Brandon P.
Scout
ScoutDispersed Camping FS-025
Spooky
A spider crawled on me so I got tf outta there even tho it twas midnight. Drove all the way to Tacoma. Spooky. (I’m not a boomer trust)
Camping near Sumner, WA
289 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Camping areas near Sumner, Washington range from established state parks to RV-friendly facilities within a 30-mile radius. The landscape includes Dash Point State Park Campground in Federal Way, which accommodates tents, RVs, and walk-in camping, and Kanaskat-Palmer State Park near Ravensdale, offering tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin options. Most campgrounds in the region provide mixed-use facilities with varying levels of amenities, from primitive tent sites to full-service RV parks with electric, water, and sewer connections.
Road conditions and campground accessibility vary significantly by season in the Sumner area, with many sites requiring advance reservations, particularly during summer months. The region experiences typical Pacific Northwest weather patterns with wet winters and mild summers. "This campground is hidden in the middle of a major Western Washington city," noted one visitor about Dash Point State Park. "Once in the campground, you would have no idea that you are surrounded by a sprawling metropolitan area." Cell service can be limited at more remote locations, though campgrounds closer to urban areas typically maintain reliable coverage. Most state parks require a Discover Pass for day use, while overnight camping fees range from $20-50 depending on amenities and location.
Several campgrounds feature waterfront access, with sites along rivers or near Puget Sound receiving consistently positive reviews. Game Farm Wilderness Campground and South Prairie Creek RV Park provide riverside camping opportunities, while Dash Point and Saltwater State Park Campgrounds offer proximity to Puget Sound beaches. A camper described Silver Springs Campground as having "spaces well distributed, the location right next to the river is beautiful and the site staff were extremely gracious." Privacy between sites varies considerably across the region's campgrounds, with state parks generally offering more separation than private RV parks. Noise levels depend on proximity to highways and urban areas, with some campgrounds experiencing road noise despite their forested settings. Most established campgrounds provide fire rings, picnic tables, and access to potable water, while more primitive sites may offer fewer amenities but greater seclusion.
Best Campgrounds near Sumner (289)
1. Dash Point State Park Campground
"Firstly, I just have to say what a positive and amazing experience I had at this campground. The volunteers were friendly, kind and absolutely awesome to interact with."
"The campground itself is tucked into a beautiful, forested area with plenty of trees and privacy between sites. Ours had a tent pad, fire ring, and picnic table."
from $23 - $74 / night
Check Availability2. Kanaskat-Palmer State Park
"There is good system of trails, tons of picnic tables along the river, and good river access to the Green rivers. Campground is well maintained, clean bathrooms and showers available."
"It's close proximity to our house allows us to hook up the trailer after work and include a Friday night in our camping weekend!"
from $23 - $254 / night
Check Availability3. Saltwater State Park Campground
"My family stayed here for a night when we went out to Washington a few months ago. It was a nice little place."
"Pay showers ($1 for 3 minutes) and clean restroom with air dryer, pet friendly, lots of trails to hike and a beautiful beach area with a playground, seasonal/weekend snack shop, outdoor shower by the beach"
from $23 / night
Check Availability4. Netties Mountain View Retreat
"Convenient drive to Mt Rainier and Summit lake trail as well. Definitely worth every penny! "
"Convenient location near Mt. Rainier."
from $40 - $60 / night
Check Availability5. Holiday Park Military - Lewis McChord Base
"Excellent location for those with military access to the base - active duty, retired or family. 30/50 amp hookups. Beautiful views of American Lake. Pet friendly."
"It is in the wilderness, on the lake, but it is also fairly close to stores and gas stations. Long term max is 28 days per spot."
6. Enumclaw Expo Center RV Park
"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."
"Campground has nice paved spots, but they are very close to each other, so don't expect much privacy. It sits behind a smal stadium.
For the restrooms and shower you'll have to walk pretty far."
from $35 - $50 / night
Check Availability7. Game Farm Wilderness Campground
from $40 / night
Check Availability8. VFW 969 Rec Park
"It is located right on the Carbon River with a couple awesome swimming holes. Nested between South Prarie and Orting."
9. Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor
"Close by stores, trails, parks, harbor. Tacoma across bridge (10 minutes - $6.25 toll)."
"Costco, Home Depot, Albertsons and other shopping close by."
from $57 - $104 / night
Check Availability10. Woodside Manor RV Park
"Beautiful scenery with green all around."
Drive Time
- 29 min from Seattle, WA
- 34 min from Olympia, WA
- 40 min from Bremerton, WA
- 1 hr 36 min from Longview, WA
Recent Camping Photos near Sumner, WA
528 Photos of 289 Sumner Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Recent Reviews near Sumner, WA
1604 Reviews of 289 Sumner Campgrounds
- SSteve M.
