Cougar, WA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Cougar, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Cougar. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
Far in the Northwestern corner of the United States lies a world of magic, splendor, and mystical beauty. Perched atop the historical Mount St. Helens, Seaquest State Park is the home-base for thousands of volcanic visitors year round. Most notable for its proximity to the Mount St. Helens Visitors Center, this park is the home base for hikers, explorers, tourists, and adventures alike. It’s not just the volcanic aftermath that makes this area so special. Even before the eruption, Gifford-Pinchot National Forest has always been known for its dense foliage, as well as its beautiful lakes, tributaries, and waterfalls.
When it comes to nearby attractions, the area is packed with them. Miles and miles of trails fork and wind throughout the park. Beyond the confines of the park’s boundaries are numerous additional trailheads, all offering something unique to those seeking it. Perhaps the most popular trail nearby is the Monitor Ridge trail. This 10 miles round trip excursion will have you climbing 2,000 vertical ft. through grassy meadows and winding forest paths. The last 1,000 feet are especially difficult due to the volcanic debris and soot that cakes your clothes. However when you finally reach the domed summit, you’ll be pleased with your efforts. Massive and expansive, the St. Helens dome is unlike any other scenic viewpoint in the US. Nowhere else can you see the true force and impact of Mother Nature’s wrath.
Nearby, the Mount St. Helens Ape Caves give visitors a chance to traverse through the labyrinth of volcanic caves left behind by magma runs during the the eruption. Today, the caves are a popular attraction for families and explorers. There’s two separate options, one which is well-lit and suited for families. The other option will send you through a pitch black adventure trekking the depths of the craggy, drippy tunnels. If planning to visit, be sure to bring a strong flashlight or kerosene lantern, as you’ll be unable to enter otherwise.
Camping in Seaquest State Park is relatively painless thanks to the 52 standard campsites, 18 partial-hookup sites, and 15 full-service sites. RVers, tent campers, van travelers, and anyone else with a form of shelter should have no issues finding somewhere to stay here. Aside from standard camping accommodations, there are also full-service Yurts available for rental, complete with heaters to stay warm if you’re visiting in the chilly months.
Lost Lake Campground is nestled between beautiful Lost Lake and Mount Hood. From Lost Lake Butte, the valley view is breathtaking, and from the viewpoint, guests can revel in the most majestic view of Mt. Hood, its glaciers and Lost Lake. Another one of the many attractions at Lost Lake Campground is the old growth boardwalk, an interpretive trail that meanders through one of Oregon's large old growth stands.
Lost Lake Campground offers an abundance of activities. Campers have access to a general store, which offers: canoe, kayak, historic wooden row boats, metal fishing boats and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Whether you are a professional angler looking to catch that prized German Brown or a first-timer, there is something for everyone. Additionally, there are a number of hiking trails near the campground ranging in length from 1/4 mile to over 100 miles resulting in numerous hiking and biking opportunities. Other activities include bird watching, berry picking, swimming, waterfall finding and more.
Lost Lake Campground offers an abundance of activities. Campers have access to a general store, which offers: canoe, kayak, historic wooden row boats, metal fishing boats and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Whether you are a professional angler looking to catch that prized German Brown or a first-timer, there is something for everyone. Additionally, there are a number of hiking trails near the campground ranging in length from 1/4 mile to over 100 miles resulting in numerous hiking and biking opportunities. Other activities include bird watching, berry picking, swimming, waterfall finding and more.
Mother Nature went the extra mile when it came to Lost Lake. The surrounding topography is rugged, mountainous and magical. The flora and fauna is abundant and easily accessible. These attributes culminate in making Lost Lake Campground one of the most popular in Oregon.
Nearby Wahtum Lake offers a great daily excursion or hike to one of the four surrounding waterfalls. On the way up to Lost Lake or on the way down, try stopping at one of the many fruit stands that blanket the Hood River Valley.
$49 - $109 / night
Iron Creek Campground sits near the confluence of Iron Creek and the Cispus River. This large campground winds through a forest of old-growth Douglas firs, cedars and hemlock. Lush vegetation and ample space between sites offers excellent privacy.
