South Fork Snoqualmie River Dispersed Site, near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, offers a serene escape into the heart of nature. This location is perfect for those who appreciate a bit of solitude, with plenty of wooded spots to pitch a tent or park an RV.

The area is known for its stunning greenery and the soothing sounds of a nearby creek, making it a great place to unwind. Visitors have mentioned that the sites can be on the smaller side, so it’s wise to arrive early to snag a good spot. As one camper noted, “It was super dark at night, and besides the sound from the interstate, it’s quite peaceful.”

While there are no amenities like drinking water or restrooms, the freedom to have a campfire and the fact that it’s free make it a popular choice. Campers have enjoyed the wild raspberries found nearby and the chance to connect with nature, though some have pointed out the need to clean up after previous visitors. 

For those looking to explore, there are trails leading to the river, and the surrounding area is rich with opportunities for hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. Just remember to bring bug spray, as the mosquitoes can be a bit pesky. Whether you're on a road trip or just need a quick getaway, this spot is a solid choice for a night under the stars.

Dispersed camping is the term used for camping in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Typically, it refers to roadside car camping, but also refers to backpacking in undeveloped sites. Dispersed camping means there are no services like trash removal, and amenities such as toilets, tables and fire pits, are not usually available.

It is your responsibility to plan ahead and learn the extra skills necessary for dispersed camping. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.

Dispersed camping along Forest Service roads is allowed where there is adequate space to safely park completely off the roadway and not on any vegetation. Whether car camping or backpacking, choose an existing campsite on bare or compacted soil. Unless signed as an area where a fee is required, dispersed camping is free. Dispersed camping is prohibited in developed campgrounds and areas posted closed or no camping. Some designated Wilderness areas have additional restrictions. For the best information on dispersed camping opportunities and local restrictions, please contact the nearest ranger district office. 

Rules for Dispersed Camping
These rules apply to car camping and backpacking

You may camp in a dispersed area in an individual Ranger District for up to 14 days within a 30-day period. After 14 days, you must move to another Ranger District or off the National Forest until the 30 days has elapsed.
Do not blaze new roads to campsites, create new campsites, clear ground, cut or harm vegetation or construct a trail. 
Do not drive beyond constructed physical barriers, such as berms or gates.  
Do not drive through streams or wetlands to access a camp. 
If campfires are legal in your location and you choose to have a campfire, pick a site with an existing fire pit.  Do not create new fire pits. Make sure your campfire is always attended and is dead out and cold to the touch before you leave your site. Fires may be restricted or banned based on the fire danger rating. 
Follow  Leave No Trace  principles and come prepared to “Pack it in. Pack it out.” Pack all trash home. Dispose of human waste in a sanitary manner. In high use locations, areas above tree line and snow-covered areas it is not possible to bury human waste in a sanitary manner. It will need to be packed out and disposed of at home using a wag bag, blue bag, portable toilet or another Leave No Trace approved method.  
Do not block roads or gates.
Keep food and scented items secure from wildlife by keeping a clean camp and store items in your vehicle or use a wildlife resistant storage canister. 
Failure to follow regulations can lead to legal consequences. Additional Forest rules and links to report crimes can be found on our Law Enforcement page.

South Fork Snoqualmie River Dispersed Site

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Snoqualmie Pass, WA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Snoqualmie Pass is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Snoqualmie Pass, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.

Snoqualmie Pass

The Best Camping Near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington

This is near the Tinkham Campground. Plenty of dispersed sites with fire pits. Some sites are close together however if you keep going down the road you'll find plenty of quiet and private places. They also are redoing the roads as I'm here so little to no potholes. 

Great dispersed camping near Seattle

Nice secluded camp site. Pros: privacy, river access, sunny. Cons: trash and glass scattered throughout the site. Freeway noise is very loud

Secluded 

The campsites aren’t bad. There in heavy wooded areas. If you get here early enough you can get a good secluded site on an offshoot, but most sites are just right off the road. Some sites are really close together with like 50 yards. 

Wooded campsites off a backyard

I stayed at one of these sites on Tinkham road while hiking a section of the PCT. Get there early to get the better sites. Plenty down the road though if all of the initial sites are full. Pretty wooded sites, some you can pull down into. Unfortunately, most sites are pretty trashed. Still a pretty area and a good location. 

