## Overview

 Ohanapecosh Campground, on the southeast side of Mount Rainier National Park, is surrounded by old growth forest and crossed by an exceptionally beautiful snow-fed river. Close to Ohanapecosh are popular hikes to Silver Falls and the Grove of the Patriarchs. The main attraction at Mount Rainier National Park is the mountain itself, a glacier-clad volcano of immense proportions. At 14,411 ft., it dominates the skyline for hundreds of miles. Visitors travel through majestic old-growth forests, past tumbling waterfalls and historic buildings to reach sub-alpine meadows, where world-famous wildflower displays are seen in July and August. Popular activities in the park include sight-seeing, hiking, climbing and camping. Ohanapecosh campground has an elevation of 1,914 feet. Weather is dry, cool and sunny in the summer with daytime temperatures in the 60 to 80-degree range. Even though the eastern side of the park can be sunnier than other areas, weather can be variable and visitors should come prepared.
## Recreation

 The most popular campground in the park, Ohanapecosh is convenient to both the Paradise and Sunrise areas. Numerous hiking trails originate both in and nearby the facility, including the Grove of the Patriarchs trail, which leads hikers through stands of old growth forest, and several trails that lead to Silver Falls waterfall. For visitors who would like to learn more about natural and cultural history, the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center is close by as well.
## Facilities

 This large campground has 188 individual sites for RV or tent camping situated among the ancient trees. There is drinking water, but no electric hookups. Visitors must use extra caution with food storage, as bear and other animals inhabit the area around the campground.
## Natural Features

 Ohanapecosh is thought to be a Taidnapam Indian word for \"standing on the edge\" of the Ohanapecosh River. The river itself is lined with mossy boulders and drains cold, clear water down from higher elevations. Its banks are lined with thick, old growth Douglas fir trees and other evergreens. There is no view of Mt. Rainier directly from the campground, though the mountain dominates the landscape in nearby areas of the park.
## Charges &amp; Cancellations

 \_\_If a camper does not check-in at the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center at the campground window by 12:00pm check-out time the day after the scheduled arrival date, their reservation will be cancelled, the camper will incur a $10.00 service fee, and forfeit the first night\'s camping fee.\_\_

Ohanapecosh Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

We loved camping at Ohanapecosh! We got lots of helpful information at the visitor center. Even though it was a weekday off-season, the campground was totally full 30 minutes after check-in. Walk up only after Labor Day. You circle the campground looking for an open spot, then pay your fee at an electronic kiosk outside the visitor center.

  

An interpretive nature trail to hot springs leaves from directly behind the visitor center. Camp host sells firewood from a truck, $7 per bundle. Sites were all beautiful and private... sites closest to the creek seemed coveted. Marvelous night sky! 

  

We were glad this was our destination. Takes 45 minutes to drive to Paradise from here.

Well appointed and beautiful

We stayed at Ohanapecosh a little bit by accident. We had originally intended our trip to be a large group and had only looked at group campsites, and when we went (August 2015) the Cougar Rock group campground in the Paradise area was closed. So we stayed on Ohanapecosh, and it was absolutely one of my favorite campgrounds from our entire trip- and we stayed in a LOT of campgrounds (13, to be exact). 
We had two sites for 8 people, E09 and E11, and it was the perfect amount. It wouldn't have felt strange if we had been in one site or the other with another group in the opposite site as they were reasonably spread out, but those two sites were definitely grouped together a little more than other sites. It was nice to not feel like the campsites were all right on top of each other! Our sites were incredibly beautiful; close to the river, with nothing but trees and nature between us and the water. We were far enough from the bathroom that we didn't get much foot traffic, but close enough to not be a hassle for the pregnant member of our group. :) Definitely a little hidden gem in Mount Rainier- even during the busy summer the campground was quiet and relaxed. 

