Parker is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Parker is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Parker, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
"Fire pits were nice plus a park bench each. Bathrooms clean, showers were still winterised sadly (cold only). Trains were slightly noisy during the night.
Very nice place to stay, helpful staff 👍"
"They have great bathrooms and showers picnic and covered areas, great play set for kids. Clean water electricity dump area and full hookup pull through areas"
$22 / night
"Bathrooms were clean and stocked. This campground is right off the highway, so you do hear ocasional road noise. The river is pretty loud though."
"The water in the hose wasn't clear so I wouldn't use it for drinking without boiling but the 🚻 are clean and stocked. I enjoyed my time there and recommend it for a peaceful camping experience."
$27 - $54 / night
"We camped on site #42 and it was perfect location. We didn't want to be right on the water as our dogs would be in it 24/7. This site you could still see the water and hear it."
"Large sites, some with access to the River. Highway noise was pretty loud in some of the upper sites. Bathrooms (pit toilets) were very clean and the camp host was lovely! Nice recreation area nearby."
"We were in sites 15 (20’ truck camper) and 16 (30’ Class A RV), which both have water/electric hookups."
"The campground is located on the side of HWY 12 on a small rocky peninsula, this surprising spot on Rimrock Lake (reservoir created by the dams built about 100 years ago) is run by a retired couple for"
$24 - $48 / night
"There was a woodsy area behind the site where kids could play. The bathrooms are fancy out houses no place to wash hands. Lots of bugs in the evening."
"Loved our weekend at Bumping Lake! Our site in the Upper Campground was really nice and spacious, with a very new seeming fire pit and picnic table."
"Ratings for this category are based on: Cost: 4 Overall grounds: 4 Utility of sites (hookups, level ground, accessibility): 4 Noise: 5 Reservation Process/Ease of Getting a Site: 5 Layout: 4 Customer Service"
"To to close to your neighbor. Nice bathhouses. The drive to here nice I loved the view. I would come back."
"First off, my type of camping is getting as far away from other people as possible. That is absolutely not going to happen when you are at the Gorge, but that is not why you camp at the Gorge."
"They have so much available that you could show up completely empty handed and end up with a full camp set up, they have a store stocked full of supplies, a shower area, many bathroom stations and you"
$25 - $45 / night
"Pit toilets, running water, and trail access to majorly awesome backcountry hiking the Walupt Lake is the place for you and your next adventure."
"nice tall shade trees and beautiful access to the lake. trails are around and a large beach to relax on. sites are large and trees are close enough to hang a hammock. note: road to get here is entirely"
ScoutWe camped on site #42 and it was perfect location. We didn't want to be right on the water as our dogs would be in it 24/7. This site you could still see the water and hear it. We found many paths down to the water, even some places to soak if we wanted. The bathrooms (glorified outhouse) were always clean and had toilet paper. There is no running water, so we brought our own. Everyone was pretty quiet and the hosts were wonderful. We will definitely come back again. We drove into Yakima to check out WilRidge winery and go pick cherries.
TravelerMy son and I are from the area and have been Boondocking all around Washington State for over a year now in our old RV's. My son purchased a panel truck to convert, and my shower is on the fritz, so we decided to give Yakima Sportsman Campground a try. We needed the advertised shower facilities as my son had court in Yakima the following day. Not ONE of the FOUR showers worked!! The camp host was a pleasant enough man, but had no idea (apparently) about the shower issues, and the Ranger wasn't due back until Wednesday. This was on Monday...the week before LABOR DAY! The campground loses at LEAST one star for being located in YAKIMA... I've been living in Parker since 2011, but my mother is from Parker, and the house I lived in has belonged to my family since she was a child (she passed last year at 78 years old), so I believe I've earned the right to say Yakima is the LAST place on the planet that I would bring my family for vacation. It's safer in COMPTON, California. I was raised in the East Bay, near Oakland, and used to travel frequently to the LA area for work, so I have a reference point for comparison. In fact, I'm Boondocking in preparation for a move back to California next month. Besides the dangerous location and the non-working showers, this would have been a 4 star visit, the sites had power and water, we're level and adequately spaced apart, and mine was the only "sketchy" looking vehicle around.... Which is appropriate, since I'm a little "sketchy" myself... Lol! (Blame it on the RAP... WEST SIIIIIIDE!!)
GuideThis place was great they had a ton of room and lots of trees between put campsite and the others. The lot was mostly sandy and the tent area was very flat. There was a woodsy area behind the site where kids could play. The bathrooms are fancy out houses no place to wash hands. Lots of bugs in the evening. To get to the lake you drive up to where it says boat launching site.
there is also a near by marina where you can rent fishing boats for 25$ and hour.
we had a great time.
GuideSites 9-12 are reservable, walk in and right against the river. The river was running high while we were there, so it drowned out most of the road noise. All four of these sites has room for 2 cars in the parking area. The hosts were super friendly and helpful and did a nice job keeping the grounds and bathrooms clean. It's windy and cooler along the river. Had we known about the wind, we'd have brought a different tent! Fishing seems like it must be decent given the number of people with poles and the number of flies we found. The sites each have a firepit and a picnic table.
Site 9 is huge with room for several tents and hammocks. There's little to no vegetation between it and site 10, but the river drowns out conversation and music noise, so it feels more private and the space between the sites allows you to create a natural open barrier between groups.
