Looking for the best dispersed camping near Preston? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campgrounds for your Washington camping adventure.
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 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.
$5 / night
A Northwestt Forest Pass (daily/annual) is required for entrance to Dorothy Lake. view more information here: https://www.wta.org/go-outside/passes#northwest-forest-pass-details
$12 / night
Traveling along Highway 2, enter the center of the forest along the Skykomish River, a rafting adventurers' dream. Grab your skis! In just two hours you will be gliding down the slopes at Stevens Pass Ski Area. Check in at the Stevens Pass Historic District for an overview of the area's colorful railroad and mining past. Recreation Area Map National Scenic Byway
$50 / night
Guide
This is my favorite dispersed site so far. Plenty of room for larger rigs, very close to a river and lots of woods to explore nearby. Close enough to Mt. Rainier NP and nearby towns for supplies. Vault toilets if needed, and the airstrip was only used twice in the 4 nights we stayed, i think (heard one mid-day, and saw another late morning).
There is a single-lane bridge when turning in that could be tricky for a motorhome that is towing, but not enough traffic to cause us any issues getting in. For larger rigs - take the second left (at a Y-intersection, and then keep to the left and you won't have any trouble getting in. Going to the right at the Y takes you to an area that big rigs might have trouble finding spots or turning around, but still doable.
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.
Ranger
Our daughter told us about this place. You have to climb up a narrow gravel road to get here. A drive leads out to a flat area with a fire pit It was raining when we pulled in, so views were limited. In the clear morning, we got a beautiful view of Mount Rainier. We got decent Starlink signal with a bar of Verizon. Spot would be perfect except prior campers left toilet paper around a bush.
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
Traveler
We intended to stay a week, left after 4 days. Could be a beautiful place if not for people.
Pros:
Open space, plenty of room
Beautiful View
Near the park
Cons:
Crowded, even mid week we had close neighbors
Party spot, loud people with loud music
Dirty, we picked up an entire garbage bag of trash just in the spot we were at. Much more in the rest of the area.
Road noise, you're literally right off the road
River is nice, but it's a glacial run off so it's definitely not a swimming area (dirty)
Road in is super rough
Again, overall it could be a nice place. We stayed Wednesday through Saturday after labor day. So not "peak" season and the place was absolutely trashed. Feces, TP, beer cans and bottles, food trash, even car parts litter the area. We did a clean up but barely made a dent.
The first night was quiet and then some locals came and you could tell it was a party area. Loud music, dogs off leash, close neighbors.
We ended up leaving Saturday because it just wasn't enjoyable.
TravelerRight off the main road, but several sweet camping spots more tucked away and along the river. I’d definitely recommend a higher clearance vehicle if you want to camp deeper near the river due to rocks and tree roots. People need to clean up after themselves though. We pulled up to a spot that was thrashed. That is how free things get shut down.
TravelerThis place was gorgeous. Right off a busy road but with being right by the water it tunes out the noise of the traffic. Plenty of spots and can drive in further to be more secluded if needed.
TravelerWe had a bit of trouble finding it at first (came from the south of white river), but the little shop down the street has WiFi and we weren’t too far from the entrance. Lots of places to camp, friendly visitors, and overall pretty quiet even with the road right there. The river is so peaceful! Bring a ground sheet for your tents, lots of twigs and foliage.
Scout
I came on a Friday so i could get up early to go hiking. I put up my hammock around 7pm, nobody's else there. Around 9-11pm a few people including a 5th wheel arrived and spent a bunch of time moving that around. They ran their generator, lights and music until 2:30am. My bad for coming on a Friday. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and spent time on the bridge taking photos before riding up the gravel road up to the Summit Lake hike.
Lots of spots along the road which I'll utilize next time to avoid the party :)
ScoutThere are plenty of space and camping areas. Nice view of the river. A bot crowed around the weekend
Traveler
I loved this spot for a quick overnight. I got a spot right next to the river and there were almost no people there. There is a lot of trash so next time Is bring some gloves and trash bags to help clean up any space I stay in. If we all do a little it will help.
Traveler
Up to $5,000 fines for litter and $10,000 for illegal fire (plus up to a year jail time) now enforced!
People are destroying this lake. There is NO legal driving in the lake bed, even when the water is low. The lake bed is spawning grounds for the endangered Bull Trout. The lake nearby, Kacheless, is now closed due to people driving in the lake bed.
There are also burn bans July-September due to extremely high fire danger. Mountains of garbage around due to no garbage services, and human feces everywhere.
PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT. Respect the land on which you travel, or this too will be closed down.
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.
Ranger
The directions had me believing that the dispersed camping was just various pull offs on the highway loop and that’s where I stayed. It was loud and it felt like the traffic was coming through my tent at times. After driving to North Cascades I discovered that there was real dispersed camping on that road but probably 45 minutes to an hour past where the coordinates took you. Once the highway turned into a gravel road is when I started seeing nice dispersed campsites
Traveler
The spots are crowded by the lake but there are some pretty quiet’s spots further up the mountain that I liked.
GuideThe first time I came here was solo camping. That was scary especially because there was a collapsed tree on top of a truck that was abandoned. The second time was with friends and there were other campers out. I love the view and the sound of the river! Each site is pretty small…maybe enough for 2-3 tents. Be careful of getting too close to the river because it looks like the earth can erode and break away into the river (why the trees collapse). I would definitely go again!!
Guide
So, this was my first time to this spot. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because of how crowded it was. We had a hard time finding an open spot so we could set up camp. We almost made it to the end of the dirt road before we found a lot with a fire pit that could fit our group of 4. AMAZING views of the mountains and it was about 7min (drive) from the beach access point. There were signs saying “camping closed”, however, everyone ignored the signs and still camped out. There wasn’t anyone coming to kick people out. On a side note, there were plenty of disrespectful people who left their garbage at the beach…other than that, this was an overall fun and memorable experience!
ScoutI stayed here two nights while visiting MRNP. It was an absolutely beautiful location, about 10-15 minutes away from the Sunrise Entrance. The first night, I got there after 9pm and there were still plenty of spots available. I found a spot right next to the river. There were a few other people, but everyone was very quiet. You could see the lights and hear the cars driving on the main road, but they eventually stopped. The second night, I managed to find a spot tucked super far in that had a small private beach. It was farther from the road so you couldn't see or hear anything. I didn't see anyone else the whole afternoon/night. Highly recommend!!
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!
ScoutSays when water gets below 2840 ft to protect the fish they close the road and no camping is permitted.
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.
GuideGreat spot to land after long day of driving. Definitely some spots have more human waste and trash than I would want to camp too close to—not to mention the impacts of some campers’ poor habits on the many natural water sources throughout this area. Still, such a sweet spot with uber PNW vibes (water, tree lines, mountains, etc.). I love any spot where I can camp free and safely at night and wake up early to paddleboard a few hundred feet away. Great spot to SUP.
TravelerVery quiet. Lots of spots available. Other campers and people using the trail came and went but no noise issues. (Visitor's Center about 2 miles up the road has wifi and coffee.) Will definetly camp here again.
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.
ScoutPretty good, many people riding atvs and dirtbike which kind of ruins the experience.
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.
Traveler
It's a lovely area right by a beautiful river. However, it was hard to find a large enough spot that was also level to park our van. There was some traffic on the road, and a great bonus is that the road is paved, so no worries about destroying a tire. We did have phone service, and it's close to a small deli and other conveniences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Preston, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Preston, WA is South Fork Snoqualmie River Dispersed Site with a 4-star rating from 14 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Preston, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 30 dispersed camping locations near Preston, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
