Best Tent Camping near Goose Prairie, WA

Mount Rainier National Park and surrounding national forest lands near Goose Prairie, Washington offer diverse tent camping options ranging from established campgrounds to remote backcountry sites. White River Dispersed Camping, located just outside the northeast entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, provides riverside tent-only sites with mountain views. Granite Lake Dispersed Camping Area offers walk-in tent sites in a more secluded setting, while Sunrise Camp Primitive within the national park provides designated backcountry tent campsites approximately one mile from the Sunrise Visitor Center. Forest Road 7300 Pull-Off sites are popular with tent campers seeking quick access to streams and forest settings.

Most tent campgrounds in the Goose Prairie region feature natural, ungraded surfaces with minimal development. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for accessing many dispersed camping areas, particularly White River where the access roads can be rough and rutted. According to campers, 4x4 vehicles provide the best access to more remote tent sites. Vault toilets are available at established campgrounds like Corral Pass, but most dispersed areas require campers to pack out waste or dig catholes according to Leave No Trace principles. Bear activity is common throughout the region, requiring proper food storage in bear canisters or hanging food supplies. Seasonal considerations include snow blocking higher elevation tent sites until late June or early July, and summer fire restrictions that often limit or prohibit campfires.

One visitor reported that White River Dispersed Camping offers "plenty of sites along the river with multiple ingress/egress options from the road," making it ideal for tent campers seeking water access. The proximity to Mount Rainier National Park trailheads makes these tent sites valuable alternatives when park campgrounds fill up. Campers at Forest Road 7300 Pull-Off noted the area was "pretty and quiet" with multiple streamside tent sites featuring established fire rings. Tent campers frequently use these areas as base camps for day hikes into the national park. In summer months, higher elevation tent sites provide cooler temperatures but require warm sleeping gear even in July and August when nighttime temperatures can drop significantly.

Best Tent Sites Near Goose Prairie, Washington (109)

    1. White River Dispersed Camping

    24 Reviews
    Greenwater, WA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 825-6585

    "Right outside the entrance to Mt."

    "If you come here you must leave no trace."

    2. Granite Lake Dispersed Camping Area

    5 Reviews
    Goose Prairie, WA
    7 miles
    Website

    "I made it up to the lake in July.  There were too many ppl for the small campground on this weekend. "

    "The water was crystal clear, and the site was right on the water with a little boat push off or if you wanted to walk in and swim."

    3. Corral Pass Campground

    2 Reviews
    Greenwater, WA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 825-6585

    "We camped off Mather memorial parkway for just a few hours during a Questival and found it to be quiet, easy to access and plenty of firewood. Loved sleeping by the creek!"

    4. Clear Lake Campgrounds

    4 Reviews
    Goose Prairie, WA
    18 miles

    "Has toilets around area, didnt check them as my rig is self sufficient. No other service though but out here it doesnt matter. Pack in pack out. Has fire rings all over!"

    "Big spaces, big trees, big lake. But if you come during the weekend, be prepared for the most inconsiderate, noisy, rude neighbors you've ever found."

    5. Lost Meadow

    1 Review
    Goose Prairie, WA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 653-1410

    6. Dry Creek Campground

    1 Review
    Marblemount, WA
    15 miles

    "Great camp site on the point, good spots for hammocks, and three platforms for tents. Group site also has two tables and bear boxes. Good sopts for swimming and fishing."

    7. Clear Lake North Campground

    3 Reviews
    Goose Prairie, WA
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (509) 653-2205

    "The vault toilets were very well cared for and didn't have the typical smells and lingering posits that make this type of accommodation so memorable."

    "We paid $10 for the site and it was right next to the river. We were tucked in. Right next to the river and the bathroom. There is even garbage dumpsters at the campground @."

    8. Sunrise Camp Primitive — Mount Rainier National Park

    3 Reviews
    Mount Rainier National Park, WA
    18 miles

    $5 / night

    "This was the first campground on a multi-day backpacking trip. It's really close to the Sunrise Visitor Center, which I wasn't too happy about."

    "It is located off of a popular day hike to the Glacier Overlook—which provides an excellent view of Emmons Glacier. There are community bear boxes to share, no water, and no fire."

    9. Summerland Backcountry Campsites — Mount Rainier National Park

    2 Reviews
    Paradise, WA
    19 miles
    Website

    "The reason I give caution is Mount Rainier likes to create its own weather. Got trapped and a thunderstorm well there with torrential downpours."

    "Doesn't get much better than watching the sunset behind Rainier at a flower adorned stream flowing through a subalpine meadow."

