Best Tent Camping near Randle, WA

This is a cute little resort that is great for RV's and Fishing.  I would not recommend this campground for tent camping.  The Tent sites are open, sloped grass with no seperation between sights and no privacy(think grass parking lot).  They are also located RIGHT next to the highway.  The lake is beautiful and the staff are very friendly so I'm sure with the proper site and inside and RV to shield you from the road noise you could have a pleasant stay here.

Just got back from a quick overnight trip up to Council Lake. Only 3 of the 7 sites were occupied including myself, which was nice except for the group running a generator to watch movies in their tent until after 11pm.  I'm pretty easy going, but if you're going to stay in a campground with neighbors, show some respect. Not everyone is as understanding as I am. 

The trout fishing is great here, but bring some mosquito repellent or you'll be sorry. 

Bring wood with you if you plan on having campfires. There's some fallen trees down by the lake, but it's a hike to bring it back to camp.

The outhouse is rustic,to put it kindly, so be prepared. 

I drove up from the Trout Lake area and the drive was clear with no snow on the road, I left Council Lake going north towards Randle, WA and the road was clear of snow, but the potholes are much worse, so take it slow.

From Randle,WA I drove back south via the FR 25, which is back open all the way from Northwoods to Randle.  Great drive with spectacular views of Mount St. Helens and several small tributary roads with potential for dispersed camping.

Nice little campground. Sites are a little uneven for tent camping. Clean beach but very cold water.

Incredible, free, private. Tent sites only, short hike in from parking lot, bring your own everything. Pit toilets, lake access, close to Mt. St. Helens activities. Four miles from Cougar.

Decent coin op showers. Nice walk in tent sites. Nice RV sites. Decent playground. Fishing bridge just a short walk. There's no store or anything. Can buy firewood nearby. Flush toilets. Cleaned regularly.

Tent sites are on top of each other and no privacy my site did not have any shade. They are all right next to the road. The docks were nice to fish off of.

2020 prices in the photo. Clean camp with multiple water points. There's 4 or 5 spots large enough for an RV away from the river. Several flat tent camping spots along the river.

We found the location a little noisy because HWY12 run along the north side of the park.

This campground was a great escape from the 4th of July noise and crowds. The entire campground was clean and all the toilet facilities were spotless. We were tent camping and appreciated the level campsites and 10’ tables. Our site, #3, is non-reservable and HUGE. The riverfront was a bonus.

This campground is a strange hidden gem - stick with me through the downsides. Taidnapam is on Riffe Lake, which is created by a dam and as of about 2013 the water levels have been permanently lowered by 30-ish feet. This is bad news for people who only went there for boating and fishing and swimming in the swim area but for some of us it's actually good news.

The campground is slower than it used to be during the summer months due to the lowered water levels - but that means you can often still get a reservation at the last minute, especially for the walk-in tent sites (which is what we use). We have camped for three years now at the walk-in tent sites and it's a bit tougher to access the water but you definitely can still find plenty of places to get in or take a kayak down to the water. There's also lots of fun areas around the edge of the lake to explore that used to be under water - making for interested hiking.

We love this campground to go to with kids - the walk-in tent sites are great and the water is so shallow now for quite a ways out so the kids can play in the water and the sand/mud along the edge of the lake. There are so many nooks and crannies around the edge of the lake to explore with the kids - and we used an inflatable kayak while there to go across the lake. They also have a scavenger hunt of items hidden around the campground that you can do with your kids (or if they are a bit older they can do on their own) and a playground.

Has tents site to camp at

This camping is great if you do not mind having others near you or if you are fearful of venturing out alone. If you are looking for a secluded location, this is NOT the spot. This location had many amenities. My husband and I tent camped and it included ample space to pitch our tent, a small in-the-ground pit, and a table. We noticed many RVs and many sites had available hookups. There is a nice lake in walking distance for boating, swimming, and fishing.

We Can’t Thank The Rainbow RV Resort Enough For The Wonderful Stay We Had. They Are A Clean Reasonably Priced RV Camping Site With Tent Camping Available, A Boat Launch A Beautiful Dock And Swimming Area As Well. Thank You To All The Rainbow Resort Staff For Making Our Stay An Enjoyable And Memorable One! Beautiful Place With Amazing Views Of Tanwax Lake! We Look Forward To Staying Again Sooner Then Later! Take Care!

Well maintained campground, full hookups and tent sites available. Sites fairly large & private with tons of old trees and right next to a creek. Bathrooms clean. Fire pits and firewood available from hosts. Easy access to Rainier NP. Hosts super nice. Only thing that would make this place better is more substantial picnic tables which were new but kind of rickety. Would camp here again.

We camped for two nights. The lake is beautiful with a killer view of Mt. Adams and we were able to hike and SUP from camp. The mosquitoes were vicious but apparently much better than last week. They did not care about either of our two repellants. If you kept moving you were safe, but there was no relaxing in our chairs at camp. We camped in our 30 foot trailer. This campground can technically accommodate trailers of this size but it’s not a great idea to bring one in. We definitely got into some hairy spots. The road in from Randle is really rough for a rig. Ours is built to off road but if it wasn’t I’d be worried that the chassis wouldn’t make it. The other way towards Trout Lake was much easier getting out.

The place is hard to get to, but is very beautiful. The lake is warm and the views are so pretty. We spent much more time than planned getting in and out of the area so plan for that.

If you are a fishing person, it looked like everyone was doing really well out on the water, I saw multiple people with several fish.

We spent a weekend tent camping here and I can't wait to go back when it gets warmer and this time bring the Turtle.  The campground is meticulously maintained, facilities are super clean, there is a dishwashing station, and a super cute store.  The two guys who run the place are super friendly, drive around delivering ice and firewood, and are so welcoming.  There is a creek that is fun for kids to play in and a large field to go explore and walk around in.  Beautiful location and close to Mt. Rainier NP.

Discover pass required

 Merrill Lake, just outside of Cougar, WA feels very remote, despite its relatively close proximity to the Portland/Vancouver area. This campground is best suited for tent camping, as there is only one RV site and sometimes it’s occupied by a camp host.

I met up with some folks who were in tents and occupied the tent spots and spent the night in the parking lot in my van. Several other folks did this as well. You're just a little ways from the campsites that have picnic tables and fire pits. 

The lake is the real attraction here. Great for paddle boarding or kayaking. There's a boat launch. Best of all, it's free!

Nice little spot I actually hate to leave a review as the fewer the people know about it the better ha. Nice creek too but cold water even in August but it’s mostly ankle to no more than waste deep and minimal current as our 4yr old had no problem walking around and playing in. Also minimal bugs and the camp host were great. Fire wood is available for purchase for $8. One night tent site $22