Join the fun near Rainier. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Rainier is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Rainier, OR. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
Cresap Bay Campground
50 min away
Lake Merwin Camper's Hideaway (MEMBERS ONLY)
51 min away
"Campsites were clear and a decent size with picnic table and a fire pit with a grill. The bathrooms have hot water and were clean. I was very impressed."
"Went paddle boarding nearby in a great lake and took the time to drive up to Mt. St. Helens."
"Like others have said there is some noise from I-5. Inside our enclosed trailer that was converted we barely heard the noise, This was at night with complete silence in our camper."
"Close to freeway for easy access. Nice walking paths. Typical state park yurt set up."
"The staff are a added bonus.. helpful friendly & kind The place is right off the highway but you don't hear allot of the traffic noise, they keep the grounds clean well taken care of ."
"Campground was clean, access to the river . Great fishing very chill quiet campground right off I-5 and close to shopping. I will stay again."
$45 / night
"Bring your horses and ride the trails and stay at the horse camp.
Tent and two RV sites are on the first right turn and there is even a stream to play at."
"We brought a pop up camper and was able to get it set up nicely. Water and toilets are available."
"Walk down to the river, play on the field, drive up to Mt St Helens visitor's center."
"Well situated. Just off I-5, about 10 miles from the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center and about an hour north of Portland, Oregon. Lots to do, especially for kids."
$30 - $300 / night
"I'd like to give a warm welcome to your hosts, Nicole & Kris. This property is clearly loved and cared for."
$27 - $41 / night
"Quick drive from SE Portland (or bike out all the way on a lovely trail if you are so inclined). We drove up to meet up with friends who biked in so we could camp a few nights."
"Outhouses are present but no showers and fire pits are communal and conveniently placed between the site subgroups."
$15 - $120 / night
"Like the previous poster said, quiet hours were not enforced and there was a loud group across from us active until well past 10."
"There are a ton of bike paths and your entrance into your campsite also allows you access to the park the next day so you can explore after check out if you want.
Quiet hours are not enforced."
$10 - $33 / night
"They have fire wood for sale for 5 dollars a bundle, bathrooms and showers on site. There is a spot to load a very small boat into the water and very little and spotty cell service for me at least."
"Might be ok for a stop in between for a night but if you are looking for an away from it all campground this isn’t it."
TravelerThere are 8 walk in sites and one drive up site, all first come first serve discovery pass required. Some sites are larger than others, but in ours we were able to fit two 6ptents and one 2p tent. All campsites have a fire ring and picnic table. You’ll still see and hear your fellow campers, but it does seem semi private. Make sure to bring toilet paper, the bathroom seems to never be stocked. Make sure to haul out all trash.
You can’t use motorized boats and can only fly fish in the lake, but a very nice 1 mile hike is adjacent to the day use area. Also very close to Cougar for gas and supplies for emergencies. Driving distance to popular day hikes. No cell service.
LegendThis campground is under very new ownership and the owners are some of the friendliest we’ve met to date. They are also in the process of renovating the property to make improvements. So as I review this it is with the anticipation of all the great changes to come.
Most of the tent sites had a decent amount of space, and the perimeter ones were a little more private too. We did see some campers set up on the roadside—not sure if they knew what they were getting at the time (I wouldn’t want to be right on the road).
There were some decently sized RV spots, but the pull through spaces looked a little crowded.
There are only two bathrooms, each having a toilet and shower in a self contained unit. Naturally, if two people are showering this means that all flush toilets are also occupied. There are two porta-potties to accommodate for this. The owners did keep the bathrooms as clean as possible—but the bathrooms could use some renovating themselves and have a musty smell. There is laundry on site. It’s not the quietest campground we’ve stayed at (not the noisiest either) and it might benefits from clearly defined quiet hours.
Two blocks away there are two gas stations with mini-markets.
Only a few minutes away are the Cougar and Beaver recreation areas in the Lewis River. It only takes 10 minutes to get to Mt St Helens Ape Cave, Trail of Two Forests and Lava Canyon area.
