Looking for tent camping near Kelso? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Kelso campsites are perfect for tent campers.
45 tent camping sites NOTICE: Ground tents only (no tent trailers) Group camping facility with 15 tent camping sites and a covered picnic shelter with fireplace and sink NOTICE: Ground tents only (no tent trailers) Day use picnic area (see fees) Swimming beach Beaver Bay hiking trail accessed from this park. Water and restrooms provided Boat ramp Entrance gate closes at 9 p.m.
Sand Island St. Helens Campground is located just 25 minutes from Portland, Oregon and Longview, Washington. This 31.7 acre offshore overnight camping experience offers docks, nature trails, beaches, picnic tables, campsites, restrooms, kayak connections, water adventure rides and more. This brand new camping facility is fun for the entire family and sure to become a frequent camping destination. Upon arrival for overnight stays first check in at the St. Helens Marina. Our courtesy shuttle will unload your gear and take you to the parking lot for your vehicle and bring you back to the marina. Once you arrive on the island via our boat shuttle our staff on the island will take you to your campsite and even take your gear to your campsite with our speedy people mover. Each overnight camping group is offered this free shuttle to and from the St. Helens, Marina daily. Overnight guests can receive a phone number for late night check in if you plan to arrive after 5 p.m. Please ask for this in your booking description area online. Bathrooms are on the island, showers are a 3 minute shuttle ride to the main land. The island offers spectacular views of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State and Mt. Hood in Oregon State plus stunning river views. Huge commercial ships will take your breath away as they grace the river on the east side of the island. The sandy beach point is a wonderful place to take it all in. Horseshoes, corn hole, and other games are available to check out and enjoy. Pets in your control are welcome as long as you clean up after them and do not disrupt other guests. A dog that barks at strangers or just because…will be politely asked to go home. A peaceful experience is our goal for all guests. Additionally, the island is just a shuttle ride away to the City of St. Helens river front district complete with lovely dining experiences, fun shopping, buying souvenirs at local gift shops or at the famous 2 C’s Vendor Mall. You can even take in a movie at the historic Columbia Theater or savor a wonderful cocktail or craft beer if the mood hits you.
$30 / night
Our beautiful property features, forest and meadow settings. We have a beautiful new stage we built in 2019. We also have a tiny cabin available.(Tiny cabin per night-$85, plus a Tipi at $65 a night.) We offer much more! Lovable goats!!! We will provide WIFI. Make sure you read about our amenities. We are located close by a lot of cool activities. Columbia River 10 minutes away. Trojan Park 8 minutes away. Scappoose Bay 20 minutes away. Beaver Falls 20 minutes away!
$30 - $300 / night
$10 - $15 / night
Hi and welcome. We have forty beautiful acres of pasture and forest halfway between Portland and the Oregon coast. We are above the small community of Buxton Oregon and easy to get to one a little more than two miles off of hwy 26 Accessible through a dirt farm road. Each campsite has a fire pit and picnic table. A couple of chairs. and a hammock We also have an RV toilet in a small tent and provide five gallons of spring water in a BPA-free container We have cows, goats, lama chickens, ducks geese, and turkeys. They are friendly and you can visit and hike in our property Gardens. Geodesic dome greenhouses berries and fruit trees We also have rooms available at our home and retreat center and a sauna hot tub flotation tank. Hyperbaric oxygen chamber Pulse electromagnetic therapy Red light therapy and Pandora star light entrainment device,
I do energetic healing work with an ability I was born with. I help people with physical healing work that can take out the pain and resolve physical issues through deep emotional work and strengthen your connection to source. My wife does past life regression sessions and dreamwork and teaches meditation
$45 / night
Forest Road 83 provides access to Mt St Helens campgrounds. There are dispersed sites along this road for camping, and the area provides access to Climber's Bivouac, Ape Cave, and Lava Canyon. Camping near Mt St Helens is open from Memorial Day until snow blocks the roads. Food, lodging, gas, and other services are available in nearby communities.
Keenig Creek Campground is located just off the Wilson River Highway, 18 miles east of Tillamook, Oregon. It is a rustic site, located above the Wilson River, adjacent to Keenig Creek. The campground has 12 walk-in tent sites, two day-use picnicking sites and a trailhead to access the Wilson River Trail, along with fishing and swimming. Each campsite offers a tent pad, picnic table and a fire grate.
$15 / night
All walk-in tent sites. Elk Creek campground is popular with families and is easily reached from Highway 6. Tillamook State Forest campgrounds offer moderately-sized, rustic sites shaded by Douglas-fir forest. Individual campsites are well-screened and include a parking area, a fire grate with cooking grill, and a tent pad. While there are no RV hook-ups, many sites are suitable for travel trailers or small RVs. Some campgrounds have walk-in tent sites a bit farther from the road.
Scout
It was great to go in the Fall as the summer rush is over, but there was still good weather. Place was clean and the staff was polite and helpful with our last minute reservation.
