Are you planning a tent camping trip to White Swan? We've got you covered. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. From remote to easy-to-reach, these White Swan campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Situated next to Lost Lake this area offers dispersed camping with limited space. No amenities, Self-service. Popular fishing in the spring.
There are many undeveloped camping locations on the forest. Generally there are no amenities available, such as restrooms, water or garbage dumpsters. All trash and waste must be packed out. No toilet available? See How to Go in the Forest. Use existing sites and do not damage vegetation. Campfires are not allowed at these sites during high fire danger. Check Fire Restrictions page.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alerts-notices/?cid=fsbdev3_053600
$8 / night
Dispersed camping located along the South Fork Tieton River, near Rimrock Lake. RV and tent sites. Jay Hawk, Lower Bake Oven, Upper Bake Oven and Minnie Meadows
Dispersed camping located near Rimrock Lake with RV and tent sites.
$18 / night
Dispersed camping located on Tieton Pond offering RV and tent sites.
A small, less developed campground for tent camping only, located at the confluence of Twin Falls Creek and the Lewis River. The campground is placed on the banks of the river with an impressive view of the falls. Nearby Summit Prairie Trail #2. 5 walk-in sites available.
Primitve area below Miner's Ridge outside of the Wilderness.Access by the extremely rough road is limited to hikers, stock and mountain bikes. __Pack It In -- Pack It Out Site.
Legend
This review is for the main campground, there is another group/horse campground across the highway that I did not stay in. The small campground is right off Highway 97. The first part of the campground is where the hook ups, large RV's, small trailers and tent campers are located. The spaces are very close together with very few trees separating spaces. Some spots looked barely big enough for a 2 person tent. In this same area is the only flush toilets/showers (Coin operated). Continuing past this main area and over a small hill is where the tent camping/sheep herders tents are located. Since it was located away from the main camping area it was quiet with regards to hearing fellow campers, the downside is the spaces are closer to the Highway. Day and night, semis speed past the state park on either a downhill straight away or an uphill straight away, regardless it sounds like a freight train or military landing pad all night/day long. It was so loud you had to stop talking until the semi passed. The space I was in was so small my 3 person tent only fit if one side was touching the fire ring. Luckily there was a fire ban so no fire to melt my tent. The space also had full view of the pit toilet, since it was the only toilet on that side, I saw everyone come and go. It was also super close to one of the sheep herders tent site. There were 2 sheep herder tents sites. The spots looked large and the tents looked like they would sleep at least 4-5 people. The other tent sites where much larger, but still all the sites could hear the highway. Note, be careful about leaving food out, zipping your tent up, leaving car doors open. The mice were pretty bad and came out at night driving my dog crazy. There were a bunch of trails that ran through out the park that provided a nice alternative to get to the other side of the park or climb to the top of the hill near the power lines. The camp host was also a very nice gentleman who suggested activities in the near by area. I was exploring the area cause it's new to me, but I wont return cause it's not my type of camping.
Guide
Not what I was expecting. Not ideal for tent camping, and the river was nowhere to be found.
Guide
Beautiful campground USFS several RV Sites, tent sites on the lake water no hookups vaulted toilets very clean. camp host Mike was very helpful with local information
Guide
2020 prices in the photo. Clean camp with multiple water points. There's 4 or 5 spots large enough for an RV away from the river. Several flat tent camping spots along the river.
We found the location a little noisy because HWY12 run along the north side of the park.
Guide
It’s a nice KOA but my tent site was right next to the playground so I had kids running through my site and touching my truck. But they had a dollar rib night so that was great and the staff was really nice the whole time.
LegendGreat place to camp during Rodeo. Need to book a year in advance. Super nice sites on the Yakima river. My parents rented a cabin and we're wowwed! Nice folks and awesome scenery. Power and water to tent site. Good cell service and wifi. Hope to stay again soon
GuideHas tents site to camp at
Guide
This is NOT a secluded wilderness campround where you will have a epic back to nature experience. Having said that, if you want a place to park your rv (they do have tent sites also), with full hook ups while you explore the local wineries, with a pool and a shuttle van, then this place is amazing.