A Top 3 Favorite Campground from a 2 Week Camping Road Trip

This campground is in Mount Rainier N.P. on the Ohanapecosh River. There were only 3 loops open for the season when we went in 2013. It was packed and on a self-serve type of system for reserving. You find an open spot with no tag on it and go to a kiosk to pay for it. Then you hang your paid tag on the post so everyone knows it is taken. A very cool idea except most of the large spots that RVs could fit it were occupied by tents. We squeezed into a place in Loop C by the restrooms and set up camp for a few days. 
The sites don't have hookups but do come with a picnic table and fire ring. There is a dump station. There are bathrooms but no showers. Max RV length is 32 ft. Sites are a little tight from our experience.
The river was very powerful and you could hear the swift water running through the campground. A large area of trees on the mountain were missing from a landslide that happened in 2006. They had record rainfall in 2 days that caused flooding in the park. The roads were under water and there was a lot of damage from the rains/flooding.
we joined several other families in a hike called Silver Falls which was about 3 miles. The plants along the path were mostly ferns with very little flowers. Once we reached the falls area, everyone sat for some snacks and a little rest. The men thought it would be fun to jump in the water which registered around 45 degrees. That started a line up of kids who wanted to do the same. No women were crazy enough to follow suit. 
Later that evening, we did some repelling by the bridge. We had smores and sat by the campfire till late.
One of our boys got his junior ranger badge before leaving the campground the next day. We drove to Paradise Visitor center further into the park to get our passport stamp and get some souvenirs. Everything was under snow up there. It was very beautiful but freezing in June!

Abundance of Hiking 

We took a hike around the trail. Saw the waterfalls.  We ended with a picnic and swimming in the river.

Family friendly place

Camping at Ohanapecosh is an enjoyable experience, particularly if your spot backs right up to the river. Arrive early to secure a spot. Neighbors will be close by, but in my experience were respectful and quiet. This would be an excellent campground for big groups if you are able to secure side by side camp sites. Park rangers are friendly and helpful. Silver Falls is beautiful and only a short 2.2 mile loop from the grounds.

Camping by the river

**Campsite Review:** This campground is really in a nice area of the old growth forest but it's camping amongst crowds when we went in the high season, the entire 188 sites were filled. There were very few walk-up sites and the rest of the campsites themselves are a decent size but not spaced far enough away from other campers and there is no underbrush to separate you from each other at all. We stayed at site 54 in loop A and had people constantly walking through/by both sides of our campsite to get to the toilets which were located on the next level higher than us. People literally walked right by our fire ring and through our chairs at one point to then hike up the hill instead of traversing around to the right for some stairs. If you can go off season by all means try and do it, but avoid this particular site at all costs…

The toilet facilities weren’t the nicest ones I’ve been to and could have used a little TLC. The facilities right by us were dirty and a bit rusty. They also had no soap or hand drying instrument what-so-ever (neither paper towels or hand dryer). Thankfully we had these things ourselves, but usually in NP campgrounds you don’t have to bring them yourself to the restroom.

**Amenities: not sure if every site had one, but lots of bear boxes (you’re in bear and cougar (mountain lion) territory), your standard** picnic tables, fire rings, plus flush toilets, potable water, &amp; dump station for you RVers |**Prohibited:** pets off-leash, &amp; firewood gathering (The camp host drives around selling wood if you haven’t already gotten some at a store) we came right during a fire ban, but as soon as it was removed they drove around letting everyone know. There then seemed to be a truck driving around with firewood for sale, I wasn’t able to confirm though as we were headed off to Paradise and then the Olympic peninsula.

**Nearby Hikes:** [**Grove of the Patriarchs**](http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/grove-of-the-patriarchs), &amp; [**Silver Falls**](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/silver-falls.htm) and not too far from [**Paradise**](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/paradise.htm) which is a must do if you happen to come in wild flower season

**Gear Review:** As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get the opportunity to test out products and the saving grace for this particular camp site was my testing of the [**Leatherman Signal**](http://www.leatherman.com/signal-439.html?cgid=multi-tools#start=1) (Designed for adventure!!). This is a truly fantastic Leatherman and even if you’ve had them for years you should really check out the newer lines of specialized gear. I had an old PST (pocket survival tool) as a boy scout and had upgraded to the original WAVE, but hadn’t checked them out in years as I still have them and thought what could be better than what I already have. I was wrong. This tool and many of the other lines ([**skateboarding**](http://www.leatherman.com/skate-pockettools), [**surfing**](http://www.leatherman.com/surf-pockettools), [**skiing**](http://www.leatherman.com/snow-pockettools), [**hunting**](http://www.leatherman.com/shoot-pockettools)) are also really worth checking out.

*   This is designed specifically with camping in mind.
*   Really impressed with the new ability to change out components from this and other tools are you wear them down.
*   The hammer is great for knocking in tent stakes into some stubborn ground or breaking up that giant block of ice into some manageable pieces.
*   Great locking functions on the blade, saw and hammer section - nothing comes loose as you’re cutting/hammering away
*   It’s really all the little touches that make this an awesome tool. Like having a sharpener, a built-in fire starter and emergency whistle. These are things that might end up saving your life if you happen to get stranded while out in the woods.

