Looking for tent camping near Mount Rainier National Park? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Mount Rainier National Park campgrounds for you and your tent. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
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.
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.
Camp Muir is the preferred basecamp for hikers and climbers attempting to summit Mt. Rainier. It is named after John Muir, renowned naturalist and a member of the sixth group to summit the iconic Pacific Northwest peak. Located at 10,080 feet in elevation, Camp Muir is not a campground in any traditional sense. It is made up of an old stone shelter which is open to the public on a first-come basis, and another outbuilding used by professional guide companies. If the shelter is full, climbers pitch their tents on the rocky scree field. A wilderness and climbing permit are required to access this part of Mt. Rainier Park. Reservations for those permits open in March of each year.
The approach to Camp Muir should not be attempted by anyone without significant mountaineering or route finding skills. The National Park Service offers specific compass bearings to travel through the Muir Snowfield. These bearing should be used in tandem with an accurate topographic map. Because snowstorms and fog events can cause whiteout conditions during any month of the year, traversing the Muir Snowfield to reach the camp is one of the most dangerous sections of the trail. There have been multiple fatalities in groups that got off route in this treacherous glacial area.
Because any night spent at Camp Muir is often a part of a much larger mountaineering attempt, campers must be well-prepared for high alpine conditions. Above treeline means that winds are high and cold, and any tent or shelter should be four-season rated. There are stream crossings during the approach, and, while the water must be treated, Pebble Creek is a good source to fill up containers- there is no water at Camp Muir. Use the ‘blue bag’ system for solid human waste- there is a receptacle at the camp.
A backcountry campsite on the Spray Park Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
Part of the Northern Loop Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
$5 / night
Part of the Northern Loop Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
Scout
Wanted to make some headway leaving Mount Rainier towards Seattle and stay somewhere in the middle. Should have camped at Cougar Rock and driven further today. Expensive (30 plus tax) tent camping prices afford you an unlevel pad of weedy haphazardly maintained grass that's actually just the back yard of a house converted into way too many tent sites and two cabins. No fire pit, no picnic bench for my site, not raked after cutting the weeds so grass in EVERYTHING. The best part? The advertised wifi which would add some redeeming quality to the price tag doesn't reach the camping area (even though I could throw a rock to the reception desk from there) AND in the morning you have the blessing of COIN OPERATED showers after already paying for your stay. One single toilet and one single shower at the camp store for all campers.
AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. Not worth your money when there are plenty of decently maintained forest service sites around with flat camping pads. I only give it 1 of 5 stars because I found something worth about 30 dollars in the parking lot. Otherwise it's 0/5.
Guide
This campground has super friendly staff, decent bathrooms and showers, laundry facility, access to a lake, fishing is welcome, swimming allowed, great playground for kids, allows pets, has a small store in the office with some essentials if you forget something. It is about a 1 Hour drive to the entrance of Mount Rainier National Park.
Guide
The facilities, while only vault toilets, were always kept clean. The trees and the river were beautiful. We loved that we were only 5 minutes from the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, and about the same distance to Packwood WA for access to amenities if needed. I’d recommend trying to get a site along the river. There was no cell phone signal (T-Mobile) for miles around.
RangerI've been coming here since I was a little kid and it's still one of my favorite campgrounds (with leashed pets allowed). It's cute, wooded, with a moss covered old growth forest, fairly private camps, with one large group site available. Obviously the river spots are the prime locations but we recently had to branch out and stayed in the more wooded Loop B at site B4. We found we had plenty of space and privacy for a party of 5. At this location we had piped water between us and site B5, and we were conveniently located a short walk from restrooms and Purcell Falls. There are plenty of options to keep you busy inside the campground such as visit to one of the many rivers or creeks, the blue hole or a hike to Purcell falls.
If you choose to use the campground as a base camp your close to many other options as well; Ohanapecosh campground and amphitheater, hike naches peak loop, visit the town of Packwood or Mount Rainier National Park (no pets allowed).
Guide
Very nicely maintained campground. Get your reservations in the winter before your trip. Spots fill up fast. Bathrooms are clean. Tent sites are nice and provide plenty of room. Tent sites aren’t to close to each other but typical for national parks. Highly recommend this camp ground.
Traveler
Good sites for tent camping but the sites aren't great for an RV.
Traveler
We made reservations here 9/3-9/5. We had a dry camping, asphalt parking site next to the restrooms at the end of the loop (near the camp hosts). It was very quiet here and the area is just beautiful.
