Kimberlee H.
Scout
ScoutRainbow RV Resort
What?
First they said they had available spaces then they said they didn't.We drove 50 miles to come out here and they didn't have a space all of a sudden!
Camping near Longmire, WA
326 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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SUMMARY PRESENTED BY
Camping options near Longmire, Washington center around Mount Rainier National Park, with several established campgrounds providing access to the park's natural features. Cougar Rock Campground, located just minutes from Longmire, serves as a popular base for exploring Paradise and Longmire areas with sites accommodating both tents and smaller RVs. The region includes additional options like Ohanapecosh Campground on the southeast side of the park and dispersed camping opportunities along forest roads such as NF-52. Most developed campgrounds provide basic amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and vault or flush toilets, while dispersed sites offer more primitive experiences.
Seasonal considerations heavily impact camping availability throughout the Mount Rainier area. Most established campgrounds operate from late May through early October, with specific opening dates varying by elevation and snow conditions. Reservations are strongly recommended during peak summer months when campgrounds frequently reach capacity, especially on weekends. Dispersed camping requires appropriate permits, and campers should verify current fire restrictions before planning trips. Cell service is extremely limited throughout the region, with reception available only at specific locations like Paradise and Longmire. A camper noted, "You're about two hours away from any cell service. The road to get up is all rocks and off-road going up a mountain. 4x4 with traction tires is a must."
Mount Rainier's proximity creates distinctive camping experiences across the area. Campers consistently highlight the old-growth forests, river access, and mountain views as primary attractions. Sites near water features like the White River receive particularly high ratings, though they tend to fill quickly. Several visitors mentioned the convenience of Cougar Rock Campground for accessing hiking trails and park attractions. As one review explained, "Perfect jumping off point to explore and hike Longmire and Paradise areas of Rainier. The campsites are clean and well maintained." Noise levels vary significantly between campgrounds, with highway-adjacent sites experiencing more disruption than those deeper in forested areas. Wildlife encounters, including bears, are possible throughout the region, making proper food storage essential at all camping locations.
Best Campgrounds near Longmire (326)
1. Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park
"They are activities in the evening at the ranger station at longmire or paradise."
"Perfect jumping off point to explore and hike Longmire and Paradise areas of Rainier. The campsites are clean and well maintained. We used our teardrop trailer on loop C of the campground."
from $20 / night
Check Availability2. Ohanapecosh Campground — Mount Rainier National Park
"You are away from a lot of the crowds that you find at the other two campgrounds within the park, and Ohanapecosh takes reservations. "
"Great location, so close to the park entrance. An hour or so away from Paradise Inn and Sunrise Lodge. Hiked Silver Falls Trail which was right across from our campsite (E10)."
from $20 / night
Check Availability3. La Wis Wis Campground
"Super close to the southern entrance to the park. Quiet, clean. And so many spots. Try and get a spot near the river but if you want more privacy stay a little walk away."
"We found the cutest spot close to the restrooms and tucked away from everyone else. You’d forget that there were other campers."
from $23 - $115 / night
Check Availability4. White River Campground — Mount Rainier National Park
"There is also a man who drives around with firewood since you can't bring your own from the outside, and it's very inexpensive."
"Great trail access to the wonderland trail. September is warm by mid day and in the morning and evening there is that cool PNW mountain breeze. Stayed in the A loop."
from $20 / night
Check Availability5. Elkamp Eastcreek
"Rainier as it is within minutes of the Nisquilly entrance. The majority of the campsites were amid tall trees. "
"The sites are situated amongst beautiful tall trees, spacious and private. A beautiful creek runs through with a foot bridge with access to a beautiful meadow."
from $25 - $40 / night
Check Availability6. Big Creek Campground
"I chose to stayed here because of its location. It’s close to the entrance into Rainier NP and there’s plenty of Amazing hikes nearby. I camped alone (I’m a female) and I felt safe."
"Located a short distance from Mt Rainier NP, this is the perfect springboard for any NP adventure or chillax getaway."
from $25 - $45 / night
Check Availability7. NF-52 Dispersed Camping
"We found an awesome walk in spot a little bit earlier on on the forest road before these actual coordinates."
"Got here around sunset. Looks like some good camping spots to walk into. Beautiful view of Rainier. There was a little bit of traffic but nothing crazy. Would stay here again."
