Looking for the best campgrounds near Carbonado, WA? Carbonado is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Carbonado camping trip.
"My fiance' and I are sleeping in a tent and it has rained a lot but if you go into the woods, you can still find dry branches for starting a fire."
"I go every year, but unfortunately the only bridge to gain access to camping is closed until further notice"
"Right outside the entrance to Mt."
"If you come here you must leave no trace."
"Located at the trailhead are two bathrooms, a covered picnic area and a handful of parking stalls with additional parking located along the road. "
"We had high hopes for this USFS campground, having read that it’s on an airstrip, it sounded neat. But we decided not to stay here after we checked it out."
"We had high hopes for this USFS campground, having read that it’s on an airstrip, it sounded neat. But we decided not to stay here after we checked it out."
"There were many spots right next to the stream. There was a fire ban during our stay but there are many fire pits at each site."
"Lots of pull offs spots on FS Rd 73 but this spot is very open and it’s the one the GPS guided me to from The Dyrt site."
"Forest Service has installed 6 temporary toilets for the third year in a row to assist with human waste issues. "
"We found an awesome walk in spot a little bit earlier on on the forest road before these actual coordinates."
"Access road is right off the highway and unpaved, has a TON of holes so I wouldn’t recommend driving down it without good ground clearance."
"PLEASE LEAVE NO TRACE! Other wise we really enjoyed a quick night away in our van."
"A drive leads out to a flat area with a fire pit It was raining when we pulled in, so views were limited. In the clear morning, we got a beautiful view of Mount Rainier."
"the road itself if full of potholes, maybe wouldn’t recommend if you have a old/ low to the ground/ 2 wheel drive car"
"Large gravel parking area just outside the border of Mt Ranier NP that’s right off the highway, easy to access in our RV, just have to go slow over the potholes."
"Great for one night if you want to be close to sunrise entrance. It's a bit close to the road but in the evening it's very quite. We parked with our RV."
TravelerPlenty of sites along the river with multiple ingress/egress options from the road. Right outside the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park and the access road to Crystal Mountain.
4x4 / high clearance vehicles recommended - saw some subarus trying to navigate into a cleared area and it was pretty scrape-y.
Great place to stay if you can't get a spot at White River / Ohanapecosh.
Leave no trace.
LegendWe had high hopes for this USFS campground, having read that it’s on an airstrip, it sounded neat. But we decided not to stay here after we checked it out. There were lots and lots of other campers there, lots of camo, lots of large pickup trucks that don’t slow down on gravel roads, lots of “don’t tread on me” flags.
We drove to the end where the bathroom is and decided to turn around, though it seems that the camp spots do continue after that point. This was on a Saturday, in all fairness, so the vibe might be different during the week.
It’s a 14 day stay limit, and other than the toilets there are no other amenities, so please pack out your trash. At the entrance it says that the following passes are honored: Annual Northwest Forest Pass, Golden Eagle Passport, and Washington and Oregon Recreation Pass. However, at the bathrooms, there’s another sign that says a $5 day use fee required. Doesn’t make sense that camping is free with certain passes but for day use it’s a $5 fee, but since we weren’t staying we didn’t look much into it. No ATV or off road riding here.
Cell signal was very weak for Verizon and non-existent for ATT. Giving it 4 stars instead of 3 because it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't be willing to check it out again the next time we're in the area.
LegendWe had high hopes for this USFS campground, having read that it’s on an airstrip, it sounded neat. But we decided not to stay here after we checked it out. There were lots and lots of other campers there, lots of camo, lots of large pickup trucks that don’t slow down on gravel roads, lots of “don’t tread on me” flags. We drove to the end where the bathroom is and decided to turn around, though it seems that the camp spots do continue after that point. This was on a Saturday, in all fairness, so the vibe might be different during the week.
It’s a 14 day stay limit, and other than the toilets there are no other amenities, so please pack out your trash. At the entrance it says that the following passes are honored: Annual Northwest Forest Pass, Golden Eagle Passport, and Washington and Oregon Recreation Pass. However, at the bathrooms, there’s another sign that says a $5 day use fee required. Doesn’t make sense that camping is free with certain passes but for day use it’s a $5 fee, but since we weren’t staying we didn’t look much into it. No ATV or off road riding here.
Cell signal was very weak for Verizon and non-existent for ATT. Giving it 4 stars instead of 3 because it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't be willing to check it out again the next time we're in the area.
GuideAccess road is right off the highway and unpaved, has a TON of holes so I wouldn’t recommend driving down it without good ground clearance. There are a number of established sites where you can pull off the road and drive back into the woods a bit. And I had cell service everywhere!
RangerIpsut Creek Campground is a relatively easy 5 mile trek or bike ride with a 700’ elevation gain, down a closed road (due to the road wash out about 3 miles in) to a wooded campground nestled along the Carbon River.
Located at the trailhead are two bathrooms, a covered picnic area and a handful of parking stalls with additional parking located along the road.
The trail begins behind the closed gates into the shade of the old growth forest. The trail then alternates between the shade of the forest and sunny skys with river views and wildflowers along the way.
There are a few side trips off the main Carbon River Trail even before reaching the Ipsut Creek Camp;
Mini Rainforest Loop, 0.25 miles
Old Mine Trail, 0.6 miles round trip
Green Lake & Ranger Falls trail, 3.6 miles round trip
Note: Sadly, the trail to Chenuis Falls has washed out, so now there is just a log bridge into the water to nowhere.
