Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Orting? Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. These scenic and easy-to-reach Washington campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Millersylvania State Park offers fun for everyone. Spend a summer day splashing in Deep Lake. Gather with friends in an historic kitchen shelter.
Conveniently located between Olympia and Centralia, this large, well-visited park beckons to adults and children alike.
Many of the park structures, including the kitchen shelters, were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, making the park a great place to see and admire the hallmark artisanship of that era.
With two swimming beaches, miles of forested hiking and biking trails, watercraft launches, non-motorized watercraft rentals (kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats) and abundant fishing, Millersylvania will keep you busy for a satisfying weekend or an extended outdoor vacation.
$12 - $45 / night
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. For the best information on dispersed camping opportunities and local restrictions, please contact the nearest ranger district office.
Rules for Dispersed Camping These rules apply to car camping and backpacking
You may camp in a dispersed area in an individual Ranger District for up to 14 days within a 30-day period. After 14 days, you must move to another Ranger District or off the National Forest until the 30 days has elapsed.
Do not blaze new roads to campsites, create new campsites, clear ground, cut or harm vegetation or construct a trail.
Do not drive beyond constructed physical barriers, such as berms or gates.
Do not drive through streams or wetlands to access a camp.
If campfires are legal in your location and you choose to have a campfire, pick a site with an existing fire pit. Do not create new fire pits. Make sure your campfire is always attended and is dead out and cold to the touch before you leave your site. Fires may be restricted or banned based on the fire danger rating.
Follow Leave No Trace principles and come prepared to “Pack it in. Pack it out.” Pack all trash home. Dispose of human waste in a sanitary manner. In high use locations, areas above tree line and snow-covered areas it is not possible to bury human waste in a sanitary manner. It will need to be packed out and disposed of at home using a wag bag, blue bag, portable toilet or another Leave No Trace approved method.
Do not block roads or gates.
Keep food and scented items secure from wildlife by keeping a clean camp and store items in your vehicle or use a wildlife resistant storage canister.
Failure to follow regulations can lead to legal consequences. Additional Forest rules and links to report crimes can be found on our Law Enforcement page.
The Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp, maintained by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, lies just a stone's throw from the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. The camp provides great access to the state-managed Elbe Hills and Tahoma State Forests through the Nicholson Horse Trail System. Campground has 20 campsites, picnic tables, hitching rails, and vault toilets.
The Nicholson Horse Trail System has been maintained especially for equestrian use, with wide trails and sturdy bridges providing safe, enjoyable passage for all.
$30 / night
Bumping Lake Campground sits just off the forested shore of Bumping Lake in the Cascade Mountains east of Mount Rainier National Park, about 45 miles northwest of Naches, Washington. Fantastic peaks, high-country lakes and old-growth forests provide visitors with unique and surprising landscapes, making the campground an ideal setting for both individual and family camping excursions.
In addition to being a prime location for hiking, boating, fishing, hunting, horseback riding and mountain biking in summer and early fall, visitors can take advantage of skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling in the winter months. Bumping Lake is a popular destination for boating, water skiing, fishing and swimming. A boat ramp is located in the lower section of the campground. The American Ridge Trail is a popular among hikers and equestrians, meandering through more than 26 miles of towering forests, mountain meadows and past high elevation lakes from the Bumping River to the Pacific Crest Trail.
Bumping Lake was created naturally by glaciers and is fed by snowmelt. It is surrounded by rugged mountain terrain, wetlands and old-growth conifer forests. The area supports wildlife such as deer, porcupine, native fish and migratory birds. Endangered and threatened species, including the Northern Bald Eagle, the Northern Spotted Owl, gray wolves and grizzly bears also find havens in nearby ecosystems.
This location has limited staffing. Please call (661) 702-1420 for general information.