**I give the** [Leatherman Signal](http://www.leatherman.com/signal-439.html?cgid=multi-tools#start=1) **4.5/5 Stars!**

Ranger Review: Leatherman: Signal at Ohanapecosh Campground: Relaxing views of the old growth forest, however you can see every campground

Amazing campground right in the Ohanapecosh River. Beautiful trees plenty of space and amazing ranger led activities for the kids.

Old growth beauty by the river

This campground is perfect for one person, up to a whole family of six or whatever have you. Super close to the Silver Falls and the Ohanapecosh hot springs. Our camp site was very spacious with a good fire pit and close to bathrooms as well. The amphitheater was right next door and they hold ranger stories and other activities for all ages. If you’re planning on camping in the Mt. Rainier National Park, take a peak at what Ohanapecosh has to offer because you won’t leave upset or empty handed. 

Great camping spots and awesome waterfalls.

It's very hard to get a reservation anywhere near Mount Rainier. We got one Thursday night in August! The campgound is very nice. Visitor center, restrooms, nature trail. The river behind our site was beautiful! Lots of logs and boulders. Close to hiking. Our neighbors were close, but the site was very deep so it gave the illusion of more privacy that there really was.

Stunning!

This was our favorite campground over the course of 40 days on the road. Our site was right next to the river – the sound of the water was super peaceful! We were early in the season, so it was very quiet. Lots of tree coverage!

Beautiful and Peaceful!

Ohanapecosh, has lots of great trails for most all ages. We took our kids up to Grove of the Patriarchs which crosses a suspended bridge. It does get a bit busy on this trail though. If you keep hiking further it become a bit more secluded.

Great hiking

This campground is by far my favorite in the Mt Rainier region.  The spots are level and spaced out nicely.  Each site has a fire pit and picnic table.  This campground is a great place to base camp for the park.  The rangers were friendly.  Great campground.

Best at Mt Rainier

This is absolutely my favorite campground at Mt. Rainier. The spacing is great, the bathrooms are adequate (no showers) and the forest is absolutely amazing. This entire campground is wooded so no need to worry about shade but it will probably rain. This is a rather large campground but you should still get reservations. The only complaint I have is the fire ring is odd. 

My favorite Park!

Stayed in this campground on the last part of my first solo trip. I was a little anxious due to not having this site reserved ahead of time but I made it to the campground early and picked a suitable enough site for one night. The Rangers in the visitor center at the campground were super great. The site I ended up choosing was okay, but the site next to it kind of over run into my site, and the couple next to me too full advantage of that, so it left me slightly uncomfortable. Otherwise, the campground itself was clean and well maintained. The trails that lead out of the campground were great and branched off in every direct so I hiked in the area for an entire afternoon. I would potentially try to fins another campground in this area if I'm ever out that way again, but if nothing presented itself I would stay here again. The river being just down the bank from the campsite provided fantastic ambiance and white noise when bedtime rolled around, especially considering the other people in the sites next to mine were in very close proximity.

A river runs through it.

a lot of sites are blocked off for tree dangers. stayed at A025 which is a large site due to being near a septic meter. bathrooms are clean, water is easily accessible. very busy campground will visitors during the day and especially on weekend. trails are crowed. 

busy campground

We reserved a spot in advance thankfully, this campground was very busy. A lot of spots are closed this summer, so we actually lucked out and had a whole loop to ourselves with no neighbors. Facilities are great, there’s a beautiful river running through it and a nice visitors center. Only downside for me is it’s kind of on the outskirts of the park, so going to any location in Rainier takes a little while to get there. 

Beautiful but out there

We were very pleasantly surprised when we got to our campsite. We were super close to the river, which is beautiful and had nice privacy provided by trees. the only downside of our campsite would be that we were very close to the restrooms and so every time someone opened the door we could smell it, unless the wind blew the opposite direction at that moment. Overall, great experience tho.

Better than expected

One of our favorite places to visit! Mt. Rainer is a must for anyone living in the PNW and this campground allows you to stay in the park but gives you access to plenty of trails, waterfalls and is just a short distance from entrance to the Wonderland Trial (93 mile train around mountain, also requires a permit to hike).  Although you do have to drive a bit to get to the other entrances, it is still worth the visit! The Ohanapechosh creek runs through the campground and campsites along it allow you to wander down and stick your feet in some glacier frigid water while exploring the driftwood piles accumulated over the years.

