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Best Dispersed Camping near Vaughn, WA

34 Reviews

Dispersed camping near Vaughn, Washington can be found primarily within Olympic National Forest, where several free primitive sites exist along forest service roads. The region contains multiple dispersed camping locations along NF-2419, including Hilltop Camp and NF-2419 Dispersed Pullout, as well as sites on Forest Road 2292 and near the Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead. These areas permit camping without formal facilities in natural settings, generally following the typical national forest dispersed camping regulations with minimal management oversight.

Many forest roads leading to these sites require careful navigation due to rough terrain and seasonal conditions. NF-2419 features gravel surfaces with some steep sections and may present challenges for lower-clearance vehicles, though reviews indicate most passenger vehicles can access the main areas with caution. Several sites are accessible via drive-in options, while others require short walks from pullouts. Most locations have no amenities—no drinking water, toilets, or trash service—requiring campers to pack out all waste and bring necessary supplies. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with some areas permitting campfires in existing fire rings when no bans are in effect.

The dispersed sites around Vaughn provide stunning views and privacy for self-sufficient campers. Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419 stands out for its panoramic vistas, with one camper noting it has an "amazing view" and is "fairly large and level." Another camper described NF-2419 as a "truly magical place" with "various streams crossing the path of the service road," though they cautioned it "is frequented by others so low privacy unless you camp away from the vehicle path." Winter camping presents additional challenges in these areas, particularly at higher elevations where snow may accumulate. Cell phone service varies significantly by location and carrier, with spotty coverage reported in most areas. Wildlife sightings, including deer and small mammals, are common around many of these primitive camping locations.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Vaughn, Washington (13)

    1. Joemma Beach State Park Campground

    10 Reviews
    Lakebay, WA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (253) 884-1944

    $12 / night

    "Simple, small, peaceful campground with pit toilets and potable water.

    Mid week after Labor Day, I had my choice of sites arriving in late afternoon."

    "We arrived little later around 6 p.m. And being such a nice day there were only few sites left."

    2. Large Pull Out (Dispersed) on FR 24

    2 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    18 miles
    Website

    "Not the most private spot if vehicles were to pass. the road looks like it’s used but no one around when we arrived. the road itself is a gorgeous drive and since it’s free it’s worth it!"

    3. NF-2419 Dispersed Site

    5 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 956-2402

    "Great avenue to get out into nature with various streams crossing the path of the service road. Truly magical place."

    "Not many other campers' sites are well dispersed . Got to feed 3 Bluejays by hand with my oldest one of our new favorite memories."

    4. Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419

    3 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    23 miles

    "Gorgeous little spot off a national forest road. Stunning views, no light pollution or car sounds at night."

    "No water. First come first served and this one goes quickly!"

    5. NF-2419 Dispersed Pullout

    2 Reviews
    Lilliwaup, WA
    23 miles

    "Great spot on the NF-2419, about a mile before the Mt Elinor lower trailhead. Plenty of space for a large vehicle"

    6. Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead

    5 Reviews
    Tumwater, WA
    27 miles

    7. Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

    2 Reviews
    Matlock, WA
    25 miles

    "We camped near Vance Creek trailhead to do the Olympic Bridges bike ride the next morning. Since this is a national forest, dispersed camping is allowed."

    "This is a gravel road through the National Forest with a bunch of pull-offs where you can camp. It was nothing special but very quiet and peaceful other than one or two cars that passed by."

    8. FS-2292 Dispersed

    4 Reviews
    Matlock, WA
    33 miles

    "No signal and got a little snow on the roof in the morning but it was a good spot with a great view."

    "Very far off the beaten path, every time I camp here I don’t run into anyone. You’re camping on the Ridgeline so it can be a bit windy."

    9. NF-27 Tunnel Creek

    1 Review
    Quilcene, WA
    30 miles

    "The drive up to this road is half paved and unpaved , not too bumpy. Big area for camp- dry camping. There was already a fire ring made, we opted out of having a fire."

    10. Dispersed Woods Camp

    Be the first to review!
    Lilliwaup, WA
    23 miles
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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Vaughn, WA

31 Photos of 13 Vaughn Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Vaughn, WA

34 Reviews of 13 Vaughn Campgrounds

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 10, 2024

    Dispersed South Shore Road

    Quilaut River-South Shore Road

    Several campsites along the gravel road, we found the perfect secluded spot next to the Quinault River. Drove right into the hidden alcove in our stealth camper van.

  • Mar Z.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 7, 2024

    Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead

    Perfect woodsy rest stop off highway

    Right off the highway. Pit toilet and wooded areas. Can still hear highway from this exact GPS location, so I went further on up the road for a quieter spot. A few trucks did speed by in the middle of the night, but it was a Saturday and July 4th weekend. 5 bars of cell service.