Iron Creek provides great fishing for cutthroat trout, whitefish and rainbow trout. Visitors can stroll along the .3-mile Iron Creek Old Growth Trail and weave through the forest and along the Cispus River, or continue on a longer walk down the Iron Creek Campground Trail. This trail is barrier-free and designed to accommodate any age or skill level, with benches and plenty of places to stop along the way.
Iron Creek provides great fishing for cutthroat trout, whitefish and rainbow trout. Visitors can stroll along the .3-mile Iron Creek Old Growth Trail and weave through the forest and along the Cispus River, or continue on a longer walk down the Iron Creek Campground Trail. This trail is barrier-free and designed to accommodate any age or skill level, with benches and plenty of places to stop along the way.
Located in southwest Washington State, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest encompasses 1.3 million acres and includes the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument established by Congress in 1982. Iron Creek is part of the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, which is located in the northernmost portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This District is roughly located among three volcanic peaks: Mt. Rainier to the north, Mt. Adams to the east, and Mount St. Helens to the west.
The Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife Interpretive Site is just up Forest Road 25 toward the town of Randle. Forest Road 25 is a popular scenic drive and provides excellent views of Mount St. Helens. The Windy Ridge Viewpoint at Mount St. Helens is approximately 20 miles away.
This location has limited staffing. Please call (360) 686-3008 for general information.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.__ A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.____ Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.__ In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$27 / night
Takhlakh Lake Campground sits at an elevation of 4,400 feet in a well-shaded location next to its namesake lake. The campground sits at the base of Mt. Adams, providing visitors with incredible views in every direction. The campground has a short season, but it's a particularly popular destination for hikers exploring the trails around Mt. Adams.
The campsite offers access to the Takhlakh Loop, an accessible trail suitable for all ages and skill levels and the Takhlakh Meadow Trail. The lake provides an ideal spot for anglers to cast for rainbow trout and for boaters looking to kayak or canoe. The lake is reserved for non-motorized use only.
The campsite offers access to the Takhlakh Loop, an accessible trail suitable for all ages and skill levels and the Takhlakh Meadow Trail. The lake provides an ideal spot for anglers to cast for rainbow trout and for boaters looking to kayak or canoe. The lake is reserved for non-motorized use only.
Takhlakh Lake is part of the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, which is located in the northernmost portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This location offers breathtaking views of not only Mt. Adams, but also Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Saint Helens.
This location has limited staffing. Please call (360) 686-3008 for general information.
Near the campground, hikers can access trailheads for the 2,663-mile Pacific Crest Trail. This leads to the Highline Trail, which attracts experienced hikers and backpackers for its views of Mt. Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Oregon's Mt. Hood.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.__ A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.____ Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.__ In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$25 / night
$25 - $125 / night
$10 - $70 / night
We camped here for 4 days this summer. It was peaceful and quiet. The view from the camp site is simply stunning. The glassy smooth waters reflect Mt Adam's glacier like a mirror. The campsite we picked was large enough to accommodate our 22 ft trailer plus truck and a Jeep. The outhouse was cleaned daily but can get stinky at the end of the day. There is no official swimming area, but the shoreline has many great places to take a dip in the clear cold water. There was a few mosquitoes but not too bad. Best to go in late summer to avoid the mosquitoes. The road in from Randle is a bit rough at times for a car but doable.
I really wanted to give 5 stars, but they have far too many permanent residents, which makes the campground look un-kept. The grounds were ok, bathrooms were clean, price was fair, large spaces , and very good customer service.
The campground itself is nice, but there's the near constant hum of interstate I-5 traffic less than a hundred yards away.
First time here, not particularly enamored with the campground for several reasons.
Nestled in the trees and between Hwy 84 and the Union Pacific Railroad, both are busy and can be heard all day and night.
No dump station anywhere in this campground, you can dump and either campground to the west or the east but not convenient.
Spaces are tight and we would not have been able to get into our spot if the person across from us did not kindly move her vehicle. Our rig is not that large, at 26'.
