Looking for dispersed camping near Gig Harbor? Dispersed camping gets you off the grid so you can disconnect from the hecticness of everyday life. Find the perfect dispersed campsite for your next adventure.
$12 / night
Dispersed camping is the term used for camping outside of a developed campground. If you enjoy selecting your own campsite, providing your own amenities, creating your own experience, and camping for FREE, then dispersed camping is for you!
Campsite
Choose a campsite screened from roads and trails, and at least 200 feet from water Use a campsite that’s already been established, if possible. If you choose a new site, return the site to its natural condition when you leave Pets
Your animal friends are welcome to accompany you on your dispersed camping adventure! Fires
Only burn wood that is already dead and down Always make sure your fire is DEAD OUT and cold to the touch before you leave it Campfires are allowed below 3,500 feet when not otherwise prohibited by fire restrictions Trash
Store your food & trash properly to keep bears and other wildlife out of your camp Whatever you pack in, PACK IT OUT! Human Waste
Bury your poo & paper at least 6” deep and at least 200 feet away from any water source
Dispersed camping is allowed along Forest Service roads in WA as long as there is adequate space to park off the roadway safely and not on any vegetation.
Dispersed camping is the term used for camping in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Typically, it refers to roadside car camping, but also refers to backpacking in undeveloped sites. Dispersed camping means there are no services like trash removal, and amenities such as toilets, tables and fire pits, are not usually available.
It is your responsibility to plan ahead and learn the extra skills necessary for dispersed camping. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.
Dispersed camping along Forest Service roads is allowed where there is adequate space to safely park completely off the roadway and not on any vegetation. Whether car camping or backpacking, choose an existing campsite on bare or compacted soil. Unless signed as an area where a fee is required, dispersed camping is free. Dispersed camping is prohibited in developed campgrounds and areas posted closed or no camping. Some designated Wilderness areas have additional restrictions. For the best information on dispersed camping opportunities and local restrictions, please contact the nearest ranger district office.
Part of the Northern Loop Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
Guide
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.
Scout
I came on a Friday so i could get up early to go hiking. I put up my hammock around 7pm, nobody's else there. Around 9-11pm a few people including a 5th wheel arrived and spent a bunch of time moving that around. They ran their generator, lights and music until 2:30am. My bad for coming on a Friday. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and spent time on the bridge taking photos before riding up the gravel road up to the Summit Lake hike.
Lots of spots along the road which I'll utilize next time to avoid the party :)
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.
Guide
Very far off the beaten path, every time I camp here I don’t run into anyone. You’re camping on the Ridgeline so it can be a bit windy. East of the campsite there is a walking trail that takes you to an overlook, perfect for watching the sunrise.
Scout
Fairly large and level site with an amazing view. No water. First come first served and this one goes quickly!
Ranger
There was a handful of large pull out spots along this road. Nothing fancy and not secluded but got the job done
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.
TravelerNF-2419 is a very busy road at all hours. 2 or 3 cars drive by all day and all through the night. As far as we could find there aren’t many spots that are more secluded they are mostly just turn outs.
TravelerGreat avenue to get out into nature with various streams crossing the path of the service road. Truly magical place. It is frequented by others so low privacy unless you camp away from the vehicle path. Grateful a place like this exists.
TravelerIt is currently the beginning of June '24, cold at nights and the mornings. My fiance' and I are sleeping in a tent and it has rained a lot but if you go into the woods, you can still find dry branches for starting a fire. We were set up by the river, mostly quiet and can hear traffic now and then but nothing obnoxious. Would definitly camp here again as it seems we had a prime location.
TravelerFantastic 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!
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.
ScoutNot 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!
TravelerThe 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.
GuideHad a blast coming up the mountain with the family , found a few great spots that we pinned for later that are unmarked with fire rings. Not many other campers' sites are well dispersed . Got to feed 3 Bluejays by hand with my oldest one of our new favorite memories. Definitely recommend going , we saw people driving various types of vehicles so most will make it up. My 2011 Ford Flex made it up no problem . Bring in water and plenty of fire wood. Happy camping!
ScoutI 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.
TravelerSo first off, this location is beautiful. It is so relaxing! We were so excited when we found a spot with a fire pit. We set up camp and started enjoying ourselves. Here where it gets weird. People were harassing us about camping. We spoke to a ranger and verified that we were at the right spot. She said yes. One person drove past and yelled that you don't belong here. It was super uncomfortable specially considering I had a four year old with me. We ended up packing up camp and hiking into a further remote camp site. It was great after that.
