Looking for dispersed camping near Hooper? Here you'll find a diverse selection of places to camp, including remote dispersed camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Washington camping adventure.
Entire area is open year round. There are no fees. There are no facilities or services available with the exception of one vault toilet at Folsom Farm. Both lakes have concrete boat launches maintained by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (paid in advance parking permit from WDFW is required.)
The Fishtrap Area offers 9,000 acres of beautiful landscapes and an old farmstead, with habitats ranging from forest to shrub-steppe, grassland, and wetlands. Fishtrap is home to two scenic fishing lakes and numerous species of birds and other wildlife. The historic Folsom Farm Recreation Site demonstrates how the landscape was converted into small farms, ranches, and communities beginning in the late 1800’s. Enjoy the chance to explore, view and study nature, picnic, backpack, horseback ride, mountain bike, or hunt throughout the entire Fishtrap area. Fishing for stocked rainbow trout is popular at Fishtrap Lake, and during the winter season at Hog Canyon Lake. Know Before You Go: Fishtrap Recreation Area is open year-round has no developed campsites. The South Loop Trailhead parking lot has substantial space for vehicle and RV parking/camping. Additional minimal space is available at the Folsom Farm, and Hog Lake Loop Trailhead parking lots. See the Fishtrap Area map. vehicle and RV parking/camping is limited to existing parking areas and camping pull-outs. Dispersed (tent) camping is allowed. Please practice the seven Leave No Trace principles when recreating on Public Lands. Check Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishing regulations for fishing seasons at Hog Canyon Lake and Fishtrap Lake. Both lakes have concrete boat launches maintained by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (a paid in advance parking permit from WDFW is required.)
Guide
At first glance, Cow Lake is a beautiful and secluded oasis tucked away in the scablands of Eastern Washington.
However, the area is a very popular local fishing and recreation spot and gets crowded on the weekends.
Cow Lake is about 10 miles east of Ritzville and is a free, dispersed camping area.
The road here is dirt and the last mile or so is pretty rough. But, most vehicles shouldn’t have any problems.
There are no services, facilities or potable water but cell service was good.
We arrived early Friday afternoon and there were just 2 other vehicles here. But, by evening there were over a dozen boisterous people fishing along the shore. Sound travels well over water and it was very noisy.
Luckily, the people fishing left and we basically had the area to ourselves until Saturday morning when family groups arrived for a day of fishing and fun.
By far the worst of it was the yahoos who came in later that evening to drink and shoot their guns. It was like we were camping in the middle of a shooting range.
We would not camp here again. Too crowded, too noisy & too many guns.
Guide
BLM land was easy to find right off the highway. Rough gravel road easily traveled in a truck, low clearance vehicle may have trouble. There were a few people with campers at the end of the road. A lot of dispersed sites, some close to the road, a few very private. Two nice lakes.. at the end of the road you cross to state park land which does not allow camping but is very well marked with a gate and signs. There was a fe portapottys scatter along the road. Light freeway noise, did hear one night train, but for free and a beautiful landscape not too bad.
GuideThe fishing area is closed for the season and there are no camping signs everywhere around it. Before you come there is a sign for the BLM land and you will follow that down. When you get to the end there’s a porta potty but the vault toilet is closed. There are no fire rings or tables but flat grass you can see used for camping. ATT service is limited.
Guide
Rock creek runs through this lovely BLM land with 2 sets of falls. It's a great spot in late winter or early spring if you're looking for solitude. We visited in February and saw 4 or 5 people, but no one stayed the night except us. Towell falls is beautiful, but we have yet to visit Breeden falls. The ranch has an interesting history and it's fun to poke around the old structures.
GuideThe campground itself is on BLM land and is primitive. There is a pit toilet, picnic tables, fire rings, corrals and horse water. The camping itself is on the primitive side, but the scenery it magnificent! The last two miles driving in is a rough dirt road, and a vehicle with ground clearance is highly desirable. A three mile hike/horseback ride takes you through Washington's Channeled Scablands to Towell Falls through spectacular buttes and meadows along the creek. The best time to visit is in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom and before the RATTLESNAKES get populous. The night skies are particularly dark because you're a long way from any civilization. It's also interesting exploring the old ranch building that remain on the site. The area is popular with horsemen and trail groups up to a bit of "roughing it." It also can be a great day trip from the Spokane Washington area.
GuideFree pack in pack out dispersed camping
RangerWe found the most amazing site! We felt like we were on top of the world! Clear open skies! Loved the sound of the cows, coyotes, and owls! Total dispersed camping! Thank you to whoever left us wood!
