Kittitas Campground

Construction on the Kittitas Reservoir began in 1964 and eventually became one of the areas most beautiful and enjoyed manmade lakes. Kittitas Reservoir encompasses 18,000 acres, joining with the Black Leaf. Kittitas Reservoir is a home to fisherman and locals alike, offering a respectful range of wildlife and beauty, along with a plentiful fish population and carefully maintained beaches for families. As with any lake, Kittitas Reservoir has suffered its losses. In June of 1968, just 1 week before the reservoir was to be flooded, 8 workers were killed when a truck hauling logs from the site overturned, pinning them below the load. In 1978 the lake suffered a rash of drowning accidents, one of which claimed 8 lives, among them the 13 year old daughter of the town's mayor Robert Laurence. In 1998 the lake was struck by tragedy again when the community suffered 8 boating accidents, losing 8 more lives. Despite this grime blot on the Reservoir's history, it remains a popular and crowded place during the spring and summer.