Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near McKenna? Find the best information on tent camping near McKenna, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. From remote to easy-to-reach, these McKenna campsites are perfect for tent campers.
The campground at Mowich Lake is the smallest of the four camping areas within the boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park. The road is unpaved after the first three miles and may be rough. Also, this is a walk-in campground only and fires are not allowed. With all that said, however, it just may be the most pristine and beautiful place to pitch a tent you’ll ever come across, with one of the most magnificent views of the mountain that you’ll find anywhere.
Tents only. Backcountry camping permits are available from the Carbon River Ranger Station (360) 829-9639.
10 acres of natural forest on a working farm
Learn more about this land:
Come enjoy your stay with farm animals!
Pitch your tent wherever you would like in the forest.
We let you choose anywhere you feel is right so make sure to walk around right when you get here to feel out your special spot!
We have chickens, turkeys, goats, livestock guardian dogs, alpacas, rabbits, barn cats, ponies, a llama, and two pigs! So much fun and entertainment!
If you want to give the animals treats just ask us if its okay first and we should be able to give you some treats to give them or you can bring your own. All the animals are super friendly and love all the campers!
Enjoy some quiet time in nature and with all the animals. You can walk into the goat pens, pig pen and hang out with the chickens and turkeys at anytime, just remember to shut the gates after! Be aware of hot wire fences.
We encourage to just sit and hang out with the animals and be in the present moment. Animals are very healing.
Whether you are looking to find some quiet time under the trees in nature, hang out with farm animals, socialize with other campers, relax around a fire, this space is suited for many kinds of healing.
We are about an hour from Mount Rainier National Park, only an hour and a half from Seattle and the Olympia Farmers Market is only 30 minutes away!
We are happy to share our space with others!
-Jason and Kat
$60 / night
The historic Mather Memorial Parkway (State Route 410) is the gateway to a recreational haven. On a clear day, enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Rainier. For more excitement, take a spin in the off-road vehicle area at Evans Creek, or zip down the slopes of Crystal Mountain Ski Area. Or if you prefer solitude, escape into the solace of the forest and leave the world behind.
Mather Memorial Parkway Created in 1931, this paved two-lane classic Cascades drive along Highway 410 from Enumclaw to the eastern edge of Mount Rainier National Park presents majestic views of Mount Rainier and surrounding peaks. More than 200 miles of trails accommodate hikers, horses and mountain bikes. Drive, hike or ride to the Suntop Lookout Cabin at the top of Forest Road 7315. Choose a primitive campsite along forest roads east and west of the parkway. In November buy a permit at the Enumclaw office and take the family out to the woods to cut your own Christmas tree. Most forest roads are unpaved and minimally maintained. Cell phones have limited coverage in the mountains.
Dispersed camping is the term used for camping in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Typically, it refers to roadside car camping, but also refers to backpacking in undeveloped sites. Dispersed camping means there are no services like trash removal, and amenities such as toilets, tables and fire pits, are not usually available.
It is your responsibility to plan ahead and learn the extra skills necessary for dispersed camping. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.
Dispersed camping along Forest Service roads is allowed where there is adequate space to safely park completely off the roadway and not on any vegetation. Whether car camping or backpacking, choose an existing campsite on bare or compacted soil. Unless signed as an area where a fee is required, dispersed camping is free. Dispersed camping is prohibited in developed campgrounds and areas posted closed or no camping. Some designated Wilderness areas have additional restrictions.
$12 / night
A backcountry campsite on the Spray Park Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
Coffee Creek is an intentional community & working farm on the north side of Centralia, Washington. While our 11 acres feels very secluded, we are just 3 miles from historic downtown and 10 minutes from the freeway & shopping. An accessible oasis!
There is a park with swimming, fishing and hiking along the Skookumchuck river within a mile of the farm, in addition to the natural beauty found right here at home. We enjoy bird watching and exploring our forest when we aren't working on the farm.
Seasonal Strawberries & Fresh Produce are our specialties, and farm fresh eggs are almost always available during your stay! We also have pastured meats to purchase & grill.
$50 - $115 / night
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
Game Farm Wilderness Campground is like a real-life Minecraft experience. Just like building and exploring in Minecraft for PC, you can craft your perfect outdoor adventure here, surrounded by nature, and enjoy endless fun and exploration. For More Info: https://www.minecraftapks.com/minecraft-for-pc/
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
Close to lots of hikes and views. A little bit of road noise but not much. Very busy but that’s to be expected at mt rainier. Clean bathrooms and easy check in.
Scout
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Guide
You are supposed to have a Washington State Discovery pass to stay here, also they want you to fill out self registration once you arrive, fyi there are no pens onsite to do so.
This was a nice spot to stay the night, clean, nice picnic tables and fire pits, one pit toilet.