TravelerSmall Site but Million $ View!
Slow Climb
Bumpy road all the way to the top but worth every minute of the climb. Nice and peaceful and hardly saw any traffic up there. Sadly I didn’t get to see Rainer until the morning for like 15 minutes until clouds rolled in lol
Ryan M.ScoutDash Point State Park Campground
Pretty but deceiving
I wanted to like this campground, but I wouldn’t stay here again for more than maybe one night.
There are signs EVERYWHERE warning about theft, which immediately tells you something about the area. I didn’t have anything stolen, but I was extremely careful about what I left out.
The biggest problem is that you’re basically on your own after hours. There is no campground host, no posted after-hours ranger number, and no non-emergency number at the campground or through the park’s phone system. The staff hours also seem very limited and inconsistent. I arrived around 6:30 PM and nobody was there, and staff didn’t seem to return until around 9–10 AM.
The bathrooms were dirty, out of toilet paper, and the showers were cold. One morning there was a large unleashed dog in the women’s bathroom that growled at me while its owner was showering. I believe she may have been homeless and using the facilities. Again, there was nobody around to contact about it.
Another night, people were extremely loud until almost midnight. Same problem: no host, no ranger and no non-emergency number. Unless something is serious enough for 911, you’re left to deal with it yourself.
There are also a lot of homeless people and visible drug addicts/drug activity around Federal Way. I had been warned about the area before coming here, and I understand why.
The park itself is pretty and might be fine for a quick overnight stay, but for multiple nights, I wouldn’t recommend it. Between the theft warnings, lack of after-hours staff, weird staffing hours, and no way to report non-emergency problems, I never really felt comfortable settling into my campsite.
- MMike E.Scout
Cougar Rock Campground — Mount Rainier National Park
Excellent Place Near Mt Rainier
My wife and I came to this campground recently (9/26 - 9/29) and overall it was a great trip. The staff (Rangers) were so friendly and helpful. The site we had for our 20 ft trailer was a pull-through site which was quite level. It was pretty shady and use of our solar panel was minimal. The proximity to Paradise was great. It was incredibly crowded at Paradise despite being so late in September. The campground filled up to full within a couple of hours of our arrival around 2:30 pm. Bathrooms are very basic (flush toilets and only cold water sinks). There was a water bottle filler right outside the bathroom and tasted great. There is no option to fill trailer tanks with water. Their water filler and dump station has been out of order for a couple of years per the ranger, so I don't expect it to be fixed anytime soon. We were told that there was a water filling station in Alder Lake Park but it is a ways from this campground. We brought our own water so didn't need it. Our site itself was great but there is a reasonable amount of debris around other sites. Overall, we would come again.
- Betsy W.
RangerSahara Creek DNR Horse Camp
Very nice!! All you need for great campiing
Very nice! Horse camp but sites 21-30 are for non equestrian campers. Sites are wooded between and large with table, firepits/grill combo, and level wooded spaces. 2 clean, well stocked pit toilets are available. Water faucets available at several locations. WA discover pass but free otherwise. It is patrolled regularly.
Ryan S.
GuideCarlton Creek Crossing
Great spot out of the way
Its not 5 stars because of its beauty, its because its buried deep in the woods but still on a drivable road, and its free. On a busy weekend I only saw one other sprinter van on the entire road. There are lots of areas to pull off along the road and a few good spots just away from the road if you only have a tent or 4x4 vehicle. This spot has lots of space to turn your rig around but I don't know about farther down the road. No cell service but this spot also had enough clearing to be able to set up our starlink and get decent enough service with that. The road has some pretty big potholes so make sure you've got enough clearance on your rig. I'd say most would be just fine.
- ttraveller 1.
LegendCabin Creek Dispersed Camping
If you’re up in the parking lot your fine
The reviews here seem to be from two different places
Parking lot up by the logging operation is fine
Down the road by the creek is a bunch of permanent trailers
Be nice if people reviewed the proper spots
- ttraveller 1.Legend
Cabin Creek Dispersed Site
People are living here permanently
There’s one site on the hill that’s not occupied permanently and I was there for may 20 mins before they started slowly riding atv by and staring. Wasn’t even planning on staying, just wanted to let the dogs have a swim
Super uncomfortable
Water was nice
- ttraveller 1.Legend
Kachess Lake Logging Road Campsites
Beautiful
Amazing but a bit dirty and lots of other campers. We stopped for a river visit but didn’t stay the night
Guide to Sumner
Camping near Sumner, Washington typically operates within seasonal windows from April through mid-December, with several state parks remaining accessible year-round. The region sits at elevations ranging from 50 to 800 feet above sea level, creating varied camping conditions with temperature shifts between lowland areas and higher elevation sites. Most campgrounds receive 40-50 inches of annual rainfall, concentrated primarily between November and March.
