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Best Dispersed Camping near Woodland, WA

76 Reviews

Dispersed camping opportunities near Woodland, Washington include several primitive sites within Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping provides free sites with established fire rings and flat tent pads. Canyon Creek Dispersed Camping offers secluded sites accessible via forest service roads. Little Soda Springs Road Dispersed features 2-3 drive-in sites and additional walk-in sites near a creek. Most locations require a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass for overnight parking.

Road conditions vary significantly throughout the region. Several campers noted that "the road coming in the last 10 miles is rough in many spots" at Mount St. Helens sites. Forest Road 81 near McBride Lake is "mostly paved, but be prepared for several miles of gravel and a road that is sometimes very rough." Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for accessing remote sites, particularly during wet weather. Cell service is extremely limited or nonexistent at most locations, so downloading offline maps before arrival is essential.

Most dispersed sites in the area are primitive with no amenities. Vault toilets can be found at nearby trailheads but are not typically at campsites themselves. Campers must pack in all water and pack out all waste. Fire regulations vary seasonally, with complete bans common during dry summer months. When fires are permitted, they must be contained within established fire rings. Forest Service rangers patrol these areas regularly to check permits and enforce regulations. The proximity to Mount St. Helens provides excellent hiking opportunities, with many campsites serving as convenient basecamps for exploring the volcanic monument.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Woodland, Washington (33)

    1. Gee Creek Rest Area I-5

    1 Review
    Ridgefield, WA
    8 miles

    2. Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

    8 Reviews
    Clatskanie, OR
    23 miles

    "Definitely best for car camping as the spots down by the river were pretty wet and muddy this time of year. The waterfall is amazing and only a 15 minute hike down!"

    "The river is a walk down a very steep hill behind the pullout. No place to pitch a tent, best for car camping."

    3. Gifford Pinchot National Forest-Canyon Creek Dispersed Camping

    8 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 891-5000

    "Found in typical condition. Please pick up after yourself. Many sites out here. Camped on a week day. One other camper out here. No traffic on road. Like others said road getting in sucks."

    "Road got a little bumpy getting out here but once we found a spot right near the riverbank, you felt like you were deep in it. Saw a few people on the way out."

    4. Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

    14 Reviews
    Carson, WA
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 891-5000

    "It looks like there might be two walk-in campsites as well and I believe there might be one if you walk across the Creek. It's very close to trapper Creek trailhead and there is a vault toilet there."

    "Spent a quiet weekend at Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed and loved it. The area is peaceful with a nice mix of forest and open space—felt super remote with hardly anyone else around."

    5. Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

    10 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    35 miles

    "This is a dispersed campsite near the south side of Mount St. Helens. It's free, which is always great. The drive in is just off the highway and up a little hill, but my car had no problems with it."

    "This dispersed camping is free, huge bonus in my book."

    6. Butte Camp/Climbers Bivouac Dispersed Campsite

    2 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    30 miles
    Website

    "Group camping with 4-5 places for tents and 2 maybe 3 spots for travel trailers but will need to back in. 2 fire pits and a few walking trails. Solar friendly and level."

    "The area around mount Saint Helens is beautiful, tons of space to park any rig, tent, or vehicle. The forest has majestic trees and when it rains, it resembles a rainforest."

    7. Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

    15 Reviews
    Tillamook State Forest, OR
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 357-2191

    "Accessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise!"

    "My mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road."

    8. McBride Lake NF-81 Dispersed

    1 Review
    Cougar, WA
    28 miles

    "I would scout the road and area before committing; however, there is a turnaround that you could use to maneuver the trailer to drive out. "

    9. Snag Creek Trailhead Dispersed

    6 Reviews
    Stevenson, WA
    36 miles
    Website

    "I wanted to add videos of the river sites to my other review for this site, but the website wouldn't let me - anyway, the hike has 3 river sites about 1 mile in from the trailhead and they are beautiful"

    "We wanted a beginner backpacking trip (10 to 12 miles round trip) close to town - this one is a pretty hike with views at the end (theoretically, we saw fog)."

    10. Pumice Butte- Dispersed Campsite

    2 Reviews
    Cougar, WA
    31 miles

    "Pumice Butte is a dispersed camping area along the Loowit trail that circles Mt St Helens."

