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Signs & Maps

Established Camping

Big Creek Campground

About

National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Overview

Situated in the vicinity of majestic Mount Rainier, Big Creek is a family campground nestled among Douglas firs, hemlock, alders and maples. The lush vegetation offers plenty of privacy between sites. The sites at Big Creek form a loop, with only a handful of sites sitting along the banks of Big Creek. Open from mid-May through late September, Big Creek provides an alternative to the campgrounds at Mount Rainier National Park, which can get very crowded during the summer.

Recreation

Anglers can try their luck at catching brook trout in Big Creek or for those looking to explore the area, the Osborne Mountain Trail starts at the campground. The route is steep, but the scenery is amazing, and the trail can be traversed by foot, horse, mountain bike or dirt bike.

Facilities

Anglers can try their luck at catching brook trout in Big Creek or for those looking to explore the area, the Osborne Mountain Trail starts at the campground. The route is steep, but the scenery is amazing, and the trail can be traversed by foot, horse, mountain bike or dirt bike.

Natural Features

Located in southwest Washington State, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest encompasses over 1.3 million acres and includes the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument established by Congress in 1982. Big Creek is located in the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, the northernmost portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This Ranger District manages four Wilderness Areas including the Goat Rocks Wilderness, Glacier View Wilderness, Tatoosh Wilderness and William O' Douglass Wilderness. The Cowlitz Valley Ranger District is roughly located among three volcanic peaks: Mt. Rainier to the north, Mt. Adams to the east, and Mt. St. Helens to the west, providing visitors with a unique geological landscape.

contact_info

This location has limited staffing. Please call (360) 686-3008 for general information.

Nearby Attractions

Big Creek is 6 miles from the Nisqually entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. The popular Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise is 21 miles away, and the nearby town of Ashford offers restaurants, along with a few art galleries and shops.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.__ A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.____ Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.__ In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Fee Info

Extra Vehicle Fee $8.00

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Location

Big Creek Campground is located in Washington

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Ashford, WA, take Forest Road 52 approximately 5 miles to the campground.

Coordinates

46.7352778 N
121.9702778 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites

Reviews

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5 Stars

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1 Star

28%
64%
10%
0%
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4.0

out of 5

11 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 19, 2024

Clean & Low-key

Big Creek is perfect for everyone who is looking for a decent, no-frills campground. Located a short distance from Mt Rainier NP, this is the perfect springboard for any NP adventure or chillax getaway. We were fortunate to snag site #2, which has easy access to the creek and a decent small swim spot to cool off on a hot day. No bathrooms, just vault toilets - and it looks as if a couple are on deck to be replaced as of this writing.

Site2
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Kristyn E., July 19, 2024
Reviewed Oct. 25, 2023

Near rainier

Cute little site just a short drive to the entrance of the park. The host seem sweet and there’s some hiking trails near.

Site27
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Candice M., October 25, 2023
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Candice M., October 25, 2023
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Candice M., October 25, 2023
Reviewed May. 25, 2022

Meh

We spent 2 nights at Big Creek and it was ok, nothing to write home about. We arrived on opening day and were one of the first campers, so we had our pick of sites. We chose#42, which was nice--spacious enough for a campervan, 2 humans, and 2 big dogs. Also nice were the 3 trails surrounding the campground (1 mostly flat, about 1.8 miles long, that encircled the campground, the other 2 were uphill hikes with views). The campground itself was ok, some sites more private than others. Bathrooms were pit toilets--no sinks, no showers--but clean enough. I think my biggest gripe (and the reason for the 3-star rating) is that Big Creek Campground just didn't deliver on the "exceptional scenery" part of the website's description. It's a second growth forest with mostly small Doug firs and (I think) vine maples, with a few hemlocks thrown in. I'd say "scrubby scenery" is more accurate.

Site42
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by L , May 25, 2022
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2021

Perfect Campsite

We love Big Creek! Our campsite was #25. It is a double site with pull through parking for our 17-foot camper. The site has a fresh water spigot at it, and there are several others around the loop. One of a few restrooms is nearby and relatively clean. The campground is small and quiet. Some of the other campsites are much smaller and good for car camping. Big Creek is very close to the entrance to Mount Ranier National Park. There are a couple of nice restaurants between the campground and the park too. This will be our “go to” site for camping on the southside of the park.

Site25
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Christopher F., August 22, 2021
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Christopher F., August 22, 2021
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Christopher F., August 22, 2021
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jul. 20, 2021

Loved it!

We arrived at the NP at 10:30 am on a Friday. The campgrounds were already full, so we quickly backtracked to this one just outside the park. We would most definitely stay at this campground again for any exploring on the southwest side of the NP. Another great example of a great National Forest Campground. We had one of the best spots with access to the stream.

Site4
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Bobby B., July 20, 2021
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Bobby B., July 20, 2021
Reviewed Dec. 24, 2020

Great for family of 4

Great place to camp for our summer trips to Mt. Rainer! We have 2 little ones, so the close proximity to a small creek was great for the kids. Manager of camp was friendly and even entertained my kids Bigfoot questions! Firewood for sale, picnic bench, fire pit, map with hiking trails in the area, all helpful. Tried some fishing, mostly for fun with kids. Nice flat camp area for tents and no memorable issues with mosquitoes. Will keep this one on the camping map.

  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Marcus M., December 24, 2020
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Marcus M., December 24, 2020
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Marcus M., December 24, 2020
Reviewed Jul. 1, 2020

Nice little campground

I had reservations at Cougar Rock inside Mount Rainier NP, but unfortunately they were canceled due to COVID-related issues. This campground made a very nice backup plan. Just a few miles from the park entrance, so not much added travel time. Camp sites are very spacious and much more private than Cougar Rock. Site#6 was right on the creek(it looked like 1-6 were). Pit toilets were smelly but very clean for what they are(but bring hand sanitizer!). Fire wood for sale on site. Overall had a great experience here. If you're looking for backup plans for Cougar Rock or elsewhere, I highly recommend this campground.

Site#6
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Audrey E., July 1, 2020
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Audrey E., July 1, 2020
Reviewed Jun. 18, 2020

No Frills Camping

I chose to stayed here because of its location. It’s close to the entrance into Rainier NP and there’s plenty of Amazing hikes nearby. I camped alone (I’m a female) and I felt safe. Always important. It’s a primitive campground, which I love. ((Due to COVID you have to make reservations to stay here. 6/5/20))

  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Charyl B., June 18, 2020
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Charyl B., June 18, 2020
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Charyl B., June 18, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jun. 26, 2018

Close to Mt Rainier, but not in parl

This is a small and primitive campground with a total of 29 sites. The campground does not have electric hook ups and it would be difficult to bring a larger camper or rv down the trail.

Sites are situated in a circle, with some in the trees and others sitting along Big Creek. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, with bbq grate. The site does not have showers and the toilets are the pit style.

There is tons of wildlife and lots of trails and some riverbank to explore. Open seasonally.

  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Mary C., June 26, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 5, 2018

Near the park

It’s a nice simple campground only minutes to the park. We camped here last year. Much quieter than in the park which is what we were looking for.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Big Creek Campground by Leah H., June 5, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the max vehicle length at Big Creek Campground?

Big Creek Campground allows vehicles up to 20 feet.

Are fires allowed at Big Creek Campground?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Big Creek Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Big Creek Campground have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Big Creek Campground does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Big Creek Campground?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is good.

How hard is it to get a campsite at Big Creek Campground?

Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Big Creek Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Big Creek Campground, try setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts

Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Big Creek Campground?

There are 29 campsites at Big Creek Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts