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Camping opportunities in the Lakewood area encompass a range of developed campgrounds and military-specific facilities, with several sites offering water access on American Lake. Dash Point State Park Campground in Federal Way provides tent, RV, and glamping accommodations with hiking and beach access, while the Lewis North Travel Camp on Joint Base Lewis McChord offers cabins alongside traditional camping options. Military ID holders can also utilize Holiday Park Military - Lewis McChord Base, which features full hookups and cabin options approximately 5 miles east of downtown Lakewood.
Road conditions throughout the region remain generally accessible year-round, though several campgrounds operate seasonally. Joemma Beach State Park operates from March 1 to October 31, while Saltwater State Park Campground in Des Moines is available only from May to September. Many locations require reservations, especially during summer months when waterfront sites fill quickly. Facilities range from basic tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings to full-hookup RV spots with electric, water, and sewer connections. Cell service varies by location and provider, with some military sites reporting spotty coverage. A visitor noted, "Cell signal is very weak for t-mobile and trees prevent starlink from working well."
The military campgrounds near Lakewood receive consistently positive reviews for their amenities and lakefront settings. The Lewis North Travel Camp earns praise for its wooded environment and proximity to base facilities. According to one camper, it offers "a beautiful view of the lake. It's also not too far from the commissary and gas station." Sites within the JBLM area provide a surprising sense of seclusion despite their proximity to urban areas, with another visitor describing the experience as a "secluded tree filled northwest beauty." Non-military visitors will find options at nearby state parks, where reviewers frequently mention the spacious sites and beach access as notable features. Most campgrounds provide at least basic amenities like toilets and drinking water, with many offering shower facilities and trash disposal.
"Firstly, I just have to say what a positive and amazing experience I had at this campground. The volunteers were friendly, kind and absolutely awesome to interact with."
"The campground itself is tucked into a beautiful, forested area with plenty of trees and privacy between sites. Ours had a tent pad, fire ring, and picnic table."
from $23 - $74 / night
Check Availability"Pros: group camp is very close to beach front area, GREAT CLAMMING AND OYSTERING!"
"Penrose Point State Park is a great place close to Seattle to go camping in a small or large group. It's tent or camper friendly with plenty of spots for busier seasons."
from $12 - $72 / night
Check Availability"Excellent location for those with military access to the base - active duty, retired or family. 30/50 amp hookups. Beautiful views of American Lake. Pet friendly."
"It is in the wilderness, on the lake, but it is also fairly close to stores and gas stations. Long term max is 28 days per spot."
"Very friendly next to the lake plenty of things to do walking, biking, hiking, fishing, Military museums, not to far off of I-5. Full hookups laundry shower facilities. Cabins too."
"Unfortunately the restrooms right next to our site were closed so it was a slight walk to the nearest restroom. Restrooms were heated and well taken care of."
from $12 - $35 / night
Check Availability"Close by stores, trails, parks, harbor. Tacoma across bridge (10 minutes - $6.25 toll)."
"Costco, Home Depot, Albertsons and other shopping close by."
from $57 - $104 / night
Check Availability"We arrived little later around 6 p.m. And being such a nice day there were only few sites left."
"Conveniently located right next to the bathroom with an area for parking two vehicles. I have AT&T and had good service in this spot."
from $12 / night
Check Availability"Need to reserve your site online with the JBLM MWR or go to the adventure center building nearby on base. Nice access to American Lake and fishing nearby as well."
"This is a great spot on American Lake to camp with many sites on the waterfront. I would highly recommend this location to eligible military ID Card holders."
from $8 - $32 / night
Check Availability"Super peaceful, great fire pit location, water at the site entrance, portable restrooms away (but close), and best of all right at the river’s edge."
"We needed something close to the city, but didn’t want to feel like we were in the city, this fit the bill. People are very friendly and accommodating. The park is really clean."
"The location is great, so close to the water, Penrose and other peninsula activities."
"Great location if you want to relax and take long walks at nearby state parks and beaches. Robyn is a spectacular host who was great to communicate with. We will be coming back."
from $50 / night
Check Availability"This is a very nice, typical Washington state park with plenty of trees, greenery, hiking, pathways and even a lake."
