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Best Dispersed Camping near Kelso, WA

81 Reviews

Gifford Pinchot National Forest provides several dispersed camping options near Kelso, Washington, with Mount St. Helens sites being particularly popular. Most areas require a permit and offer no amenities, though some locations like Canyon Creek have picnic tables and established fire rings. Access roads are frequently challenging, with numerous reviews mentioning rough gravel routes requiring high-clearance vehicles. As one camper noted about Canyon Creek, "about 5 miles of rough rough gravel road" leads to "nice flat pads for tents."

Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping and Butte Camp/Climbers Bivouac offer free sites with mountain views. These areas accommodate tent camping and, in some locations, small RVs, though road conditions can be limiting. A visitor described the Mount St. Helens area as having "complete view of the majestic mountain. Lots of room and even some flat spots." Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with most sites allowing campfires except during peak fire danger periods. Cell service is extremely limited throughout these remote camping areas, so travelers should prepare accordingly.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Kelso, Washington (28)

    1. Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

    8 Reviews
    Clatskanie, OR
    12 miles

    "Definitely best for car camping as the spots down by the river were pretty wet and muddy this time of year. The waterfall is amazing and only a 15 minute hike down!"

    "The river is a walk down a very steep hill behind the pullout. No place to pitch a tent, best for car camping."

    2. Gee Creek Rest Area I-5

    1 Review
    Ridgefield, WA
    25 miles

    3. Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

    10 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    38 miles

    "This is a dispersed campsite near the south side of Mount St. Helens. It's free, which is always great. The drive in is just off the highway and up a little hill, but my car had no problems with it."

    "This dispersed camping is free, huge bonus in my book."

    4. Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

    16 Reviews
    Carson, WA
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 891-5000

    "It looks like there might be two walk-in campsites as well and I believe there might be one if you walk across the Creek. It's very close to trapper Creek trailhead and there is a vault toilet there."

    "Spent a quiet weekend at Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed and loved it. The area is peaceful with a nice mix of forest and open space—felt super remote with hardly anyone else around."

    5. Gifford Pinchot National Forest-Canyon Creek Dispersed Camping

    8 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 891-5000

    "Found in typical condition. Please pick up after yourself. Many sites out here. Camped on a week day. One other camper out here. No traffic on road. Like others said road getting in sucks."

    "Road got a little bumpy getting out here but once we found a spot right near the riverbank, you felt like you were deep in it. Saw a few people on the way out."

    6. Road to Snag Lake - Dispersed

    16 Reviews
    Naselle, WA
    48 miles
    Website

    "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 several spots off the road around these radio tower stations and it is quite secluded. We didn't see any other person the whole time we were there."

    7. Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

    15 Reviews
    Tillamook State Forest, OR
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 357-2191

    "Accessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise!"

    "My mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road."

    8. Butte Camp/Climbers Bivouac Dispersed Campsite

    2 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    32 miles
    Website

    "Group camping with 4-5 places for tents and 2 maybe 3 spots for travel trailers but will need to back in. 2 fire pits and a few walking trails. Solar friendly and level."

    "The area around mount Saint Helens is beautiful, tons of space to park any rig, tent, or vehicle. The forest has majestic trees and when it rains, it resembles a rainforest."

    9. McBride Lake NF-81 Dispersed

    1 Review
    Cougar, WA
    31 miles

    "I would scout the road and area before committing; however, there is a turnaround that you could use to maneuver the trailer to drive out. "

    10. Pumice Butte- Dispersed Campsite

    2 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    33 miles

    "Pumice Butte is a dispersed camping area along the Loowit trail that circles Mt St Helens."

    "The camp is around a gully on the north side of Pumice Butte with outstanding views of Mt St Helens and Mt Adams."

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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Kelso, WA

71 Photos of 28 Kelso Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Kelso, WA

81 Reviews of 28 Kelso Campgrounds

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2022

    Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

    Perfect for Overland and off-road vehicle camping

    Accessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise! Gorgeous spots all over that are accessible in most 4WD/off-road capable vehicles. There is a massive network of forest service roads many with spots to set up your own quiet camp away from all the dirt bikes and RVs. No facilities obviously but that’s what makes this place special. It’s incredibly quiet and peaceful and a gorgeous piece of the PNW coastal area.

  • bThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2025

    Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

    GPS takes you to the top!

    My mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road. So careful if there’s other cars coming through, especially the logging semis.

    Nonetheless a cool spot. Dry camping. Please clean up after yourselves.

  • Kevin W.
    Aug. 20, 2024

    McBride Lake NF-81 Dispersed

    Lots of shade, very private and trailer friendly.

    I have camped here twice now, once during a scouting trip in 2016 with my boys and again in September 2024 with just me and my dog :).  I could pull my 17' pop-up "A" frame trailer and back into one of the two spots with no problem.  Due to the narrow road, it may be a bit more snug with bigger rigs (25+ feet long and anything more than 8+ feet wide).  I would scout the road and area before committing; however, there is a turnaround that you could use to maneuver the trailer to drive out.  It's plenty big to accommodate a few trucks/cars and one, maybe two towable trailers.  If you're going tent camping, there are about four flat places for tents.  The area has no trails, so you would not have to worry about people wandering into the campsite. The Ape Caves is a small drive away. The town of Cougar, WA. is about 10 miles away if you need gas or food.  There is a lot of shade, and it is not solar-friendly.  The main road is about 100 feet away, relatively quiet, and very private.  There was a large rock fire pit in the middle. There is no cell phone reception; however, if you drive East for a few miles, you may be able to get 2 bars with Verizon.

