285 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Spanaway, Washington provides access to a range of camping areas within a short drive of the city. Nearby options include Dash Point State Park Campground in Federal Way, which accommodates tent camping, RVs, and glamping, and Holiday Park Military - Lewis McChord Base in Tacoma, which offers RV sites and cabins. The region includes several state parks with developed campgrounds as well as military-affiliated camping areas that serve as convenient bases for exploring Mount Rainier National Park and the surrounding Cascade Mountains.
Many campgrounds in the area require advance reservations, particularly during summer months when visitation peaks. Most state parks require a Washington Discover Pass for day use, while overnight camping fees vary by location and amenity level. Weather conditions remain mild year-round, though winter brings increased rainfall and cooler temperatures. Campgrounds like Millersylvania State Park and Penrose Point State Park operate throughout the year, providing access to both forest and water recreation. Cell service varies significantly by location and carrier, with some areas offering reliable coverage while others have limited connectivity. As one camper noted about Dash Point State Park, "This campground is hidden in the middle of a major Western Washington city. Once in the campground, you would have no idea that you are surrounded by a sprawling metropolitan area."
Campers report high satisfaction with waterfront sites at several locations near Spanaway. Penrose Point State Park Campground on the Key Peninsula provides beach access and boat-in camping options, while Dash Point offers forest trails leading to shoreline areas. Mixed-use campgrounds like Lewis North Travel Camp feature amenities including electric hookups, showers, and picnic tables, making them suitable for various camping styles. Several visitors mentioned appreciating the balance of natural settings with proximity to urban conveniences. The campgrounds closest to Spanaway tend to be more developed with full amenities, while those farther out provide more secluded experiences. Noise levels vary by location, with some campgrounds experiencing highway sounds while others offer more peaceful settings among tall evergreens.
"Firstly, I just have to say what a positive and amazing experience I had at this campground. The volunteers were friendly, kind and absolutely awesome to interact with."
"The campground itself is tucked into a beautiful, forested area with plenty of trees and privacy between sites. Ours had a tent pad, fire ring, and picnic table."
from $31 - $91 / night
Check Availability"Excellent location for those with military access to the base - active duty, retired or family. 30/50 amp hookups. Beautiful views of American Lake. Pet friendly."
"It is in the wilderness, on the lake, but it is also fairly close to stores and gas stations. Long term max is 28 days per spot."
"It's about an hours drive from Paradise, which makes it less ideal than Cougar Rock if that's your destination, but the reservations do not fill up nearly as quickly."
"Walking distance to the day use beach area. Very clean showers. Well maintained sites and fire wood for sale with the camp host. A great spot for exploring near Mt. Rainer."
from $35 - $265 / night
Check Availability"Very friendly next to the lake plenty of things to do walking, biking, hiking, fishing, Military museums, not to far off of I-5. Full hookups laundry shower facilities. Cabins too."
"Unfortunately the restrooms right next to our site were closed so it was a slight walk to the nearest restroom. Restrooms were heated and well taken care of."
from $12 - $35 / night
Check Availability"Pros: group camp is very close to beach front area, GREAT CLAMMING AND OYSTERING!"
"Penrose Point State Park is a great place close to Seattle to go camping in a small or large group. It's tent or camper friendly with plenty of spots for busier seasons."
from $12 - $72 / night
Check Availability"Need to reserve your site online with the JBLM MWR or go to the adventure center building nearby on base. Nice access to American Lake and fishing nearby as well."
"This is a great spot on American Lake to camp with many sites on the waterfront. I would highly recommend this location to eligible military ID Card holders."
from $8 - $32 / night
Check Availability"The patios are paved but very small and not in a great location for our class A motorhome (better suited for towables with their doors farther back)."
"Great location just a couple of miles from beach. Very clean and friendly staff. Clean pool, laundry, and club house. Nice paved lots with cable and wifi. Nice place."
from $10 - $30 / night
"Super peaceful, great fire pit location, water at the site entrance, portable restrooms away (but close), and best of all right at the river’s edge."
"We needed something close to the city, but didn’t want to feel like we were in the city, this fit the bill. People are very friendly and accommodating. The park is really clean."
"This campground has super friendly staff, decent bathrooms and showers, laundry facility, access to a lake, fishing is welcome, swimming allowed, great playground for kids, allows pets, has a small store"
"It was a larger site that sits next to the small creek. It was very pleasant and quiet. The bath house isn’t too far and was usually well stocked and clean."
"Rainier as it is within minutes of the Nisquilly entrance. The majority of the campsites were amid tall trees. "
"The sites are situated amongst beautiful tall trees, spacious and private. A beautiful creek runs through with a foot bridge with access to a beautiful meadow."
from $25 - $40 / night
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RangerAfter a couple miles of gravel incline... watch out for the wheel killers cuz they sneak up on you... found this spot deep in the woods SE of Rainier. River is almost too far below to hear. Two sites just before the bridge, and a slip big enough for a camper van just past. Spots on the way in as well.
LegendGeneral: 230-site RV park. Some sites are back-in, some pull-through. Some are lakefront. All are FHU. There is also one yurt.