"This is a beautiful park located on Deep Lake just outside of Olympia. The park itself is huge offering lots of options for campers. "
from $12 - $137 / night
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GuideIt was MAGICAL- mushrooms, fall leaves, and moss everywhere. Keep in mind that there’s no signal, Starlink nor cell.. we also were freezing at night (35 degrees) in early October and the spots were tricky for our bigger rig. But if you have a smaller rig there’s tons of places off of road 73 for dispersed camping. Bumpy road to get there but keep on driving and you’ll find places with even firepits.
ScoutConfirming the other review saying this is not legal dispersed camping. Luckily was still daylight when he came but would have been fined after dark. Guy was nice though so 🤷
ScoutA spider crawled on me so I got tf outta there even tho it twas midnight. Drove all the way to Tacoma. Spooky. (I’m not a boomer trust)
TravelerBumpy road all the way to the top but worth every minute of the climb. Nice and peaceful and hardly saw any traffic up there. Sadly I didn’t get to see Rainer until the morning for like 15 minutes until clouds rolled in lol
ScoutI wanted to like this campground, but I wouldn’t stay here again for more than maybe one night.
There are signs EVERYWHERE warning about theft, which immediately tells you something about the area. I didn’t have anything stolen, but I was extremely careful about what I left out.
The biggest problem is that you’re basically on your own after hours. There is no campground host, no posted after-hours ranger number, and no non-emergency number at the campground or through the park’s phone system. The staff hours also seem very limited and inconsistent. I arrived around 6:30 PM and nobody was there, and staff didn’t seem to return until around 9–10 AM.
The bathrooms were dirty, out of toilet paper, and the showers were cold. One morning there was a large unleashed dog in the women’s bathroom that growled at me while its owner was showering. I believe she may have been homeless and using the facilities. Again, there was nobody around to contact about it.
Another night, people were extremely loud until almost midnight. Same problem: no host, no ranger and no non-emergency number. Unless something is serious enough for 911, you’re left to deal with it yourself.
There are also a lot of homeless people and visible drug addicts/drug activity around Federal Way. I had been warned about the area before coming here, and I understand why.
The park itself is pretty and might be fine for a quick overnight stay, but for multiple nights, I wouldn’t recommend it. Between the theft warnings, lack of after-hours staff, weird staffing hours, and no way to report non-emergency problems, I never really felt comfortable settling into my campsite.
ScoutMy wife and I came to this campground recently (9/26 - 9/29) and overall it was a great trip. The staff (Rangers) were so friendly and helpful. The site we had for our 20 ft trailer was a pull-through site which was quite level. It was pretty shady and use of our solar panel was minimal. The proximity to Paradise was great. It was incredibly crowded at Paradise despite being so late in September. The campground filled up to full within a couple of hours of our arrival around 2:30 pm. Bathrooms are very basic (flush toilets and only cold water sinks). There was a water bottle filler right outside the bathroom and tasted great. There is no option to fill trailer tanks with water. Their water filler and dump station has been out of order for a couple of years per the ranger, so I don't expect it to be fixed anytime soon. We were told that there was a water filling station in Alder Lake Park but it is a ways from this campground. We brought our own water so didn't need it. Our site itself was great but there is a reasonable amount of debris around other sites. Overall, we would come again.
RangerVery nice! Horse camp but sites 21-30 are for non equestrian campers. Sites are wooded between and large with table, firepits/grill combo, and level wooded spaces. 2 clean, well stocked pit toilets are available. Water faucets available at several locations. WA discover pass but free otherwise. It is patrolled regularly.
TravelerI went here with my fiance in September. Went on a Friday and there was only 1 other group. Theres about 16 sites from what I saw. Its free as well but first come first served. Getting to it is pretty easy and straight forward aswell, heads up the road turns to gravel and it can get narrow. Most of the sites are along the creek which was very beautiful. Theres also 2 trails in walking distance aswell. Most sites also have a table, and metal fab firepit. Theres also a few out houses for restrooms.
RangerThe roads were fair to get to it, little bumpy. Right off road but not alot of traffic. You do have cell coverage here so thats nice. Bring anything you want of need, nothings but trees and the sky are close.
