Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Yakima? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Yakima, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Yakima, Washington's most popular destinations.
Situated next to Lost Lake this area offers dispersed camping with limited space. No amenities, Self-service. Popular fishing in the spring.
The free camp sites - There is a designated areas located near the main parking area. There are no designated sites but you can drive in on rough dirt trail. Portable toilets are nearby but there is no running water, no picnic tables and no fires are allowed. The area can become quite busy during long weekends or when there are big concerts held at the nearby amphitheater in George.
$10 / night
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 on Tieton Pond offering RV and tent sites.
Dispersed camping located near Rimrock Lake with RV and tent sites.
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
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.
This camping area has an improved dispersed camp area for groups. Seasonal stock water available at the creek.
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.
Legend
Great 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
Guide
Not what I was expecting. Not ideal for tent camping, and the river was nowhere to be found.
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.
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.
GuideIt’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.
Guide
Short jaunt to the lake which is a popular fishing spot for those willing to carry a boat. Ample room for RVs; no tent camping unless you like sleeping on gravel. Toilet is clean and maintained. Some noise from the off-road vehicle recreation area across the road, but quieter at night. No tree cover for shade but I visited in the springtime and the weather was pleasantly cool.
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.
Traveler
Not reaaally a campsite per se, but there are a few spots that can be used for camping. Probably wouldn’t want to tent camp here, not a lot of flat cleared ground, but we found a small clearing that was perfect for a night. No amenities, so bring your own camp stove, tables, chairs, etc. It was very beautiful and private but it’s right off the high way so you can hear traffic all night. Ideal if you’re just looking for somewhere to crash before you get back on the road.
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.
Legend
Tent camped here on a last minute whim. When the weather is not the greatest on the west side, we head to Cle Elum! This is all first come, first served camping. Nothing fancy, vault toilets, tables, fire ring. I would imagine if it was busy, it would be pretty loud and dusty. There is a small dirt bike track the starts here, so if you are looking for pristine quiet, this is not your place. If you come out to the woods to ride bikes, it would be awesome!
The weekend we were there, it was pretty quiet. Played in the creek. I would go back.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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. ;-)
GuideThis place is pretty cool. It’s close to Yakima and great for a place to visit while you’re in “The Palm Springs of Washington”.
TravelerMy son and I are from the area and have been Boondocking all around Washington State for over a year now in our old RV's. My son purchased a panel truck to convert, and my shower is on the fritz, so we decided to give Yakima Sportsman Campground a try. We needed the advertised shower facilities as my son had court in Yakima the following day. Not ONE of the FOUR showers worked!! The camp host was a pleasant enough man, but had no idea (apparently) about the shower issues, and the Ranger wasn't due back until Wednesday. This was on Monday...the week before LABOR DAY! The campground loses at LEAST one star for being located in YAKIMA... I've been living in Parker since 2011, but my mother is from Parker, and the house I lived in has belonged to my family since she was a child (she passed last year at 78 years old), so I believe I've earned the right to say Yakima is the LAST place on the planet that I would bring my family for vacation. It's safer in COMPTON, California. I was raised in the East Bay, near Oakland, and used to travel frequently to the LA area for work, so I have a reference point for comparison. In fact, I'm Boondocking in preparation for a move back to California next month. Besides the dangerous location and the non-working showers, this would have been a 4 star visit, the sites had power and water, we're level and adequately spaced apart, and mine was the only "sketchy" looking vehicle around.... Which is appropriate, since I'm a little "sketchy" myself... Lol! (Blame it on the RAP... WEST SIIIIIIDE!!)
GuideThis is right off I90 very convenient but close to freeway so some road noise. I90 is the main east west freeway in Washington. It is right on the river and there's a pool. Rafting and fishing the Yakima river are great reasons to stay here. If you're looking for a wilderness experience this isn't the place. But for a place to stay while rafting or fishing it's great.
Scout
LegendThis is one of my favorite campgrounds!! As a Tacoma resident we have a lot of clouds. I head over to Yakima for my sun. This campground never disappoints!
There are lots of spaces for tents and RVs. Clean and well maintained bathrooms. There is plenty of space for kids to play and visibility is high for bike riding. There is a huge group campsite that has bathrooms near it.
The surrounding grounds is a park with playground equipment and a huge field. There are tons of hikes and a small pond to explore...with turtles!
ScoutI visited with friends from Victoria BC. It's our tradition to rent an RV and drive down to Washington at least once every few years. This Spring we did just this, getting to the Yakima Sportsman State Park with little hiccups. The site was average, but not clean and our neighbors looked like the greasy type. We still had a blast because instead if renting an RV we bought a used cheap one and got it cleaned from Auto Detailing Victoria before hitting the road. Most of our camping was done on the road, so this campsite was actually a relief to us even if it wasn't great. Better than camping in a parking lot!
ScoutOne of our favorites. Right on the Yakima river, fishing. Boating, floating the river. Watching Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Eagles and Pelicans.
RangerMy husband and I don't really ever make our way around the Yakima area, only because the hiking there is more "desert" feel and in the summer the rattlesnakes are out and about. The weather in the Yakima area in the summer is amazing, though (hot!!). We decided to make a day trip to do some hiking in the Umtanum area, which is within the Yakima River Canyon. The path was really good, clear, and easy to find. There were a few waterfalls, and creeks to cross to just know that your shoes/feet might get a little wet. The weather was perfect when we came in July. Make sure if you go in the summertime to bring plenty of water, because it is very hot. We luckily didn't see any rattlesnakes! There really isn't a "view" ending point, but the hike itself is beautiful. After we were done hiking we stopped and had a delicious dinner at Bron Yur (Spelling?), it is a pizza place that makes the most amazing pizza!! Highly recommend going there if you are ever in that area. We drove home by going Highway 12 and saw the most amazing views of Mt. Rainier.
Tent camping near Yakima, Washington offers a variety of scenic locations and outdoor experiences for nature enthusiasts. From serene lakes to forested areas, there are plenty of options to set up your tent and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Yakima, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Yakima, WA is Lost Lake Camping Area with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 41 tent camping locations near Yakima, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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