Guide
The campground is right off the freeway so very easy access. plenty of sites available. The signs, however, point to Day Use and Campground. Tent sites are in the Day Use area. We didn’t know this til after we had our site all set up. Winds kicked up before midnight and stayed strong all night. It even snapped the poles on our tent. Free showers and a swimming hole are a plus!
Traveler
If you can grab one of the maybe four sites on the river, this is a pretty little spot. Very easy parking for campers, great tent sites as well. Unfortunately it’s only about 100 yards off a country highway; it is windy enough to block some of the traffic noise. Hang out in the shallow water, enjoy the views with a cold beverage and forget the hustle behind you.
Traveler
Runs along a creek that you can here from all sites. Perfect for tent camping. The site offers picnic tables & a triangle shaped fire pit. The fire pits have a grill grate over top of them that we cooked dinner on at night. The facility only offers vault toilets, they were decent. The trash pick up is at the entry which did not smell & was picked up on Friday’s.
We had a few small visitors including a chipmunk & a field mouse.
Going up the mountain we found a really cool meadow & lake.
Guide
This is the largest site in the lower Yakima Canyon and has mostly campsites for RVs, etc, but a couple of walk in tent sites. BLMused to let camping be free during the off season but now charges $15 per night, no matter the site type. And if your a tent camper like me, then you also get the short end of the stick because the walk in sites do not have any shade while most of the RV sites do. Additionally, 90+% are reservable from ~Memorial Day to Labor Day, so don't plan on trying to get lucky unless on a first come first serve sure unless you can get there before 5 pm on a Friday. There is no water here.
Traveler
Stayed here one night at the recommendation of a fellow camper in an Oregon Park. Tent camping close to the Columbia River, though your view is also the highway. And at night? So much noise. Between the trains and the surrounding highways, it was easily one of the worse night's sleep we have ever encountered camping. The spaces are also VERY close to one another, no privacy what so ever. There are nice showers and flushing toilets, and with AT &T full phone service. Park is very clean and well maintained. Short walk to a delicious fruit stand. Would not stay here again on our travels due to the lack of sleep, maybe it is different in an RV?
Guide
See my related reviews for Peninsula Camp ground for more information leading up the final camp site.
Really crowded area with limited parking. However, if you arrive early enough you could occupy one of the few tent sites on the narrow peninsula portions of this area. The facilities here needed some real attention.
Bring your kayak, boat, or fishing rod and enjoy your day. I took a couple of photos looking back at it as that was the best way view the area without walking through camp sites.
The air field had a large dumpster and was home to several RVs. There is access to a few more camping spots along the lake shore.
LegendAt first sight, LePage doesn’t seem that awesome, but the more we stay here, the more we love it!
It’s right off of the Columbia River highway, so you can hear a bit of traffic, but it’s not nearly as bad as other camp sights we’ve stayed along I84.
There is a huge grassy area for tents and pavement sites for RV’s. Personally, I like the separation because it allows for two different experiences and separates the unique noises that come with both types of camping; RV generators and group tent camping.
There is a really large beach and roped off swimming area, as well as a boat ramp, dock for fishing, and trails for hiking.
It gets dark enough for night photography and there are always plenty of eagles and hawks for bird watching.
COVID-19 kept this park closed for most of the summer but we were thrilled when it opened up in September.