8. Mowich Lake Campground — Mount Rainier National Park
"One reason we wanted to stay here was to be close to lots of beautiful hiking near Mt. Rainier. One of the days we went to Sunrise Visitor Center and did a few hikes within the park."
"My husband and I just spent a weekend at Mowiche Campground located in Ashford, Washington. We chose this campground because we wanted to be close hikes near Mt. Rainier."
9. Paradise Pines
"The spot was clean, private, and well-maintained with everything we needed for a comfortable stay—fire pit, flat tent area, and even restrooms nearby."
"Convenient that it is so close to the entrance of Mount Rainier NP made for a few easy trips to come back and forth in between hikes."
from $30 - $45 / night
Check Availability10. White River Dispersed Camping
"It was an absolutely beautiful location, about 10-15 minutes away from the Sunrise Entrance. The first night, I got there after 9pm and there were still plenty of spots available."
"The campsites are absolutely beautiful—tucked among the trees with stunning views and the soothing, constant sound of the roaring White River nearby."
Drive Time
- 1 hr 31 min from Olympia, WA
- 1 hr 44 min from Bremerton, WA
- 1 hr 48 min from Seattle, WA
- 2 hrs 14 min from Yakima, WA
Recent Camping Photos near Longmire, WA
518 Photos of 326 Longmire Campgrounds
Laura M.
Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park
Caroline E.
Skate Creek Dispersed
Diana M.
NF-52 Dispersed Camping
Shannon C.
Camp Muir — Mount Rainier National Park
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Big Creek Campground
Josh P.
Camp Schurman — Mount Rainier National Park
Katie K.
Golden Lakes Backcountry Campsites — Mount Rainier National Park
Jill T.
Glacier Basin Backcountry Campsites — Mount Rainier National Park
Laura M.
Ohanapecosh Campground — Mount Rainier National Park
Joshua D.
La Wis Wis Campground
Kelly G.
Packwood RV Park & Campground
Kier S.
Eagles Roost Camp — Mount Rainier National Park
Recent Reviews near Longmire, WA
1383 Reviews of 326 Longmire Campgrounds
- Christina F.
GuideTaidnapam Park
Sassy gnomes
However you camp, tent or RV, there is a site for you here. Taidnapam is the second Tacoma Power park where I have camped. There are two sides to this campground--the older side which are sites 1-52 are a mix of full hook-ups and partial hook-ups. The newer, larger loop is almost all full hook-ups with a few exceptions that are partial. There are tent spots in-between the two sides. They also have 2 group sites--one with 22 spots of full and partial hook-ups and one primitive group site. We stayed in site 9 with full hook-ups on the older loop. This loop is one big circle with a dividing road so it's kind of like two loops. The rest rooms and playground was in the middle of the first loop. My site had a short trail right to the restrooms/playground area. The playground was pretty awesome! On the far end of the second loop, there is a trail that takes you to the day-use area where there is a second fantastic playground. There was also a sprinkler system there, but we didn't know how to make it work. This area is right next to the river/east end of Riffe Lake. There are no swimming areas however because the lake has lowered over the years. We did ask if there were any swimming areas nearby or a way to get down to the water and they did have a list in the office. We checked out a few of the closer places, but since I have a 4 years old, I did not feel that any of the places were safe enough for her to get down to the water and I did not want to drive miles to get to the next park. One of the fun things about this park are the gnomes up in the trees! I didn't find out until the night before we left, but I guess you can do like a scavenger hunt type of thing to find all the gnomes.
Tonya S.
TravelerThousand Trails Chehalis
Large pines at this beautiful campground
If you depend on starlink, this may not be the place for you. Our Tmobile worked “okay” but not in all areas. Big sites with lots of shade but there are some sites with partial view of the open sky. Staff is helpful and friendly. Fire ban going on right now. No sewer at our site but I saw two dump stations. We will be back but will request a site with more starlink options.
Sabriena E.TravelerTinkham Campground
Beautiful and secluded, but noisy
We had a great time and really enjoyed how secluded and spaced out many of the spots are. Having gone mid week, there were very few other campers, and it was lovely walking around the campground and strolling along a short 1 mile long trail to a mossy and wooded swamp. The temperature was great, had easy access to the river, and had plenty of shade and space at our site.
