6 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Tall Chief Campground and Tolt MacDonald Park house a selection of upscale glamping accommodations near Mercer Island, providing outdoor experiences with home comforts. At Tall Chief in Fall City, glamping tents and yurts feature comfortable beds, electricity, and private fire rings amid towering evergreens. Tolt MacDonald in Carnation offers similar luxury canvas accommodations with picnic tables and water access. Both locations maintain well-appointed bathrooms with showers, making extended stays comfortable even without traditional housing. The sites include water and electric hookups, with some accommodations featuring kitchenettes and furnished outdoor spaces. According to a camper, "We really loved Tall Chief because it is super close to a lot of great spots around the Seattle region. The bathrooms are usually found to be immaculate with a great 'spa' feeling to their design, making you feel like you are glamping."
Vasa Park Resort on Lake Sammamish provides waterfront glamping options with exceptional access to swimming, paddling, and lakeside relaxation. The resort maintains clean facilities with market access and features organized recreation areas including basketball courts, volleyball nets, and a playground adjacent to glamping sites. Seasonal availability varies, with some locations like Saltwater State Park offering glamping yurts primarily between May and September. Blue Sky RV Park in Issaquah supplements its glamping accommodations with firewood, picnic tables, and full shower facilities. A recent visitor mentioned, "We loved the Vasa Park Resort. We stayed here while visiting my brother in Seattle and had so much fun. We roasted hotdogs and s'mores over the camp fire and our dog loved swimming in the lake. It's a beautiful site and the park is kept incredibly clean."
"After flying into SeaTac late in the afternoon this campground was a great place to start our Washington trip and only about 30 minutes from the airport."
"This campsite was awesome, we far enough away from other campers so it was still peaceful, you did not feel like you were on top of other campers. The fire pit was nice and had a grill."
Available this weekend
from $23 - $74 / night
"I would highly recommend getting a premium site if you can, we set up two ground tents, a roof top tent, and had three cars parked in our spot."
"There are plenty of huge camping spots that include fire pits, picnic tables, and room for your car. There are also spots with RV hookups if you roll like that."
"Lunch green grass with a fire pit. Shared shelter if needed due to weather with 2 grills for use. Great trees to hang the hammock!"
"Water and electric hookup, picnic table, fire pit at each site with additional bathroom with a shower for the grounds. There is a ship playground for the kids and beach volleyball court."
from $25 - $95 / night
"We roasted hotdogs and s‘mores over the camp fire and our dog loved swimming in the lake. It’s a beautiful site and the park is kept incredibly clean."
"Cute campground very close to Seattle and Bellevue right on the lake. Beautiful beach area, basketball courts, playground, and volleyball right at the site. Spots are a little tight."
from $65 - $125 / night
"The staff are friendly and helpful. Lots of trees in our section separating us but in other sections your really close to each other. It is first come first serve and lucky us we got 50 amp."
"We love Tall Chief because it is super close to a lot of great spots around the Seattle region. It’s super close (like 7 min drive) from one of my favorite coffee shops, Aroma Coffee Co. Try it!"
"O Site is adjacent to a river access, which I did not get a chance to check out myself, but being near water is always a plus to me."
"It's close proximity to our house allows us to hook up the trailer after work and include a Friday night in our camping weekend!"
Available this weekend
from $23 - $254 / night
"Pay showers ($1 for 3 minutes) and clean restroom with air dryer, pet friendly, lots of trails to hike and a beautiful beach area with a playground, seasonal/weekend snack shop, outdoor shower by the beach"
"My family stayed here for a night when we went out to Washington a few months ago. It was a nice little place."
from $23 / night
"A Quiet oasis tucked into the forest. The new and clean bathrooms and showers were a real treat after a 2100 mile journey from Texas."
"It’s a very nice location, exceptionally clean and safe. In site 11 you can hear the highway when outside of rv but couldn’t inside. Neighbors were very friendly."