Visitors enjoy making a day trip to nearby Mount Rainer National Park, which offers sublime views of glaciers, subalpine ecology and volcanic landscapes. Hikers may want to traverse a portion of the spectacular Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), one of the world's premier National Scenic Trails. This trail showcases some of North America's most fantastic scenery as it winds its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$22 / night
$65 - $71 / night
Welcome to Riffe Lake Campground, the perfect place to get away. Riffe Lake Campground offers a friendly area for you and your family, pets included (excluding our cabins)! Riffe Lake offers beautiful scenery for your weekend away. Whether you are looking forward to Riffe Lake’s miles of hiking trails, her beautiful waterfalls, or want to wet your fishing pole’s line, you are sure to have a vacation filled with memories. Our campgrounds are surrounded by striking pines to provide a measure of privacy. If you’re bringing a boat, don’t worry! We are located less than 3 miles from the boat launch. Each site has a picnic table, a fire pit and is running distance to our playground.
$37 / night
This ORV-oriented campground offers access to Capitol State Forest's 89 miles of motorized trail. Campground has 24 campsites, and four toilets.
Guide
After months of trying to get reservations for this popular campground, we finally got one for Thanksgiving weekend! The park is on their winter schedule so only sites 1-7 and 226-248 were open. It made for a nice, quiet weekend even though the open sites were 80% full. We had a pull-through site right across from the dumpster, bathrooms, and camp host. We had decent service for Verizon. There are ample trails throughout the park including a lovely trail along the lake, which is not far from the campground. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because our site had a huge mud puddle from the road going to the power and water hook-up. The thin layer of mud on the pavement made things quite slick as I was trying to get leveling blocks down.
Guide
Stayed here a few days a couple years ago and it was a great place. The campsites are nice and spacious with good privacy from other campers. The lake level was pretty low when we were there so you had to walk out a bit of distance to get to the water. But it's a nice sandy shore so great for the kids swimming and the water is so shallow for a long way out so you don't have to worry about the kids. It's a beautiful lake and nice area.
Traveler
Nice area by a creek, very peaceful and quiet during the day, a ton of people around and lots of passerby’s. As soon as it got dark, someone decided to sneak around my campsite with a flashlight and stand outside my tent for some time. Packed up quick and zoomed out of there, very uncomfortable and would not recommend for solo campers.
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.
Traveler
Discover pass required. Host on site. Paved pads. Some pull thru.
GuideVery cool spot with new generation trees growing out of old generation stumps, close to river for water, very popular spot so found a lot of trash but loved the sites and hiking trails nearby
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.
GuideA lit if the spots are on the smaller side, so we had a bit of trouble finding one that could fit our motorhome, but it was worth it. The place is beautiful. Super dark at night, and besides the sound from the interstate and cars driving up and down, it's quite. Even with the noise, it's peaceful and perfect for a little getaway. We have Verizon and have decent service, even with crappy weather.
ScoutSo dark I couldnt even see my own hand in front of my face! I loved it. Quiet enough, could hear gentle highway hum but cant see anything but trees n nature. Earplugs ftw. Some bugs but nothing major. Plenty of spots along the road. U dont need to go all the way to coords. Just pick a spot along road n park. Some wild raspberries at our spot :) firepit nice, a little trash but not much. Thats the cost of free. Spot is free, the cost is picking up a few pieces of trash. Seems fair to me!
Scout
The bathrooms were filthy Quiet hours were not enforced The place is falling apart and looks decrepit: from fences to bathrooms The only dirt roads and sites(no gravel or asphalt anywhere) make everything filthy Site boundaries are practically impossible to determine as a number is the only way to see, no side lines Our site did not even have a picnic table
GuideWent up at the end of 4th of July weekend. Found a great spot but it was apparent that the group before us used everywhere to go to the bathroom and covered it with paper towels. PRO TIP: make the hole first for when you need it and you want have any excuse not to use it! PLEASE LEAVE NO TRACE! Other wise we really enjoyed a quick night away in our van.
ScoutHad an amazing time staying at this campground with our family.
