9 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Cabin camping near University Place ranges from rustic to modern accommodations at several military and state park locations. Holiday Park Military - Lewis McChord Base offers cabin rentals with electric hookups and sanitary facilities, while Lewis North Travel Camp features cabins with full amenities including electric, water, and sewer hookups. "Good little camp ground on post with almost everything you need. It is in the wilderness, on the lake, but it is also fairly close to stores and gas stations," notes one military visitor about the Holiday Park location. Both military facilities require appropriate ID for access, making them exclusive options for service members, veterans, and their families.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. Belfair State Park Campground and Millersylvania State Park Campground offer cabin options with varying amenities in natural settings. Kanaskat-Palmer State Park provides cabins in a forested environment with electric hookups only. According to one visitor, "The cabins are great for families and have a bunk bed and futon set up with a table set and even heaters." Most cabins require advance reservations, especially during summer months when availability becomes limited. Pet policies vary by location, with some parks allowing up to two dogs per reservation while others maintain stricter limitations.
Most cabins include beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries. Basic furnishings typically include tables, chairs, and sometimes futons or bunk beds. Kitchen facilities vary widely—some cabins offer only outdoor fire rings for cooking while others provide indoor amenities. Elkamp Eastcreek, located near Mineral, provides cabin accommodations with full hookups and is known for its cleanliness. One camper noted, "The staff were attentive but not invasive. Someone came around and made sure we had enough firewood often." Camp stores or small markets operate at several locations including American Heritage Campground and Millersylvania State Park, offering essential supplies for cabin guests who forget items.
"After flying into SeaTac late in the afternoon this campground was a great place to start our Washington trip and only about 30 minutes from the airport."
"I appreciate there is electric, sewer and water. I use this an overnight point to fill my RV before going off grid."
Available this weekend
from $23 - $74 / night
"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."
"Unfortunately the restrooms right next to our site were closed so it was a slight walk to the nearest restroom. Restrooms were heated and well taken care of."
"Very friendly next to the lake plenty of things to do walking, biking, hiking, fishing, Military museums, not to far off of I-5. Full hookups laundry shower facilities. Cabins too."
from $12 - $35 / night
"It rained a couple of nights but being surrounded by huge trees made it really cozy. Nice walking trails that follow creeks and go right along the sound."
"Friendly staff, clean sites and facilities, coin operated showers. This campground is located right on the hood canal which is filled with oysters beds. Many people were harvesting the delicacy."
Available this weekend
from $12 - $61 / night
"They have glamping! Or as the campground calls it: pampered camping. This is a beautiful park located on Deep Lake just outside of Olympia. "
"It was rainy and the fire pit area had plenty of puddles. Lots of folks came in later in the evening with multiple cars and sat out talking; plenty of them packed up and left before 8 am."
Available this weekend
from $12 - $140 / night
"Nice quiet campground with fire ring and picnic table. Host was amazing as always."
"Lovely and secluded sites 30 amp, dump station, playground, great well stocked store,laundry, and helpful staff. Trails in area."
from $40 - $60 / night
"We stayed 1 night here for the maiden voyage of our recently purchased travel trailer, which was nice since it's only about an hour away from our place near Seattle."
"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!"
Available this weekend
from $23 - $254 / night
"The campground has cabins, rustic shelters, and tent and rv site. The cabins are great for families and have a bunk bed and futon set up with a table set and even heaters."
"This campground is right next to a state park. It’s also very close to a river and lots of woods."
Available this weekend
from $12 - $61 / night
"This campground has super friendly staff, decent bathrooms and showers, laundry facility, access to a lake, fishing is welcome, swimming allowed, great playground for kids, allows pets, has a small store"
"It was a larger site that sits next to the small creek. It was very pleasant and quiet. The bath house isn’t too far and was usually well stocked and clean."
TravelerNice campground, well maintained and rangers often patrol the campsite loops. Bathrooms are nice but dated, but quite expensive campground. Paying in-person was $49 for an RV spot with utilities, but booking online was $69 for the same site. Can be busy on the weekend.
TravelerSpacious spots by a scenic lake. Can accommodate just about any size rig, plenty of sites for both tents and rvs.
TravelerBeautiful spot, lots of great spots for tents, rvs and travel trailers. Loved that there was plenty of space between campsites. Would spend multiple nights here!
ScoutI 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.
GuideWe had such a wonderful stay at American Heritage Campground! The campground has a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere, and you can really feel the history and care that has gone into the property over the years.
We stayed at site 6 which was right by the playground, laundry, pool (closed for the season), and 2 individual bathrooms. There’s more bathrooms in the main bath house with showers! Our site was also able to use the WiFi since it was close to the front of the campground
A huge part of what made our stay so special was our host, Rita. She was incredibly kind, welcoming, and made us feel right at home from the moment we arrived. Learning that the campground has been in her family for over 40 years makes the experience even more meaningful. You can tell how much pride and love she has for the campground and the people who visit.
If you’re looking for a beautiful, relaxing place to stay in Olympia with a personal touch that you just don’t get at the big commercial campgrounds, we highly recommend American Heritage Campground. We’re grateful we got to meet Rita and experience a little piece of her family’s history. We’ll definitely be back!
Edit: we walked around in the morning and found the farm (sheep and chickens), frisbee golf, horse shoes, volleyball and a pavilion. This would be such a fun spot in the summer!