TravelerSo my partner and I had chosen to stay here for a few nights, we didn't reserve online, when we got there the ranger allowed us to go see which spot we liked, because there was a lot open. We chose spot 64 the one way in the back for tent campsites. When we got there, there was 3 others tents up in the area, spread apart of course a good length too. I read that there was a "Homeless" problem, but I didn't see one homeless our whole stay...besides myself lol I bought a power station and had to charge it at a RV spot #15. There I charged my phone and laptop. I did leave my shampoo and conditioner in the showers and those were taken, who can blame em, they were good ones. Lol my own fault. Anywho...bring some shower sandals because the showers are dirty...but they are FREE. Bathrooms are nice and clean. We didn't get bothered once, we got left alone, and even though we looked like the crazy tweaker tent there, cuz we had tarps over our tent....but it was raining. Lol A skunk did cross our path and ran behind our tent...but that's all the action. During this time it was $25 a night for tents. It was close to town but not TOO close....BIG park. For dogs and kids...good park
GuideStayed here a couple of nights. Our site was a tenting site, but we were in our mini Meerkat camper and we fit (our choice). Almost abandoned, probably because of huge hail storm. Friendly host “Dutch” and a few walk about simple hiking paths. Bathrooms and showers very nice (coin op on the showers). Road noise was pretty loud, especially for the campsites further into the campground. But, tall pines all around us, and very uncrowded. Wouldn’t want to come here if it were full, the sites are very close together. We were at the end of a very long trip, and we were happy to find any easy place to stay just inside WA. There are no stores nearby, so get your groceries in Goldendale!
LegendRanger Review: Stream2Sea Sunscreen Products at LePage Park
Campground Review:
Gorgeous but beware of goat-heads!!
This is a gorgeous camping spot along the confluence of the Columbia River and the John Day River. It is perfect for fishing, boating, and general family fun. The winds can be high (22MPR during our stay) but still a family favorite! There are 22 sites with electrical hookups(on the pavement without shade) and a couple of dozen grass tent sites. The restrooms are okay and there are showers and a dump station. The edge of the pull-through RV spots follows the river and most spots have easy access to the 10-foot rock access to the water. We visited during the last weekend of July and it was HOT! It was great to be able to jump in the river to cool down but make sure to bring thick water shoes as the goat-heads have taken over!!!
Top reasons I love this campground:
Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, occasionally I get to test products. At this campground, I tested Stream2Sea sunscreen products. This is a new family favorite product!! As an avid camper, swimmer, fisher, and scuba diver, we are thrilled to use ocean and coral reef safe products that are eco-conscious! Their products are packaged in mini
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, I give the product five stars
Legend
General: 20 RV sites, nine cabins, and open space for tent sites.
Site Quality: Sites 1-13 are located closer to the road while 14-20 are tucked further back closer to the river and we did not hear any road noise in Site 15. All are level. Minimal separation/privacy. Campsites are dirt. RV sites have water and electric.
Bath/Shower house: One single bathroom each for men and women as well as one shower each for men and women. The shower was warm but as a short person, I was not able to adjust the handheld shower nozzle, making my shower just a bit challenging. Showers and bathrooms were clean although the fan in the women’s room had accumulated quite a bit of dirt/dust so I turned it off.
Activities/Amenities: Many games (giant chess, corn hole, etc.) sprinkled throughout the property but otherwise there was not much in the campground itself. Nearby there are hiking/mountain biking trails. Fly-fishing on the river. Recreational water activities on nearby Bumping Lake. A kids' playground within walking distance from the campground is located at Jim Sprick Community Park. There was a full kitchen with a sink, dishwashing soap, stove, fridge, and microwave. I only took advantage of the dishwashing sink.
Be aware there are several cats roaming the property; they were not a nuisance as we like cats (they only came within view and no closer). This is also a wedding venue and a wedding was held the weekend before we arrived. We were the ONLY ones in the entire campground; the store/office was closed when arrived shortly before 6 p.m. on a Sunday after Labor Day (since our site was not assigned when we reserved, a note was left on the door) and we left before it opened the next morning.
This kitschy old western-themed campground would be fun for a wedding or family gathering/reunion, but for us, it was a one-night stop along our route. There was zero cell coverage (Verizon) if that is important to you.
Guide
Sites 9-12 are reservable, walk in and right against the river. The river was running high while we were there, so it drowned out most of the road noise. All four of these sites has room for 2 cars in the parking area. The hosts were super friendly and helpful and did a nice job keeping the grounds and bathrooms clean. It's windy and cooler along the river. Had we known about the wind, we'd have brought a different tent! Fishing seems like it must be decent given the number of people with poles and the number of flies we found. The sites each have a firepit and a picnic table.