    "The camp is around a gully on the north side of Pumice Butte with outstanding views of Mt St Helens and Mt Adams."

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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Woodland, WA

63 Photos of 33 Woodland Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Woodland, WA

76 Reviews of 33 Woodland Campgrounds

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2022

    Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

    Perfect for Overland and off-road vehicle camping

    Accessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise! Gorgeous spots all over that are accessible in most 4WD/off-road capable vehicles. There is a massive network of forest service roads many with spots to set up your own quiet camp away from all the dirt bikes and RVs. No facilities obviously but that’s what makes this place special. It’s incredibly quiet and peaceful and a gorgeous piece of the PNW coastal area.

  • bThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2025

    Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

    GPS takes you to the top!

    My mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road. So careful if there’s other cars coming through, especially the logging semis.

    Nonetheless a cool spot. Dry camping. Please clean up after yourselves.

  • Kevin W.
    Aug. 20, 2024

    McBride Lake NF-81 Dispersed

    Lots of shade, very private and trailer friendly.

    I have camped here twice now, once during a scouting trip in 2016 with my boys and again in September 2024 with just me and my dog :).  I could pull my 17' pop-up "A" frame trailer and back into one of the two spots with no problem.  Due to the narrow road, it may be a bit more snug with bigger rigs (25+ feet long and anything more than 8+ feet wide).  I would scout the road and area before committing; however, there is a turnaround that you could use to maneuver the trailer to drive out.  It's plenty big to accommodate a few trucks/cars and one, maybe two towable trailers.  If you're going tent camping, there are about four flat places for tents.  The area has no trails, so you would not have to worry about people wandering into the campsite. The Ape Caves is a small drive away. The town of Cougar, WA. is about 10 miles away if you need gas or food.  There is a lot of shade, and it is not solar-friendly.  The main road is about 100 feet away, relatively quiet, and very private.  There was a large rock fire pit in the middle. There is no cell phone reception; however, if you drive East for a few miles, you may be able to get 2 bars with Verizon.

    Per the state website, "On the southwest side of Mount St. Helens, Forest Road 81 provides an experience away from crowds. On this road, access Kalama Horse Camp, Red Rock Pass, and Forest Road 830, the road to Climber's Bivouac, and the start of the summer climbing route. From the west, the road begins on Forest Road 90, near Cougar, WA, and travels through private timberlands and state lands before entering Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The road connects with Forest Road 83 on its east side. While mostly paved, be prepared for several miles of gravel(between Forest Road 830 and 8123) and a road that is sometimes very rough."

  • Vanessa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 18, 2025

    Gifford Pinchot National Forest-Canyon Creek Dispersed Camping

    You may get lost

    The coordinates here were incorrect coming from Hood River Oregon. It sent me down a rough dead end forest service road. I ended up lost on the mountain for 3 hours and finally made it out somewhere near camas. Make sure you have lots of fuel

  • Vanessa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 11, 2025

    Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

    Amazing spot!

    Absolutely loved the spot. There were about three sites. I believe from what I saw. I stayed at the first site when you first get there back there on the right hand side. It's a short hike down to the creek. It looks like there might be two walk-in campsites as well and I believe there might be one if you walk across the Creek. It's very close to trapper Creek trailhead and there is a vault toilet there. Minimal bugs didn't get any bug bites and it was in the '90s while I was there. Very little traffic. Not far from the highway just in case of emergencies. Absolutely no cell service. You must have a Northwest Forest pass or America the beautiful pass. Forest service does drive through there frequently to check

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 4, 2023

    Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

    Amazing Hike!!

    This place was beautiful!! Definitely best for car camping as the spots down by the river were pretty wet and muddy this time of year. The waterfall is amazing and only a 15 minute hike down! The only reason this place got lower than a 5 star is because of all the trash near the parking lot. Too beautiful of a place to be used as a dump!! Definitely used as a party spot but aside from this it’s worth the visit!

