Families and college students alike love camping when the weather gets warmer. Whether you’re “glamping” in an RV or roughing it in a tent, the greater Ellensburg area has plenty of camping spots to enjoy.

Colten Crow, a senior law and justice major,  loves to be outdoors and camps in the Ellensburg area quite frequently in the spring and summer months.

“Camping in this area is great, especially along the Yakima river in the canyon,” Crow said.

Crow mentioned that Yakima River Canyon Campground, Ellensburg KOA Journey and also looking on the US Forestry Department for other campgrounds in the area.

“You can go out for a whole weekend and spend less than $40,” Crow said.

Options for activities while camping include floating the Yakima River, hiking and just letting loose.

Yakima Canyon has six campsites from Ellensburg to Yakima along the river, which are all free to stay at. The only thing the state asks you to do is get a Discover Pass, which is $15. These can be acquired at stores like Fred Meyer Super 1 Foods, as well as some outdoor stores in the area.

Every campsite has a bathroom and BBQ pits for grilling up food.

Crow mentioned floating the Yakima River is a fun way of getting away from the stress of school.

“School can be really stressful and going out of town just 15 minutes can be a huge stress relief,” Crow said.

Andrew Wilkinson is a student at CWU and loves to hunt fish and camp in the area. He mentioned that some students should really try to get out in the outdoors.

“It really builds character and it helped me figure out who I really wanted to be,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson mentioned that the outdoors brings clarity to hard issues you are dealing with and could help you make an important life choice.

Crow went on to talk about the skies at night are breathtaking with the stars in the sky. He went on to talk about how we are so lucky to be in this area.

“It’s so cool to see the shooting stars at night during this time of year. You would be surprised about how many you see,” Crow said.

Mike Jones is an avid outdoorsman and works full time as an electrician in the Cle Elum area and also refurbishes old homes and cars on the side. He enjoys camping and hunting as well as fishing the Yakima River.

“It really easy to find a camping spot along the river. I enjoy making my own campsite because I think it is more challenging and rewarding than going to a government campsite,” Jones said.

Jones mentioned that camping comes with hunting and it’s hard to not to camp when hunting. Being far away from civilization is refreshing and relaxing.

“In my opinion I think it’s way more entertaining to camp while hunting because you get to be in the middle of nowhere and it’s less likely to run into another hunter if you’re deeper in the woods,” Jones said.

Jones also mentioned that fly fishing or swimming on the Yakima River is awesome this time of year and recommended camping on the river. He also went on to say it’s even better when you have a group of friends all enjoying the time together without all of our social media and cell phones.

“It’s a great experience for someone who loves fly-fishing or even just the outdoors in general,” Jones said.