LegendThis is a campground on one of the roads leading to Mt. Saint Helen's. It was a decent sized campground with RV spots, tent spots, group spots, and walk-in spots. It had a huge playground area as well as a day use site with covered shelters within the park. The visitor center was a short 1 mile walk from the campground that had an under road tunnel leading under the highway. From the visitor center here was an additional path through the marsh with views of Mt. Saint Helen's, or at least I think there are views the smoke was so thick we could not see the mountain. At night the campground had a great Junior Ranger program with a very enthusiastic park ranger that kept the almost 50 people/kids entertained. She was great at engaging all the kids and teaching them about the park, highly recommend this for anyone bringing kids. For being completely full the nights we were there it was pretty quiet with only the occasional noise coming from the nearby highway.
We stayed in the group site, spot 60/61. Since we booked the group site we were required to book both of the spots at the same time. It was the smallest group site I have ever seen. There was barely room for the 3 tents we set up and originally we would have had almost 6, which would not have fit in this spot. There were 2 large tables as well as 2 fire pits, however 1 fire pit was inches away from the bushes and would not have been good for people to sit around. Luckily the other fire pit was great and we were all able to sit around it. The bathrooms and water were close by.
There were other sites that were much bigger and would be able to accommodate larger groups. I would not waste my money on the group site if you need more then 4 tents, honestly 3 was a squeeze. It's a great campground for those that are spending multiple days in Mt. Saint Helen's since it was a very short drive away.
LegendWanting to avoid the wildfire smoke in September, we headed to the coast in search of fresher air. With rain in the forecast, we opted to stay in one of the cute rustic cabins at Kampers West RV Park. The front desk staff were welcoming when we arrived. The cabin was basic but comfortable the night. It had a full bed and bunk bed, table, chair and heater. Kampers West is conveniently located near Fort Stevens State Park and Lewis and Clark National Historical Park / Fort Clatsop and the The Fort To Sea Trail hiking in Warrenton.
TravelerWe LOVE this campground. Quick drive from SE Portland (or bike out all the way on a lovely trail if you are so inclined). We drove up to meet up with friends who biked in so we could camp a few nights. The sites are well situated so that there is enough distance that we could not see our neighbors. The communal fire pit was convenient and wood was provided. The campsite had gravel so we were glad we brought our moving blanket to place under our tent tarp. The trails were extensive and we could hear the brooke!
LegendWhen venturing to Mount St Helens area I wanted to find a campground relatively close by to stay before visiting the next day. I found Lewis and Clark State Park along the way and opted to give it a shot for an overnight. The site looked comfortable and quiet and was well shaded and welcoming.
Pulling into the campground I noticed several areas to enjoy recreationally alongside camping including public park areas with covered outdoor kitchen zones perfect for those enjoying the area for day use. Additionally there were several areas with play equipment and outdoor activities for singles or the family to enjoy.
Pulling into the camping loop area sites were well spaced and shaded by large vibrant trees. Soft mosses lined walkways and created a feeling of being deep into the forest without being far removed from actual civilization and it was a nice departure from many of the more commercial looking camps of the area which lacked the forest feel.
The camp site I chose was equipped with the standard amenities of a picnic table and fire ring and the pull in section was just large enough for my smaller car. Throughout camp I did notice some sites were designed specifically for tent campers while others would cater better to larger units. Something unique about this location was it offered bike in campers sites as well with much smaller pull in areas but just as much space to spread out and set up their tents.
The bath house was very nice as it was heated and had hot water, though when I was there I did encounter a slight concern with using this bathhouse because there was a current e coli water warning which was displayed throughout camp on all water spigots. This left me more than a little leary about using the water in the bathroom turning what could have been a warm amazing shower into a bit of a concerning experience.
Because of this concern I noticed they had hand sanitizer placed in the restrooms, which was a great concession considering the issue at hand.
While this was a campsite I did enjoy, I feel as though with the water concerns I could not fully embrace all the features of camp which did hinder me slightly from fully being able to embrace all of the options. Should I return to this area I would check in advance to see if the water was a concern before staying another night.
The campground, like many in the area, advocate recycling. Not only will you find trash cans and dumpsters throughout camp but you will also find recycling barrels scattered throughout camp. I truly enjoyed this feature of the park as it is making a difference in the bigger picture and you can commonly find items created from recycled items such as benches and tables located throughout various state parks as continued improvements occur.
All in all, for someone just wanting to enjoy a night at a quiet campground this would be a great one to check out in the area. While it lacks some of the amenities of other campgrounds in the area which are more destination style camps it has a lot of charm for those wanting to enjoy fun with family or friends in a more traditional camping style.
