Best Campgrounds near University Place, WA

After a long drive from the San Francisco area, I arrived in Seattle during rush-hour. I was exhausted. The young woman who checked me in was annoyed that I didn’t follow instructions and stop in front of the stop sign. She provided directions to the bus depot when I asked, but with no warmth. I did not feel welcome.

RV park is basically a paved parking lot. It is not level. Vehicles are packed in tight. I could not open the back of my camper van without feeling like I was in my neighbor’s space. One of my neighbors ran a loud AC overnight. I needed earplugs. Some sites had picnic tables. Mine did not. There were no trees, no shade. It’s not very attractive.

On the other hand, there are stores nearby, I could walk to the bus depot and take the bus downtown for the day. The bathrooms and showers were clean. Same with the laundry room ( which I did not use.)

This RV park met my needs but I do not think I would stay there again.

Just stayed at Schafer State Park and had a great visit. The ranger was so friendly and helpful when we arrived. The sites on the West side of E Satsop Rd are the original sites. We were originally reserved for 55, but ended up switching. 51-55 are pretty compact and small, but there are some really great, private sites on the West side, especially 45-50. The campground on the East side of E Satsop Rd, where the Welcome Center is, is brand new and gorgeous - sites are spacious and well spaced and the bathrooms and showers are the nicest I've ever seen at a campground. The staff and hosts are taking great care of the park and campground.

This was our very first Hipcamp stay, and it completely blew us away. We were a bit skeptical at first, but the glowing reviews convinced us to give it a try—and we’re so glad we did. On a road trip from Mount Rainier to Olympic National Park, we made a stop here mainly because our kids (ages 9 and 11) are capybara-obsessed. What we found was so much more than we imagined.

From the moment we arrived, we felt like part of the family. Kat and Jason were the most welcoming hosts, and the connection we felt to the animals was incredibly special—this was nothing like a typical petting zoo. We gathered eggs, milked goats, fed a porcupine and capybaras, cuddled baby bunnies, met a joey in a pouch, hung out with emus, and even snuggled with goats. It was truly immersive and heartwarming.

The campsite itself was private, peaceful, and perfectly set up—complete with a fire pit and a hammock that our son loved.

Leaving was the hardest part (there were definitely tears). My kids are already counting down the days until we can come back. Huge thanks to Kat and Jason for making us feel so welcome and creating memories our family will cherish forever.

Favorite animals: Muriel and Eustace, Spice and Selma, Potato the cat, Tilda the porcupine, Mushu the goat, and Scooter the wallaby!

You cannot beat this location! Close to Seattle, feels secluded, but you can walk or take a short drive to restaurants, groceries, anything you could want or need. The staff is amazing and the park and facilities are kept clean. The laundry machines ($2 washer/$2 dryer) get the job done, with no need to keep feeding the machine. They can fill propane on site. Just an incredible place. They also have a small storage lot that can accommodate short storage. I camped, stored my camper while I went on a cruise, camped and then headed out for the remainder of an around the country journey. I will definitely stay here again and would highly recommend.