Once you reach the campground, it has about 20 campsites with about half the sites located on the river. We were lucky enough to swoop up site number 15 though, strangely, another family decided to share it with us for our easy river front access. Thankfully the river is pretty loud and drowned out the noise of our close campers. We did choose to camp on the high-profile weekend of the 4th of July, so all the cool campsites along the river were obviously full, which is why we think we had “friends” join us. There was a large fallen tree sort of splitting the camp site in half, so we took the left half, with the smaller 1 picnic table option, while the strangers took the right half with 2 picnic tables.
The trees in camp are great for setting up hammocks. We set up a hammock triangle upon arrival in camp near the river for lazy afternoon naps. My siblings both slept in their hammocks fulltime, while my husband and I set up a tent in a small clearing on the opposite side of the picnic table, closer to the bear lockers (bear lockers are a huge plus, meaning a bear canister isn’t necessary if you’re not heading deeper into the backcountry).
The campground had a decent amount of wildlife running around. We had a number of chipmunks running around our camp cleaning up any scraps left daily; we found a live mouse chilling in a water bottle one morning upon setting up for breakfast, and deer came through the camp just about anytime it was quiet.
The campground does have two restrooms but they smell like the bog of eternal stench, so bring strong essential oils, a scented hanky, or a shovel to dig cat tracks in the woods far from camp and water sources.
The campground is a good base camp to explore the surrounding Carbon Glacier/ Mowich Lake area. We visited Ipsut Falls, which was less than a half mile round trip out of camp, making for a sweet little trip to break up the day in camp.
We also chose to make the adventure up to the Suspension Bridge and to the Carbon Glacier view point. Our morning started off cool in heavy fog, which burned off throughout the day, giving way to magnificent views of the mountain and glacier. The trail was covered in wildflowers, cairns, creeks and mini waterfalls. It made for a beautiful day trip out of camp with plenty of opportunities to go further into the backcountry closer to Winthrop Glacier, out to Tolmie peak area or back out along the Wonderland Trail. Backcountry options seemed endless.
Though the trail and camp (and site) were crowded, the hike to the glacier made the entire trip worth our cozy campsite. The Carbon Glacier is a bit dirty looking but to be standing in front of something so ancient and magnificent is truly amazing. My husband, sister and I have now added a new item to our bucket lists and that is to see as many glaciers as we can before they melt, here’s to our first. =)
Note: The campground is located within Mount Rainier National Park (no pets are allowed) so you’ll need to stop by the Carbonado Ranger Station for a Wilderness Permit and National Park Day Pass or Annual Permit to display for parking. No campfires within the campground.
ScoutRight off the highway. Pit toilet and wooded areas. Can still hear highway from this exact GPS location, so I went further on up the road for a quieter spot. A few trucks did speed by in the middle of the night, but it was a Saturday and July 4th weekend. 5 bars of cell service.
ScoutThis road was pretty hard to find but we’ll worth it. Spot was secluded even though there seemed to be two other groups camping at the site. There was an obnoxious amount of used toilet paper in the area but it was avoidable. If you come here you must leave no trace.
GuideWent up at the end of 4th of July weekend. Found a great spot but it was apparent that the group before us used everywhere to go to the bathroom and covered it with paper towels. PRO TIP: make the hole first for when you need it and you want have any excuse not to use it! PLEASE LEAVE NO TRACE! Other wise we really enjoyed a quick night away in our van.
GuideThis was a large pull-off right off of NF-52, so there was no privacy from the hwy but at least the area was big enough to be a little distanced from traffic. The spots on the river were already occupied when I was looking late on a Sat afternoon, this is a popular dispersed area. The entire area was littered with toilet paper and discarded furniture. There was also a memorial hidden in some trees just out of sight of 52. Wouldn't have been a bad spot if people had picked up after themselves, but the trash situation was over the top. Thankful to have in a pinch but def wouldn't camp there again. (The pull off is right off the highway from what the coordinates show).
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Carbonado, Washington, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, campers can enjoy the great outdoors while embracing the freedom of camping without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Carbonado dispersed camping located in Washington?
Carbonado dispersed camping is located in the foothills of Mt. Rainier in Pierce County, Washington. The area offers several dispersed camping options, with Carbon River being a primary access point. Camping spots are available along forest service roads surrounding Carbonado, which sits about 15 miles northwest of the Mt. Rainier National Park boundary. Ipsut Creek Camp is accessible via a 5-mile trek with a 700' elevation gain down a closed road along the Carbon River. The Carbonado area serves as a gateway to multiple dispersed camping opportunities in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Is there free dispersed camping available near Mt. Rainier by Carbonado?
Yes, free dispersed camping is available near Mt. Rainier by Carbonado. White River Dispersed Camping offers numerous free sites along the river and is located right outside the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. Silver Springs Sno Park provides a large gravel parking area just outside the border of Mt. Rainier National Park that's accessible for RVs. These areas follow standard Forest Service dispersed camping rules: camp at least 100 feet from water sources, use existing fire rings, and practice Leave No Trace principles.
Do I need a permit for dispersed camping in Carbonado?
Most dispersed camping areas around Carbonado don't require specific camping permits, but there are important regulations to follow. At Ranger Creek Airstrip Dispersed, standard Forest Service rules apply with no special permits needed. For camping along NF-52 Dispersed Camping, you'll need to display a valid Northwest Forest Pass for parking at many trailheads and some dispersed areas. Always check with Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest for current regulations, as fire restrictions may be implemented during dry seasons, requiring campfire permits or prohibiting fires altogether.
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