TIPS:
GuideWe didn’t realize how big this campground was until we got there. Over 560 sites! Camping world! The sites are not terribly private but it still beats most RV parks. Like the previous poster said, quiet hours were not enforced and there was a loud group across from us active until well past 10. It’s an impressive place though with lots of volunteers picking up trash and being helpful. One did enforce some daytime quiet with loud music coming from the rowdy group. We ended up not staying long but I’m glad we saw this place. If you want to drive out the spit, to the very “end” of Oregon, there’s a bunch of road construction. You turn into a break in the fence and will very soon be driving on the beach! Everyone is doing it and mostly fishing. It was an adventurous surprise for sure!
One more thing, there was some rather loud aircraft flying occasionally overhead, one came over in the middle of the night.
RangerFishing, boating, campfires.
There aren't any hookups for electricity or running water, but really, it's a nice place to take a break from boating all day, maybe spending the night then getting back to the mainland. Put up a tent wherever you like and enjoy people watching on the river!
GuideThe campground is split up into two sides. The north side and the south side. The north side has the getaway cabins, and cottages. It also has the pool/hot tub, cafe, group fire pit, kids play ground, and overflow parking. Pickleball/tennis courts. The north side is also the only side that has 50A power. The south side is all 30A. The tent sites are also on the north side. It gives access to all the amenities here. They took out the propane site, cause they didn’t have anyone to take care of it. We come down here to get away from the heat, inland, area. It’s usually 20-30 degrees cooler, than inland. So when the heat hits the valley, everyone runs to the coastline. So it can get crowded. You have to be careful with your kids. People don’t drive the speed limit. It’s 5mph. They drive like they are in the raceway. The Clatsop county beaches, have the best razor clam digging, in Oregon. On every minus tide, in the winter and spring, you have some of the best razor clams, this far south of Alaska. Usually from he first of October, to July 15th, all minus tides will expose the clam beds enough to walk out and get a delicious meal. Plus the Columbia River estuary is just 10 miles away. Which is the place of the world class Buoy #10 Salmon fishery, every August - October. Both Large Chinook Salmon, and the feisty smaller, Coho (silver) salmon. You also have fresh crabbing available in town, and behind the old high school, or drop a few pots while out salmon fishing, for a great fresh seafood meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does glamping cost near Mount Rainier?
Glamping costs near Mount Rainier vary based on accommodation type and season. The rustic cabins at Cougar RV Park and Campground offer more affordable options, typically ranging from $75-$125 per night. Higher-end glamping experiences at Lone Fir Resort can cost $150-$250+ nightly, especially during peak summer months. Most glamping sites require a 2-night minimum stay on weekends, and prices typically include amenities like beds, electricity, and basic furnishings. Additional fees may apply for extra guests, pets, or premium locations with mountain views.
What glamping options are available near Mount Rainier?
Mount Rainier offers several glamping options for those seeking comfort in nature. Thousand Trails Seaside features getaway cabins and cottages with amenities like a pool, hot tub, and playground. For a more rustic experience, Kampers West RV Park provides cute cabins that are basic but comfortable, offering a cozy retreat after exploring the mountain. Additional options include yurts at state parks and private glamping tents with luxury furnishings that provide stunning views of the mountain landscape while maintaining modern comforts.
When is the best season for glamping at Mount Rainier?
Summer (July-August) offers the ideal glamping experience at Mount Rainier with warm days, cool nights, and wildflower meadows in full bloom. Late spring (May-June) provides beautiful greenery and fewer crowds at locations like Merrill Lake Campground, though some higher-elevation sites may still be inaccessible. Early fall (September-early October) at Skamokawa Vista Park brings stunning foliage and wildlife viewing opportunities with fewer visitors. Winter glamping is limited, as many sites close seasonally, though some year-round options with heating are available for those seeking snowy mountain views and cozy accommodations.
What amenities are included in Mount Rainier glamping sites?
Mount Rainier glamping sites typically provide comfortable beds with linens, electricity, and heating options. At Seaquest State Park Campground, sites offer access to modern restrooms, hot showers, and covered shelters. Many locations include private fire rings and picnic tables. Lewis & Clark State Park Campground provides well-shaded sites with nearby amenities. Premium glamping accommodations may feature kitchenettes, private bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and outdoor deck spaces. Most sites are equipped with electricity, while some luxury options include refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee makers for a more home-like experience in the wilderness.
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