I will not that being so close to the highway does of course mean non-stop road noise, but I found it easy to tune out if I imagined the noise as a close by waterfall :)
Additionally the “potable water” consisted of one hand cranked pump that took quite a bit of work to get any water out of. Not to mention any water that did come what was rust stained and smelled of iron. That is truly my biggest grievance with this site. If I go again, I will be bringing extra fresh water. I should also note that the bathrooms were very dark, even during the day, and smelled pretty bad, but that’s to be expected from an out house.
Overall I would go again! It was gorgeous and any noise was easily made up for by the trees and moss and isolated sites ❤️
- LLindsay C.Traveler
Dash Point State Park Campground
Perfect for those new to camping
We took our 5 & 6 year olds on their first camping trip. We spent 4 days, 3 nights and all had a great time. We were in a tent site. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is that some of the sites are quite small or very close to the neighboring spots. Our site was wonderful. We loved that it’s so close to the beach and trails for hiking. Best of both worlds.
Lyz F.GuideFR74 dispersed
This could be a perfect camping spot
You park your car at an upper level and then there’s a small trail that takes you down to a quiet and private river. The lower level hang out spot is right next to the river and would be way cooler if people stopped putting their toilet paper and used up poo powder in the fire circle. I would’ve liked to be able to use the fire circle on the upper level instead, but there was a mound of trash in there as well.
There is a small memorial right next to the upper fire circle that had some offerings left at the base.
Alex R.TravelerRanger Creek Airstrip Dispersed
It’s what you think it is
We tried this spot as our first Boondocking experience. We wanted a place that we could try our equipment out for a couple nights without it being too far and this was perfect. Open area spots are good for 30-40ft rigs no problem, and there are way more tent camp spots for those who want it. Just remember, first come first served…All the other reviews and pictures are pretty accurate so you can trust them. Except for the “road to bumpy”… yea, it’s not a Walmart parking lot.
Kasey B.GuideRimrock Dispersed on NF 580
Convenient river spot
Multiple spots located along NF 580. Saw several big goosenecks and some tent campers. Plenty of site with space and fire rings. Be mindful of fires are allowed at the time you visit. The noise of the river does a pretty good job at drowning out the traffic on the highway.
- Kasey B.Guide
Open Space on Forest Road 7320
Last spot
This is the VERY last spot on this NF road. So, if someone is there, you’ll have to back track all the way back down to the bottom. There are several sites at the bottom that look pretty level with fire pits by the creek. There were quite a few mosquitoes up at the top as well, so be aware.
Guide to Longmire
Camping near Longmire, Washington centers around the western and southern approaches to Mount Rainier National Park at elevations ranging from 1,800 to 3,900 feet. Most campgrounds in this region sit within dense second-growth and old-growth forest, providing significant shade coverage during summer months. Water sources throughout the area originate from glacial melt, resulting in consistently cold temperatures even during the warmest periods.
What to do
Hiking at Ohanapecosh: Located on the southeast side of Mount Rainier, Ohanapecosh Campground offers direct access to several trails. "Ohanapecosh, has lots of great trails for most all ages. We took our kids up to Grove of the Patriarchs which crosses a suspended bridge. It does get a bit busy on this trail though. If you keep hiking further it becomes a bit more secluded," reports one camper.
River access and swimming: The region features several campgrounds with river access, particularly popular during late summer. "Blue hole is breathtaking and just 30 min. from Mt. Rainier National Park," notes a visitor to La Wis Wis Campground, which has rope swings and jumping spots.
Ranger programs: Park service educational activities operate throughout the summer season. "Very family friendly with large and small camp sites. Great for multiple family outings. Very full in the summer time. Only a 45 minute drive up to Paradise or White river for amazing hikes on the mountain. Great hikes from the campground too! Visitor center in the campground, fun ranger programs," writes a visitor about Ohanapecosh.
What campers like
River proximity: Many campers prioritize riverside locations for both scenery and recreation. A camper at White River Dispersed Camping reported, "I managed to find a spot tucked super far in that had a small private beach. It was farther from the road so you couldn't see or hear anything. I didn't see anyone else the whole afternoon/night."
Secluded spots: Campers consistently seek sites with privacy and separation from neighbors. At Elkamp Eastcreek, a visitor noted, "The campsites are pretty private and there's specific spots for your tent that has an extra layer of mulch underneath for cushioning. The bathrooms were always clean."