Cool & Quiet at the base of Mt. Rainer

The Ohanapecosh campground is on the southeast side of Mount Rainier NP in old growth forest.  There are a streams and a river running through the campground, so a lot of sites are on water.  Its fairly standard for a NP campground, with a fair amount of privacy for each camp, but also with facilities which are getting older.

  

While the campground is a long way from the "main" areas of the park, I really like camping here.  You are away from a lot of the crowds that you find at the other two campgrounds within the park, and Ohanapecosh takes reservations.  You can also do some pretty nice hikes right from your site, including Silver Falls, which are very nice.

  

Pros:

\* Quiet (well, quiet with stream/river background noise)

\* Large sites w/privacy

\* Hiking from the park

  

Cons:

\* Facilities are showing their age

\* Sites are rustic, often not very level, and sometimes difficult to get into

\* You have to drive ~1 hour to Longmire or Paradise

  

NOTE: you cannot bring larger trailers into this campground.  The roads are very tight!

Old Growth Forest Camping

Plenty of hiking trails and beautiful river access all around the campground.  

Beautiful old growth and water

The earliest day I could make reservations, I hopped online with my list of preferred sites but in the end, grabbed the **ONLY** one that was available; such is life trying to camp in a national park in August! Loop F is one of the smaller loops; aside from the sites that back up to the river, the sites on the outside of the loop are more desirable than the ones on the inside as these do not have clear boundary delineation (and there were several annoying kids who wanted to spend more time in our site than in theirs!) Fortunately, on my walk around the campground the next morning, I spied an empty site (H18), and we were able to move; our second night was much more peaceful. 

  

The bathhouse is what I’ve come to expect in national parks – very basic, no showers or hot water. I was perplexed, however, to find a urinal in the women’s room (at first, I thought I went in the wrong door!). The light also did not work consistently – in bright daylight, it was often on but at night, it went on as I was leaving so I got in the habit of bringing a headlamp with me every time I went! There is a camper sink, however, a nice amenity, especially as there were many tent campers, and it is bear country. Roads are paved but individual sites are dirt. Most sites are very shaded due to the abundance of trees. 

  

The visitor center was closed due to Covid, but rangers were available to answer questions between 10 am and 4 pm. The trail to Silver Falls and Grove of the Patriarchs is accessible directly from the campground and is definitely worth doing. Cell service is non-existent in this entire area of the park. 

  

It is possible to camp here and not pay the entrance fee, however, you would be limited to what you could see in the park. You really cannot complain about the nightly fee of $20 ($10 for seniors).

Typical no-frills national park campground but in a beautiful setting!

Great location, so close to the park entrance. An hour or so away from Paradise Inn and Sunrise Lodge. Hiked Silver Falls Trail which was right across from our campsite (E10). Clean bathrooms overall. The river running through the campground was elite. People were jumping off the rock, swimming, etc. Absolutely no cell service and the campground host was seen driving a truck full of firewoods for sale ($8/bundle i think)

Star taken because there was no shower (although we washed all the sweat and grimes off at the river) and MOSQUITOES. 

Great campground close to Mt Rainiern

We enjoyed camping amongst the trees. Despite heavy usage, it was quiet and peaceful most of the time. Campers were generally pretty considerate of each other which was a relief. 

As others mentioned, there are several hikes nearby and you can take a cold plunge in the river afterwards. We enjoyed Silver Falls, and will come back to do Grove of Patriarchs.

Sites have bear boxes, fire rings and picnic tables. The sites in our area (F loop) didn’t have clear delineated boundaries and it was hard to tell here the tent was supposed to go but we figured it out. We didn’t have a neighbor our first night, a Friday in July.

The bathrooms in our loop were old/rustic and in need of a deep cleaning, but served our purposes fine.

Peaceful Campground

Loved having the silver falls trail right next to our site!! The river going through the campground was so pretty. Definitely a long drive to this campground compared to the others in the park. 

Great Spot with hiking

Absolutely lovely place to stay in Mt Rainier National Park. I love that it is right on the river and there is a trailhead right out of the campground. The only thing to note is that this is located right outside the entrance to the park so if it’s a busy day then the line to get in might be long! 