We were in site 10, which was also large. The best tree for tethering hammocks (or the dog) from had, unfortunately, been used as a toilet recently with lots of TP at its base. This also affected our tent placement... Nobody wants to sleep with their head in someone else's poop or pee. Beach access can be found down a steep-ish hill, but with the river running high, only allowed for a few rocks to sit on. When the river is running lower it looks like it would have a nice beach area. The top of the dirt is pretty soft, but a few inches down it becomes quite rocky. MSR Hedgehog stakes did OK given the sail that was our tent.
Site 11 is smaller with more foliage, so it seems somewhat more private, but lacks direct beach access. It sits highers than site 12 with trees and a downward sloap between the two.
Site 12 has the best privacy and easy, level beach access, with a large hill on one side and smaller one on the other. It sits lower than site 11 with the upward slope and foliage to create a screen. It also has a nice, flat walk in from the parking area.
Bathrooms are Porta-Potties. They were kept fairly clean while we were there. The outside two "filled" the fastest, the inner two have sinks with soap dispenser, running water activated with a foot pump. The hosts kept the soap, water and TP full the whole weekend. From sites 9 - 12, the walk to them was very short and easy so I'm not sure why someone felt like the tree was the better, easier option. People are disappointing that way.
There's no running water at this time so bring your own.
Dogs need to be leashed or tethered and cannot be barky. If your dog barks a lot and disturbs other people, you may be asked to leave. Ours is pretty quiet, so we did OK and our neighbors on either side didn't seem bothered by her friendly antics the few times she tried to say hi to them. Site 10 had a good place for a Knot-a-Hitch, if you have one. See pictures.
All and all, we'd stay here again as a basecamp for exploring the area, but only if we could be against the river and we'd definitely bring a better tent for the breezy conditions. Our preferred sites would be 9 or 12. Pro tip: hand sanitizer will remove pitch/sap from the pine trees. ;-)
GuideFire pits were nice plus a park bench each. Bathrooms clean, showers were still winterised sadly (cold only). Trains were slightly noisy during the night.
Very nice place to stay, helpful staff 👍
TravelerI don't car camp a whole lot, and usually prefer backcountry camping, but if you're looking for a spot that has the best of both worlds; I.e. Pit toilets, running water, and trail access to majorly awesome backcountry hiking the Walupt Lake is the place for you and your next adventure. The camp hosts were a friendly and knowledgable couple and we enjoyed camping by the lake at night and exploring high country hiking trails by day.
ScoutSpartan accommodation? Check. You're camping in a field, with thousands of other "campers." Be ready for wookies (depending on the show you're going to), dust, heat, wind. Several different levels here from Standard (zero frills with gen pop) to Glamping ($$$$).
Come prepared, chill out, and enjoy the show - a lot of the show will be your fellow campers. Can't recommend some sort of canopy enough - shade is a cheap luxury at the end of the day, especially if you're there for a three night engagement.
We typically pay up for Gold level RV camping even though we roll in with a tent, canopy, and SUV. Less riff-raff, closer to venue entry, calme vibe all the way around (quieter). Reasonable shower and decently serviced potties.
You can go find the party - if you camp in the party you can't leave it.
Cheers! See you at DMB this weekend!
GuideFirst off, my type of camping is getting as far away from other people as possible. That is absolutely not going to happen when you are at the Gorge, but that is not why you camp at the Gorge. I’m giving it 4 stars because for what it is, it was decent enough and clean.
On a whim my husband and I decided to book camping along with our concert tickets since it was being offered and was fairly inexpensive. Our motivations for doing so were 1) not having to drive to and from the venue on the day of the show and 2) it’s an experience, might as well try it at least once right?
We went with standard camping, the cheapest option.
As you arrive at the camping area a number of attendants will direct you where to go. Your car will queue up to be sniffed by some sniffer dogs and then if you get the go ahead you will be directed to your site sandwiched in between the other cars that are arriving at around the same time as you. You’ll feel a slight sense of panic and dread as you realize how tightly everyone is packed in and how tricky it will be to carefully navigate your vehicle through the narrow patch of grass that is left between the tents and vehicles if you decide to leave. You will then take a deep breath, crack open a beer, and start settling in.
We had enough room in our designated space for our “6 person” cabin tent, and for our fairly large shade tent that we set up between the tent and the back of the car. You will absolutely want to bring some sort of shade tent if you plan on hanging out in the campground before the concert. It gets uncomfortably hot very fast if you are not shielded from the sun.
We had originally planned on driving out in the morning to explore the area, maybe find some water to cool off in, but ultimately decided not to due to the previously mentioned difficulties of navigating our car out of our site and through the sea of other campers. Fortunately we had plenty of food, snacks and a cooler full of ice and beer. If you find yourself lacking these things, there is a small general store a short walk away that has some camping supplies, beer, snacks, water, that kind of thing (sold at “we’ve got you trapped here, so just suck it up and fork over the money” prices).
The toilets were porta potties but they were kept surprisingly clean and there were plenty of them. There was a sink with running water, soap, and paper towels. I only visited the station closest to our tent but I think there were a few scattered about.
There was someone blaring loud music past midnight the first night, but that was pretty much what I expected. I didn’t encounter any issues with other campers.
It’s about a mile (or maybe it just felt like it?) walk on a dusty road from standard camping to the venue. Wear good shoes and sunscreen!
Ok, that’s about it. Everything I would have liked to know in advance to be prepared. I might camp again if I see another show at the Gorge, but I’d probably upgrade to get a bit more space and wiggle room.
ScoutThe camp sites were larger than expected; we reserved 2 sites for 4 people but would have been all right with just one site. Camp hosts were very friendly and attentive. Outhouses were clean and stocked. Any site away from the river would have highway noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Parker, WA is Yakima Sportsman State Park Campground with a 3.7-star rating from 21 reviews.
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