The best camping near
West Longview, WASHINGTON

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.

This is one of my favorite campgrounds ⛺️ in the Long Beach area. Very green and well kept. Each space has a picnic table.

This Resort is a trailer park with some tent 🏕 sites available. It’s a beautiful area with nice views but the park itself is dirty w long term residents.

Very large RV/tent park with guard gate.
Open year-round, this RV Park is located in the town of Seaside on the Oregon Coast. Situated amid scenic views and historic sites, Seaside RV Resort offers guests opportunities for hiking, biking, whale watching, salt-water fishing and swimming. Located between Astoria and Cannon Beach with lots of attractions nearby like the Air Museum, the Seaside Aquarium and Lewis and Clark historical sites nearby.

This is a great campground to stay at if you’re visiting Cannon Beach and nicely centrally located along the coast to visit the surrounding areas. You can walk into town (2.5 blocks) and the spaces are very green with picnic tables at each. Good size spots, not super spacious but good size flat spaces. There are RV(12’-40’)/Tent sites as well as various size cabins. They also have a general store and coffee bar. During the summer they have various horse 🐴 rides along the beach including night rides.

Full Hook-Up $62.00/night Water and Electric $57.00/night Tent Site $45.00/night Small Park Cabins $105.00/night (sleeps 2) Large Park Cabins $120.00/night (sleeps 3)

We stay every year in May when when do our annual St. Helens climb. Nice bathrooms with wonderful shower, which we love after the climb. Close to a great restaurant, a bar, a gas station, trails, Yale lake, etc. The new owners are super friends and have done a lot of work on the property to add more sites. I always enjoy my stay there.

The paid camping is small and close to the road. But if you drive a little ways passed the paid camp site there is a surplus of free dispersed camping spots that are much more private and beautiful!

When venturing to Mount St Helens area I wanted to find a campground relatively close by to stay before visiting the next day. I found Lewis and Clark State Park along the way and opted to give it a shot for an overnight. The site looked comfortable and quiet and was well shaded and welcoming. 

Pulling into the campground I noticed several areas to enjoy recreationally alongside camping including public park areas with covered outdoor kitchen zones perfect for those enjoying the area for day use. Additionally there were several areas with play equipment and outdoor activities for singles or the family to enjoy. 

Pulling into the camping loop area sites were well spaced and shaded by large vibrant trees. Soft mosses lined walkways and created a feeling of being deep into the forest without being far removed from actual civilization and it was a nice departure from many of the more commercial looking camps of the area which lacked the forest feel. 

The camp site I chose was equipped with the standard amenities of a picnic table and fire ring and the pull in section was just large enough for my smaller car. Throughout camp I did notice some sites were designed specifically for tent campers while others would cater better to larger units. Something unique about this location was it offered bike in campers sites as well with much smaller pull in areas but just as much space to spread out and set up their tents. 

The bath house was very nice as it was heated and had hot water, though when I was there I did encounter a slight concern with using this bathhouse because there was a current e coli water warning which was displayed throughout camp on all water spigots. This left me more than a little leary about using the water in the bathroom turning what could have been a warm amazing shower into a bit of a concerning experience. 

Because of this concern I noticed they had hand sanitizer placed in the restrooms, which was a great concession considering the issue at hand. 

While this was a campsite I did enjoy, I feel as though with the water concerns I could not fully embrace all the features of camp which did hinder me slightly from fully being able to embrace all of the options. Should I return to this area I would check in advance to see if the water was a concern before staying another night. 

The campground, like many in the area, advocate recycling.  Not only will you find trash cans and dumpsters throughout camp but you will also find recycling barrels scattered throughout camp.    I truly enjoyed this feature of the park as it is making a difference in the bigger picture and you can commonly find items created from recycled items such as benches and tables located throughout various state parks as continued improvements occur.

All in all, for someone just wanting to enjoy a night at a quiet campground this would be a great one to check out in the area. While it lacks some of the amenities of other campgrounds in the area which are more destination style camps it has a lot of charm for those wanting to enjoy fun with family or friends in a more traditional camping style. 

TIPS:

• Check in advance for water related issues not only at this campground but others in the area. 
• Make a stop just before the entrance of the park at the Jackson House Historic Site. This site is a major portion of the area’s rich history and with several unique signs which walk you through the significance of the area you will be enriched by this short stop.
• Make sure you have a Discover Pass!! Any stay in Washington you will want to make sure you have this pass.

We spent only one night here (approx. 45°41'49.5"N 125°44'18.1"W) in a lovely clearing featuring a metal fire ring. Sites are designated, but free for use up to 14 days. Lots of fishing accessible along Cook Creek. Road is dirt/gravel and currently ends about 3.5 miles in due to "flooding damage" which takes the form of several very large boulders blocking the way. Our intention was to go for another 1.5 miles or so, but we were very happy with the site we found. We will definitely return!

Not a very nice place, ok for 1-2 nights other than that, steer clear. 1.5 years experience, reason for leaving, I broke up with my ex, she gave me a 24 hour eviction notice, but actually gave me 6 hours to vacate. Then when leaving she 86'd me, because I broke up with one of her favorites, children. Talk about sketchy, I am thankful that I cannot return, that was the best things anyone could of done, and I yet to see what kind of resort that place is? No free WiFi, unlike advertised, bathrooms are locked most of the time. It was like living in a cult, we were told that if we needed police assistance, we needed to contact the office prior, why, not everything in that park is the managers business, oh and be careful what you say in or out of the trailers, because random people listen I outside of the park. I'm being very honest, when I moved here, I thought, this has gotta be what most people call the trashiest trailer park this side of the Mississippi River. Sorry I seldom had any good experiences in this park.