Site Quality: Paved camper pad on level sites. Unlike most other RV parks, there is some foliage separating the sites, providing a modicum of privacy. We chose a lakefront site, but I think the pull-thru sites in the far rear of the park might have been a better choice (less geese traffic!).
Bath/Shower: There is a large main bathroom with showers near the office. At the rear of the property, there are five bathrooms, each with a toilet, sink, and shower; one of these is ADA accessible. When we arrived late Saturday afternoon, two of these had no toilet paper, and one had no soap. I did see they were being attended to in the evening. Also, no hooks or shelves to put toiletries on. There was often water on the floor in these units, I’m guessing from the showers. The main bathrooms at the front are MUCH nicer, but about a third of a mile walk from the rear sites.
Activities/Amenities: Catch and release fishing. A couple of miles of hiking trails around the perimeter of the campground. These are paved, gravel, or grass, and hilly! The road around the campground is just about a mile and flat, so it was good to run laps if that is your thing (good for me!). Amenities include: a playground, laundry ($2 each for washer and dryer), recycling, a library (I was happy to pick up a book on my to-read list), a dog run, and propane. The lake is nice, but there is a lot of algae, and swimming is not allowed. There are about two dozen geese that roam freely around, leaving goose poop wherever they go! I did see someone watering down the goose by-product on Monday morning, so the staff does work to mitigate this situation. Also ducks, birds, and even bunnies and snails.
As far as RV parks go, this is one of the nicer ones we have stayed at (and less expensive than some). It is convenient to the Seattle area. It is well-tended to; there are flower baskets throughout the property. One star deducted for the bathrooms at the rear of the property.
TravelerFor $50 a night I would have thought i would get FHU. It was being mowed when I arrived and it looks like they keep the sites clean. I didn't check the bathrooms. I was the only one at the park, but there was foot traffic going to the river.
GuideThis is a nice park, clean and quiet. But the draw back is the sites are small, there are bushes between the sites to give some privacy. It is camping in a parking lot. I don't believe you can have campfires. Kids have no place on their site to play so play in the street. More than once I had to honk at them to get them out of the way.
Great location for me, I was visiting my daughter who lives in Seattle.
The park was clean, they wash the goose poop off the sites, but still watch where you step. It is very high priced but they are the only game in town.
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TravelerOne of my favorite grounds I’ve visited. On-demand hot showers in two buildings, plenty of bathroom stalls (main building has stalls and one shower, second loop has 2 private stalls and 2 private showers, and last loop has one vault toilet)- sites 1-26(?) are fairly close together and close to the main road- second loop I didn’t look too much at, but most of the bigger campers or cars were parked there- last loop has almost all full-shade, larger, and less crowded sites (they’re still fairly small, but with less people it’s not so bad). There are dumpsters and water spigots all over. Clean grounds, friendly on-site host, office staff absolutely wonderful and incredibly helpful. Across the street from the day-use park with lake- super nice, rather small. Rangers do patrol nightly. PLEASE BRING SMALLER BILLS PER OFFICE REQUEST.
TravelerI didn’t know what to expect but when I arrived I was pleasantly pleased with the location! I had the whole area to myself. Ample room to space to get situated. (Only drawback was that I did not have extra trash bags to clean up what the prior visitors left)
TravelerCampground has nice paved spots, but they are very close to each other, so don't expect much privacy.
It sits behind a smal stadium.
For the restrooms and shower you'll have to walk pretty far. These are just simple ones, like in a sportsclub usual. Shower is warm enouth but not hot (for my wife it was not hot enough).
Camphost is very friendly and will help you, if needed. We came in at about 8:30 pm without a reservation, she helped us with the booking and all went good.
45 $ per night with electric and water hookup.
ScoutFor the price it’s pretty good. $25 a night! There’s a bathroom and a porta potty close by the campsite but no sink. You have to park in a close parking lot not at your site which we would prefer. Our site was very slanted and hard. Lots of bunnies hopping about. The only lone women’s shower is down near the beach. Same with the men’s. The beach is beautiful but covered in tiny thorns of some kind so don’t wear sandles or flip flops!! It will hurt you! The ocean is beautiful of course but lots of kelp so no swimming for us.
TravelerPerfectly fine, especially considering the low low price of $0. Sites no closer together (honestly, more spacious than) the average KoA I’ve paid $60-$90 to pop up a tent in.
I chose a spot closer to the road than the lake, but if I’d arrived before 7:45 other spots would have been available, I’d imagine.
Camping spots near Spanaway, Washington lie within an hour of Mount Rainier National Park, with most campgrounds situated between 300-800 feet elevation. The region features second-growth evergreen forests that provide natural shade at most campsites, with summer daytime temperatures typically ranging from 70-85°F. Campgrounds in this area often experience rainfall even during summer months, so tarps and rain gear are recommended additions to camping equipment.
Fishing opportunities: American Lake at Lewis North Travel Camp - Joint Base Lewis McChord offers both shoreline and boat fishing access. "Full hookup was about $28/night. While located in Joint Base Lewis McChord the camp is close enough to I-5 so we had great cell reception," notes Michael C.