Site 9 is huge with room for several tents and hammocks. There's little to no vegetation between it and site 10, but the river drowns out conversation and music noise, so it feels more private and the space between the sites allows you to create a natural open barrier between groups.
We were in site 10, which was also large. The best tree for tethering hammocks (or the dog) from had, unfortunately, been used as a toilet recently with lots of TP at its base. This also affected our tent placement... Nobody wants to sleep with their head in someone else's poop or pee. Beach access can be found down a steep-ish hill, but with the river running high, only allowed for a few rocks to sit on. When the river is running lower it looks like it would have a nice beach area. The top of the dirt is pretty soft, but a few inches down it becomes quite rocky. MSR Hedgehog stakes did OK given the sail that was our tent.
Site 11 is smaller with more foliage, so it seems somewhat more private, but lacks direct beach access. It sits highers than site 12 with trees and a downward sloap between the two.
Site 12 has the best privacy and easy, level beach access, with a large hill on one side and smaller one on the other. It sits lower than site 11 with the upward slope and foliage to create a screen. It also has a nice, flat walk in from the parking area.
Bathrooms are Porta-Potties. They were kept fairly clean while we were there. The outside two "filled" the fastest, the inner two have sinks with soap dispenser, running water activated with a foot pump. The hosts kept the soap, water and TP full the whole weekend. From sites 9 - 12, the walk to them was very short and easy so I'm not sure why someone felt like the tree was the better, easier option. People are disappointing that way.
There's no running water at this time so bring your own.
Dogs need to be leashed or tethered and cannot be barky. If your dog barks a lot and disturbs other people, you may be asked to leave. Ours is pretty quiet, so we did OK and our neighbors on either side didn't seem bothered by her friendly antics the few times she tried to say hi to them. Site 10 had a good place for a Knot-a-Hitch, if you have one. See pictures.
All and all, we'd stay here again as a basecamp for exploring the area, but only if we could be against the river and we'd definitely bring a better tent for the breezy conditions. Our preferred sites would be 9 or 12. Pro tip: hand sanitizer will remove pitch/sap from the pine trees. ;-)
Legend
Eastern Washington near the water is my favorite type of landscape. It's a hot, windy, and a true desert climate. When you get near a body of water like you do along the Yakima River, the diversity of life expands and makes for great wildlife watching.
Umtanum Recreation Site is part of several BLM campgrounds lumped together along the Yakima River known as the Yakima River Canyon Campgrounds. All can be reserved ahead of time via the reservation.gov website: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/250985. Standard for most BLM camping in Washington, sites are very basic. Gravel parking, pit toilets, and a picnic table. This place does have a dumpster for trash, not all do. There are no hook ups, no drinking water, and in our case, very little shade. Neighbors are close and there is not a lot of privacy. The day use area is right there too, close to camping and can be loud. It is heavily patrolled by the wonderful BLM folks to keep everything clean and the people orderly. They also give out tickets if you don't mind the warnings for correct passes or day use fees.
The campground itself is one little loop with six sites. The loop is an offshoot of a very large gravel parking area for day use. Mostly boat launching and hiking access to Umtanum Creek and Umtaum Ridge trails. You can check the Information Board for rules on day use and camping fees, passes, and how to check to see if a site is reserved.
We arrived on July 3rd in the afternoon. The campground was very quiet and all the sites were reserved. The morning of July 4th, the recreation site turned into a total madhouse. BLM Rangers, Law Enforcement, making constant rounds to patrol the never ending hoards of people coming to park and float the river. There was a lot of noise, dust, drunk and rowdy folks. Friday was calm again until afternoon, Saturday was not as bad as the 4th but still pretty crazy. It was also hot! No shade to be had in our site. After hiking in the morning, we spent a lot of time across the bridge, in it's shadow, in the river.