We brought our RV, but you can tent, or rent a Yurt or Igloo. Horses are welcome too! The new owners are doing a great job turning the property around. There is a large recent renovated cabin that fits up to 20 people you can stay as well.
There is a bar & cafe open as well on the weekend with amazing views. Highly recommend.
TravelerYou can hear the road from most camping spots. When we arrived at our site there was garbage all over the place in a fire pit so we cleaned it up.
There was a nice long trail that took us to the river. That was nice. Cleaning up sucked because the floor got muddy.
Lots of mosquitoes.
Lots of camping spots. We left Friday evening and most spots were taken.
GuideThis spot was truly beautiful. Green as far as the eye can see, with a creek by that provides the perfect white noise to fall asleep to. The road is fairly accessible, though there are some fairly large potholes that could damage smaller vehicles, and the road could become muddy after raining. On weekends you might have to drive pretty far down the road to find an unclaimed spot, but I didn't have a hard time on a Tuesday night. There was some trash, including broken glass in firepits and a few beer cans spotted in the woods, but for the most part it was clean! The sites further down the road are definitely cleaner. No bathrooms, so plan on dropping the kids off at the pool before visiting. Seeing as there is water nearby, there are plenty of mosquitoes. Bring some bug spray! There are towns within 15 minutes of the road.
ScoutMy family and I have stayed at Bumping Lake for years. It’s off grid and the spots are large and private. The lake is great. There is a lot of hiking and biking trails.
Guide
We came early June to try and hike near Mount Rainier. Unfortunately it was way too snowy and foggy to do any hiking. However, this campsite was incredible. Right by the river with bathrooms and clean sites.
GuideThis park is huge! Lots of space to hand out and swim. There’s always kids running around so it is great for young ones. Bathrooms were clean and big.
LegendJust 20 minutes south of Olympia, WA you can pull off I-5 and pitch a tent beneath towering old growth Douglas Fir and Hemlock trees. This stunning state park reminds us both of the kinds of campgrounds we frequented as kids.
Most of the campsites in the forest loops are small with limited parking and the narrow roads would not serve larger camper rigs. Our little 15 foot travel trailer made it in without any problem. The feeling of camping under the old-growth canopy is so classic Washington, but the solar gain is pretty minimal. Ironically, the electrical hookup sites, which more easily accommodate the big rigs, are out in a more cleared area where there would be solar gain for days.
We camped on the closest loop to the full-hook up RV area and were able to get our solar suitcase out into the sunshine on its extension cord for a few hours. The bathrooms in the forest loops are pretty simple ranging from pit toilets to flush varieties with showers. There is a more modern bathroom facility with nicely clean and refreshing showers near the larger RV field. Things to do in this park are abundant. The water is super chill, shallow and warm.
Only “cartop boats” are allowed in the lake, making it ideal for stand up paddle boards, small kayaking boats, inflatables, canoes, fishing dinghies and just swimming around. Lightening storms in this part of the world are pretty rare, so very fun to see one over the lake while we were here. The lake shore has some classic picnic shelters, built by the CCC, that are reservable, offer wood burning stoves, and lots of places to cook for a family get together.
Hiking and trailing running in the park is wonderful, and with all the loops your efforts can range from 30 min strolls to half-day hikes. The trails are well mapped, and signed making it nearly impossible to get lost.
Tumwater is about 10 miles away on country roads to the north, and Grand Mound is 10 or so miles to the south. Either of these communities provide the usual suburban supplies for groceries and restaurants. There are also some nearby convenience and general stores where you could pick up some ice and such. During the summer months the park has a small cafe and ice cream shop.
GuideMy friend slept in her vehicle(end of the road) and I camped next to the river. There were no other tent campers on this day; many RVs and campers on the way to the river. I highly recommend for peace and solitude.
Legend
This is a beautiful campground! Lots of tall trees, & ferns. Feels like you are in Boreal forests . Several shower/bathrooms buildings throughout the park. It adjacent to the Mount St Helen’s Volcanic Preserve, but on the back end. We hiked into the NP to Cathedral Falls. It is convenient for exploring Mt. Saint Helen’s, and Mt Rainer.