Decent Dispersed Camping

I travel and work remotely so I’m always looking for free places that have cell reception and this place hits the jackpot. I’ve come in twice on a Saturday afternoon and have been able to find an open spot with my 18 ft travel trailer, I have Verizon and have 2-3 bars of service, it is very close to the interstate so you’ll hear a constant hum of cars but it’s very nice to feel like you have your own slice of the mossy old growth forest. 

Great Spot 

This is my second time. It is free good spaces to camp with a lot for trees. I always sleep on my car but people camp on tents on the forest. Dogs welcome 

Great to spend the night  for free

My friend slept in her vehicle(end of the road) and I camped next to the river. There were no other tent campers on this day; many RVs and campers on the way to the river. I highly recommend for peace and solitude.

Quiet and Free Camping

This spot was truly beautiful. Green as far as the eye can see, with a creek by that provides the perfect white noise to fall asleep to. 
The road is fairly accessible, though there are some fairly large potholes that could damage smaller vehicles, and the road could become muddy after raining. 
On weekends you might have to drive pretty far down the road to find an unclaimed spot, but I didn't have a hard time on a Tuesday night. 
There was some trash, including broken glass in firepits and a few beer cans spotted in the woods, but for the most part it was clean! The sites further down the road are definitely cleaner.
No bathrooms, so plan on dropping the kids off at the pool before visiting. 
Seeing as there is water nearby, there are plenty of mosquitoes. Bring some bug spray! 
There are towns within 15 minutes of the road.

Great Camping in the PNW!

You can hear the road from most camping spots. When we arrived at our site there was garbage all over the place in a fire pit so we cleaned it up. 

There was a nice long trail that took us to the river. That was nice. Cleaning up sucked because the floor got muddy. 

Lots of mosquitoes.

Lots of camping spots. We left Friday evening and most spots were taken.

It was alright

Went up at the end of 4th of July weekend. Found a great spot but it was apparent that the group before us used everywhere to go to the bathroom and covered it with paper towels. PRO TIP: make the hole first for when you need it and you want have any excuse not to use it! 
PLEASE LEAVE NO TRACE!
Other wise we really enjoyed a quick night away in our van.

Quick easy getaway

So dark I couldnt even see my own hand in front of my face! I loved it. Quiet enough, could hear gentle highway hum but cant see anything but trees n nature. Earplugs ftw. Some bugs but nothing major. Plenty of spots along the road. U dont need to go all the way to coords. Just pick a spot along road n park. Some wild raspberries at our spot :) firepit nice, a little trash but not much. Thats the cost of free. Spot is free, the cost is picking up a few pieces of trash. Seems fair to me! 

Great place to sleep for a night while on a road trip

A lit if the spots are on the smaller side, so we had a bit of trouble finding one that could fit our motorhome, but it was worth it. The place is beautiful. Super dark at night, and besides the sound from the interstate and cars driving up and down, it's quite. Even with the noise, it's peaceful and perfect for a little getaway. We have Verizon and have decent service, even with crappy weather.

Little pocket of peace.

Very cool spot with new generation trees growing out of old generation stumps, close to river for water, very popular spot so found a lot of trash but loved the sites and hiking trails nearby 

Tinkham camping

Nice area by a creek, very peaceful and quiet during the day, a ton of people around and lots of passerby’s. As soon as it got dark, someone decided to sneak around my campsite with a flashlight and stand outside my tent for some time. Packed up quick and zoomed out of there, very uncomfortable and would not recommend for solo campers. 

Beautiful but creepy

Access road is right off the highway and unpaved, has a TON of holes so I wouldn’t recommend driving down it without good ground clearance. There are a number of established sites where you can pull off the road and drive back into the woods a bit. And I had cell service everywhere!

Pretty neat spot

There are a ton of really great sites along this road, although most of the drive-in sites will be taken if it’s a busy weekend, so get there early!

Plenty of great sites

Lovely area such beautiful surroundings. But be very cautious as near one of the camp sites are very dangerous plants that are fatal and they are lined all around the campground so not recommended if you have children. 

Photos of South Fork Snoqualmie River Dispersed Site

Real photos from real campers