Scout
Scammers and scumbags. I purchased a cabin here. When it came time to move in I discovered the fridge/freezer had gone out and rotten meat had festered there for weeks or months. It was completely uninhabitable. I spoke to the seller who was willing to void the transaction, but the sleazy salespeople at Camper Hideaway refused to give up their$8,000 commission. I'm talking to the Vancouver Free Legal Clinic to see if I can get my money back. Tread with caution.
Legend
I had researched this park quite awhile beforehand and was interested based on the reviews posted here. It looked pretty nice. Unfortunately when we were able to preview it by driving through I was surprised to find out it was not at all what I had seen in reviews. This place is on the edge of a small town and it looks like it is occupied by long term tenants with a lot of paraphernalia and personal belongings strewn about. For us, traveling for vacation and sightseeing it would not be a place we'd wanna stay. We did have dinner and really enjoyed it in the little town of Vernonia where it is located and that was great. The park is also adjacent to a fantastic walking biking trail and it's next to a city park.
Scout
The owner, the place, and all of its contents are absolutely dreadful; Before i left i learned that she (Sue Hart) has several lawsuits out against her from previous tenants for various shady unlawful behavior, among them being conning people with bs electric bills and refusing to keep her shit boxes up to standard for human beings to be in, one man died from a fire that occured there which went under investigation and I remain unsure of the outcome of that but the trailer that i was temporarily in caught fire from the outside and the maintenence man just happened to pass by noticing it and alerted us thank god and when it got back to Sue she had the nerve to try to blame myself and my elderly mother for it saying we had too much plugged in and running at once when we did not! .. Place absolutely reeks of cat piss and wood rot, please don't waste your money on this overpriced meth market with a total creepo as her right hand man for a "security guard" of the park whose "office" is located right and i mean RIGHT by the ladies showers… uhh, how that is even a thing is beyond me but watch yourselves and your young kids- the pedo vibes are real so enter at your own risk.. but honestly, just please don't.. much love 🙏
Scout
I was contacted by the company who owns this site. Automatically the individual had threatening words to me as in, you need to go buy a tent now. We have the right to remove you from premises right now. Terrible customer service, and after spending money for the service they provide. They will just take away everything from you and kick you off the princess. The owner also likes to redefine what objects and vehicles are. Also, like to redefine vocabulary words. I would stay away from this place due to helter-kelter atmosphere.
ScoutThe campground is easy to get to and thanks to the staff has a lot of unique amenities like you can fish in Silver Lake from your motel room or rent a variety of boats for the day.
Traveler
Nice area to camp at, vault bathroom close by but there was no toilet paper so bring your own. Does feel like camping in a Parking lot. Trail close by.
Guide
Right off forest road 81. 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. No bathroom. 1-2 bars with Verizon.
ScoutEasy to get to. Just 1 mile from the Mount St Helens visitor center. Right on Silver Lake with a perfect view of Mount St Helens. The place was clean and quiet. Employees were helpful and courteous. Lots of ways to stay. Motel rooms, cabins, RV and tent spaces.
Guide
Diamond Milld rd is a tight logging rd with a kinda steep danger zone cliff on this edge. If you get to spot (the coordinates on dyrt arent exact but close) you will see basically the only part of the rd with a pull aside areai prob for two vans or cars. Its a nice view but kinda creepy if alone IMO. The dispersed camping for this St Forest applies to tenters mainly being 1 mile away from a paid campground. But for just car and van camp youd have to chance it at day area or drive way in to the forest down a rd.
Scout
The campground itself is nice, but there's the near constant hum of interstate I-5 traffic less than a hundred yards away.
Scout
We were treated in a discriminatory manner by the upper management. We felt extremely let down by how they behaved, since the main office worker, Jackie, had been very nice & professional.
Miranda, on the other hand,.. I do not recommend doing business with her. She looked down her nose at our RV, even though it is in great shape, only requiring a couple of easy updates that we had already explained how we were planning on dates to accomplish said updates.
Especially since, as you peruse the park, you see Multiple campers in violation of posted park rules, and much older & crummier looking RVs than we own, in much worse disrepair. Also, when Miranda called to deny us the spot, she began our phone call in a deceitful way, in fact lining me up to level the blow of rejection. Miranda is not kind at all, and treated my husband & I unfairly. We do Not recommend staying here.
Scout
The "cabins" are essentially shed conversions on a flatbed and wheels that rock and sway. Not ada accessible. They have electricity but no insulation and the water reeks of sulfur. The loft style beds seem like they are for children.
The host Joann is money hungry and inflexible. Be sure to get travel insurance and read all rules and reviews on other platforms prior to stay to be well informed of issues and not be blindsided by uncharges here. She will enter your space as she sees fit. There are no boundaries for her but tons for guests with rule signage plastered everywhere on the grounds.
