Best Dispersed Camping near Klickitat, WA

There are several places along FR 2730 where you can pull off and camp. The road was very accessible, high clearance not required. We found a large pull off with several established fire pits. It's absolutely perfect for a group campsite. I imagine it will be a busier spot in the summer, but we couldn't find a single other person within miles of us in early May. To get up to the group camp site, you may need higher clearance (most SUVs should be fine) and 4wd/AWD, as there is a short rocky section that might cause some issues for FWD/RWD.

Got a little chilly at night with winds whipping down through the area we were in, but overall very peaceful. You can see Mt Hood from the campsite through the trees, albeit it is decently far away and is subject to the visibility at the time you visit. We were able to see Mt Hood just before sunset, but couldn't see her at all the following morning.

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

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.

This is a dispersed camping spot in the Mt.Hood National Forest that is free --- from both campground payment and people. It's an old forest road off the main gravel road that has been blockaded and closed down, giving you a wide open area that gets sun, mixed with good tree coverage from the wind. 

The spot is flat and great for an RV, van or trailer. It's just a 100 meters off the main gravel road where the old forest road is dug out/blockaded from cars getting through. 

We parked and camped right there. Or, if you want even more solitude, park at the blockade and walk 3/4 of a mile to the end of the forest road strip for some tent camping. Not sure if that is needed as I think we only heard/saw a few car drive by the entire time (on a beautiful August weekend). 

Love this place. Happy to share it with others. If you are looking for some dispersed camping in the summer that's not a far drive from Portland, this spot is for you. If it's full, there are a half dozen to a dozen other dispersed camping spots along this gravel road between Frog Lake Campground and Clear Creek Crossing Campground. Enjoy.

There are many park campgrounds in the Mt Hood NF but also tons of dispersed camping in the forest.

We camped off FS 2656 just south of Trillium Lake in August 2020. There are many other locations. Many are separate drives off a forest road but some side of the road spots too. Lake Trillium gets super crowded.

Download the forest map from Avenza for accurate locations of all the forest roads and trails.

The Mt Hood NF is amazing, with tons of lakes, creeks, waterfalls and hiking trails as well as great views of Mt Hood.

No amenities for dispersed locations but you can use nearby campgrounds for water, trash and dump stations.

There was decent Verizon service when we camped there.

Would definitely camp here again.

I love how Vanessa mentioned the creek access from that first campsite! As someone who's been searching for dispersed camping spots with water features, this feels like such a gem. The fact that Forest Service regularly patrols is actually reassuring rather than intrusive- I've been to some dispersed sites that felt a bit too"wild west" if you know what I mean. I've been using offline hiking apps for my trips in the Gifford Pinchot, but I hadn't considered Little Soda Springs until now. That tip about downloading maps beforehand due to no cell service is crucial- learned that lesson the hard way last summer near Mt. Adams! Anyone know if the creek is suitable for filtering drinking water, or should I pack in all I need?