"Walking distance to a gas station for supplies. Clean bathrooms with running water."
"The cabins are great for families and have a bunk bed and futon set up with a table set and even heaters. Bathrooms and showers on site, though showers will cost you."
Available this weekend
from $12 - $61 / night
"Very quiet area, lots of room on site 9, walked to beach area. Bathrooms for camping have code, cleaned frequently. 5G service was fast. Very nice place."
"I thought the wooden fences around each campsite was a nice touch!"
Available this weekend
from $12 - $151 / night
GuideNice campground, well maintained and rangers often patrol the campsite loops. Bathrooms are nice but dated, but quite expensive campground. Paying in-person was $49 for an RV spot with utilities, but booking online was $69 for the same site. Can be busy on the weekend.
ScoutFirst off you get what you pay for it's cheap but you're packed like sardines in a gravel lot that looks trashy as hell I didn't go in the restrooms because they don't have stuff there till after 6:00 p.m. so I was terrified by how disgusting they might be on top of it the owner is quite possibly the rudest most inconsiderate and unempathetic human I've ever encountered he gaslit the hell out of me he insulted my intelligence he lied about our conversations that place is so shady there's no checking or check out time written on their forms they will just make up a time that seems appropriate and then if you don't respond and how they like they'll tell you that you have to leave I thought it was just me but after moving to a beautiful Campground I talked to two out of their individuals that told me that they basically told him to F off and they would find somewhere else really horrible business practices and his sister is just as rude as he is trashy place with Shady practices and Shady people running it. Also if you're one that noise bothers you you will hate this because it's right on the highway and you can hear everything from every spot in the park. Especially if you're looking for nightly you can go down the street to the one they recommended and pay $18 less a night for way more beautiful place
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.
GuideWe spent one night here. Short walk to the riverside.
Scout10 out of 15 sites were available on Labor Day weekend Saturday at 4pm. No reservations - it's just show up, put $15 cash in the box, and claim your campsite. Perfectly adequate car camping with a picnic table, fire circle, and access to pit toilets.
you can still hear road noise from the main road, and barking dogs in the morning from a nearby dog sanctuary. Beautiful rhododendron brush covers the space between sites.
LegendWe stayed here for a short overnight as we made our way up the Olympic Peninsula to Port Townsend. Nice park with a some trails right from the campground. We enjoyed the Maple Valley loop. There are elk at Dosewallips but we didn’t see any. Some road noise from our site (21) and heard a low-flying helicopter in the morning. Shower water pressure was a bit low and the water not hot enough.
TravelerThis is a beautiful state park with plenty of bathrooms, showers, and water points. There are plenty of full hookup RV spots, non-hookup TV spots, and tenet camping sites. There is a playground for kids, easy access beach area for swimming and paddle boarding, and pathways for pleasant walks.
I stayed on the beach loop at site 142. It was sunny during the day with nice shade in the evening. A blackberry patch right behind me was just beginning to ripen.
Great place for families with a loop for the kids to cruise on their bikes.
TravelerUsually, I have a complaint, but there are no complaints.
ScoutFor the price it’s pretty good. $25 a night! There’s a bathroom and a porta potty close by the campsite but no sink. You have to park in a close parking lot not at your site which we would prefer. Our site was very slanted and hard. Lots of bunnies hopping about. The only lone women’s shower is down near the beach. Same with the men’s. The beach is beautiful but covered in tiny thorns of some kind so don’t wear sandles or flip flops!! It will hurt you! The ocean is beautiful of course but lots of kelp so no swimming for us.
Glamping in Mercer Island, Washington offers campers access to the 13-mile-long freshwater island located in Lake Washington, with moderate year-round temperatures averaging 40-80°F depending on season. Many nearby glamping sites provide water access to either Lake Washington or Lake Sammamish, with summer water temperatures reaching up to 70°F in protected coves. Sites within 30 minutes of Mercer Island maintain consistent cellular coverage for most major providers.
