Best Equestrian Camping near Elma, WA

Dispersed sites - most standard, but some partial hook up sites available. Forested campground with large playing field nearby. Willapa Hills hiking trail nearby, river access with some swimming available (but no designated areas or lifeguards). Showers available/uses tokens.

Horse camp sites too!

This is a pretty nice campground! There are 3 loops, one is dedicated to horses M-F. Both visits I arrived Sunday afternoon and found a few spots to pick from. There’s a vault toilet per loop. No trash, no water, no hook ups so come prepared. There’s a host onsite and they are very kind. You do need a discovery pass in order to stay and just register up front. Was able to get decent sun for my solar so was able to stay for a couple of days with no issues. There’s hiking trails all around you!

This is a nice spot to stop over for a day or two. It is a smaller campground but it offers quite a bit. There is a amphitheater for guests and the rangers put on decent shows. There are only two bathrooms for the entire campground but they do have showers. When we went one of the showers was out of order, but we were told it would be getting fixed soon.

There is lots to do around the campground you just have to venture out and find it. This is a pet and horse friendly spot.

There is one hiker spot for first come first serve.

Campground

Fairly large campground, free as long as you have a discover pass! Close to town yet still secluded in the woods. Tons of trails for hiking, horses and dirt bikes! Plenty of sites for trailers and tents. Vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings and water hook ups. The camp host even had free bottled water for guest if needed. There was a creek near by with people panning for gold which was interesting!

Product Review

Being a ranger I get to test some products from time to time! Today's product is the LEDlenser MH2 Headlamp!

This headlamp is very impressive! Certainly the brightest light I have ever explored with. It comes in a very nice package with a charging cord, two different colored lens attachments, a carrying pouch and a battery. My only complaint is that the headlamp itself doesn't fit very well in the carrying pouch but I made it work! It was also a little heavy and I had to adjust the strap to fit my head more often then I would have preferred. The brightness of the light made up for the flaws completely!

Spent 7 days (max) here. Camp hosts went out of their way to make it comfortable, clean and quiet. Completely dispersed tent or rv camping with a Washington Discovery Pass ($35 year) otherwise FREE for up too 7 days. Just register campsite upon arrival at front billboard or call ahead with questions or availability. First come first serve. Entire campground has decent roads but go extra extra slow in areas. Their are also couple nice campground public toilets but NO water or power. Bring sewer if able. Pet friendly but rules strictly enforced. I gave it 5 stars due to MY stay was amazing and my dog had a good time too. Thanks Margaret McKenny Camp hosts Ginny and Steve.

This is a very nice, typical Washington state park with plenty of trees, greenery, hiking, pathways and even a lake. There's a camp store along with several large outdoor kitchens that would be good to use for groups. Many of the structures like the kitchens and even bathrooms were built back in the 1930s by the CCC, which is pretty cool. It's just far enough off I-5 to not have the freeway noise, but close enough to be convenient. It's also nearby to Great Wolf Lodge if you're looking for a place to stay near there.

On the other hand, the RV sites especially are basically in a big field with a cement road going around it. The sites have tables and fire pits, but no privacy what-so-ever. The tent sites are slightly better, with more trees, but still very close to one another.

The campground also has glamping available (canvas permanent tents) that looked cool.

Just 20 minutes south of Olympia, WA you can pull off I-5 and pitch a tent beneath towering old growth Douglas Fir and Hemlock trees. This stunning state park reminds us both of the kinds of campgrounds we frequented as kids. 

Most of the campsites in the forest loops are small with limited parking and the narrow roads would not serve larger camper rigs. Our little 15 foot travel trailer made it in without any problem. The feeling of camping under the old-growth canopy is so classic Washington, but the solar gain is pretty minimal. Ironically, the electrical hookup sites, which more easily accommodate the big rigs, are out in a more cleared area where there would be solar gain for days. 

We camped on the closest loop to the full-hook up RV area and were able to get our solar suitcase out into the sunshine on its extension cord for a few hours. The bathrooms in the forest loops are pretty simple ranging from pit toilets to flush varieties with showers. There is a more modern bathroom facility with nicely clean and refreshing showers near the larger RV field. Things to do in this park are abundant. The water is super chill, shallow and warm. 

Only “cartop boats” are allowed in the lake, making it ideal for stand up paddle boards, small kayaking boats, inflatables, canoes, fishing dinghies and just swimming around.  Lightening storms in this part of the world are pretty rare, so very fun to see one over the lake while we were here.  The lake shore has some classic picnic shelters, built by the CCC, that are reservable, offer wood burning stoves, and lots of places to cook for a family get together. 