Campground is covered in rabbit feces, so parents with small children beware. I would never stay here again. For the headache of dealing with the host alone it made the entire experience one of an utterly uncomfortable inconvenience.
This place looks nice from an outside view but staying here is an entirely different story.
Also the fact that a Joanna left a 5 star reviews here when all other platforms have complaints is a bit questionable.
Scout
Extended our stay because there was so much to do for the kiddos. Staff here are amazing and fellow campers a delight.
Scout
Been here many times. Sometimes strange folks show up but they almost always keep to themselves.
Great place to spend some time next to a lake.
14 day limit in 30 days.
Scout
Beautiful and private campground, we'll be back for sure. Honey hole type toilets and lots of water spigots around. We didn't hike but there seemed to be lots of hiking trails, plus the beautiful river! Despite there being a total burn ban (propane stoves only) there were SEVERAL fires happening all weekend which was disappointing.
Most sites are really private which we loved. We walked through the three loops that were open and made note of the sites that looked most private/flat-ish for a tent/good location. In our opinion these were the best sites we could see: Loop B 24, 52, 47, 44, 39, 38, 36, 31. Loop C 56, 57, 60, 69. Loop D 78, 80, 84 (this one seemed to have an awesome trail leading right down the river!). No cell service so plan accordingly!
Scout
I pulled up and it looked abandoned and unsafe—something from a horror movie. The bathroom literally had trash dumped out in front and the some of the campsites were unkept. It's trek to get back there for such disappointment. Left as soon as I could, ended up sleeping at a rest area.
Guide
They have several back-in spots, some with partial hookups and some with full hookups. Most of the spots are well-shaded from the trees. A specific area is designated for tents only, and some cabins can also be rented. It was a 5-minute walk downhill to reach the lake, which had a very long and nice boat ramp deep enough to accommodate just about any boat. Regarding cell service, I got 3 bars of LTE with my iPhone. Overall, it was a nice, quiet, shady place to visit, and I will definitely be back.
TravelerTillamook Forest has so many amazing dispersed camping opportunities! We turned onto Ben Smith road and then took logging trails up the peaks. We found a perfect spot that looked like we were on the edge of a cliff but was actually still very safe for our toddler. No cell service, so we just unplugged for 3 nights and enjoyed the time together. We could see the northern lights the first night we were there, and it was absolutely incredible. We had a lot of privacy. One hunter walked by, I assume he was using the nearby trail. We heard some ATVs over the days, but it wasn't disruptive. Totally recommend it, and we'll definitely be back.
Scout
The campground itself was kept very clean and each site has basically zero trace left at it. There’s a creek and a few fun trails to explore as well
Guide
A couple spots right off the road for car camping or small campers. There was an “official” camp sight more near the Dry Creek Trail (has a bathroom). We opted to walk south along the river to try and find a space. Ended up crossing the river where there are a couple more hidden spots. We found out later that there is a trail right before you cross Trapper Creek that leads you to the spot we were at. There were a few people out and you can sometimes hear cars but overall it was an easy stay with some nice views. The river drowns out most the noise. Would definitely come back here
Ranger
Spent one day and night at lower falls campground. The sites are all nice. There are miles of trails close by and the hike to middle and upper falls is great. I was surprised how many open sites the there were after arriving. Very quiet with the sound of the falls in the background. Just an awesome place will return again. No cell service. Bring your own water. Lots of chipmunks so tote up your food when done. About an hour and 20 minutes north of Carson. The last 5 miles of road to the campground is a mess so be aware . (Hwy 90)
Traveler
It’s a great, fairly secluded spot, large sites, beautiful to be in. Don’t forget to reserve your site in advance and get your Discover Pass!
Scoutthis is my #1 fave campground but mostly I'm leaving a review to address the guy's comment below: the NW forest pass isn't the correct pass for this area. you have to make a parking reservation online through recreation.gov, just search for " Lewis River Recreation Area Tickets" or "Lower Falls." just would hate to see someone not be able to enjoy this beautiful area because they read some guy's incorrect rant! :)
Guide
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."
Scout
I am the new Park Host at Scappoose RV Park, I have been here for 5 months. I have put allot of time in making the park a safe and clean place for families. Please come take a looked, I have gotten so many compliments on how good the park looks again!
Traveler
This spot was great for a night! Super quiet. There was some trash around the site and the road, so I picked up as much as I could. The view was misted over but beautiful anyway- however, in my little Nissan Versa, I struggled on the roads up and down. I eventually kept it around 5-10mph to avoid damaging my car, but I got there just fine and had no issues at the campsite. I've got T-Mobile and had full bars.
Tent camping near Kelso, Washington offers a variety of scenic locations for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from secluded spots to well-equipped sites, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Kelso, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Kelso, WA is Cougar Park & Campground - Tent Only with a 4.1-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Kelso, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 37 tent camping locations near Kelso, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
