Free camping awaits at this Forest Service trailhead campground accessed via gravel roads in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Sites vary in amenities, with some featuring picnic tables while others require campers to create their own setup using available rocks for fire rings. Vault toilets provide basic facilities and stay reasonably maintained.
The campground serves as a popular stop for Pacific Crest Trail hikers and attracts dirt bike enthusiasts using nearby trail systems. Early summer visits bring heavy mosquito activity that requires strong insect repellent with DEET for effective protection. Dispersed camping options line the access road for those preferring roadside spots, and fallen wood around the forested sites provides fuel for campfires.
Description
Crest Horse Camp is a very small, primitive campground. This site has easy access to good hiking and horse back riding on the Pacific Crest Trail which runs north from the trailhead to Indian Heaven Wilderness and south past the Big Lava Bed. The campites and interior roads a minimally developed. There is no loop road though the camp which limits the number of horse trailers that can use the site at any one time. The nearby Pacific Crest trailhead has parking for cars. One toilet and four campsites alongside Forest Road 60.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsCrest Camp Trailhead Campground is located in Washington near Carson
Directions
From Carson, Washington drive north for 4.8 miles on Wind River Highway to Panther Creek Road. Take a right on Panther Creek Road at the sign for Panther Creek Campground. Stay on this road, which becomes Forest Road 65 at the forest boundary, for approximately 11 miles. At the intersection with Forest Road 60, take a right onto Forest Road 60. Travel about 1.7 miles on Forest Road 60 to the campground and Pacific Crest Trail access.
Coordinates
45.9089009 N
121.801 W
Connectivity
T-MobileNo Coverage- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Connectivity
- T-MobileNo Coverage
- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
Features
FREE established camping
Enjoy camping on government land. Limited or no services at this camping area.
PERMIT might be REQUIRED
We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Crest Camp Trailhead Campground needs a permit.
Drive Time
- 1 hr 40 min from Portland, OR
- 2 hrs 19 min from Longview, WA
- 2 hrs 26 min from Salem, OR
- 3 hrs 13 min from Yakima, WA