    10. Tieton Pond

    1 Review
    Tieton, WA
    17 miles

    "Tieton pond is a small undeveloped camping area surrounding an equally small lake. The lake is stocked and the fishing can be quite good early in the season."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Goose Prairie, WA

1088 Reviews of 109 Goose Prairie Campgrounds


  • Mary C.
    Jun. 11, 2019

    La Wis Wis Campground

    Ranger Review of GCI chairs at La Wis Wis Campground

    Campground Review

    This campground is at the base of Mt Rainier National Park in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  To get to the campsite, you have to drive down into the ravine of where the Cowlitz River cuts through the campsite. There are many sites on the river, with the rest in the trees covering the expanse of the grounds. Large RV/ trailers can only be in the upper Loop H.

    The road is a one way and for the most part, campers respect the speed limit, though there are some idiots who drive fast through. 

    There are no hookups, so you will be dry camping if you bring an RV. This is very close to Packwood and a great place to stay during Memorial Weekend for their annual Flea Market.  There is no cell service at this site. Site claims to have flushing toilets, but those were removed a few years ago, there are only vault toilets and no showers. Depending on how the snow melt is during the spring, will dictate fishing and camping opening. 

    Product Review

    I had the opportunity to review a GCI Outdoor Backpack Event Chair.  This product is amazing for lugging around from campground to fishing and back. The chair has four different positions for reclining and hard arm supports for getting up and down. There is a large pocket on the back allowing for easy toting of items from car to wherever. The backpack straps make toting a breeze and the clip to close keeps the chair in place. It is very light and easy to transport and has a weight limit of 250, but my very large cousin (300+) was able to sit with no problem. 

    https://www.gcioutdoor.com/camping-chairs/backpack-event-chair/

  • Jess G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 4, 2019

    South Fork Tieton Dispersed Camping

    Dispersed camping

    We stayed here 2 nights and will definitely be coming back. Tons of open sites to choose from right along the river. Designated fire rings but currently there's a burn ban. No vault toilets or picnic tables. Pack it in, pack it out! When we first arrived we spent about 20 minutes cleaning the site we chose after the people whom were here before us. Not such a big deal just a little saddening. #1 rule is to leave no trace. Extremely grateful we get to explore and camp on land that is free. We should all do our part and take care of it. 

    A little surprising that we had cell phone reception with sprint! 

    Near this area there are a lot or activities. Biking, hiking, swimming, fishing, kayaking.. to name a few!

  • Elliott B.
    Aug. 30, 2017

    Ohanapecosh Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

    Ranger Review: Leatherman: Signal at Ohanapecosh Campground: Relaxing views of the old growth forest, however you can see every campground

    Campsite Review: This campground is really in a nice area of the old growth forest but it's camping amongst crowds when we went in the high season, the entire 188 sites were filled. There were very few walk-up sites and the rest of the campsites themselves are a decent size but not spaced far enough away from other campers and there is no underbrush to separate you from each other at all. We stayed at site 54 in loop A and had people constantly walking through/by both sides of our campsite to get to the toilets which were located on the next level higher than us. People literally walked right by our fire ring and through our chairs at one point to then hike up the hill instead of traversing around to the right for some stairs. If you can go off season by all means try and do it, but avoid this particular site at all costs…

    The toilet facilities weren’t the nicest ones I’ve been to and could have used a little TLC. The facilities right by us were dirty and a bit rusty. They also had no soap or hand drying instrument what-so-ever (neither paper towels or hand dryer). Thankfully we had these things ourselves, but usually in NP campgrounds you don’t have to bring them yourself to the restroom.

    Amenities: not sure if every site had one, but lots of bear boxes (you’re in bear and cougar (mountain lion) territory), your standard picnic tables, fire rings, plus flush toilets, potable water, & dump station for you RVers |Prohibited: pets off-leash, & firewood gathering (The camp host drives around selling wood if you haven’t already gotten some at a store) we came right during a fire ban, but as soon as it was removed they drove around letting everyone know. There then seemed to be a truck driving around with firewood for sale, I wasn’t able to confirm though as we were headed off to Paradise and then the Olympic peninsula.

    Nearby Hikes: Grove of the Patriarchs, & Silver Falls and not too far from Paradise which is a must do if you happen to come in wild flower season

    Gear Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get the opportunity to test out products and the saving grace for this particular camp site was my testing of the Leatherman Signal (Designed for adventure!!). This is a truly fantastic Leatherman and even if you’ve had them for years you should really check out the newer lines of specialized gear. I had an old PST (pocket survival tool) as a boy scout and had upgraded to the original WAVE, but hadn’t checked them out in years as I still have them and thought what could be better than what I already have. I was wrong. This tool and many of the other lines (skateboarding, surfing, skiing, hunting) are also really worth checking out.