  • Megan C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 14, 2017

    Ipsut Creek Camp — Mount Rainier National Park

    Crowded yet Cozy

    Ipsut Creek Campground is a relatively easy 5 mile trek or bike ride with a 700’ elevation gain, down a closed road (due to the road wash out about 3 miles in) to a wooded campground nestled along the Carbon River.

    Located at the trailhead are two bathrooms, a covered picnic area and a handful of parking stalls with additional parking located along the road. 

    The trail begins behind the closed gates into the shade of the old growth forest. The trail then alternates between the shade of the forest and sunny skys with river views and wildflowers along the way.

    There are a few side trips off the main Carbon River Trail even before reaching the Ipsut Creek Camp;

    1. Mini Rainforest Loop, 0.25 miles

    2. Old Mine Trail, 0.6 miles round trip

    3. Green Lake & Ranger Falls trail, 3.6 miles round trip

    Note: Sadly, the trail to Chenuis Falls has washed out, so now there is just a log bridge into the water to nowhere.

    Once you reach the campground, it has about 20 campsites with about half the sites located on the river. We were lucky enough to swoop up site number 15 though, strangely, another family decided to share it with us for our easy river front access.  Thankfully the river is pretty loud and drowned out the noise of our close campers. We did choose to camp on the high-profile weekend of the 4th of July, so all the cool campsites along the river were obviously full, which is why we think we had “friends” join us. There was a large fallen tree sort of splitting the camp site in half, so we took the left half, with the smaller 1 picnic table option, while the strangers took the right half with 2 picnic tables. 

    The trees in camp are great for setting up hammocks. We set up a hammock triangle upon arrival in camp near the river for lazy afternoon naps. My siblings both slept in their hammocks fulltime, while my husband and I set up a tent in a small clearing on the opposite side of the picnic table, closer to the bear lockers (bear lockers are a huge plus, meaning a bear canister isn’t necessary if you’re not heading deeper into the backcountry). 

    The campground had a decent amount of wildlife running around.  We had a number of chipmunks running around our camp cleaning up any scraps left daily; we found a live mouse chilling in a water bottle one morning upon setting up for breakfast, and deer came through the camp just about anytime it was quiet.  

    The campground does have two restrooms but they smell like the bog of eternal stench, so bring strong essential oils, a scented hanky, or a shovel to dig cat tracks in the woods far from camp and water sources. 

    The campground is a good base camp to explore the surrounding Carbon Glacier/ Mowich Lake area. We visited Ipsut Falls, which was less than a half mile round trip out of camp, making for a sweet little trip to break up the day in camp. 

    We also chose to make the adventure up to the Suspension Bridge and to the Carbon Glacier view point. Our morning started off cool in heavy fog, which burned off throughout the day, giving way to magnificent views of the mountain and glacier. The trail was covered in wildflowers, cairns, creeks and mini waterfalls. It made for a beautiful day trip out of camp with plenty of opportunities to go further into the backcountry closer to Winthrop Glacier, out to Tolmie peak area or back out along the Wonderland Trail. Backcountry options seemed endless. 

    Though the trail and camp (and site) were crowded, the hike to the glacier made the entire trip worth our cozy campsite. The Carbon Glacier is a bit dirty looking but to be standing in front of something so ancient and magnificent is truly amazing.  My husband, sister and I have now added a new item to our bucket lists and that is to see as many glaciers as we can before they melt, here’s to our first. =) 

    Note: The campground is located within Mount Rainier National Park (no pets are allowed) so you’ll need to stop by the Carbonado Ranger Station for a Wilderness Permit and National Park Day Pass or Annual Permit to display for parking. No campfires within the campground.

  • Sam S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 6, 2024

    Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

    Olympic National Forest - Dispersed Camping

    We camped near Vance Creek trailhead to do the Olympic Bridges bike ride the next morning. Since this is a national forest, dispersed camping is allowed. We picked the first spot we got to since it was getting kind of late. It wasn't the most ideal spot and I think further down the road has prettier and more remote options, but it made do. There were really huge flies but they did not bite. The only complaint was that there was more car traffic than I wanted very late at night into the early morning. One car even slowed down and yelled at our tent around 2am. We never felt unsafe but it was annoying. A lot of trash was left behind from previous camper. I would suggest finding alternative spots if you're looking for a more enjoyable night but if you are just there for an overnight, it is fine.

  • Lauren M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 23, 2022

    Dispersed South Shore Road

    Rainforest heaven!

    There are about 5 sites hidden on the road. Please be careful the road is a mix of private land, national forest, national park. The sites can be easily found by their stone fire rings. The site that is directly on the river was very popular. I ended up staying 2 nights at one of the last sites before it turns to private land. It was tucked away, walk in site, had a nice fire ring, nice tent pad area. It has a large rope so you can access the river. The scenery is breath taking. Down the road there are at least 2 waterfalls on the right. In the town of quinault there is a laundry mat/shower facility!

