Best Dispersed Camping near Olympia, WA

Dispersed camping opportunities abound within an hour's drive of Olympia, Washington. The Olympic National Forest offers numerous free camping sites along forest roads, particularly on NF-2419 and FS-2292. These primitive sites typically feature established fire rings but minimal amenities. Joemma Beach State Park provides more developed camping with pit toilets and potable water for those seeking basic facilities. Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead offers several pullouts suitable for overnight stays with 24-hour access to pit toilets, though campers report these facilities "could use cleaning."

Vehicle access varies significantly between sites. Forest Service roads often require high-clearance vehicles, with several campers noting rough conditions. According to one visitor at FS-2292, "The road was a little rough but my SUV made it fine." Winter access becomes particularly challenging, with some areas reaching snow line by December. Cell service is inconsistent throughout the region; Rock Candy Mountain offers strong coverage (with "5 bars of cell service" according to one review), while more remote forest sites have no signal.

Most dispersed sites in Olympic National Forest are free but follow strict Leave No Trace principles. Several campers noted finding "a lot of trash left behind from previous campers" at some locations. Fire regulations vary seasonally, with complete bans during high fire danger periods. Visitors should pack in all water, as most dispersed sites lack potable sources. Weather conditions change rapidly, particularly at higher elevations where campers report it being "at the snow line and very cold" even in spring months. For those seeking solitude, reviews suggest traveling further down forest roads rather than settling at the first available pullout.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Olympia, Washington (12)

    1. Joemma Beach State Park Campground

    10 Reviews
    Lakebay, WA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (253) 884-1944

    $12 / night

    "Simple, small, peaceful campground with pit toilets and potable water.

    Mid week after Labor Day, I had my choice of sites arriving in late afternoon."

    "We arrived little later around 6 p.m. And being such a nice day there were only few sites left."

    3. Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

    2 Reviews
    Matlock, WA
    30 miles

    "We camped near Vance Creek trailhead to do the Olympic Bridges bike ride the next morning. Since this is a national forest, dispersed camping is allowed."

    "This is a gravel road through the National Forest with a bunch of pull-offs where you can camp. It was nothing special but very quiet and peaceful other than one or two cars that passed by."

    4. NF-2419 Dispersed Site

    5 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 956-2402

    "Great avenue to get out into nature with various streams crossing the path of the service road. Truly magical place."

    "Not many other campers' sites are well dispersed . Got to feed 3 Bluejays by hand with my oldest one of our new favorite memories."

    5. Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419

    3 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    36 miles

    "Gorgeous little spot off a national forest road. Stunning views, no light pollution or car sounds at night."

    "No water. First come first served and this one goes quickly!"

    6. FS-2292 Dispersed

    4 Reviews
    Matlock, WA
    38 miles

    "No signal and got a little snow on the roof in the morning but it was a good spot with a great view."

    "Very far off the beaten path, every time I camp here I don’t run into anyone. You’re camping on the Ridgeline so it can be a bit windy."

    7. Large Pull Out (Dispersed) on FR 24

    2 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    35 miles
    Website

    "Not the most private spot if vehicles were to pass. the road looks like it’s used but no one around when we arrived. the road itself is a gorgeous drive and since it’s free it’s worth it!"

    8. NF-2419 Dispersed Pullout

    2 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    36 miles

    "Great spot on the NF-2419, about a mile before the Mt Elinor lower trailhead. Plenty of space for a large vehicle"

    9. Carbon River

    4 Reviews
    Carbonado, WA
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 270-7504

    "My fiance' and I are sleeping in a tent and it has rained a lot but if you go into the woods, you can still find dry branches for starting a fire."

    "I go every year, but unfortunately the only bridge to gain access to camping is closed until further notice"

    10. Ipsut Creek Camp — Mount Rainier National Park

    2 Reviews
    Mount Rainier National Park, WA
    47 miles
    Website

    "Located at the trailhead are two bathrooms, a covered picnic area and a handful of parking stalls with additional parking located along the road. "

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 12 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Dispersed Camping Reviews near Olympia, WA

31 Reviews of 12 Olympia Campgrounds


  • Mar Z.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 7, 2024

    Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead

    Perfect woodsy rest stop off highway

    Right off the highway. Pit toilet and wooded areas. Can still hear highway from this exact GPS location, so I went further on up the road for a quieter spot. A few trucks did speed by in the middle of the night, but it was a Saturday and July 4th weekend. 5 bars of cell service.