    Per the state website, "On the southwest side of Mount St. Helens, Forest Road 81 provides an experience away from crowds. On this road, access Kalama Horse Camp, Red Rock Pass, and Forest Road 830, the road to Climber's Bivouac, and the start of the summer climbing route. From the west, the road begins on Forest Road 90, near Cougar, WA, and travels through private timberlands and state lands before entering Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The road connects with Forest Road 83 on its east side. While mostly paved, be prepared for several miles of gravel(between Forest Road 830 and 8123) and a road that is sometimes very rough."

  • Jeremy B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 10, 2022

    Road to Snag Lake - Dispersed

    Great secluded spot in the woods

    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.

  • Vanessa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 18, 2025

    Gifford Pinchot National Forest-Canyon Creek Dispersed Camping

    You may get lost

    The coordinates here were incorrect coming from Hood River Oregon. It sent me down a rough dead end forest service road. I ended up lost on the mountain for 3 hours and finally made it out somewhere near camas. Make sure you have lots of fuel

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 4, 2023

    Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

    Amazing Hike!!

    This place was beautiful!! Definitely best for car camping as the spots down by the river were pretty wet and muddy this time of year. The waterfall is amazing and only a 15 minute hike down! The only reason this place got lower than a 5 star is because of all the trash near the parking lot. Too beautiful of a place to be used as a dump!! Definitely used as a party spot but aside from this it’s worth the visit!

  • Vanessa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 11, 2025

    Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

    Amazing spot!

    Absolutely loved the spot. There were about three sites. I believe from what I saw. I stayed at the first site when you first get there back there on the right hand side. It's a short hike down to the creek. It looks like there might be two walk-in campsites as well and I believe there might be one if you walk across the Creek. It's very close to trapper Creek trailhead and there is a vault toilet there. Minimal bugs didn't get any bug bites and it was in the '90s while I was there. Very little traffic. Not far from the highway just in case of emergencies. Absolutely no cell service. You must have a Northwest Forest pass or America the beautiful pass. Forest service does drive through there frequently to check

  • Johny B.
    Jun. 19, 2025

    Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

    Peaceful and Scenic Getaway

    Spent a quiet weekend at Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed and loved it. The area is peaceful with a nice mix of forest and open space—felt super remote with hardly anyone else around. We found a great shady spot not far from a small creek, and it was perfect for relaxing. Heads up: there’s absolutely no cell service, so make sure to download any maps or trail guides(we used an offline hiking APK) before you get there. It’s close to Mount St. Helens and Columbia River Gorge, so we got in a great day hike. Nights were cool, days were warm and bug-free. Forest service came by once, which was nice to see. You’ll need a Forest Pass.

  • Danielle S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

    Dispersed Camping - s. Mount St. Helens

    This is a dispersed campsite near the south side of Mount St. Helens. It's free, which is always great. The drive in is just off the highway and up a little hill, but my car had no problems with it. There's a lot of space here. From our spot, we saw at least a half a dozen fire pits, but we were the only ones there. It has some nice trees and a trail. Up the road is Lava Canyon, where there are toilets if you need. There are some decently flat spots for a tent and I felt was all around a good site.

Guide to Kelso

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Kelso, Washington, where nature meets tranquility. With a variety of locations to choose from, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the freedom of camping without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.

Tips for free and dispersed camping near Kelso, Washington

The stunning waterfall hike at Beaver Falls for dispersed campers

  • The short hike to the waterfall from Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight offers breathtaking views and a perfect photo opportunity.
  • While the camping area itself may not be scenic, the nearby waterfall makes it a worthwhile destination for nature lovers.
  • Keep in mind that the area can attract party-goers, so consider visiting during weekdays for a quieter experience.

Dispersed campers should check out McBride Lake for a peaceful retreat

  • McBride Lake NF-81 Dispersed is known for its privacy and ample shade, making it ideal for those looking to escape the crowds.
  • The site is accessible for both tents and RVs, but larger rigs should scout the area first due to narrow roads.
  • With no cell reception, this spot is perfect for disconnecting and enjoying the serene surroundings, including nearby hiking trails.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kelso, WA?

The Kelso area offers several free dispersed camping opportunities in nearby national forests. Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping provides multiple free sites on the south side of Mt. St. Helens with several established fire pits and plenty of space. It's easily accessible from the highway with a short drive up a manageable hill. Another option is Gifford Pinchot National Forest-Canyon Creek Dispersed Camping, which offers remote forest camping, though ensure you have accurate directions and sufficient fuel as forest service roads can be confusing. Both locations follow standard dispersed camping rules: pack out all trash, use existing fire rings when possible, and camp at least 200 feet from water sources.

Is there free overnight camping near rivers in the Kelso area?

Yes, there are excellent free riverside camping options near Kelso. Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight offers beautiful riverside spots with a magnificent waterfall just a 15-minute hike away. The spots near the river can be wet and muddy during certain seasons, making it better for car camping than tent setup directly by the water. Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed is another great option with approximately three sites, including a first site on the right when you arrive that offers a short hike down to a creek. The area is peaceful with a nice mix of forest and open space, providing a remote feeling with minimal crowds.

What camping options are available near Longview and Kelso, WA?

The Longview-Kelso area offers diverse camping experiences for different preferences. For those seeking secluded forest camping, Road to Snag Lake - Dispersed provides isolation with minimal traffic on nearby dirt roads, perfect for stargazing, with at least four additional campsites along the same road. For small trailers and vehicle camping, McBride Lake NF-81 Dispersed accommodates pop-up trailers up to 17 feet, though the narrow access road may challenge larger RVs. If you prefer established facilities, Gee Creek Rest Area I-5 offers overnight parking with access to water and toilets. Most dispersed sites in the region are first-come, first-served with no reservations required.

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