LegendThis is great for boondocking and we liked it. Be aware that its gravel road and bumpy in spots. We came upon a group that had high centered their airstream trailer trying to cross a small drainage ditch to access a site. You may need to do some tricky maneuvering to get into and out of some of these road spurs and spots. We had very high winds one night, but by luck we had selected a spot at the end of the road near hog lake that had us nestled between to small "hills" and trees which protected us. we were not in the open and exposed to the wind directly. Even so, it shook our trailer but we were snug and secure. Not for the novice boodndocker. This is BLM open land camping at its purest.
TravelerNice open blm area, rustic campsites. there's an established trail that goes to hog lake and the boat launch area which is only accessible on foot when we were camping. The lake access (with the toilet) is not open, gate is locked. Saw a rattlesnake on the trail but we kept our distance and he went on his way. Be kind to the animals, it's their home. Can stay up to 14 days
GuideA lot of places to camp here all equipped with fire rings. We had a 30ft RV and drove in on the nice gravel road. We took the very last camping spot closest to the lake and it had a good amount of shade on all sides. It was big enough to fit two campers if camping with friends. The spot was very spacious and felt private. It was clean with only a couple specks of trash that we found.
We walked down to the lake and it looked great for paddle boarding or small boats/rafts but not for swimming. There is a lot of seaweed and it’s murky.
The area/sites are really dusty in July. Lots of dirt but the road is gravel. Sites are pretty well spread out.
We took a little hike and saw a buck with a big rack on it, other deer, and a coyote. Great spot for back country hiking.
Traveler
This is a great mostly unknown little campground. Fun fact: This is the least used campsite maintained by the Lower Granite Natural Resources Management team.
Let’s get to the bad/good, depending on how you look at it.
1. There is NO running water available, unless you want to get some from the river(NOT suggested)
2. Absolutely no electricity here, not even for park lights. This makes for AMAZING star gazing.
3. ZERO cell service at the campsite. You can get service if you absolutely need it at the top of Hammer Grade road, it’s steep.
4. Limited sites have shade all day. Get there early to get one of these prime spots.
5.Summer time is HOT here but, you have the river right there to cool off.
6. There is a boat launch here though it is not maintained, use at your own discretion.
7. There are fire/BBQ pits at each site as well as a picnic table. Wood fires are NOT allowed from June 10th through October 10th. It gets very dry out here.
8. Bring bug spray! Day time the bugs aren’t bad but, when the sun starts going down, the mosquitoes are coming out. Also, spring into early summer, there are ticks. Summer through the rest of the year you should be tick free.
9. This campsite is open year round and it’s FREE!
10. There are no trash cans or dumpsters. So keep that in mind and take out EVERYTHING you bring in.
11. No dumpsites nearby. Closest I found is right off highway 395 at the rest area.
12. You can cross the dam Monday-Thursday excluding holidays and only during daytime hours.
13. Your trailer, tow vehicle and anything in the bed is going to get dusty getting here and leaving. It’s a decent trek down a gravel road. Speed limit is 45MPH. Good luck to you if you try to go that fast.
14. Come prepared for the whole trip. Washtucna is the closest town and they have limited supplies. No alcohol is available at the “Store” there.
15. If hunting season is coming up, get there as early as possible.
We stayed here in the most shaded part of the campground with our Travel Trailer with a 50 gallon fresh water tank. It lasted the 4 of us the 5 day weekend. It was a hot weekend and we did end up having to run the generator for a few hours during the day to keep the newborn cool.
I followed my GPS which took me off of Highway 26 and onto Old Highway 26. DON’T do this. Take Hay rd. Old HWY 26 will take you onto Hammer Grade Rd. This is NOT a fun road with a trailer. It has some very steep grades and you’ll be HAMMERING the brakes or exhaust brake.
All in all, this was a GREAT trip at a great, hidden and secluded area. We will definitely be revisiting this site.
ScoutBeautiful BLM area! Plenty of drive-in areas and tons of land around the lake to access. The single vault toilet is down at the lake, but helpful if needed. We will be back!
Guide
This is a primitive site on an island in Bonnie Lake in Eastern Washington. Bonnie lake is a canyon lake, about 4 miles long and narrow. The island and surrounding sq. mile of land is owned by the BLM. Access is by paddling up Rock Creek about a mile and another 1/2 mile paddle up the lake. The creek can be seasonally shallow and you'll have to portage across at least one beaver dam. The island is rocky and brushy with enough flat spaces for a tent or two and trees for hammocks. The steep canyon walls provide a stage for coyotes to sing back and forth. Please use sanitary bags to pack out your waste (poop). The island's soil isn't deep enough for proper burial.