Scout
There were several campsites near the river where you could smell human excrement,see large piles of used toilet paper (specifically 16 being the worst), along with garbage littered around almost every campsite and a ton of broken glass. I don’t believe there was a camp host. Several people came by to let us know there were raccoons raiding campsites. It’s such a bummer because the trail and creek are beautiful. (although plenty of litter). Also lots of random hikers/walkers coming through and walking through the campsites themselves to get to the creek and tossing more garbage onto the creek bed. I didn’t expect it to be so dirty, I would’ve brought more trash bags.
GuideThis is my second time. It is free good spaces to camp with a lot for trees. I always sleep on my car but people camp on tents on the forest. Dogs welcome
ScoutThe road is quite bumpy, and the river is dry. But there are plenty of spots to camp that are level with rock fire pits.
GuideI travel and work remotely so I’m always looking for free places that have cell reception and this place hits the jackpot. I’ve come in twice on a Saturday afternoon and have been able to find an open spot with my 18 ft travel trailer, I have Verizon and have 2-3 bars of service, it is very close to the interstate so you’ll hear a constant hum of cars but it’s very nice to feel like you have your own slice of the mossy old growth forest.
TravelerKids really enjoyed the creek nearby and it was great for our tent camping. We were able to hike around and had water, and restrooms that were clean.
Guide
We were traveling along the Oregon coast and then needed to divert inland to the Portland airport and continue north to Tacoma for a wedding reception. Not far off I-5, this place was gorgeous. Tall trees, lush foliage, immaculately maintained. As others have noted, the sites with hook-ups across the road on the east side are for large trailers and not as picturesque. To the west are these beautiful sites, facilities, and walking trails. In the morning, we hiked the old growth loop prior to resuming our journey. Be aware, Google Maps says you enter off of Park Road, but that is incorrect. The entrance is on Jackson Highway.
ScoutWhen I was younger I used to come up to Bumping Lake with my grandparents. This lake had always held a special place in my grandpa's heart. Though it has changed much since my childhood camping trips with my grandparents this place still has that special something. This time around my cousin invited me and my brother along for a Memorial weekend camp out and I just had to accept. I am embarrassed to admit how long it'd been since I've been camping last so this trip was a must for mind, body and soul. We came up on a Saturday and totally lucked out cause we got the one space that wasn't reserved which had to be a blessing from our late grandpa smiling down on us. Being it was Memorial weekend I thought the campground as well as the lake were going to be crazy both in people everywhere and it being loud at night. Thankfully this was not the case. Sure all the campsites around us were filled but everyone was super quiet and respectful. There is a really nice day use area by the boat launch that is $8 for day use or free if you got a campsite. There are picnic tables as well as fire pits with grills to cook food. There can be a pretty good breeze on the water so make sure to bring a jacket or a hoodie cause it can get a bit chilly even on a nice day. We also got to see jets make a few passes while there on the lake which was pretty darn awesome as well. I was told they use the area as a training grounds and can usually be seen once or twice a day. The water was a bit to cold for myself but my younger brother and cousin jumped in numerous times and would usually both start and end the day with a dip. 2 of the 3 nights I slept out under the stars on a cot and it was amazing the sleeping bag along with my Eddie Bauer throw blanket were sufficient enough to keep me cozy all night which surprised me since it was in the mid 30's. Between the fishing, relaxing and exploring I had an amazing weekend and cannot wait to get out camping again. Thinking Bumping lake needs to become a yearly trip at minimum just wish my grandpa was still around to enjoy it with. Do yourself a favor and get out to Bumping lake you will not regret it.
Washington offers a variety of horse camping options, perfect for equestrian enthusiasts looking to explore the great outdoors with their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Orting, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Orting, WA is Millersylvania State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 31 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Orting, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 equestrian camping locations near Orting, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