  • Suzie K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 20, 2025

    Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping

    Safe and quiet

    This is a gravel road through the National Forest with a bunch of pull-offs where you can camp. It was nothing special but very quiet and peaceful other than one or two cars that passed by. Felt safe as a single tent camper

  • Nicholas G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 12, 2024

    FS-2292 Dispersed

    There was a ton of dispersed sites on this FR

    The road was a little rough but my suv made it fine. No signal and got a little snow on the roof in the morning but it was a good spot with a great view.

  • Amber G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 2, 2024

    Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419

    Amazing

    Gorgeous little spot off a national forest road. Stunning views, no light pollution or car sounds at night. It’s December so of course it’s a bit cold at night and I’d recommend at least AWD to get up here. Will be back.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 2, 2025

    Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead

    Not suitable for Winter camping.

    Located just past the restaurant on the southbound side there is a drive that goes back into Rock Candy mountain Road trailhead. I drove 5 mi up the road. There are few houses on the side of the road. Speed limit is a maximum 15 mph. There are signs posted thinking drivers for slowing down. Mainly a logging Road well if you pull out to the right on the main road. I noticed a road that had a pipe gate that was closed and locked. It gets pretty steep going up the road. The right steep. They wrote it on barely white enough for two vehicles to safely pass each other. Not suitable for anything wider than a class B. In my opinion this area is not suitable for winter camping. In my opinion if this road got congested it would become pretty dangerous thus why caution is needed driving on the main road and on other roads leading from main road. Definitely not road you want to be intoxicated to drive on. There is a long drop if you lose control and fail off road. I feel if you did and survived the fall it would be expensive to recover your vehicle. To me it's to dangerous to risk trying to camp here if it ever became busy.

Guide to Vaughn

Dispersed camping near Vaughn, Washington primarily centers around the Olympic National Forest where forest service roads provide access to primitive sites. The region typically receives 70-90 inches of annual rainfall, creating lush vegetation and seasonal streams throughout the camping areas. During summer months, temperatures average 65-75°F during daytime hours but can drop to 45-55°F overnight, requiring appropriate gear even for warm weather camping.

What to do

Hiking trails access: Several dispersed camping locations provide convenient access to nearby hiking trails. Campers at Rock Candy Mountain Trailhead can use the on-site trailhead for day hikes. As one camper noted, "There is a trail next to it I don't know how far but, it's cool."

Ridgeline walks: For campers seeking elevated viewpoints, FS-2292 Dispersed offers ridgeline access. A visitor explained, "East of the campsite there is a walking trail that takes you to an overlook, perfect for watching the sunrise."

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings provide opportunities to spot native wildlife. At Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping, campers report seeing various forest animals, though one camper warns about insects: "There were really huge flies but they did not bite."

What campers like

Privacy levels: Some dispersed sites offer significant separation from other campers. At FS-2292, one camper shared, "Very far off the beaten path, every time I camp here I don't run into anyone." This contrasts with busier areas that have multiple sites in proximity.

Cost benefits: Free camping remains a significant draw for dispersed sites in Olympic National Forest. A camper at Large Pull Out Dispersed commented, "the road itself is a gorgeous drive and since it's free it's worth it!"

Accessibility range: Many forest road camping areas accommodate standard vehicles with careful driving. At NF-2419 Dispersed Site, a camper observed, "we saw people driving various types of vehicles so most will make it up. My 2011 Ford Flex made it up no problem."

Night sky viewing: The minimal light pollution at higher elevation sites creates exceptional stargazing opportunities. A camper at Hilltop Camp noted, "Stunning views, no light pollution or car sounds at night."

What you should know

Traffic patterns: Despite remote locations, some forest roads experience unexpected traffic. At Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping, one camper reported, "The only complaint was that there was more car traffic than I wanted very late at night into the early morning. One car even slowed down and yelled at our tent around 2am."

Road conditions: Forest roads require careful navigation and appropriate vehicles. NF-2419 has variable conditions, with one camper advising, "Bring in water and plenty of fire wood."

Cell service variability: Connectivity differs significantly between sites. At Hilltop Camp on Forest Road 2419, a camper reported, "Cell phone service for Cricket was great. Not so much for Verizon!"

Temperature fluctuations: Higher elevation sites experience significant temperature drops. One Hilltop Camp visitor warned, "Please be aware it's at the snow line and very cold in March!"

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Vaughn, WA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Vaughn, WA is Joemma Beach State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Vaughn, WA?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 dispersed camping locations near Vaughn, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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