Legend
Ipsut Creek can be approached from a few different ways. The way we approached was via a multi-day backpacking trip. We had gotten used to only a couple of sites per spot so we were not prepared for a larger campsite with facilities.
The pluses: There are around 20ish sites? We got a nice spot along the river. The sites were identified via fallen and chopped logs. The sites are decently far away from each other but no trees to block me from my neighbors.
There are picnic tables - it was nice to be able to sit on something other than the ground or a rock.
The trees were close enough together to string up a clothesline, or if we had brought it, a hammock.
There are bear boxes to store you stuff.
There are toilets, but be prepared, there were lines for the toilets and they were pretty gross.
There was what looked to be a community center place for picnics or the like.
We pumped our water from the creek.
RangerIpsut Creek Campground is a relatively easy 5 mile trek or bike ride with a 700’ elevation gain, down a closed road (due to the road wash out about 3 miles in) to a wooded campground nestled along the Carbon River.
Located at the trailhead are two bathrooms, a covered picnic area and a handful of parking stalls with additional parking located along the road.
The trail begins behind the closed gates into the shade of the old growth forest. The trail then alternates between the shade of the forest and sunny skys with river views and wildflowers along the way.
There are a few side trips off the main Carbon River Trail even before reaching the Ipsut Creek Camp;
Mini Rainforest Loop, 0.25 miles
Old Mine Trail, 0.6 miles round trip
Green Lake & Ranger Falls trail, 3.6 miles round trip
Note: Sadly, the trail to Chenuis Falls has washed out, so now there is just a log bridge into the water to nowhere.
Once you reach the campground, it has about 20 campsites with about half the sites located on the river. We were lucky enough to swoop up site number 15 though, strangely, another family decided to share it with us for our easy river front access. Thankfully the river is pretty loud and drowned out the noise of our close campers. We did choose to camp on the high-profile weekend of the 4th of July, so all the cool campsites along the river were obviously full, which is why we think we had “friends” join us. There was a large fallen tree sort of splitting the camp site in half, so we took the left half, with the smaller 1 picnic table option, while the strangers took the right half with 2 picnic tables.
The trees in camp are great for setting up hammocks. We set up a hammock triangle upon arrival in camp near the river for lazy afternoon naps. My siblings both slept in their hammocks fulltime, while my husband and I set up a tent in a small clearing on the opposite side of the picnic table, closer to the bear lockers (bear lockers are a huge plus, meaning a bear canister isn’t necessary if you’re not heading deeper into the backcountry).
The campground had a decent amount of wildlife running around. We had a number of chipmunks running around our camp cleaning up any scraps left daily; we found a live mouse chilling in a water bottle one morning upon setting up for breakfast, and deer came through the camp just about anytime it was quiet.
The campground does have two restrooms but they smell like the bog of eternal stench, so bring strong essential oils, a scented hanky, or a shovel to dig cat tracks in the woods far from camp and water sources.
The campground is a good base camp to explore the surrounding Carbon Glacier/ Mowich Lake area. We visited Ipsut Falls, which was less than a half mile round trip out of camp, making for a sweet little trip to break up the day in camp.
We also chose to make the adventure up to the Suspension Bridge and to the Carbon Glacier view point. Our morning started off cool in heavy fog, which burned off throughout the day, giving way to magnificent views of the mountain and glacier. The trail was covered in wildflowers, cairns, creeks and mini waterfalls. It made for a beautiful day trip out of camp with plenty of opportunities to go further into the backcountry closer to Winthrop Glacier, out to Tolmie peak area or back out along the Wonderland Trail. Backcountry options seemed endless.
Though the trail and camp (and site) were crowded, the hike to the glacier made the entire trip worth our cozy campsite. The Carbon Glacier is a bit dirty looking but to be standing in front of something so ancient and magnificent is truly amazing. My husband, sister and I have now added a new item to our bucket lists and that is to see as many glaciers as we can before they melt, here’s to our first. =)
Note: The campground is located within Mount Rainier National Park (no pets are allowed) so you’ll need to stop by the Carbonado Ranger Station for a Wilderness Permit and National Park Day Pass or Annual Permit to display for parking. No campfires within the campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Gig Harbor, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Gig Harbor, 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 Gig Harbor, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 dispersed camping locations near Gig Harbor, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