Old-growth forest settings: Many campgrounds in the region feature impressive stands of ancient trees. "Sites are green and shaded. Most are pretty close to one another, but several have river access. Toilets are nonflushing, pit-style, but are kept pretty clean," explains a visitor to La Wis Wis Campground.
What you should know
Road conditions: Forest Service roads throughout the region vary in quality and maintenance. Access to Mowich Lake Campground involves challenging terrain: "My only complaint was the gravel road to get up there, it's like 15 miles long and it's rough. Not the worst road I've ever been on but it wasn't fun and it felt like you had to drive it forever."
Temperature variations: Even in summer, nighttime temperatures can drop significantly. A Mowich Lake camper warns, "Even in July there is snow and temperatures reached as low as 40F. Fortunately we were prepared, but you may not be."
Campground fills quickly: Most campgrounds in the area reach capacity by early afternoon, especially on weekends. "If you do not reserve ahead of time, be sure to come on a Thursday before the weekend crowd comes. We went early Thursday afternoon and had several to choose from. By Friday afternoon, the campground was full," advises a La Wis Wis visitor.
Tips for camping with families
Shallow water access: When camping with children, look for sites with gentle river approaches. "We have 2 little ones, so the close proximity to a small creek was great for the kids. Manager of camp was friendly and even entertained my kids Bigfoot questions!" shares a Big Creek Campground visitor.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Morning and evening wildlife activity provides educational opportunities. A camper at Elkamp Eastcreek mentioned, "We loved the quiet nature of the site. Even though there's a few cabins, it felt really private and peaceful. The site was clean, and the wildlife (deer) that wandered through every morning was delightful."
Multiple tents: Groups with children often need expanded site capacity. "This is one of my favorite campgrounds in Washington State. The area is very large, offering campers the choice of woodsy sites or water front. There is a group site, but when we have gone we just get a few spaces clustered together on the river. Works well and gives the little ones nice space to play in between camp sites," notes a La Wis Wis visitor.
Tips from RVers
Site limitations: Most campgrounds in the Mount Rainier area have limited space for larger vehicles. "This is an older campground with smaller roads and bigger campsites. This makes it great for tent campers and those with smaller RV's or tent trailers. The larger loud RV's would not fit in the spots or on the roads," explains a Cougar Rock Campground visitor.
Pull-through availability: Finding suitable RV spots requires advance planning. "Our campsite was #25. It is a double site with pull through parking for our 17-foot camper. The site has a fresh water spigot at it, and there are several others around the loop," advises a Big Creek Campground user.
Site privacy considerations: RV campers should consider noise factors when selecting sites. "Quiet for the most part with sounds of the river being heard and only the occasional sound of road noise. The river spots are prime real estate and I would recommend those if you can due to the cool breeze that comes off them," suggests a La Wis Wis camper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Longmire campground located in Mount Rainier National Park?
Where is Longmire campground located in Mount Rainier National Park?
Longmire is located in the southwest section of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. It serves as a historic district and visitor service area rather than a dedicated campground. Visitors looking to camp near Longmire should consider Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park, which is just a short drive away and provides convenient access to both Longmire and Paradise areas. Longmire itself is accessible via the Nisqually Entrance, the main year-round entrance on the southwest side of the park.
When is Longmire campground open during the year?
When is Longmire campground open during the year?
While Longmire itself doesn't have a campground, the Longmire area is open year-round as one of Mount Rainier National Park's few areas with all-season access. For camping options, Mounthaven Resort is located close to the park entrance and provides accommodations near Longmire. Alternatively, White River Campground — Mount Rainier National Park operates seasonally, typically from late June through September, depending on snow conditions. Always check the National Park Service website for current opening dates, as mountain weather can affect accessibility, especially during winter months when some roads may be closed.
What facilities and services are available at Longmire in Washington?
What facilities and services are available at Longmire in Washington?
Longmire offers several visitor facilities and services within Mount Rainier National Park. The area features a visitor center with educational exhibits, a wilderness information center for permits, a museum, gift shop, and the National Park Inn which provides lodging and dining options. There are also restrooms, picnic areas, and trailheads for several hiking paths. For those wanting to stay nearby, Ohanapecosh Campground — Mount Rainier National Park on the southeast side offers camping facilities in an old-growth forest setting with streams and a river. Cell service is typically available in Longmire, which can be useful for planning activities around the park.
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