The roads through this campground are a bit tight and have a few low-hanging trees, so be aware if you have a larger rig. Our 32’ fifth wheel was fine but I wouldn’t want to go much longer than that.
There are plenty of hiking, fishing, and sight-seeing available in the area. This campground was a great jumping-off point for visiting nearby Mount Rainier National Park.
The campground has both dry camping and water/electric hookups, but no dump station. Flush toilets and pit toilets were located in the campground; the flush toilets we were next to were clean. There are several water spigots scattered throughout the dry camping loop, although they weren’t threaded so we couldn’t run a hose to them. Washing dishes at the spigots and in the restrooms was discouraged.
Nearby Enumclaw had everything we needed. The drive through the forest to get there was nice and we spotted several moose in the trees.
Verizon signal was spotty.
Ranger
Hiking is one of my favorite things to do when I am not working. I spend a lot of my free time doing this. Granite Creek Campground is a great place to camp- but it is also a great starting point to hike. You can start at Granite Creek Campground and hike to Sunrise Point which is in the Wonderland trail in the Mount Rainier National Park. It takes me about 5 hours to do a roundtrip loop from one point to the next and back. It is about 8 miles roundtrip, and I would say it was "middle' level experience. The scenery, wild life, and greenery are to die for. My favorite time of year to do this hike is in the spring time because there are so many gorgeous flowers that are blooming. I almost feel like I am in some sort of flower painting, because everywhere you look there is a different color flower. I have yet to stay at Granite Creek Campground but it is on my list to do at some point. Going through the campground in the summer, it is ALWAYS busy. So many RV's and tents all around- I would definitely say this was a great sign and tells you a lot about how much people like staying here. It is always clean too. There are bathrooms on site (I usually use them before and after my hike)! They are clean, and always stocked with toilet paper and toilet seat covers. I would highly recommend coming here! To camp or to hike!!!
Guide
Beautiful campground USFS several RV Sites, tent sites on the lake water no hookups vaulted toilets very clean. camp host Mike was very helpful with local information
Scout
Let me start off by saying - if there are so many campsites in Washington, why would you want to stay at the same place multiple times???
Ike Kinswa is the place I would stay at repeatedly. Between the incredibly helpful and friendly staff, to the private tent sites, to the water access, we’ve already stayed twice this summer!! So incredibly impressed with this gem!
Scout
Decent, but the facilities are a bit rundown and there were three tent sites 5 feet from my door. Staff was friendly enough and 20 mins into Seattle.
GuideThis campground was alright to stay in. The highway right next to the KOA was very busy and noisy all night long, bring earplugs. The tent sites were a joke. You get a small square in a grid of 16 or so squares. Our 10x10 tent took up more than half of the tent site. The neighbor’s tent was 4 feet from ours, offering little to no privacy. The WiFi barely worked, but the showers were nice. The back showers are private rooms which are really nice, especially when camping with little ones to keep them contained. There’s no water or electric hookups for tent campers in the little squares, I had to fill my jug up from a hose on the side of the main building. To access the WiFi you have to make an account, which was annoying also.
Guide
Decent coin op showers. Nice walk in tent sites. Nice RV sites. Decent playground. Fishing bridge just a short walk. There's no store or anything. Can buy firewood nearby. Flush toilets. Cleaned regularly.
GuideWas able to get a tent site first come first serve for what wasn't reserved. Very cold and rainy in comparison to campsites outside of the park. Site were private but the bathrooms were a walk.
Guide
2020 prices in the photo. Clean camp with multiple water points. There's 4 or 5 spots large enough for an RV away from the river. Several flat tent camping spots along the river.
We found the location a little noisy because HWY12 run along the north side of the park.
Guide
Only con is road noise from Hwy7. Main through fare to Mt Rainier south entrance and services. Sites may be too close together if park was full. We were one a few campers! We tent camped and had view of Lake Alder. Nice campground host. We'll cared for, clean, organized sites. No sewer or showers, pit toilets.
Traveler
We stayed in the tent camping area. RV section looks very nice too. Had a great time, but next visit will select a site in the lower loop, further away from the interstate noise. Lots of trails for walking/biking and a swim area. Access to the upper stretch of the Yakima River. Clean restrooms and varied site size.