The good is the river which is an easy walk or e-bike ride. Lots of trails to ride but they say no e-scooters but okay for e-bikes. This was not enforced since my brother and sister in law rode their scooters all over the place.
RV camping is separated from the tent camping which would make it nice for tent campers.
Fun to ride the paved trails, go to the Columbia River and watch the sail boarders doing their thing.
Went here for a social event and had a blast. Big sites with lovely paths between, wonderful shop with firewood available at any hour (just square up when the place is actually open), clean plumbed bathrooms and a coin operated shower at $0.50/minute. There’s a beautiful meadow, a creek, huge trees. The owners are incredibly friendly and the place is very dog friendly.
This is a nice campground with lots of trees and shade but it sits between I-84 and the Columbia River which has a major train line so it's not necessarily a quiet campground (trains run all night). No dump station available but we had electric and water. Not much grass anywhere and things were really dusty due to dryness and heat of the summer. You can't see the river from the campground but you can walk to it (or drive to it) and there are several picnic tables near the river. There is a nature trail but it is not marked well at all to find the beginning of it. Convenient to Hood River though and an easy drive to Cascade Locks for ice cream at the local dairy dine.
Beautiful and private campground, we'll be back for sure. Honey hole type toilets and lots of water spigots around. We didn't hike but there seemed to be lots of hiking trails, plus the beautiful river! Despite there being a total burn ban (propane stoves only) there were SEVERAL fires happening all weekend which was disappointing.
Most sites are really private which we loved. We walked through the three loops that were open and made note of the sites that looked most private/flat-ish for a tent/good location. In our opinion these were the best sites we could see: Loop B 24, 52, 47, 44, 39, 38, 36, 31. Loop C 56, 57, 60, 69. Loop D 78, 80, 84 (this one seemed to have an awesome trail leading right down the river!). No cell service so plan accordingly!
It’s a great, fairly secluded spot, large sites, beautiful to be in. Don’t forget to reserve your site in advance and get your Discover Pass!
We look forward to our annual camping trip to Trout Lake every year. The view of Mt Adams is amazing and the park is a great place to have family gatherings. We love it there!
Sites were super shaded. Lots of trees for some privacy. Easy lake access close by. Only complaint is that it’s deeep in the woods and took a while on a gravel road to get there but that’s not a real problem is it. Lots of mosquitoes in July so bring your bug spray. Toilets are vault toilets I’d bring extra TP just in case. And bring your paddle board or kayak!
Primitive campsites. Free campsites. Quiet.
I gave this park a high rating primarily because of its location. It is a great place to launch your Mount Saint Helens exploration, with a Washington State Visitor Center you can walk to from the campground. We had hookups but our site was very close to the site next to us and we had no privacy there. If you don’t need hookups, I would recommend the loop that has 32 - 54. These were much more private and actually had better Wi-Fi than our location. Bathrooms are convenient and have free showers. There was better hot water at the bathroom on the loop with sites 32 - 54.
I had high hopes for my visit to Lost Lake, Oregon, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a major letdown. Despite its reputation, this location is far from being accessible for handicapped visitors. The handicapped parking is inconveniently located nowhere near an ADA-accessible lakeside spot. We were forced to camp in the parking lot near a bathroom, which was hardly the experience we were hoping for.
The only positive aspect of our trip was the stunning view of the lake and Mt. Hood, but even that couldn't make up for the numerous shortcomings. The drive and entry cost were simply not worth it, especially considering that most day-use sites are first-come, first-served. By the time we arrived, all the sites that were accessible for someone with disabilities were occupied by individuals who clearly did not require the access.
To make matters worse, the overall organization and management of the site were severely lacking. There was no effort to ensure that handicapped visitors had fair access to the lakeside areas. It felt incredibly unfair and frustrating to see those who didn't need the accessible spots taking them up, leaving us with no options. In summary, if you or someone in your party requires accessible facilities, I strongly advise you to avoid Lost Lake, Oregon. The beautiful scenery cannot compensate for the lack of accessibility and consideration for handicapped visitors. This was a thoroughly disappointing experience that I wouldn't recommend to anyone in need of accessible amenities.