Hiking and trailing running in the park is wonderful, and with all the loops your efforts can range from 30 min strolls to half-day hikes. The trails are well mapped, and signed making it nearly impossible to get lost. 

Tumwater is about 10 miles away on country roads to the north, and Grand Mound is 10 or so miles to the south. Either of these communities provide the usual suburban supplies for groceries and restaurants. There are also some nearby convenience and general stores where you could pick up some ice and such. During the summer months the park has a small cafe and ice cream shop.

When venturing to Mount St Helens area I wanted to find a campground relatively close by to stay before visiting the next day. I found Lewis and Clark State Park along the way and opted to give it a shot for an overnight. The site looked comfortable and quiet and was well shaded and welcoming. 

Pulling into the campground I noticed several areas to enjoy recreationally alongside camping including public park areas with covered outdoor kitchen zones perfect for those enjoying the area for day use. Additionally there were several areas with play equipment and outdoor activities for singles or the family to enjoy. 

Pulling into the camping loop area sites were well spaced and shaded by large vibrant trees. Soft mosses lined walkways and created a feeling of being deep into the forest without being far removed from actual civilization and it was a nice departure from many of the more commercial looking camps of the area which lacked the forest feel. 

The camp site I chose was equipped with the standard amenities of a picnic table and fire ring and the pull in section was just large enough for my smaller car. Throughout camp I did notice some sites were designed specifically for tent campers while others would cater better to larger units. Something unique about this location was it offered bike in campers sites as well with much smaller pull in areas but just as much space to spread out and set up their tents. 

The bath house was very nice as it was heated and had hot water, though when I was there I did encounter a slight concern with using this bathhouse because there was a current e coli water warning which was displayed throughout camp on all water spigots. This left me more than a little leary about using the water in the bathroom turning what could have been a warm amazing shower into a bit of a concerning experience. 

Because of this concern I noticed they had hand sanitizer placed in the restrooms, which was a great concession considering the issue at hand. 

While this was a campsite I did enjoy, I feel as though with the water concerns I could not fully embrace all the features of camp which did hinder me slightly from fully being able to embrace all of the options. Should I return to this area I would check in advance to see if the water was a concern before staying another night. 

The campground, like many in the area, advocate recycling.  Not only will you find trash cans and dumpsters throughout camp but you will also find recycling barrels scattered throughout camp.    I truly enjoyed this feature of the park as it is making a difference in the bigger picture and you can commonly find items created from recycled items such as benches and tables located throughout various state parks as continued improvements occur.

All in all, for someone just wanting to enjoy a night at a quiet campground this would be a great one to check out in the area. While it lacks some of the amenities of other campgrounds in the area which are more destination style camps it has a lot of charm for those wanting to enjoy fun with family or friends in a more traditional camping style. 

TIPS:

• Check in advance for water related issues not only at this campground but others in the area. 
• Make a stop just before the entrance of the park at the Jackson House Historic Site. This site is a major portion of the area’s rich history and with several unique signs which walk you through the significance of the area you will be enriched by this short stop.
• Make sure you have a Discover Pass!! Any stay in Washington you will want to make sure you have this pass.

Easy to find, fairly secluded sites available (15 and 16) and right on the river which is so beautiful.

Porter Creek Campground is primitive camping with over 12 sites available. Located in Capital Forest and upkept by DNR. It’s first come no reservations. The river is gorgeous and fun to explore!

Very pleasant campground. We had our choice of campsites, near hiking trails and the creek. The road wasn't too rough to get there, and we were able to park nearby. What more do you need?

We have 33 campsites, Tent sites and some great pull through sites for Rv's and ORVs, 4 vault toilets that I do my best to keep clean and stocked of toilet paper. I sell firewood bundles with a kindling bundle in the middle wrapped in newspaper for 5 bucks, nice size bundles and/or Gator loads for 20, 15 and 10. I have a garden hose at my site for people to fill water containers and a power pole at my site for airing up mattresses, charging phones, ect. , I sometimes will paint rocks with kids while parents ride ORVs if possible but always have painted rocks hidden in Camp and throughout Capitol Forest and am owner of , Facebook group, Capitol Forest Rocks! #CFR I handout updated copies of Capitol Forest maps and trails, Campground phone number is 360 534 0163.