    • This is designed specifically with camping in mind.
    • Really impressed with the new ability to change out components from this and other tools are you wear them down.
    • The hammer is great for knocking in tent stakes into some stubborn ground or breaking up that giant block of ice into some manageable pieces.
    • Great locking functions on the blade, saw and hammer section - nothing comes loose as you’re cutting/hammering away
    • It’s really all the little touches that make this an awesome tool. Like having a sharpener, a built-in fire starter and emergency whistle. These are things that might end up saving your life if you happen to get stranded while out in the woods.

    I give the Leatherman Signal 4.5/5 Stars!

  • Marie L.
    Aug. 3, 2022

    Owhi Campground

    Beautiful spot - not worth the trek

    Cooper Lake is absolutely stunning and admittedly the campsites are situated pretty well for views and privacy but there are definitely Pros and Cons to this campground.

    Pros:

    Right on the lake and if not you get a very private site walking distance to water
    Great hiking trail

    Lake access 24/7

    Lot's of big shade trees

    No internal combustion motors 

    Vault toilets in good shape

    Dumpsters

    Cons: 

    Extremely busy (and LOUD) day use area

    Steep hill and trails to all the sites - pack light and even then it is A LOT of work getting into your site

    $18 for a walk in site...? eh a little steep for me

    Did I mention the loud day use area with lots of screaming kids?

    No bear boxes by the lake so you also have to trek your cooler/dry goods up the hill every night to not attract wildlife.

    All in All this was a solid 3.5 stars.  There were pros to out weight the cons but in the end if I am going to walk that far to haul my stuff into a site I want it to be pretty remote/serene OR be a little cheaper.

  • Kier S.
    Aug. 28, 2019

    Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

    Lots of space & fairly private

    I’ve spent a couple of nights up here this year and I LOVE this campground. It is large, but there is plenty of separation and the sites seem to offer fairly good privacy and have a good amount of space. 

    I camp in a hammock and there are a lot of sites that offer enough well spaced trees to set up hammocks.  There are nice fire rings at each of the sites, nice tables and firewood is available at the camp site.  I didn't know before I went, but dogs are allowed as long as they are on leashes, BUT they aren't allowed on most trails around the mountain.

    The campground is well situated to get you close to Paradise as well as a ton of hikes nearby. 

    There aren’t any showers, but the bathrooms are clean and have flush toilets.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2021

    Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

    Close to amazing hiking

    This is a popular, reservable campground at Mt Rainier. There are 5 loops with A loop and R(Road) loops not reservable. There is a fancy electronic iron ranger at the ranger station(something the rangers want you to use even when they are in their booth and clearly able to handle reservations). I had a nifty little bridge connecting my car and the picnic table to the the tent pad. I also had kids running through the trees and the middle of my campsite from the sites behind me. Most sites had good hammocking trees, and it looked like all had picnic tables. There is an amphitheater in the campground that had a nice draw of campers for the evening program. Bathrooms were clean and well maintained, but no showers. E loop was a no generator zone, which means it was fully booked while I was there. There is a good hike to Carter Falls along the Wonderland Trail, which cuts right through the campground. You are fairly close to Paradise which has more hiking trailheads and a visitor center.

  • marcus K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 4, 2025

    Cougar Rock Group Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

    Nice quiet campground

    Well maintained national park campground. Reserve on Recreation.gov. Sites have tables, bear boxes and fire pits. Restrooms have flush toilets and sinks for dishes. Ranger is available at the adjacent ranger station for check in or any other questions.

    Its a dry site - as in no water at the campsites. There is a drinking fountain by the bathroom. The dump station was closed for 2025 season and not sure when or if it will re open.

    Its only $20 in 2025.

  • Greg T.
    Jun. 13, 2018

    Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

    large, tidy, with good tree cover, fire rings, and hinged grills to cook fo

    This campground is huge! got lost in it a few times... there are tons of great spots with nice fire rings and flat spots for tents. Firewood at the entrance to the campground. Didn’t see any showers but indoor plumbing in the bathrooms. Potable water by all the bathrooms as well. Many sites have pretty good privacy from the other sites even though they are relatively close together

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 11, 2025

    Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

    Nice place

    Nice campground on the SW corner of Mt Rainier NP. We were here in the off season, meaning that reservations are not taken and everything is FCFS. You stop at the ranger office at the campground entrance and you’re given a campsite. $20/night. Zero cell service in this whole area (but there was good cell reception and wifi at Paradise, and free wifi at the museum 2 miles down at Longmire). 

    There are water spigots at this campground, flush toilets, no showers, trash dumpsters, and glass, plastic, and aluminum recycling. Each site has a picnic table, bear box, and fire pit. The dump station has been non operational for several years and the ranger said she doesn’t think it’ll ever be fixed. 

    The length limit here is 35 ft for a motorhome, and us at 28 ft head to toe felt very big here. The Wonderland Trail hike can be accessed from this campground, just across the road. Lots of trees in this campground, and we struggled to keep our batteries charged via solar, though there looked to be enough open sky for starlink (we don’t have starlink so I can’t say). All the loops here in this campground are pretty similar in layout and landscape.