GuideHas tents site to camp at
ScoutThis campground is a strange hidden gem - stick with me through the downsides. Taidnapam is on Riffe Lake, which is created by a dam and as of about 2013 the water levels have been permanently lowered by 30-ish feet. This is bad news for people who only went there for boating and fishing and swimming in the swim area but for some of us it's actually good news.
The campground is slower than it used to be during the summer months due to the lowered water levels - but that means you can often still get a reservation at the last minute, especially for the walk-in tent sites (which is what we use). We have camped for three years now at the walk-in tent sites and it's a bit tougher to access the water but you definitely can still find plenty of places to get in or take a kayak down to the water. There's also lots of fun areas around the edge of the lake to explore that used to be under water - making for interested hiking.
We love this campground to go to with kids - the walk-in tent sites are great and the water is so shallow now for quite a ways out so the kids can play in the water and the sand/mud along the edge of the lake. There are so many nooks and crannies around the edge of the lake to explore with the kids - and we used an inflatable kayak while there to go across the lake. They also have a scavenger hunt of items hidden around the campground that you can do with your kids (or if they are a bit older they can do on their own) and a playground.
TravelerWe Can’t Thank The Rainbow RV Resort Enough For The Wonderful Stay We Had. They Are A Clean Reasonably Priced RV Camping Site With Tent Camping Available, A Boat Launch A Beautiful Dock And Swimming Area As Well. Thank You To All The Rainbow Resort Staff For Making Our Stay An Enjoyable And Memorable One! Beautiful Place With Amazing Views Of Tanwax Lake! We Look Forward To Staying Again Sooner Then Later! Take Care!
Traveler
The tent sites are right off the parking lot; I was a bigger fan of the backcountry camping. But the lake is this amazingly clear, turquoise blue. You can see the fallen dead wood sitting at the bottom of the lake. Hiking into the alpine was too beautiful for words. I loved the area, but I didn't like the parking lot proximity
Traveler
This camping is great if you do not mind having others near you or if you are fearful of venturing out alone. If you are looking for a secluded location, this is NOT the spot. This location had many amenities. My husband and I tent camped and it included ample space to pitch our tent, a small in-the-ground pit, and a table. We noticed many RVs and many sites had available hookups. There is a nice lake in walking distance for boating, swimming, and fishing.
Ranger
Well maintained campground, full hookups and tent sites available. Sites fairly large & private with tons of old trees and right next to a creek. Bathrooms clean. Fire pits and firewood available from hosts. Easy access to Rainier NP. Hosts super nice. Only thing that would make this place better is more substantial picnic tables which were new but kind of rickety. Would camp here again.
Legend
There are several pullout towards the end of the Middle Fork Road that offer access to the river and dispersed tent campsites. These are in National Forest Land NOT in DNR land where dispersed camping has different regulations.
Great views of the river and the mountains above. No facilities and no cell-reception.
GuideWe spent a weekend tent camping here and I can't wait to go back when it gets warmer and this time bring the Turtle. The campground is meticulously maintained, facilities are super clean, there is a dishwashing station, and a super cute store. The two guys who run the place are super friendly, drive around delivering ice and firewood, and are so welcoming. There is a creek that is fun for kids to play in and a large field to go explore and walk around in. Beautiful location and close to Mt. Rainier NP.
Traveler
Runs along a creek that you can here from all sites. Perfect for tent camping. The site offers picnic tables & a triangle shaped fire pit. The fire pits have a grill grate over top of them that we cooked dinner on at night. The facility only offers vault toilets, they were decent. The trash pick up is at the entry which did not smell & was picked up on Friday’s.
We had a few small visitors including a chipmunk & a field mouse.
Going up the mountain we found a really cool meadow & lake.
Legend
Tent camped here on a last minute whim. When the weather is not the greatest on the west side, we head to Cle Elum! This is all first come, first served camping. Nothing fancy, vault toilets, tables, fire ring. I would imagine if it was busy, it would be pretty loud and dusty. There is a small dirt bike track the starts here, so if you are looking for pristine quiet, this is not your place. If you come out to the woods to ride bikes, it would be awesome!
The weekend we were there, it was pretty quiet. Played in the creek. I would go back.
Tent camping near Mount Rainier National Park offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning natural beauty while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities. With several well-reviewed spots to choose from, campers can find the perfect setting for their adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mount Rainier National Park is White River Dispersed Camping with a 4.5-star rating from 19 reviews.
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