  • Megan C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 14, 2017

    Ipsut Creek Camp — Mount Rainier National Park

    Crowded yet Cozy

    Ipsut Creek Campground is a relatively easy 5 mile trek or bike ride with a 700’ elevation gain, down a closed road (due to the road wash out about 3 miles in) to a wooded campground nestled along the Carbon River.

    Located at the trailhead are two bathrooms, a covered picnic area and a handful of parking stalls with additional parking located along the road. 

    The trail begins behind the closed gates into the shade of the old growth forest. The trail then alternates between the shade of the forest and sunny skys with river views and wildflowers along the way.

    There are a few side trips off the main Carbon River Trail even before reaching the Ipsut Creek Camp;

    1. Mini Rainforest Loop, 0.25 miles

    2. Old Mine Trail, 0.6 miles round trip

    3. Green Lake & Ranger Falls trail, 3.6 miles round trip

    Note: Sadly, the trail to Chenuis Falls has washed out, so now there is just a log bridge into the water to nowhere.

    Once you reach the campground, it has about 20 campsites with about half the sites located on the river. We were lucky enough to swoop up site number 15 though, strangely, another family decided to share it with us for our easy river front access.  Thankfully the river is pretty loud and drowned out the noise of our close campers. We did choose to camp on the high-profile weekend of the 4th of July, so all the cool campsites along the river were obviously full, which is why we think we had “friends” join us. There was a large fallen tree sort of splitting the camp site in half, so we took the left half, with the smaller 1 picnic table option, while the strangers took the right half with 2 picnic tables. 

    The trees in camp are great for setting up hammocks. We set up a hammock triangle upon arrival in camp near the river for lazy afternoon naps. My siblings both slept in their hammocks fulltime, while my husband and I set up a tent in a small clearing on the opposite side of the picnic table, closer to the bear lockers (bear lockers are a huge plus, meaning a bear canister isn’t necessary if you’re not heading deeper into the backcountry). 

    The campground had a decent amount of wildlife running around.  We had a number of chipmunks running around our camp cleaning up any scraps left daily; we found a live mouse chilling in a water bottle one morning upon setting up for breakfast, and deer came through the camp just about anytime it was quiet.  

    The campground does have two restrooms but they smell like the bog of eternal stench, so bring strong essential oils, a scented hanky, or a shovel to dig cat tracks in the woods far from camp and water sources. 

    The campground is a good base camp to explore the surrounding Carbon Glacier/ Mowich Lake area. We visited Ipsut Falls, which was less than a half mile round trip out of camp, making for a sweet little trip to break up the day in camp. 

    We also chose to make the adventure up to the Suspension Bridge and to the Carbon Glacier view point. Our morning started off cool in heavy fog, which burned off throughout the day, giving way to magnificent views of the mountain and glacier. The trail was covered in wildflowers, cairns, creeks and mini waterfalls. It made for a beautiful day trip out of camp with plenty of opportunities to go further into the backcountry closer to Winthrop Glacier, out to Tolmie peak area or back out along the Wonderland Trail. Backcountry options seemed endless. 

    Though the trail and camp (and site) were crowded, the hike to the glacier made the entire trip worth our cozy campsite. The Carbon Glacier is a bit dirty looking but to be standing in front of something so ancient and magnificent is truly amazing.  My husband, sister and I have now added a new item to our bucket lists and that is to see as many glaciers as we can before they melt, here’s to our first. =) 

    Note: The campground is located within Mount Rainier National Park (no pets are allowed) so you’ll need to stop by the Carbonado Ranger Station for a Wilderness Permit and National Park Day Pass or Annual Permit to display for parking. No campfires within the campground.

  • Sam S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 6, 2024

    Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

    Olympic National Forest - Dispersed Camping

    We camped near Vance Creek trailhead to do the Olympic Bridges bike ride the next morning. Since this is a national forest, dispersed camping is allowed. We picked the first spot we got to since it was getting kind of late. It wasn't the most ideal spot and I think further down the road has prettier and more remote options, but it made do. There were really huge flies but they did not bite. The only complaint was that there was more car traffic than I wanted very late at night into the early morning. One car even slowed down and yelled at our tent around 2am. We never felt unsafe but it was annoying. A lot of trash was left behind from previous camper. I would suggest finding alternative spots if you're looking for a more enjoyable night but if you are just there for an overnight, it is fine.