  • Johny B.
    Jun. 19, 2025

    Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

    Peaceful and Scenic Getaway

    Spent a quiet weekend at Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed and loved it. The area is peaceful with a nice mix of forest and open space—felt super remote with hardly anyone else around. We found a great shady spot not far from a small creek, and it was perfect for relaxing. Heads up: there’s absolutely no cell service, so make sure to download any maps or trail guides(we used an offline hiking APK) before you get there. It’s close to Mount St. Helens and Columbia River Gorge, so we got in a great day hike. Nights were cool, days were warm and bug-free. Forest service came by once, which was nice to see. You’ll need a Forest Pass.

  • Danielle S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping

    Dispersed Camping - s. Mount St. Helens

    This is a dispersed campsite near the south side of Mount St. Helens. It's free, which is always great. The drive in is just off the highway and up a little hill, but my car had no problems with it. There's a lot of space here. From our spot, we saw at least a half a dozen fire pits, but we were the only ones there. It has some nice trees and a trail. Up the road is Lava Canyon, where there are toilets if you need. There are some decently flat spots for a tent and I felt was all around a good site.

  • Haroon A.
    Jul. 26, 2025

    Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

    Little Soda Springs Rd: Washington's Wild Camping Haven

    I love how Vanessa mentioned the creek access from that first campsite! As someone who's been searching for dispersed camping spots with water features, this feels like such a gem. The fact that Forest Service regularly patrols is actually reassuring rather than intrusive- I've been to some dispersed sites that felt a bit too"wild west" if you know what I mean. I've been using offline hiking apps for my trips in the Gifford Pinchot, but I hadn't considered Little Soda Springs until now. That tip about downloading maps beforehand due to no cell service is crucial- learned that lesson the hard way last summer near Mt. Adams! Anyone know if the creek is suitable for filtering drinking water, or should I pack in all I need?

Guide to Woodland

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Woodland, Washington, where nature enthusiasts can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, you'll be able to immerse yourself in the great outdoors.

Stunning Waterfalls for Dispersed Campers

  • The Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight is a great spot for those looking to enjoy a picturesque waterfall just a short hike away from your vehicle.
  • While camping here, you can enjoy the tranquility of the surrounding forest, although be mindful of the potential for noise from passing vehicles.
  • This area is pet-friendly, making it an ideal choice for those who want to bring their furry friends along for the adventure.

Scenic Hiking Trails While Free Camping Near Woodland

  • The Pumice Butte- Dispersed Campsite offers access to the Loowit Trail, which circles around the stunning Mt. St. Helens, providing breathtaking views and a chance to explore the unique volcanic landscape.
  • Hikers will appreciate the variety of trails available, with options that cater to different skill levels, ensuring everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
  • Be prepared for a busy atmosphere during peak summer weekends, as this spot is popular among outdoor enthusiasts.

Tips for Free and Dispersed Camping Near Woodland, Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find dispersed camping areas near Woodland?

Finding dispersed camping near Woodland typically involves exploring national forest areas. Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping offers numerous spots accessible via forest service roads past Jones Creek campground and the OHV staging area. For those willing to venture a bit further, Mount St. Helens Dispersed Camping provides free camping on the south side of the mountain with multiple established fire pit areas. Always check national forest websites for motor vehicle use maps, download offline maps from The Dyrt before heading out, and verify coordinates carefully as some locations can be challenging to find.

What are the rules and regulations for dispersed camping in Woodland?

Dispersed camping around Woodland follows standard national forest regulations. At Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed, Forest Service regularly patrols the area, enforcing typical dispersed camping rules. You must pack out all trash, as evidenced by issues at Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight where litter has been problematic. Generally, camping is limited to 14 days in a 30-day period. Campfires may be restricted during fire season, so always check current conditions. Use established fire rings when available, and never leave fires unattended. Stay at least 200 feet from water sources and maintain a clean campsite to protect wildlife.

When is the best season for dispersed camping in Woodland?

The best time for dispersed camping around Woodland is late spring through early fall (May-September). At McBride Lake NF-81 Dispersed, campers have reported enjoyable experiences in September when the weather is still pleasant but crowds have thinned. Be aware that early spring and late fall can bring muddy conditions, particularly at sites near water like those along Cole Mt Ridge. Summer offers the most reliable conditions, though some forest roads may be active with logging operations during weekdays. Winter camping is possible but challenging due to snow, mud, and limited access to higher elevation sites.

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