Best Dispersed Camping near Centralia, WA

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Centralia, WA

32 Reviews of 8 Centralia Campgrounds

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  Mar Z.

  Scout

  Jul. 7, 2024

  Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead

  Perfect woodsy rest stop off highway

  Right 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.

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  Sam S.

  Guide

  Aug. 6, 2024

  Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

  Olympic National Forest - Dispersed Camping

  We camped near Vance Creek trailhead to do the Olympic Bridges bike ride the next morning. Since this is a national forest, dispersed camping is allowed. We picked the first spot we got to since it was getting kind of late. It wasn't the most ideal spot and I think further down the road has prettier and more remote options, but it made do. There were really huge flies but they did not bite. The only complaint was that there was more car traffic than I wanted very late at night into the early morning. One car even slowed down and yelled at our tent around 2am. We never felt unsafe but it was annoying. A lot of trash was left behind from previous camper. I would suggest finding alternative spots if you're looking for a more enjoyable night but if you are just there for an overnight, it is fine.

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  Jeremy B.

  Guide

  Jan. 10, 2022

  Road to Snag Lake - Dispersed

  Great secluded spot in the woods

  Great spot because it's so secluded in the forest. There's basically zero traffic on the dirt road near the campsite. A lot of the trees around seem to be new growth. Great view of the stars at night!

  There are at least 4 other campsite off this road at different points if you keep driving. Some of them are more or less level and more or less muddy. This one was the best, but there are lots of options. All of them are commonly used because there are ashes from fires. There's a moderate amount of trash at most of them.

  Requires a Discovery Pass. I bought a day pass for $12 online since I don't need the annual pass. They tell you to write the date and order number in large print on a piece of paper and put it on your dash. No one came to check my pass though (in January, so it's the off season)

  You have to take a dirt road to reach the campsite, but it is pretty well maintained. The only difficulty I encountered were two points where a few inches of road were a bit washed out. They were small enough that I could manage them alright in a 2WD van that had normal clearance. So most cars could probably manage them.

  There's a small trail behind this spot that that leads to the creek, which is nice. Other than that, you can hike along the dirt roads, but there aren't any actual hiking trails that I found. I saw a porcupine for the first time while wandering one of the side roads! I didn't drive up to Snag Lake.

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  Jaden J.

  Guide

  Nov. 4, 2023

  Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

  Amazing Hike!!

  This place was beautiful!! Definitely best for car camping as the spots down by the river were pretty wet and muddy this time of year. The waterfall is amazing and only a 15 minute hike down! The only reason this place got lower than a 5 star is because of all the trash near the parking lot. Too beautiful of a place to be used as a dump!! Definitely used as a party spot but aside from this it’s worth the visit!

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  Suzie K.

  Traveler

  Jun. 20, 2025

  Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

  Safe and quiet

  This is a gravel road through the National Forest with a bunch of pull-offs where you can camp. It was nothing special but very quiet and peaceful other than one or two cars that passed by. Felt safe as a single tent camper

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  malia

  Scout

  Jul. 18, 2023

  Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

  Decent place for the night

  A big pavement pull off on the ride of the road. The river is a walk down a very steep hill behind the pullout. No place to pitch a tent, best for car camping. Had some issues with people stopping and playing loud music, seems to be a hangout spot.

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  Ryan S.

  Guide

  May. 27, 2025

  Road to Snag Lake - Dispersed

  Great view of the valley

  There are several spots off the road around these radio tower stations and it is quite secluded. We didn't see any other person the whole time we were there. The spot we chose was the best as it is away from the towers and buildings, plus has a great view overlooking the valley and bay, and you can see the ocean between the peaks in the distance. The road getting here is a bit rough with lots of washboard, steep grades and rocks. But it's fun. No amenities, obviously, but there is a concrete pad from an old structure you can park on. Other sites have solid pack gravel covered by grass.

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  Jeremy B.

  Guide

  Jan. 8, 2022

  Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

  Great pullout in the woods

  This is my first wildcamping/boondocking location, but I loved it. It feels like you're right in the middle of the forest! It's a wide dirt pullout with room for 7-10 cars. And although it's right alongside the road, it's not a super busy road like some highway spots, so it felt pretty secluded and quiet. Very few cars at night.

  No signs of any kind indicating "no parking." 1 bar of Verizon LTE.

  The dirt was solid -- I wasn't worried at all about getting stuck in the mud (and I'm here in the middle of winter with tons of recent rain). Plenty of room to turn around with ease.

  And you're right at a hiking trail that takes you to beautiful falls!! What more could you ask for? -- Don't make the mistake I did. The trail all the way on the left side of the parking lot takes you to the falls. The trails in the middle of the lot are super steep and muddy and don't lead to the falls.

  Only downside is it's not perfectly flat. It wasn't too bad though. I just parked with my head pointing uphill when I go to bed, of course.

  There is also another option down the road to the east about 500 feet. It's a paved pullout, but it is smaller so it doesn't have as much space to turnaround.

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• 

  Eric H.

  Guide

  Jul. 7, 2019

  Dome Camp

  Breathless 360° Views

  Mt. Saint Helens has become a 4th of July tradition. In 2019, we hiked the Boundary Trail #1 to the Mount Margaret Wilderness overlooking the Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument. We set out to camp at Dome Camp in between Coldwater Peak and Mount Margaret. Permits are required and limited to 4 per night. At the time, they cost $6ea.

  Upon our arrival after a ginger 6 hour hike in, we were greeted with expansive views in all directions. There are 2 campsites, one low in the saddle and one up top, with a latrine in between the two. We chose the higher ground one to have an incredible view of Mount St. Helens to the South, The Dome to the East, and Mount Whittier to the NE. The site is nearly perfectly flat with soft sand gravel mix. There wasn't any debris to clear and plenty of room for 2 two person tents. We staked down the tents as it tends to get a bit windy, but guests never got above 10mph. No camp fires, ever!

  We arrived around 2pm, just enough time to settle in, set up, eat and then enjoy the landscape's shifting shadows as Sun lowered toward the horizon behind us. The mountains glowed in the summer evening sun as the clouds sunk lower and lower, down into the valleys below us.

  Low cloud fronts built strength at the Whittier Ridge and slowly crept over and down into the valley. The fog rolled up over us and The Dome, creating rivers of clouds flowing down into Spirit Lake and the valley. The clouds came in waves drastically changing the environment every 30mins, giving us something new to see everytime.

  In the morning, there was a herd of mountain goats along the ridge to the south west looking down over us, playfully dancing along the steep walls. Woodpeckers and coyotes could be heard in the distance truly expanding the environment.

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