  • Suzie K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 20, 2025

    Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

    Safe and quiet

    This is a gravel road through the National Forest with a bunch of pull-offs where you can camp. It was nothing special but very quiet and peaceful other than one or two cars that passed by. Felt safe as a single tent camper

  • Nicholas G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 12, 2024

    FS-2292 Dispersed

    There was a ton of dispersed sites on this FR

    The road was a little rough but my suv made it fine. No signal and got a little snow on the roof in the morning but it was a good spot with a great view.

  • Amber G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 2, 2024

    Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419

    Amazing

    Gorgeous little spot off a national forest road. Stunning views, no light pollution or car sounds at night. It’s December so of course it’s a bit cold at night and I’d recommend at least AWD to get up here. Will be back.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 2, 2025

    Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead

    Not suitable for Winter camping.

    Located just past the restaurant on the southbound side there is a drive that goes back into Rock Candy mountain Road trailhead. I drove 5 mi up the road. There are few houses on the side of the road. Speed limit is a maximum 15 mph. There are signs posted thinking drivers for slowing down. Mainly a logging Road well if you pull out to the right on the main road. I noticed a road that had a pipe gate that was closed and locked. It gets pretty steep going up the road. The right steep. They wrote it on barely white enough for two vehicles to safely pass each other. Not suitable for anything wider than a class B. In my opinion this area is not suitable for winter camping. In my opinion if this road got congested it would become pretty dangerous thus why caution is needed driving on the main road and on other roads leading from main road. Definitely not road you want to be intoxicated to drive on. There is a long drop if you lose control and fail off road. I feel if you did and survived the fall it would be expensive to recover your vehicle. To me it's to dangerous to risk trying to camp here if it ever became busy.

  • Beamus R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 8, 2024

    Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead

    A spot to sleep

    Overall I had a nice quiet stay. This spot isn't anything too awful special. There are about four pull outs to set up for the night. The bathrooms are located in the trailhead parking lot. They could use cleaning, but they are open 24 hours. As for cell service Verizon was barely there. To sum it up if you need a spot to crash for the night this place will work. Y'all stay safe and be well out there.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 20, 2024

    Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419

    Incredible view!

    Fairly large and level site with an amazing view. No water. First come first served and this one goes quickly!


Guide to Olympia

Primitive camping near Olympia, Washington offers several options within an hour's drive from the city. The surrounding Olympic National Forest sits on the eastern slope of the Olympic Mountains, with elevations ranging from 1,500 to 5,000 feet. The camping season typically runs from April through October, though higher elevation sites can remain snowbound until late June.

What to do

Fishing access: Joemma Beach State Park offers a long dock where anglers can fish in Case Inlet. One visitor noted, "Across from our campsite is a trail that leads down to the pier and walk to the beach."

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings provide opportunities to spot local wildlife. At Joemma Beach State Park, a camper reported, "We did spot a bald eagle early in the morning."

Hiking options: Many dispersed sites connect to trail systems. Near NF-2419 Dispersed Pullout, hikers can access the Mt. Elinor trail. As one reviewer mentioned, "Great spot on the NF-2419, about a mile before the Mt Elinor lower trailhead."

Beach exploration: Several camping areas offer beach access. A Joemma Beach visitor mentioned, "Beach is walking distance. And you can walk around if you want."

What campers like

Privacy levels: Secluded spots can be found by venturing deeper into forest roads. At FS-2292 Dispersed, a camper shared, "Very far off the beaten path, every time I camp here I don't run into anyone."

Mountain views: Higher elevation sites provide scenic outlooks. A visitor to FS-2292 mentioned, "East of the campsite there is a walking trail that takes you to an overlook, perfect for watching the sunrise."

Foraging opportunities: Some areas offer seasonal berry picking. At Carbon River, campers noted finding "blackberry plants all over the place."

Open availability: Many dispersed sites remain accessible midweek when developed campgrounds fill up. One camper at Joemma Beach State Park reported, "Mid week after Labor Day, I had my choice of sites arriving in late afternoon."

What you should know

Fire restrictions: Check current regulations as they change seasonally. At Carbon River, camping is permitted but one visitor warned, "The only bridge to gain access to camping is closed until further notice."

Road conditions: Forest roads often require appropriate vehicles. A NF-2419 visitor cautioned, "My 2011 Ford Flex made it up no problem," while another noted that "most spots are right near the road so it's busy."

