If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near Centralia, look no further. Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Each dispersed site offers quick access to one or more of Centralia's most popular destinations.
$12 / night
Unless otherwise posted, you can stay 10 days in a 30-day period at any of DNR's campsites. During your stay, please practice leave no trace principles and pack out what you pack in. Dispersed camping, camping outside of our designated campgrounds, is allowed in some of our forests. Dispersed camping is not allowed at day-use sites. Toilets, picnic tables, trash cans, drinking water, and fire pits are not available in the backcountry. Please follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out everything you pack in. Dispersed fires are prohibited.
Scout
Relative to other options in Northwest Oregon this was an easy to find, plenty of space place to park the car. My partner and I angled our vehicle to block our tent from the road and slept like rocks.
Not scenic (though the waterfall that is a short hike away is). My only safety concern is someone taking the corner too fast running into your car.
Traveler
This spot was great for a night! Super quiet. There was some trash around the site and the road, so I picked up as much as I could. The view was misted over but beautiful anyway- however, in my little Nissan Versa, I struggled on the roads up and down. I eventually kept it around 5-10mph to avoid damaging my car, but I got there just fine and had no issues at the campsite. I've got T-Mobile and had full bars.
Guide
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.
TravelerExcellent dispersed site next to electronic towers.
Scout
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.
TravelerGreat cell service! I was able to work remotely (teams calls) for 3 days with no issues. Also beautiful views! I went all the way to the top near the cell towers.
ScoutOverall I had a nice quiet stay. This spot isn't anything too awful special. There are about four pull outs to set up for the night. The bathrooms are located in the trailhead parking lot. They could use cleaning, but they are open 24 hours. As for cell service Verizon was barely there. To sum it up if you need a spot to crash for the night this place will work. Y'all stay safe and be well out there.
GuideThis 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!
ScoutA 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.
ScoutPerfect place to stay for a night. A lot of trash left behind by others though.
ScoutI have been coming here for 15 years had great times . Love the lakes snag and western. Stocked each spring with trout. So much fun for the kids to catch and eat them ..
LegendSnag Lake and Western Lake Campgrounds were both full, so we explored and went to the top of the mountain/hill near the cell towers. It had cement for parking and seemed to be a viewing point so we called it good. Not sure if this is a “legal” campsite but it sure was beautiful.
Travelerin a clearing for solar power, surrounded by brush had has decent cell signal. seems to be a quiet road.
GuideThe trails are great and the waterfall is beautiful. The pulloff is muddy and hard but it's worth it.
GuideGreat 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.
GuideThis 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.
Guide
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Centralia, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Centralia, WA is Joemma Beach State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Centralia, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 dispersed camping locations near Centralia, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