Beachcombing and tidal exploration: Dash Point State Park Campground provides access to Puget Sound beaches. "The beach is a short walk from camp, just long enough to make you feel like you earned your sunset view, but not so long that you regret your life choices. It's more of a rocky, muddy beach than a sandy one, but it's still great for exploring, skipping rocks," shares Saraj B.
Forest hiking: Multiple trail systems through second-growth forests are available at most area campgrounds. At Elkamp Eastcreek, "The meadow over the bridge is a hidden delight. Constant attention to the grounds regularly," mentions Amanda M., highlighting less-known natural features beyond the campgrounds.
Private, wooded sites: Campers consistently praise the feeling of seclusion despite proximity to urban areas. At Penrose Point State Park Campground, "Sites were reasonably private and quiet at night (except for a brief invasion of 6 raccoons at our site one night!)," reports Rachel, highlighting the wildlife encounters possible even at developed campgrounds.
Clean facilities: Multiple campgrounds maintain well-kept bathrooms and shower facilities. At Elkamp Eastcreek, visitors appreciate "The bathrooms were always clean. There's designated dish washing station (though there's no spout right now) and potable water station," according to Sarah Claire B.
Water access: Waterfront sites and swimming opportunities rank highly. At Alder Lake Park, "Alder lake is a great spot for both swim play and boating. The lake has a blocked off no wake area for those that wish to have swim fun and the rest of the lake is for small motorized water craft," mentions Mary C.
Military installation access: Several campgrounds near Spanaway require military ID. At Holiday Park Military - Lewis McChord Base, "To a military ID card holder, you won't find a better deal. Full hookups, sites are a bit close, but the campground loop makes it feel spacious," notes Paul B.
Reservation windows: Many campgrounds fill quickly during summer months. For Game Farm Wilderness Campground, "Book early—reservations open January 1st!" advises Dale B.
Noise considerations: Highway and aircraft sounds affect some sites. At Lewis North Travel Camp, "You can hear the highway and occasional aircraft (mostly ch-47s) during the day but nights are quite convenient to I5 and PX," mentions William B.
Weather variability: Despite summer camping season, prepare for rain. At Dash Point, "Beautiful weather and close escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Clean facilities as well!" reports Braden T., noting good weather isn't guaranteed but appreciated when it happens.
Playground access: Camp Lakeview offers multiple recreation options. "This campground has super friendly staff, decent bathrooms and showers, laundry facility, access to a lake, fishing is welcome, swimming allowed, great playground for kids, allows pets," reports molly N.
Educational opportunities: Nature programs available at several state parks. At Penrose Point, "Our kids enjoyed taking part in the junior ranger program," shares Sarah H.
Swimming beaches: Look for designated swimming areas with gradual entry points. "We stayed at site C10 A in our tent with our children. It was a larger site that sits next to the small creek. The weekends get very busy but during the weeks it is a cozy little community," notes Julia B. about Camp Lakeview.
Site angles: Some campgrounds have unusual parking configurations. At Riverbend Campground, "This site does is a back in, but the slab is at a 90 degree angle from the drive. So you will have to back your trailer around a corner if you plan to park it on the slab. Didn't see other sites like this," warns Doug.
Hookup availability: Many campgrounds offer partial hookups only. "The site had water and electrical, but no sewer connections. They do have a nice dump station," notes Doug about Riverbend Campground.
Cell service considerations: Coverage varies significantly by location and provider. "Cell signal is very weak for t-mobile and trees prevent starlink from working well," reports Terry W. about Holiday Park Famcamp, while Dash Point offers better connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the best campgrounds in Spanaway, WA?
The Spanaway area offers excellent camping options within a short drive. Dash Point State Park Campground stands out for its clean, beautifully laid out facilities and friendly volunteers. For military families, Holiday Park Military - Lewis McChord Base provides convenient access near Tacoma with big-rig-friendly sites. Other top options nearby include Silver Springs Campground along the river and Game Farm Wilderness Campground. Most locations require reservations, especially during peak summer months, so booking in advance is recommended.
What amenities do Spanaway camping sites offer?
Camping sites around Spanaway typically provide a range of amenities to enhance your outdoor experience. Silver Springs Campground offers well-distributed spaces with beautiful riverside locations and helpful site staff. Lewis North Travel Camp provides water hookups, toilets, and reservable sites. Many campgrounds in the area feature fire rings, picnic tables, and potable water. Some locations offer shower facilities, dump stations for RVs, and electricity hookups. The more developed sites may include playgrounds, hiking trails, and boat launches, while more remote options focus on basic necessities for a rustic experience.
Are there tent-specific camping areas in Spanaway?
Yes, the Spanaway region has several excellent tent-specific camping areas. Penrose Point State Park Campground near Lakebay offers walk-in and hike-in tent sites in a peaceful setting. For those seeking a more rugged experience, White River Dispersed Camping provides beautiful tent camping spots right beside the river. Many tent campers also enjoy Alder Lake Park and Camp Lakeview, which offer designated tent areas separate from RV sections. When tent camping in this region, be prepared for typical Pacific Northwest weather conditions with proper rain gear, especially outside of summer months.
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