Water recreation at Dosewallips: Located on Hood Canal, this park provides river and saltwater access about 90 minutes from Mercer Island via ferry. "Plenty of activities to do; clamming, shrimping, hiking, hunting for oysters, and there's even places to rent kayaks. No shortage of bald eagles here either," notes Shariah T.
Beach exploration at Dash Point: This Federal Way park offers Sound access with tide pools and swimming areas. "Really cute camp spot and play area! Pet friendly and dog park! Went here on our trip to Tacoma north of the city. Very nice beach and area! There's also a light house to check out while you are here," writes Carla S.
Trail hiking at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park: Access the Green River via walking trails about 40 minutes east of Mercer Island. A visitor shared, "Beautiful, clean campground. Short hike to river spots that are perfect for wading or fishing. 10 minute drive from Deep Lake which is beautiful and great for swimming and paddle boarding."
Private waterfront sites: Fay Bainbridge Park on Bainbridge Island offers beach access with Mount Rainier views. "This park has the most tremendous views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker on a clear day and stunning sunrises! Lots of friendly hiker and biker neighbors and very family friendly," reports Marci M.
Clean, well-maintained facilities: Many luxurious glamping sites prioritize bathroom cleanliness. At Kitsap Memorial State Park, "Hot showers and bathrooms are clean," according to Christine R., while the park remains "quiet" with "little beach for kids to explore."
Proximity to urban amenities: Luxury glamping sites balance nature with nearby services. At Blue Sky RV Park in Issaquah, one camper described it as a "Hidden Oasis" and added: "This is a great RV resort. The picture on the app is not at all what this place looks like. A Quiet oasis tucked into the forest."
Reservation requirements: Most glamping sites near Mercer Island require advance booking, especially during summer. At Tolt MacDonald Park, a camper noted: "They offer the typical primitive campsites with fire pits and picnic tables, as well as yurts and shipping container conversions for those who want more of a 'GLAMping' outdoor experience."
Site privacy varies: Some locations offer more seclusion than others. At Kanaskat-Palmer, "Sites are large with lots of trees. It feels like you are deep in the PNW rainforest but you're close to amenities and shopping," according to Adele W.
Noise considerations: Depending on location, some sites experience ambient noise. At Saltwater State Park, a reviewer warned: "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)."
Look for playgrounds and recreation areas: Vasa Park Resort offers multiple family-friendly amenities. "Cute campground very close to Seattle and Bellevue right on the lake. Beautiful beach area, basketball courts, playground, and volleyball right at the site," explains Erin A.
Consider cabins for easier family trips: Many glamping sites offer cabins with beds and electricity. At Tolt MacDonald, a visitor shared: "Spent a night in the yurt. Everything worked." Another added: "The campground, park and trails are very well maintained and they even provide you with garden carts to help you get your stuff across the bridge."
Select locations with wildlife viewing: Kids often enjoy animal sightings. At Tall Chief Campground, campers appreciate the forest setting: "Large private sites. It feels like you are deep in the PNW rainforest but you're close to amenities and shopping."
Leveling considerations: Some sites may require equipment for leveling. At Tall Chief Campground, a camper advised: "Great camp site for all sizes. Mostly no sewer. But if you enjoy a little distance between sites without sacrificing camp size line up here."
Hookup availability: Most luxury glamping sites offer partial hookups. At Kitsap Memorial, "RV sites 1, 2, 4, 9, and 11 will be easier to back in to. The other full hook up sites are 90° approaches," according to one RVer, who also noted "water pressure is low, averaging just over 20psi."
Dump station access: Plan for waste management, especially for extended stays. At Dash Point, a camper mentioned: "Full hookups available, showers are older but clean. Need to buy tokens for the shower. Lots of trails and beach access."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Mercer Island, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Mercer Island, WA is Dash Point State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 79 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Mercer Island, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 43 glamping camping locations near Mercer Island, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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