particularly narrow, I guess unless you're going in with a beast of an RV. The sites are excellently maintained, and my site was perfectly level. Some sites have water hookups, but none have electric or sewer. The sites are not particularly private, but the trailer sites that back up against the hill have a nice "back yard".

We arrived on a Wednesday afternoon and though the campground was busier that we expected, we didn't have any problems finding a spot. There are plenty of trees and a great view of a steep canyon face. All the sites are set up in a loop, and the first few (which have a river view) are tent only. We stayed in the very last RV spot in the loop as it provides nice privacy and trees for shade.
The gravel road into camp is well maintained, though it does narrow over the cattle guard. We didn't have any problems with it though. I do wish the spots were spaced farther apart (our neighbor's firepit was right next to the back of our camper), but overall I really liked this campground. *Lots of people brought rafts to float in the river.

I observed everything from tents to Motorhomes at this park so pretty much anyone can get here. It is about 2 miles down a gravel/dirt road that was in good shape although narrow in some places. At about halfway in (1st mile), the road forks for about 75 yards and then merge together. I was fine taking the lower road (left as you are coming into the park). The MH owner advised that he had taken the high road to avoid the low hanging branches. As far as I remember, there are no reservations and it is first come, first served. No cell service of any kind. Good fishing and wading on the river. Also saw people using little float devices on the river. Don't think there are any real hiking trails directly from the campground but since you are in the mountains, I would think something would be nearby. Most sites have good separation but no vegetation for privacy. The ranger comes by on a daily basis and was professional and friendly.

Note: No cell service.

If you're looking for a lesser known, classic camping experience with access to water and hiking, consider checking out Minam. It's just two miles to the north off Hwy 82, at Minam, in a steep canyon along the Wallowa River. Minam is halfway between the tiny towns of Elgin and Wallowa.

Tall Ponderosas provide some shade along the edge with a sunny glade in the middle of the campground. There's dedicated space for tent campers towards the rear of the single loop, and back-in slots for longer trailers and RVs. The restroom is centrally located and water is available.

The only down side is there's no cell service here. Sites 1, 2, 3 are along the river, with a path leading down to the water.