Best Dispersed Camping near Trout Lake, WA

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Trout Lake, WA

83 Reviews of 47 Trout Lake Campgrounds

• R

  Ron G.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 14, 2024

  Zigzag River Camp

  Side of the road camping?

  These coordinates get you the Kiwanis camp, other than that I wouldn't say a great dispersant camping spot, area is nice though.

• 

  Sarah S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 27, 2022

  Dispersed Camping above Panther Creek Falls

  Beautiful dispersed camping near Panther Creek Falls

  This area of Gifford Pinchot National Forest has lots of dispersed camping spots but this area was a gem. To access it, as you are driving on NF 65 you will see a small road to the right just a bit before you see the parking for Panther Creek Falls also on the right. If you are at the parking area for Panther Creek Falls and look up you will see a huge wall of rock…the area is up there and you need to turn on the road before the parking area to access it. There are actually 3 areas where you could camp: As you drive up the small road, you will notice the first, pretty large area for camping straight ahead. It looks like a road continues up toward the right but that is actually blocked. If you go to the left you will see the road continues (and you might not think there is anything up there) and you will see one more spot straight ahead and then if you continue up toward the right (hitting some branches along the way) you will come up to a large, wide open area with tons of space for camping. We were pretty excited when we saw it!

  We spent one night in that huge open area and it was beautiful - the stars were amazing. During the day we would go peek over the edge and could see people parking to go to the falls. You could hear a tiny bit of road noise from up there but it was very light. You can also hear the noise of the waterfall from up on the ridge. The only downfall about this spot is that there is no shade and it was very hot, so hot that we couldn't have a fire. The second night we spent in the spot just down a tad so that we could have some shade and a fire.

  The hike down to Panther Creek Falls is literally right across the road and I think these falls may be the most beautiful falls I've seen in OR or WA. It's a short mile or so hike but really pretty scenery.

• 

  Madison D.

  Guide

  

  May. 11, 2020

  Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

  Free and Secluded

  This dispersed camping is free, huge bonus in my book. While searching for our perfect spot we did come across a few large parties, making us apprehensive that we would experience our ideal peaceful experience, but we were wrong to be. There were dozens of open sites that we had our pick of. A handful of cars drove by throughout the evening and night, but not an outrageous amount. Pretty dang good for very accessible NF camping spots. There are a good deal of trailheads near by, meaning you're never too far from a pit toilet or a bulletin board with information.

  We visited in early September and found the weather to be very pleasant. Our view of Mt. St Helen's was obscured by the tall trees that offered our site seclusion and privacy, but we relished the view of the active volcano while driving to and from our site.

• 

  Vanessa T.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2024

  Panther Creek Creekside Camp

  Best spot ever!

  I was headed down 14 looking for somewhere to camp between the Dalles and camas. I got stuck in road construction and decided to open up the dyrt app. I clicked on one that looked closish lol I decided to take the chance and go check it out. Man I'm glad I did This is one of the best dispersed camp sites I've ever stayed at!!

• 

  Adam K.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 21, 2024

  Clear Lake Campgrounds

  Depends on the day of the week

  If you come during the week, you're going to enjoy quiet, gorgeous dispersed camping. Big spaces, big trees, big lake.

  But if you come during the weekend, be prepared for the most inconsiderate, noisy, rude neighbors you've ever found. They leave trash everywhere, play music and shoot guns late into the night, and don't respect boundaries whatsoever. I had multiple people drive right into my campsite and park 10 feet from my rig, walk through camp yelling and playing music, you name it.

  So, four stars because the place is amazing - but choose your timing wisely.

• K

  Karen

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 26, 2020

  Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

  Busy on weekends

  There are a lot of places for dispersed camping along FS-83, but they do get pretty full on nice weekends. Overall enjoyable camping, just expect neighbors and some trash from previous occupants.

• 

  Jason B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Forest Rd 2730 - Mt Hood NF

  Great/Quiet Spot

  Took a while to discover this spot, but clearly seems well used for dispersed camping. I parked nearest the access road, as my van would have hit trees to go a little further in. For smaller vehicles (e.g. roof top tents), you can get in a little further and off the access road. There was actually someone else back there, and we can't hear nor see each other.

• S

  Sally L.

  Traveler

  

  May. 6, 2022

  Avery Rec Area- Columbia River Gorge

  Beautiful site on Columbia River

  This is Army Corps of Engineers recreation site with dispersed camping, vault toilets and a boat ramp. First come first served, $0 and you can stay up to seven days. I have a view of Mount Hood and am parked facing the river.

  The downside? Very close to the railroad tracks and there are a lot of trains, mostly during the day. There is also a lot of truck traffic during the day. It doesn’t bother me, but your mileage may vary.

