Best Campgrounds near Startup, WA

We got lucky and snagged the very last spot here on a Saturday in late September. It’s a beautiful campground, very peaceful, other campers were quiet and respectful, we were surprised at how quiet the place was despite being completely full. Note that you can check availability online on the day of, but you cannot make same day reservations online. You have to do it in person at the ranger entrance. We got a no-hookup spot for $25, an electric spot would have been $35. Showers are hot and free, and there’s a free dump and potable water fill as well. I read somewhere that for non-campers there’s a $5 fee to dump, but I didn’t confirm that. 

Park hosts sell firewood, sites are level and fairly decently divided from your neighbor. There are many pull through sites (pull along a curve next to your site, not straight pull through). Zero cell reception here for ATT and Verizon, and the cell booster didn’t help. There are trash dumpsters here and blue recycling bins, but they don’t specify what they will accept for recycling. Lots of tree coverage here, solar didn't work well and I’m not sure if Starlink would work.

We checked out this campground but decided to stay at the Lower Bay campground. This campground (upper) is just more traditional, with separate sites and loops and a host. Some of the sites have a nice water view. We liked the Lower Bay because it was more peaceful and calm, right on the water, (cheaper). I have to say if there were other campers at Lower Bay we may have preferred the Upper Bay, just because there's more privacy from your neighbor.

This is a sweet little campground right on the bay. We were there in mid/late Sept and there was hardly anyone there, which made it so peaceful and quiet. People do come use the area for day use, but we were the only campers who stayed the night. There are only 8 sites, 5 at the entrance and 3 more at the end. There is zero privacy or any kind of separation between sites, it's almost like the county decided to convert a park to a campground. 

No reservations, fcfs only. Fee is $25 if you pay by cash or check at the Upper Bay campground, or if you pay onsite using the Park Mobile program there's an additional $2 fee. The only amenities here are trash, one water spigot, and a pit toilet. Verizon service was very weak and almost unusable and att was full bars 5g.

Nice older park at the base of Mt. Rainier. Water and Electric (50 amp) only. There are several dump stations nearby. Very quiet and low key. It is situated next to a H.S. stadium so the game nights get a little bit loud but really not that bad. Showers are available too.

Great free camping for up to three nights. Just call security (number is on the sign) to register when you arrive. Very nice friendly security staff. Great place to walk your dog. Many great places to eat and of course the casino.

Just a couple miles East of Skykomish, up a paved road, the campsite is just before you go over the bridge on your right and had enough room for high clearance vehicles to pull into it and smaller cars have roadside space the road wasn’t too active when we camped overnight even so the sound of the waterfalls drowns it all out. It has Solid fire pit and very lush green forest surroundings.

Stayed here in May and had wonderful weather. Close enough to town for any necessities but far enough to get the secluded feeling. Firewood on site for sale is always great. Great place to walk around and enjoy what the deep green that is Washington state.

Stayed 3 months for work, perfect beautiful, CHEEP CHEEP, not too good to be true, just right. All Hook ups included. (Bring your dump tote!) easy easy easy dump station

Lovely treed campground. Large sites!

Definitely a nice area to Visit for our first time. Quite and the ferry comes right past the camp ground. Ferry doesn’t blast its horn unless there is a boat in the ferry path. Definitely worth to check out and check out the fort. Showers and nice very clean park.

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.

Have been camping here for years and the camp ground has had things added to it over the years as well. Quite and always a laid back atmosphere. Miss the camp sites that where on the west end of the park that where really close to the river. But still a great place to camp.

I just can’t say enough about this campsite. I wound up staying here 4 to 5 days at a time over the course of two months because I loved it so much. It’s private. The spaces allow you to have a certain level of intimacy. They have bathrooms, water, and gray water dump, the host Marissa is just a complete awesome doll. It’s convenient to drive into because it’s right off the highway and about five minutes or so is the town of Skykomish with an incredible deli library a laundromat and a coffee shop I hope to visit here many more times, but I absolutely love it. Oh and cell reception is pretty good. Best we stayed at. For both Google Fi and, Verizon.

Wonderful RV park for long term Escapee-ers or members just passing through. We stopped here for a night, arriving on the weekend with no prior reservations or contact with them. They make it easy for you to self register when they're closed on weekends, just go up to the office and take one of their welcome packets. 

We stayed in a dry camp site for only $7.50, and paid $5 for the dump (dump is only for members as well). FHU sites are around $33 depending on in-season/off-season, but I don't know how we would have figured out which sites were available. There are so many activities and amenities here for the long termers (I believe it's a 55+ park), I couldn't even list them all. 

Showers and laundry were clean and efficient. There's a dog park and a dog walking path (there are signs everywhere about not letting your dog pee or poo on their nice plants). Cell service was good and they have good wifi as well. This would definitely be a spot we'd stop at again when we're in the area next.

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.

Nice little spot along the river off Icicle Road…approximately 2 miles west of eight mile campground. Though the water level was low due to the time of the season, this spot still offered the tranquil sound of river flowing over boulders. Doors open on a brisk morning with clear skies made it that much more beautiful.

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.