If you are using this spot as a base to do some hiking, fishing, or floating it's very convenient. I am sure in Spring and Fall when river floating is not at it's peak, it's gorgeous and peaceful. The raptors and songbirds are splendid. We saw Bighorn sheep on the hill, big rock squirrels, wild turkeys with babies, and fish. No rattlesnakes or ticks, but this is prime territory. Hiking down the Umtanum Creek trail, over the suspension bridge, is one of my favorite hikes ever.
LegendOne thing I love about Washington is that there are so many different places to hike. My husband and I stayed here, which is close to White Pass where there are tons of great hikes. This area is known for rattlesnakes, though so definitely be alert. There is also a really great place to go rock climbing nearby. We dont rock climb, but know that a lot of people love this place. We decided to get up early and do some hiking. We hiked Round Mountain one day and Bear Mountain the next. Round Mountain is about 4 miles roundtrip with lots of switch backs. Bear Mountain is 8 miles round trip, and is pretty flat until the last 1 mile. We liked the campground, and loved that it wasnt busy when we went which was surprising. I think we caught it at a good weekend. There were some RVs, and other tents while we were there. The weather was really warm. Bring sunscreen and lots of bug spray. There are areas with shade which is nice too.
Ranger
Lots of sites along the little tributary streams. Dense beautiful forests. Lots of trails in this part of the park for all skill levels. Pretty busy during the summer, make reservations. Unfortunately there are no tent-only loops, but there are a few little tent-only clusters. Fairly basic amenities.
Ranger
While my husband trekked up Mt Adams, I sat and enjoyed this peaceful lake with beautiful scenery.
There is a tent only loop and an RV/Tent loop. We stayed in the tent only loop and were lucky to snag a spot on the lake side. (Sites 47 to 51). There were peek-a-boo views of the lake and the mountain from here, but no direct access to the lake. you have to go back on the path for that.
Note that most of these sites you park your car and haul your stuff to your site. There are some lakeside sites on the RV side, but I didn't stay over there. It seemed there were TONS of kids on that side though so if you want a little more quiet, I would go for the tent-only section.
The campground has a lake access, where you can bring a raft to float and enjoy the views.
The ONE issue with this site is the mosquitoes. There are LOTS so dousing yourself in DEET is a must to have a pleasant experience here.
ScoutThe site offer approximately 10 sites that can be used for tent or RV camping. Moderately spaced from the other sites. Parallels the river. The tent areas are all level, ground mainly dirt/gravel. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. We did not hear the road noise. Can’t speak to the condition of the toilets as we didn’t use them. This is a favorite of the locals for fall fishing so you need a reservation…
Scout
Clear and cold water, good crawdad catching/eating.
However when making reservations I told the host that we had small kids, 1 large tent plus 1 small tent and we could not be in a walk in site. Mind you I called to speak to them personally before making the reservation on line to ensure my 4 hour drive would not be in vain. When we got there they had tried to have us in a small site barely big enough for a 2 person tent that you had to walk into. When I reminded them of our needs they had a very difficult time getting us a site. If I hadn't printed out a copy of our reservation with the details of needs then they would not have cooperated.
Once we were in a site the rest of our week was amazing! We went hiking, swimming, we played in the woods did normal camping stuff.
LegendWe picked up a last-minute reservation here for Labor Day weekend. The campground sits right on a lake northwest of Mt. Adams.
Our site was set up with a single tent pad up a little hill from the driveway and fire pit. It might not have worked for multiple tents.
We did some hiking on the trails right around the campground. There’s a nice loop trail around the lake through huckleberry-rich woods. From that trail, there’s access to the Takhlakh Meadows trail that climbs along a lava flow to a plateau with views of many surrounding mountains.
There is no drinking water or electricity available.
Tent camping near White Swan, Washington, offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near White Swan, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near White Swan, WA is Lost Lake Camping Area with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near White Swan, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 44 tent camping locations near White Swan, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