• 

  Stephanie Z.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 21, 2019

  Pumice Butte- Dispersed Campsite

  Dispersed Camping with a great view at the Foot of Mt St Helens

  Pumice Butte is a dispersed camping area along the Loowit trail that circles Mt St Helens. If you're starting from Ape Canyon or June lake Pumice Butte is a great place to camp for your first night (about 5-6 miles in respectively) There is some tree cover here before you enter the Plains of Abraham that works for shade or a wind break - you mind need both.

  There is not much water along the trail, but we found a small spring about 1 mile past Pumice Butte

• 

  Stephanie Z.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 1, 2021

  McNeil Point Dispersed Camping

  Backcountry in your Backyard

  Dispersed camping at McNeil point is a backpackers dream — you get to hike far into the clouds, far away from the people, yet this location is nearly as convenient as car camping. 

  While McNeil point is a popular hike, most people visiting are day hikers, or backpackers taking a few days for circumnavigating the Timberline trail. Since we only had one day, we left Portland at 2 pm on a summer Friday, hiked in the four miles most of the way to McNeil, pitched the tent in time for dinner and sunset, then got up early and summited McNeil far before the summer crowds from town had time to make it to the trail head. 

  There are quite a few dispersed, designated spots to camp. The most obvious ones are those along the Timberline trail—and they are also likely the busiest. There are also obvious sites well up near the McNeil summit. These aren't as busy, but you'll have to haul your packs up the whole way.  We chose a site that we found in a clearing that had a good view of the mountain. Note - You cannot camp in most of the meadows around the lakes. There are signs that designate this.

  When we hiked up to the McNeil summit in the morning, we only took our day packs, and left our big packs in our tents. After summiting we hiked back down, cooked lunch at the campsite, and then packed out.  It's definitely a recommended trip if you have a short time, but still want to feel like you got far, far away.

• 

  Kennedy F.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  McNeil Point Dispersed Camping

  Can’t beat the views at McNeil point

  Ended up backpacking up here on a whim right before I headed back to Utah. I started at the Top Spur trailhead and hiked the clockwise route up to McNeil (a little longer but saved be the scramble through rocks). On my way I ended up going to Muddy Fork which added about 4 miles to my overall trek up. I ended up camping at the point rather than further down, which was a challenge to carry my pack up, but so worth it in my opinion. It’s dispersed camping so solitude is easily reachable considering not too many people stay the night. This was easily one of the top 5 most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen. The mountain range is unbeatable and waking up to Mt. Hood as your veiw is incredible. It’s a challenge with the best reward.

• 

  Shawna B.

  Traveler

  

  May. 30, 2020

  Gifford Pinchot National Forest Dispersed Site

  Amazing spots

  We went camping twice this past week because it was so beautiful! We entered near Cougar and passed Lower Lewis Falls. There are multiple sites along the road, some have plenty of room for RVs but I wouldn't want to drive one on the roads. We explored the Forrest and ended up driving all the way to Trout Lake. Found great sites for multiple people, on the river or off the river, and multiple sites that are smaller and more secluded.

• 

  Mouni

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2024

  NF-65 National Forest Dispersed Site

  Don’t recommend

  Good luck. This takes you to the middle of nowhere with no camping spots. You’ll have no service.

• 

  Raphaela H.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 27, 2016

  Snag Creek Trailhead Dispersed

  Beginner Backpacking close to Portland

  We wanted a beginner backpacking trip (10 to 12 miles round trip) close to town - this one is a pretty hike with views at the end (theoretically, we saw fog). We passed up the best camping spots because they were too early in the trail (at the creek) and ended up setting up camp in wider part of the trail (about 3 miles in, after night had fallen). The other hikers were friendly, though, and didn't seem to mind us making camp pretty much anywhere. In our situation the camping was definitely not the main event! We came for the hike and slept along the way. The camp spots at the creek would have been quite nice for camping itself though.

• 

  Danielle S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 25, 2018

  Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

  Dispersed Camping - s. Mount St. Helens

  This is a dispersed campsite near the south side of Mount St. Helens. It's free, which is always great. The drive in is just off the highway and up a little hill, but my car had no problems with it. There's a lot of space here. From our spot, we saw at least a half a dozen fire pits, but we were the only ones there. It has some nice trees and a trail. Up the road is Lava Canyon, where there are toilets if you need. There are some decently flat spots for a tent and I felt was all around a good site.

• 

  Alex R.

  Scout

  

  May. 4, 2023

  Sluice Creek Dispersed Spot

  Amazing

  Amazing place. 8 min from brewery and isolated

• 

  Jeremy P.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  Forest Rd 2730 - Mt Hood NF

  Fanastic sunset views of Mount Hood

  There's a handful of dispersed campsites throughout NF44 and various side roads. I had several options to choose from and never saw another person. This was on a Thursday afternoon.

• 

  Christopher H.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 28, 2021

  Wakepish Sno-Park

  Good for one night in a pinch

  No real campsites here, but large parking area where you can put an RV overnight. There is one dispersed tent “site” with fire ring just uphill of warming hut on decommissioned road. Pit toilet, but no potable water. Great option if you leave St. Helens late and can’t make it to town. Signs do say “day use only” for winter.