What to Do
Trail exploration near river campsites: South Prairie Creek RV Park provides direct access to the Foothills Trail, a 15-mile paved path connecting several Pierce County communities. "The grounds are very nice, looking forward to coming back," notes a camper who appreciated the convenient trail access.
Saltwater beach activities: Dash Point State Park Campground offers beach access for tide pool exploration during low tide, which occurs twice daily. "Really cute camp spot and play area!! Pet friendly and dog park! Went here on our trip to Tacoma north of the city. Very nice beach and area!!" writes one visitor who enjoyed the waterfront.
Aviation watching: Saltwater State Park Campground provides an unintentional aircraft observation experience. "Commercial jets landing at Sea-Tac fly directly above us at a low altitude and are VERY loud and VERY frequent (every 3-5 minutes), so if you don't mind the noise, or LOVE airplanes (like we do), this is an Awesome campground!!!" explains a reviewer who turned the airport proximity into a feature rather than a drawback.
What Campers Like
Privacy between sites: Kanaskat-Palmer State Park receives consistent praise for site separation. "Sites and roads are paved. The sites are large and pretty private. We have stayed in site 42 which is a back in spot with fire pit and table above the back of the pad," reports a regular visitor who appreciates the layout.
Clean facilities: Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor maintains high standards for amenities. "The facilities and grounds are clean and well cared for. I stayed for almost three weeks and it was quiet and relaxing, despite how close together the sites are," notes a long-term camper who found the park comfortable despite site proximity.
Urban convenience with forest feel: Game Farm Wilderness Campground balances natural settings with urban access. "Just exploring for future spots! Private as all get out," observed a visitor scouting camping options, highlighting the unusual privacy for an in-city campground.
What You Should Know
Reservation policies vary significantly: Netties Mountain View Retreat has limited sites requiring advance booking. "We drive up nearly dark. The lights were magical. It wasn't until morning that our surprise was revealed by the mountain range and Mt. Rainier," recounts a camper who arrived without reservations and found accommodation.
Age restrictions at some parks: Enumclaw Expo Center RV Park implements specific vehicle policies. "It looks really nice but they don't allow drop-ins or vehicles older than 20 yrs," reports a potential camper who was unable to stay due to these restrictions.
Security considerations: Saltwater State Park displays warning signage about potential theft. "It's kinda unsettling though seeing signs that it's a high theft area," notes a camper who still managed to enjoy their stay despite initial concerns about security.
Tips for Camping with Families
River access safety: Kanaskat-Palmer State Park requires caution with children near water. "The riverfront accessed from the campground tends to be a bit too raging for my taste with children. We usually take the kids to the lake at Nolte state park (approx. 3 miles away) for water play," advises a parent who camps regularly at the park.
Park ranger presence: Kanaskat-Palmer State Park maintains active ranger patrols. "This campground is heavily patrolled by the park rangers. I usually have contact with them in my campsite at least twice a day. My point with this is, if you are a large group, like to stay up late and listen to music and/or party it might not be the campground for you," explains a regular visitor who appreciates the security but notes the strict rule enforcement.
Alternative water play: Dash Point State Park offers safer water options for families. "Facilities were good and trails around are fun and easy enough for me and 2 kids. The beach and its tides are why we came," shares a parent who found the park suitable for children.
Tips from RVers
Site spacing considerations: Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor offers well-maintained but compact sites. "The spaces are very close together, but there are a lot of trees and it's very well kept," notes an RVer who stayed for several weeks.
Full hookup availability: Kanaskat-Palmer State Park provides limited electrical service. "One loop has electricity (no water or sewer hookups but has a dump station) and the other does not. It has 6 very clean individual (one person) bathrooms with a shower in each," details a regular camper who appreciates the facilities despite limited hookups.
Access limitations: Game Farm Wilderness Campground has arrival time restrictions. "This 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!" warns an RVer who arrived after hours and was turned away.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Sumner, WA?
What camping is available near Sumner, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Sumner, WA offers a wide range of camping options, with 289 campgrounds and RV parks near Sumner, WA and 41 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Sumner, WA?
Which is the most popular campground near Sumner, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Sumner, WA is Dash Point State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 78 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Sumner, WA?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Sumner, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 41 free dispersed camping spots near Sumner, WA.
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