On our way to Alaska for the SF Bay Area we stopped at several different camping locations along lakes and mountains. The only one we went out of our way to stay at when coming back was Lost Lake Campground. The sites are plenty big, have tables and fire pits. The entire area is amply wooded to provide privacy and the sense of seclusion. The bathrooms were clean and always had TP. There is running water spigots dispersed throughout the camping areas. If I'm ever in the area it will be the 1st place I go.
Seaquest has something for everyone. My campsite was not close to the road , but I stayed when Johnston Ridge was closed, so maybe road noise would be a factor at other times.
Some pluses here include: some private sites, lots of trees, bathroom / showers, playground, open areas, close to other points of interest. And for those who can’t live without it: WiFi.
Although bathrooms were clean, I believe they could use an upgrade. Showers in particular.
Nicely maintained property, with spacious sites, great restroom facility, acres to gorgeous meadow and evening star viewing. Tom was gracious and welcoming host. Enjoyed our stay!
A very nice campground, close to Portland. Well maintained, bathrooms were the cleanest I’ve seen at a campground.
So beautiful, so well maintained. The meadow over the bridge is a hidden delight. Constant attention to the grounds regularly. Exquisite!
Had an amazing time as always. Bring your kayak, paddle board or boat. The water is awesome. Fishing is good for trout out on the water. All camp sites are clean and ready when you arrive.showers are clean if needed
My grandson loves coming here with us the two ponds they stock with fish. The second time here the only drawback is some of the vegetation is overgrown and could use some trimming
If you're in an RV, be prepared for some SERIOUS white knuckle driving if you cross the Hood River bridge. It's two lane, NINE FEET WIDE. Most RVs will have inches to spare. I had to slow to a crawl and was trying my best not to rip the side of my rig open.
Now, regarding the campground. The host, Shirlene, who runs the office, has the poorest customer skills I've ever encountered. She never could remember what she discussed with me, and was very rude and short over email. I had a two month reservation which I actually cancelled because she scared me away with her terrible people skills.
I'm sure the campground is well maintained, but the management sucks. Too many other places in the area who are happy to have your business. Avoid this turkey at all costs.
P.S. Be aware that this outfit expects you to pay IN FULL for the reservation at the time you make it. This might be OK for a day or even a week, but I was planning to stay for 2 months. No damn way am I paying a grand for the place a year in advance. They should learn how to TAKE A DEPOSIT like every other campground in the United States.
It's good
We put the size of our RV in the state website and it gave us site 50. We arrived and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get our rig in that site due to the trees. We couldn't even continue out the secondary loop because it was so narrow and had trees on the inside of turns. Not to mention cars sticking out into the roads. The site map is not accurate at all! Luckily the sites before 50 were unoccupied so I was able to back into those and turn around and go out back to the main loop. What a disappointment. NOWHERE on the parks website has a maximum RV length. What a disaster to bring the whole family out only have to turn around and go back home. Oh, and also the water access was completely closed off.
We arrived in the late afternoon in a search for a campground with space available for our rental RV C-25. We were met by the staff, who were very helpfull and friendly. They drove us around to show the available sites, inspite of the fact they were very busy. Enthusiastic and customerfriendly ! We could pay at the entrance later on at a machine.
This is a campground works with reservations but they have a few spots first come first serve so we decided to check it out. Arrived at 3pm and there were still about 5 spots left for that night. There are large spots and tiny spots with firepit and picknick table. There is camphost. There is Toilet building with 3 vault toilets and water points. A few hiking trails nearby. Its a nice campground with a lot of trees. Keep in mind the noise from the road and train nearby.
Quiet with beautiful views. Best camp playground I’ve ever seen!
Fantastic place. Long trailers might have trouble
Camping near Cougar, Washington, offers a fantastic escape into nature with stunning views and plenty of outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to hike, fish, or just relax by the campfire, there are several campgrounds that cater to different needs.
Camping near Cougar, Washington, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation, making it a great spot for families and RVers alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Cougar, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Cougar, WA is Seaquest State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 44 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Cougar, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 49 glamping camping locations near Cougar, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