Wildlife encounters: Prepare for various critters. At Carbon River, a camper reported, "We were set up by the river, mostly quiet and can hear traffic now and then but nothing obnoxious."

Weather variability: Mountain weather changes quickly. A visitor to Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419 advised, "Please be aware it's at the snow line and very cold in March!"

Tips for camping with families

Site selection: Choose areas with enough space for children. At Joemma Beach State Park, one camper explained, "Size of the sites varies but one we got we were avail to put up 2-2 person tent and 1- 4 person tent."

Campground atmosphere: Some areas are more suitable for families than others. A Joemma visitor noted, "Great local spot for FAMILIES and a party," though they warned about occasionally difficult neighbors.

Safety considerations: Be aware of terrain hazards with children. At Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead, a visitor cautioned about the approach road: "There is a long drop if you lose control and fail off road. I feel if you did and survived the fall it would be expensive to recover your vehicle."

Pet policies: Most dispersed sites are pet-friendly. A Joemma Beach camper mentioned, "Dog friendly and they recommend 6ft or shorter leash."

Tips from RVers

Site limitations: Many dispersed sites can't accommodate larger rigs. At Large Pull Out Dispersed, a visitor shared, "There was a handful of large pull out spots along this road. Nothing fancy and not secluded but got the job done."

Parking logistics: Some areas offer more room than others for larger vehicles. A NF-2419 Dispersed Pullout camper noted, "My friend and I met here and had plenty of room for my truck, 21' trailer, and a lost woman who we let pull in and sleep."

Road access: Forest roads can challenge RVs. A Rock Candy Mountain visitor warned, "Definitely not road you want to be intoxicated to drive on," and that it's "Not suitable for anything wider than a class B."

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Olympia, WA?

Several free dispersed camping options exist near Olympia. Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead offers multiple pull-outs for overnight stays, with the convenience of a pit toilet at the trailhead parking lot. For those willing to drive a bit further, Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping provides numerous pull-off spots along gravel roads through the forest. These areas allow legal dispersed camping following National Forest guidelines. Look for established sites with fire rings to minimize impact. Most sites are first-come, first-served, so arriving early, especially on weekends, is recommended. All these areas require pack-in, pack-out practices, and many have seasonal access limitations dependent on snow conditions.

What's the difference between dispersed camping and free camping around Olympia?

In the Olympia area, dispersed camping and free camping often refer to the same thing, but with subtle distinctions. Dispersed camping specifically means camping outside of designated campgrounds on public lands (typically National Forests or BLM land), with no facilities and no fee. Free camping is a broader term that might include both dispersed sites and no-fee established campgrounds. Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419 exemplifies classic dispersed camping—a remote site with stunning views but no amenities. In contrast, Joemma Beach State Park Campground, while not free, represents a formal campground with basic facilities. The key difference lies in regulations—dispersed camping has stricter limitations on length of stay (typically 14 days) and requires proper waste management.

How close is dispersed camping in Olympia to Olympic National Park?

Dispersed camping options near Olympia provide varying distances to Olympic National Park, which is approximately 60-90 miles away depending on which park entrance you're targeting. NF-2419 Dispersed Site in Olympic National Forest offers a natural setting with streams and is roughly 50 miles from the park's southeastern boundary. For those wanting to experience something closer to Olympic National Park's landscape without actually being in the park, Carbon River provides beautiful riverside camping in a similar ecosystem, though it's technically closer to Mount Rainier than Olympic. Most dispersed sites require 1.5-2.5 hours of driving to reach Olympic National Park entrances, with the Hurricane Ridge and Lake Quinault entrances being among the closest to Olympia-area dispersed camping.

What amenities can I expect at dispersed camping sites near Olympia?

Dispersed camping sites around Olympia generally offer minimal to no amenities. At FS-2292 Dispersed, you'll find a rough road access, no facilities, and likely no cell service, but are rewarded with scenic views and isolation. Similarly, Large Pull Out (Dispersed) on FR 24 provides just the basics—a flat spot to camp with no provided water, toilets, or tables. Some locations like Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead do have pit toilets at the parking area, but this is the exception rather than the rule. You'll need to pack in all water, pack out all waste, and be prepared for no electricity, no showers, and limited or non-existent cell service. These sites are truly primitive, focusing on the natural experience rather than conveniences.