Camping near Lakewood offers opportunities for waterfront recreation, wooded seclusion, and year-round accessibility within 30 miles of the city center. Temperatures range from 35-78°F seasonally, with wettest conditions from November through January. Most campsites in this area don't require high-clearance vehicles, though several access roads become muddy during rainy periods.
Beach exploration: Saltwater State Park offers a distinctive shoreline environment just 20 miles north of Lakewood. "The beach is a short walk from camp, just long enough to make you feel like you earned your sunset view, but not so long that you regret your life choices. It's more of a rocky, muddy beach than a sandy one," notes Saraj B.
Fishing: Riverbend Campground provides river access for anglers approximately 30 miles southwest of Lakewood. "We are looking forward to going back and enjoying the fishing along the river," shares Johnathan R., while another camper mentions the campground's "lovely river walks and nice picnic spots."
Trail hiking: Dash Point State Park Campground includes an extensive trail network suitable for day hikes of varying difficulty. "Facilities were good and trails around are fun and easy enough for me and 2 kids. The beach and its tides are why we came," writes Ingrid M. The park maintains over 11 miles of trails, most under 3 miles in length.
Privacy between sites: Campers consistently mention site spacing at Penrose Point State Park Campground. "This campground is remarkable in the privacy between each of the camping spots, the bird life, the wild and deep forest vibes, and the walking trails," writes Brittany D. Another camper observes, "Sites were reasonably private and quiet at night (except for a brief invasion of 6 raccoons at our site one night!)"
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds maintain well-kept restrooms and showers. "Bathroom and shower is kept clean, as is the rest of the campground," notes a Saltwater State Park visitor. At Riverbend Campground, campers appreciate that "facilities are also super clean."
Family-friendly atmosphere: Joemma Beach State Park Campground offers a welcoming environment for families. "As a local, this is also the spot where you go to camp and party with friends and family," shares Katiedawn V. The park's $12/night camping fee makes it budget-friendly for families.
Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds require advance planning, especially during summer months. "You can only stay at the camp site for 1 night at a time," notes a Joemma Beach State Park visitor. At Penrose Point, "the campground was full with lots of families with young kids...sites felt relatively private and the whole park is heavily wooded."
Airport noise: Saltwater State Park experiences significant aircraft traffic. "Commercial jets landing at Sea-Tac fly directly above us at a low altitude and are VERY loud and VERY frequent (every 3-5 minutes)," reports Travis P. Consider this factor when selecting your campsite.
Cell service considerations: Connectivity varies significantly between campgrounds. At Game Farm Wilderness Campground, visitors report consistent coverage, while at Joemma Beach State Park, "T-mobile service spotty - could not use hotspot. Had to drive about 15 mins down road to park to access 5G."
Waterfront activities: Penrose Point State Park offers family-friendly water access. "Our family had a great time playing in the water each day. The grounds, including bathrooms, were well maintained and the kids enjoyed taking part in the junior ranger program," shares Sarah H.
Playground access: Several campgrounds include play areas. At Riverbend Campground, visitors mention "children and dog play grounds" with "a beautiful view of the river." These amenities provide entertainment options beyond hiking and swimming.
Budget-friendly options: Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor provides tent options despite being primarily an RV resort. "This is definitely a RV resort, but there are 5 or 6 tent camping sites under some big trees which provide shade almost all day. Nice bathroom and showers. Laundry, dog run, tv room, plus really friendly employees," notes Jacob P.
Military facilities: For eligible ID holders, military campgrounds offer excellent value. At Holiday Park Military, "To a military ID card holder, you won't find a better deal. Full hookups, sites are a bit close, but the campground loop makes it feel spacious," shares Paul B.
Site selection: At Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor, "The spaces are very close together, but there are a lot of trees and it's very well kept. I stayed for almost three weeks and it was quiet and relaxing, despite how close together the sites are," observes Joseph I.
Hookup availability: Verify utilities before booking. "We had problems with the camp sites. 1st one had a bad power pole and the next one the water leaked. Still we would return," shares a Lewis North Travel Camp visitor, highlighting that even well-maintained facilities may have occasional issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Lakewood, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Lakewood, WA offers a wide range of camping options, with 281 campgrounds and RV parks near Lakewood, WA and 38 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Lakewood, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Lakewood, WA is Dash Point State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 78 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Lakewood, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 38 free dispersed camping spots near Lakewood, WA.
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