There is a spit of land on shore where you can camp too, but I've not done that.
ScoutQuiet primitive campsites on the lower Snake River - at least, in late November, when there was only one other campsite in use. I suspect it's a bit busier in the warmer weather.
Clean, frequently checked toilet. No water or power. Tables and fire rings at each site.
The Little Goose Dam entry point is open in the daytime from 7:30 to 4:30. Signs state that crossing is only open once an hour on the half hour, but the security guard opened up right when we got there both entering and leaving. There are also campsites along the river before the Riparia campground entry. Easy gravel road into the campground.
Open all year. No wood fires allowed from June 10 through October 10.
https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Lower-Monumental-Dam-Lake-West/Riparia/
Traveler
Quiet campsite in Fishtrap Recreation Area.
Pros:
Very quiet open sites. Plenty of opportunity for solar 3 bar 5g Tmobile Open mostly level sites Not very busy Some larger sites able to accommodate bigger rigs (25' at least)
Cons:
No amenities (where we are, maybe further in they have them) Dusty and dry Fire restrictions in place Sites have some trash in them.
Overall we enjoyed it for a layover stay. It's very quiet, open skies were good to recharge solar and stargaze and it was a nice break from some of the more crowded campsites.
LegendThis site has a very strange energy about it...though we were here on a hot weekend so perhaps the discomfort with the heat colored our experience. Campsites are equipped with rings and there is a restroom
TravelerWe really enjoyed our night stay , it was very quiet and the campsites were spread out well enough that it was quite private! We will be going back . Can’t drive right down to the lake , but you can walk in and take the trail around it .
GuideThis campsite was the perfect break in our drive from North Cascades to Glacier. The road was easy to find and there were so many great sites. There is a porta potty too. We found a site that was both tent-able and hammock-able. Lots of mosquitoes though!
ScoutThis is a lovely secluded spot for amazing star-gazing on a clear night. At night it is in complete darkness, away from traffic noise, and you can hear the coyotes as they move nearer (I know, a little creepy, but making a little noise is all you need to do). It is very flat and would be reasonably accessible for someone using a wheelchair or with other mobility restrictions. The picnic tables are even accessible! There are fire rings, a pit toilet, and stables and water for your horses. No portable water for humans, so bring your own. There's no shade other than under a nice picnic table shelter, so it was best for us to come late in the day and then make breakfast under that shelter.
LegendPlenty of campsites and Verizon gets 2-3 bars of service. I found a shady spot by a large pine tree. Only a couple miles from the highway and the road is in good shape for getting in and out. Only a few other vehicles here but still plenty of space for all!
LegendStayed for a night to breakup a long drive. Arrived Monday evening and was the only one here. It’s just a large gravel parking lot with a single vault toilet, no other services. The road getting into here is very bumpy the last half mile so take it slow. Close to the interstate so easy to get to. Surrounded by fields and beautiful sunsets. Definitely would stay again and it’s free!
GuideA bathroom and a parking lot to camp in. THE VIEWS are are a must see, the scablands of Washington are up there with the badlands in unique
ScoutWe used to frequent this park quite often. It is a tiny forest tucked away along the river.... when I say tiny, I mean fairy like.
You can easily set up a tent and float along the river's edge. There are a few little coves that are nice for kids to play in and great to stay out of the river current.
Just a fun location!
GuideThe drive was mostly dirt roads. I managed just fine in a Subaru for context. The hike itself was incredible and a bit primitive at points. Bring bug spray and maybe a machete lol. I was getting close to where one of the waterfalls was and ran into a Coyote who would not budge. That pretty much ended the hike as I could hear others howling nearby.
The hike back was even amazing with the Sunset and landscape making me feel like I was on another planet. The best part was pure luck as I setup camp on the road back during a new moon which was perfect for star gazing and astro photography. I’m an amateur and took my time to learn my camera a bit. This little adventure was my favorite thus far this year.
ScoutJgcfh jf
GuideStopped here to sleep midway through a long drive. The main site is a large gravel lot with a vault toilet at the trailhead. We arrived after dark so it took some trial & error to find. Exit 254 off I-90 then travel east on Sprague Highway Rd E for at least 2 miles then left on Miller Ranch Rd then take the next right. About a half mile on the left will be the parking lot, trailhead & toilet. There’s other spots to camp but I think it would be hard to find them in the dark if you’ve never been before. Heard the train a few times off in the distance but it wasn’t too loud. We were the only ones there on a Monday night.
ScoutPulled in, hoped out and immediately got stung.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Hooper, WA is Escure Ranch / Rock Creek Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 6 reviews.
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