• 

  Sara R.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 13, 2020

  White River West Sno-Park

  Best free camping on Hood!

  One of our favorite free spots ever!! Incredible access to back country hiking at Mt. Hood! Know before you go: this is not a camp site - in the summer, parking lots near mount hood are free for car camping (in the winter they’re full with people driving in for skiing). This is a huge parking lot with 2 vault toilets. Anyone can park overnight for free (summer only). There were just a few other cars there. At night we had a great view of the Perseid Meteor Shower 💫 Highly recommend if you’re going on a trip where you just want to spend all day hiking and have a convenient spot to sleep.

• 

  Todd J.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 6, 2024

  Dispersed Site - End of NF 4800-532

  Sweet spot not far from White River East

  This spot is pretty nice, feels very secluded despite White River being close enough to use the restroom if you want. Access to a stream down the hill if you need to filter water, and it sounds very pleasant at night. Lovely trees, plenty of room for a couple of small tents among the trees, plus a ton more out on the gravel. Established fire pit, for the 2-3 days a year that's legal to use. 

  We got in at 5pm on a Friday in summer; I think four more cars came down to see if the spot was free before 9pm.

• 

  Eric H.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 23, 2020

  Peninsula / Rimrock Boat Launch

  Island in the Lake

  Peninsula Camp is one of 3 designated camp grounds on the East end of Rimrock Lake. From the UPFS air field you will pass the first designated camp - suitable for dispersed RV'ing and the roomiest area. As you travel the One-Way loop, you will pass multiple locations for tent camping just off the road and cars lining the shoulder. You can find a few med sized camp site for RVs especially near the boat launch.

  The views were amazing but all the campers made so much noise, we moved. This might be a better review on a less busy weekend.

  Bring your own water and the facilities were lacking attention, if they were open at all. Be prepared to rough it.

• 

  Danielle S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 24, 2018

  Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

  Dispersed Camping Near Great Hikes - Mount St. Helens

  Found this campsite when driving up to the south side of Mount St. Helens Hikes - it is situated between Ape Caves (farther away) and pretty close to Lava Canyon and Ape Canyon.

  It is pretty close to the road, so we could hear road noise. However, there's nothing past the campsite really besides a couple more campsite spots and the hikes, so there really wasn't any road traffic at night.

  It's easy enough for a car to pull in to - my honda fit had no problem. This spot on a circle pull-out that has a couple more sites, but this is the only one you drive right up to. The circle pull out looks like a spot for RVs. My hiking buddy said the middle of the pull-out had a fire ring, but I didn't go investigate.

  Our spot had a fire ring, a nice flat spot for the tent and trees close enough together that we set up the hammock.

  There is a little trail that I didn't use too much, except to find a place to use the bathroom. If you do this method, remember to bring a trowel and dig. Please practice this method and keep it nice for the next people. I did see a fair bit of TP on the trail :( There is also a toilet up the road at Lava Canyon, but despite a sign in the bathroom proclaiming it a smell-free toilet, it was frankly the worst smelling toilet I have ever experienced, so I preferred the outdoors.

  The site is sheltered by large trees which gave it a nice feel of privacy.

• 

  Bobby J.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 18, 2024

  Panther Creek Creekside Camp

  Awesome stay on the creek

  This was an awesome stay right on the creek which was secluded and nice to hear the rushing water of the creek

• B

  Bella M.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 3, 2024

  FS Road 44 Dispersed

  Secluded

  Could not find the spot in the previous review. They must have parked off the highway. Multiple spots to camp. We went a little further in for a more secluded area and barely had any traffic. Would stay here again.

• 

  Danny H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 9, 2021

  White River West Sno-Park

  Nice quiet spot on Mt. Hood

  The snow park itself is a somewhat steep lot, but still very useable with a few blocks. However, just west of it on highway 35 there is a smaller “alcove” that is much more level and secluded. Most people who visit this location never notice this separate, paved spot.

• B

  Brynn P.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 22, 2024

  Clear Lake Campgrounds

  Very loud neighbors!!

  We camped specifically at the Indian Creek Dispersed sites. There is a collection of camp grounds in this surrounding area, so I wouldn’t be concerned about finding a spot.

  The views are incredible, beautiful grounds. Sadly the sites were covered in trash, people were riding quads and chainsawing until 2am, as well as yelling and loud music.

  We did come on a weekend so it got very busy.

• 

  Ashlyn C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 1, 2024

  FR-604 Dispersed Site

  Private and spacious campsite!

  The campsite was nice, right off the road but there wasn’t an absurd amount of traffic to where it bothered me but you will hear the cars on the road while you sleep if you’re in a tent. If you follow the trail by foot in the back of the forest for maybe 10 minutes you will find a beautiful swimming hole and small waterfalls! I recommend blocking the entrance with your vehicles to block noise and people trying to drive in to the campsite.