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.
Traveler
Really liked the park. Everything was good about it. The only thing for me was that we have a rv, and there is electrical hookups but no water hookups.
Scout
Just about 10 miles north of highway 12 near Elma. Got a great site right by the river. Nice toilets & showers (in old building so was pleasantly surprised!) wifi by information center, cell coverage limited (1 bar t-mobile with Weboost)
Ranger
Our daughter told us about this place. You have to climb up a narrow gravel road to get here. A drive leads out to a flat area with a fire pit It was raining when we pulled in, so views were limited. In the clear morning, we got a beautiful view of Mount Rainier. We got decent Starlink signal with a bar of Verizon. Spot would be perfect except prior campers left toilet paper around a bush.
Traveler
Discover pass required. Host on site. Paved pads. Some pull thru.
Guide
Went here for a social event and had a blast. Big sites with lovely paths between, wonderful shop with firewood available at any hour (just square up when the place is actually open), clean plumbed bathrooms and a coin operated shower at $0.50/minute. There’s a beautiful meadow, a creek, huge trees. The owners are incredibly friendly and the place is very dog friendly.
Scout
Extended our stay because there was so much to do for the kiddos. Staff here are amazing and fellow campers a delight.
ScoutBeen 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.
Traveler
We intended to stay a week, left after 4 days. Could be a beautiful place if not for people.
Pros:
Open space, plenty of room
Beautiful View
Near the park
Cons:
Crowded, even mid week we had close neighbors
Party spot, loud people with loud music
Dirty, we picked up an entire garbage bag of trash just in the spot we were at. Much more in the rest of the area.
Road noise, you're literally right off the road
River is nice, but it's a glacial run off so it's definitely not a swimming area (dirty)
Road in is super rough
Again, overall it could be a nice place. We stayed Wednesday through Saturday after labor day. So not "peak" season and the place was absolutely trashed. Feces, TP, beer cans and bottles, food trash, even car parts litter the area. We did a clean up but barely made a dent.
The first night was quiet and then some locals came and you could tell it was a party area. Loud music, dogs off leash, close neighbors.
We ended up leaving Saturday because it just wasn't enjoyable.
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!
TravelerRight off the main road, but several sweet camping spots more tucked away and along the river. I’d definitely recommend a higher clearance vehicle if you want to camp deeper near the river due to rocks and tree roots. People need to clean up after themselves though. We pulled up to a spot that was thrashed. That is how free things get shut down.
ScoutThis looked like a pretty good campground. I could see open tenting spots from the road, even! But I was unable to get in early in the evening with nowhere else to go. Too strict!
ScoutUnfortunately this campground is permanently closed.
Traveler
Travel Inn RV Resort offers a welcoming and convenient option for travelers seeking a comfortable stay. Located in a serene environment, this resort provides essential amenities such as full hookups, clean restrooms, and recreational facilities. Whether you're looking for a short getaway or an extended stay, Travel Inn RV Resort ensures a pleasant experience with its friendly staff and well-maintained grounds. For those planning a trip and needing to sort out documentation like an NBI clearance, it's essential to schedule an NBI online appointment for renewal for clearance in advance to avoid any last-minute hassles. By doing so, travelers can focus on enjoying their stay at the resort, knowing their paperwork is in order.
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.
TravelerThis place was gorgeous. Right off a busy road but with being right by the water it tunes out the noise of the traffic. Plenty of spots and can drive in further to be more secluded if needed.
Traveler
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.
TravelerWe had a bit of trouble finding it at first (came from the south of white river), but the little shop down the street has WiFi and we weren’t too far from the entrance. Lots of places to camp, friendly visitors, and overall pretty quiet even with the road right there. The river is so peaceful! Bring a ground sheet for your tents, lots of twigs and foliage.
Scout
I came on a Friday so i could get up early to go hiking. I put up my hammock around 7pm, nobody's else there. Around 9-11pm a few people including a 5th wheel arrived and spent a bunch of time moving that around. They ran their generator, lights and music until 2:30am. My bad for coming on a Friday. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and spent time on the bridge taking photos before riding up the gravel road up to the Summit Lake hike.
Lots of spots along the road which I'll utilize next time to avoid the party :)
ScoutWe found an awesome walk in spot a little bit earlier on on the forest road before these actual coordinates. While we didn't have the comfota of our car parked right next to us, we had spectacular views of Mt. Rainier, easy access down to the river, and a fire pit. Unreal spot about 10-15 drive to the entrance of the park. Paved road all the way.
ScoutThere are plenty of space and camping areas. Nice view of the river. A bot crowed around the weekend
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near McKenna, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near McKenna, WA is Mowich Lake Campground — Mount Rainier National Park with a 4.1-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near McKenna, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 71 tent camping locations near McKenna, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