Guide to Goose Prairie

Dispersed camping areas near Goose Prairie, Washington provide overnight accommodations within Snoqualmie National Forest and adjacent lands bordering Mount Rainier National Park. Sites range from 2,400 to 4,800 feet in elevation with summer temperatures typically reaching 75-85°F during daytime but dropping to 40-50°F at night. Several popular tent camping spots in the Goose Prairie region remain accessible from late spring through early fall, with nearby creeks and streams providing natural water sources that require treatment before consumption.

What to do

Fishing at Clear Lake Campgrounds: Anglers can fish for trout at Clear Lake North Campground from May through September. Campers note the excellent water access from sites: "Our site was right next to the river... tucked in right next to the river and the bathroom" according to one visitor at Clear Lake North Campground.

Backcountry hiking at Sunrise: Tent campers at the Sunrise Camp Primitive can access the Wonderland Trail just one mile from camp. A visitor described it as "a great base camp for the Burroughs, or a stopping over point in the Wonderland or many other great trails." The campground includes community bear boxes and an outhouse.

Swimming in alpine lakes: From mid-July through August, tent campers can swim in Granite Lake. A visitor described the water as "pretty cold and crystal clear" in early June. The lake offers "a little boat push off or if you wanted to walk in and swim" spots along the shoreline.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: At White River Dispersed Camping, campers appreciate the secluded spots away from the river. One camper found "a large secluded spot in the woods" by driving "a little further in" past the riverside spots that "looked kind of close together."

Mountain wildlife viewing: Tent campers at Summerland Backcountry Campsites observe abundant wildlife. One visitor reported, "Lots of marmots, including in the camping areas. Seemed more interested in munching on lupines than bothering us." The site offers "5G cell service" despite its remote setting.

Lakefront access: Tieton Pond provides undeveloped tent camping directly beside a stocked fishing lake. A visitor notes, "The lake is stocked and the fishing can be quite good early in the season" but warns that "mosquitoes can be a problem later in the season."

What you should know

Road conditions require preparation: Many dispersed tent camping areas demand high-clearance vehicles. For Granite Lake Dispersed Camping Area, a camper warns: "It will require a 4x4, especially after rains, as it's a climb the entire way up over some decent rock gardens." Spring visitors should "bring a chain saw with you as the parks department cleared some previously, I still had to cut 2 more trees."

Limited site availability: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially on weekends. Tieton Pond has "very few available spots so it fills up very quickly on weekends." At Granite Lake, campers should have backup plans since "it's a long road back out if the campground is full."

Weather preparedness essential: Temperatures at higher elevation sites drop significantly at night. At Granite Lake, one camper experienced "low 30 temps and a winter mix falling from the sky" in mid-June. Mount Rainier camping can be particularly unpredictable as "Mount Rainier likes to create its own weather."

Tips for camping with families

Choose riverside sites for entertainment: Families report White River Dispersed Camping offers natural playscapes. A camper discovered "a spot tucked super far in that had a small private beach" that was "farther from the road so you couldn't see or hear anything."

Pack for temperature swings: Even in summer, families should bring warm layers for nighttime at Summerland Backcountry Campsites. The campground offers "a fully enclosed privy" that makes overnight stays more comfortable for children, while providing spectacular views of "sunset behind Rainier at a flower adorned stream flowing through a subalpine meadow."

Monitor campground conditions: Some established campgrounds face closure issues. At Clear Lake North, campers should check current status as "signage indicated that the forest service is considering closing this campground" due to improper waste disposal, though the "vault toilets were very well cared for."

Tips from RVers

Small trailer limitations: Most dispersed tent camping areas near Goose Prairie cannot accommodate large RVs. At Corral Pass Campground, a visitor advised: "I would never attempt with a trailer or even cab over camper. We took the tent and my Subaru Crosstrek up, took it slow and did just fine."

Consider weekday visits: RV and trailer campers report dramatically different experiences based on timing. At Clear Lake Campgrounds, "If you come during the week, you're going to enjoy quiet, gorgeous dispersed camping. Big spaces, big trees, big lake. But if you come during the weekend, be prepared for the most inconsiderate, noisy, rude neighbors."

Pack out all waste: The longevity of dispersed camping areas depends on proper waste management. Clear Lake visitors noted they "spent time cleaning up trash and burying toilet paper flowers" due to other campers' negligence, warning that continued problems may lead to site closure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Goose Prairie, WA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Goose Prairie, WA is White River Dispersed Camping with a 4.4-star rating from 24 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Goose Prairie, WA?

TheDyrt.com has all 109 tent camping locations near Goose Prairie, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.