Best Dispersed Camping near Elma, WA

It's ok just a spot to pull over and camp really. There is a trail next to it I don't know how far but, it's cool. The road up the Montana is dirt but some parts are very rocky. Not many dispersed camping spots just pullover spots really

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.

Gorgeous little spot off a national forest road. Stunning views, no light pollution or car sounds at night. It’s December so of course it’s a bit cold at night and I’d recommend at least AWD to get up here. Will be back.

I love this area and come out here frequently, many rivers and creeks with camping spots right next to them. The people camping are always super kind, secluded, but not too far from each other and always willing to help. DRIVE VERY CAREFULLY, LOTS OF POT HOLES AND DOWNED DEBRIS IN ROAD - STEEP DROP OFFS AND TIGHT TURNS The road goes from ground level up and around the mountain, so be cautious of time of year traveling as I have gotten stuck in the snow up at higher elevations trying to get back down to the other side. This is an area that they do regenerative forest work so big open areas from clear cuts give an amazing view of the hills and mountains.

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.

There was a handful of large pull out spots along this road. Nothing fancy and not secluded but got the job done

Fantastic secluded spot at the top of the mtn with amazing views! First night we camped next to the creek pull off site and the second night we scored the top of the mountain. Please be aware it’s at the snow line and very cold in March! Cell phone service for Cricket was great. Not so much for Verizon!

The road to this campsite is blocked and you are unable to get to it anymore. Someone dropped a dirt pile in the road and now there’s a trench.

Snag 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.

Not the most private spot if vehicles were to pass. the road looks like it’s used but no one around when we arrived. the road itself is a gorgeous drive and since it’s free it’s worth it!

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.

Located just past the restaurant on the southbound side there is a drive that goes back into Rock Candy mountain Road trailhead. I drove 5 mi up the road. There are few houses on the side of the road. Speed limit is a maximum 15 mph. There are signs posted thinking drivers for slowing down. Mainly a logging Road well if you pull out to the right on the main road. I noticed a road that had a pipe gate that was closed and locked. It gets pretty steep going up the road. The right steep. They wrote it on barely white enough for two vehicles to safely pass each other. Not suitable for anything wider than a class B. In my opinion this area is not suitable for winter camping. In my opinion if this road got congested it would become pretty dangerous thus why caution is needed driving on the main road and on other roads leading from main road. Definitely not road you want to be intoxicated to drive on. There is a long drop if you lose control and fail off road. I feel if you did and survived the fall it would be expensive to recover your vehicle. To me it's to dangerous to risk trying to camp here if it ever became busy.

The road was a little rough but my suv made it fine. No signal and got a little snow on the roof in the morning but it was a good spot with a great view.

I was camping out there while being on the way to the coast. It was quiet and easy accessible. Once you enter the road there are a few turn outs sprinkled on the side of the road that you can pull in. Please clean up after yourself! When I was there it was kind of sad how much trash there was laying around. But for a quick overnight trip it worked out

Not a bad find that doesn't require any permit of any kind which was great! Would stay here again I pitched a tent which was nice and found a spot right by the river.

Fairly large and level site with an amazing view. No water. First come first served and this one goes quickly!

Great 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.