Looking for an adventure where you can explore Puyallup and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best tent camping sites near Puyallup. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Washington tent camping excursion.
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.
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.
A backcountry campsite on the Spray Park Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
$12 - $45 / night
A Beautiful quarter acre residence on Carr Inlet.. backed by Penrose pointe State Park...
There are three spacious campsites below this beautiful quarter acre property in which to camp.
Macie's Brook has tenting only.. as you will park your vehicle at the top of the property and hike a short distance down to the tent sites.
This minimal amenity camp experience... Will prepare you for a little survival off grid..
These campsites are 100 ft above the beach line on high Bank waterfront property.
There is one trail currently down to the beach ask the owner for details..
$15 - $45 / night
Part of the Northern Loop Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
$12 / night
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.
Traveler
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.
Scout
This is a newer campground with spacious and private sites away from the river. Sites at riverside are narrow, long, flat, but not so private. While the outhouses in general are pristine, by late summer those in the lower loop are usually over full, you would be better of with a bucket. That said, we need an ADA site and the ADA and a few of the other accessible sites here are very good. This is always on our short notice list of great places to relax.
Traveler
Glad they reopened this campground - it’s a nice quick escape from the city with plenty of accessible / semi accessible trails nearby. Sites are pretty basic, but have a bear locker.
Scout
Game Farm Wilderness Campground is like a real-life Minecraft experience. Just like building and exploring in Minecraft for PC, you can craft your perfect outdoor adventure here, surrounded by nature, and enjoy endless fun and exploration. For More Info: https://www.minecraftapks.com/minecraft-for-pc/
Traveler
Close to lots of hikes and views. A little bit of road noise but not much. Very busy but that’s to be expected at mt rainier. Clean bathrooms and easy check in.
Scout
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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
Not a bad find that doesn't require any permit of any kind which was great! Would stay here again I pitched a tent which was nice and found a spot right by the river.
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.
Guide
Good place for families that looks to be kept really clean. The spaces are packed in fairly tight with no dividing barriers of trees. Campsite 10 looks to be the best as it has a little canopy tree and is in the corner without obstruction for a view of the Puget Sound. Water and electric hookup, picnic table, fire pit at each site with additional bathroom with a shower for the grounds. There is a ship playground for the kids and beach volleyball court. It is nestled back through an area of homes that back up to sites 1-8.
Traveler
Really liked the park. Everything was good about it. The only thing for me was that we have a rv, and there is electrical hookups but no water hookups.
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.
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
Went here for a social event and had a blast. Big sites with lovely paths between, wonderful shop with firewood available at any hour (just square up when the place is actually open), clean plumbed bathrooms and a coin operated shower at $0.50/minute. There’s a beautiful meadow, a creek, huge trees. The owners are incredibly friendly and the place is very dog friendly.
Scout
Extended our stay because there was so much to do for the kiddos. Staff here are amazing and fellow campers a delight.
Scout
Been here many times. Sometimes strange folks show up but they almost always keep to themselves.
Great place to spend some time next to a lake.
14 day limit in 30 days.
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.
ScoutThis looked like a pretty good campground. I could see open tenting spots from the road, even! But I was unable to get in early in the evening with nowhere else to go. Too strict!
ScoutUnfortunately this campground is permanently closed.
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.
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.
Traveler
Got here around sunset. Looks like some good camping spots to walk into. Beautiful view of Rainier. There was a little bit of traffic but nothing crazy. Would stay here again.
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 :)
Puyallup, Washington, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for scenic views and unique experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Puyallup, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Puyallup, WA is Mowich Lake Campground — Mount Rainier National Park with a 4.1-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Puyallup, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 79 tent camping locations near Puyallup, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