TravelerThere is single camp-host here, the facility’s are in a deep state of disrepair, and the campground is overcrowded when full.
GuideWe spent one night here. Short walk to the riverside.
RangerOne of our favorite stays so far. Schafer State Park has everything you actually want in a campground: flush toilets, hot showers, potable water, and hookups if you need them. The hiking is excellent for how compact the park is—easy, mossy forest loops and river-edge paths that feel much bigger than two miles. The park is split into two worlds: the older West Campground and a newer East side (about three years old). We chose the “old” side for its first-come, first-served sites. They felt private and spacious, with the East Fork Satsop River running right behind us. Kids’ laughter and happy dogs mixed with the sound of the water—this place is very family- and dog-oriented in the best way. We loved it. We were honestly surprised sites were still available over Labor Day weekend. We’ll definitely be back
TravelerI stayed there for one night on my way back to Seattle, and it was perfect for what I needed. Very quiet back there. The people were all super nice and accommodating. They had a dump site, restrooms outside and heated restrooms attached to the office area. I really loved that two of the permanent residents would do security at night as well. Being a woman and traveling alone, that made me feel very safe. Highly recommend this place!
Cabin camping near University Place, Washington offers varied accommodations ranging from rustic forest retreats to lakeside options within an hour's drive. Most locations operate year-round with winter availability more accessible than summer months when advance reservations become essential. Several parks maintain seasonal water restrictions during winter months to prevent pipe freezing.
Fishing and water activities: The lakes in the region provide accessible fishing opportunities. At Camp Lakeview, visitors can access fishing docks with lake swimming available during summer months. "People were fishing, paddle boarding and swimming," notes one visitor.
River exploration: At Dosewallips State Park Campground, cabin guests can walk to river access points directly from the campground. "Hiking trails and river access are accessible through the campground and Day Use area," according to a camper, who also mentioned "clamming, shrimping, hiking, hunting for oysters, and there's even places to rent kayaks."
Stargazing: The forested campgrounds near Mount Rainier provide excellent night sky viewing. One visitor at Elkamp Eastcreek highlighted "acres to gorgeous meadow and evening star viewing." The meadow over the bridge is specifically noted as "a hidden delight" by another reviewer.
Proximity to Mount Rainier: Cabins southeast of University Place provide strategic access to the national park. One camper at Elkamp Eastcreek noted it "would be a great base for exploring the south side of Mt. Rainier as it is within minutes of the Nisquilly entrance."
Clean facilities: American Heritage Campground maintains well-kept bathrooms and common areas, with one visitor noting "Lovely, secluded sites 30 amp, dump station, playground, great well stocked store, laundry, and helpful staff." Another camper appreciated the "privacy of the heavily wooded individual sites."
Wildlife viewing: Several cabin locations offer wildlife observation opportunities. Dosewallips campers reported, "Every night, my husband and I would walk to the wildlife viewing platform to see lots of birds, or walk down by the river and see lots of elk and bald eagles." This adds natural entertainment value beyond standard campground activities.
Military-only options: Two high-rated facilities near University Place restrict access to military personnel. At Lewis North Travel Camp, one military visitor explained, "Great campground that serves military exclusively. We made a next day reservation due to the weather and just wanted a night away." The campground offers full hookups for those with appropriate military identification.
Winter conditions: While most cabins remain open year-round, some services become limited in colder months. A camper at Millersylvania State Park Campground reported, "The park is on their winter schedule so only sites 1-7 and 226-248 were open. It made for a nice, quiet weekend even though the open sites were 80% full."
Cell service variations: Connectivity varies significantly between cabin locations. At Kanaskat-Palmer State Park, visitors reported "No cell reception here for ATT and Verizon, and the cell booster didn't help." Meanwhile, Camp Lakeview offers better connectivity for those needing to stay connected during their cabin stay.
Playground access: Several cabin locations include play facilities for children. American Heritage Campground includes "a fenced in pool" and seasonal hayrides through the park, providing structured activities for families with younger children.
Swimming options: Belfair State Park Campground offers family-friendly water access. "The beach was great, water is rather warm for in the sound, it's also pretty shallow which is great for the kids to play in," noted one visitor. Families specifically recommend the beach loop for cabin reservations.
Safety considerations: Parents should note that Kanaskat-Palmer maintains strict noise enforcement. One parent reported, "This campground is heavily patrolled by the park rangers. I usually have contact with them in my campsite at least twice a day. I have been asked by the park rangers at 10:01 p.m. to be quiet as myself and three 9 year old girls were talking too loud."
Site selection strategy: At Belfair State Park Campground, RVers recommend specific areas for cabin stays. "There's a beach loop for RVs and a woods loop for tents & smaller RVs," notes one camper. The waterfront loop has less privacy but excellent views, while the tent loop offers more seclusion.
Winter preparation: Cabins with limited hookups require additional planning during colder months. An RVer at Kanaskat-Palmer warned, "Hook ups are electric only, bring your water. The first time we went we did not know and our Basecamp's heat runs via the hot water heater. It was cold!"
Accessibility notes: Some cabin areas have terrain challenges. At American Heritage Campground, a recent visitor noted "I really appreciated the ease of getting to the campground off of I-5," while others mentioned narrower access roads at other locations that may challenge larger vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near University Place, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near University Place, WA is Dash Point State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 79 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near University Place, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 58 cabin camping locations near University Place, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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