Campground Review

This campground is at the base of Mt Rainier National Park in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  To get to the campsite, you have to drive down into the ravine of where the Cowlitz River cuts through the campsite. There are many sites on the river, with the rest in the trees covering the expanse of the grounds. Large RV/ trailers can only be in the upper Loop H.

The road is a one way and for the most part, campers respect the speed limit, though there are some idiots who drive fast through. 

There are no hookups, so you will be dry camping if you bring an RV. This is very close to Packwood and a great place to stay during Memorial Weekend for their annual Flea Market.  There is no cell service at this site. Site claims to have flushing toilets, but those were removed a few years ago, there are only vault toilets and no showers. Depending on how the snow melt is during the spring, will dictate fishing and camping opening. 

Product Review

I had the opportunity to review a GCI Outdoor Backpack Event Chair.  This product is amazing for lugging around from campground to fishing and back. The chair has four different positions for reclining and hard arm supports for getting up and down. There is a large pocket on the back allowing for easy toting of items from car to wherever. The backpack straps make toting a breeze and the clip to close keeps the chair in place. It is very light and easy to transport and has a weight limit of 250, but my very large cousin (300+) was able to sit with no problem. 

https://www.gcioutdoor.com/camping-chairs/backpack-event-chair/

Super remote site. It’s a long road down to the campground and it is really nice but there’s only one area you can go with an RV that’s over 25 foot. There’s no Cell service so we decided not to stay.

Stayed in a group site in Loop E. Lovely grounds along the river. Clean campsite, clean (though dark) vault toilets, easily accessible water spigots and trash deposits throughout camp. Easy hikes to the Blue Hole swimming area and falls. Flush toilets appeared to be in the process of decommissioning. Primary drawback is parking and the overall narrowness. Roads into and around camp loops are narrow, larger RVs will struggle. Parking spaces at most campsites seemed to be designed for a time when everyone drove sedans and compact cars. The average family SUV will feel a bit cramped. Even the pull through sites were pretty slim. We were able to squish 2 SUVs, a wagon and 2 small trailers in, because parking partly in the brush was not permitted. Luckily the camp hosts were lenient with us. All in all a beautiful campsite. Gotta remember to keep it compact next time.

Campsites were big and clean with lots of privacy. Mostly new vault toilets as well. Only downside is parking is a bit of a challenge. Most of the sites look like they will barely fit one car. We got a multi site (e1) and it had space for 3 vehicles with no overflow parking. We were there in beginning of June 2019, the campground already changed all toilets to vault toilets, they are kept clean. We took a short walk to Blue hole trail, the river is freezing cold but still beautiful. This is one the best campground around. It became our favorite.

We actually love this campground so much we went here for not just one but two senior trips. The big trees, fresh mountain air and awesome river make this one of the best campgrounds we have ever stayed at. We will be back, again and again. Plenty of sites for tents or RV’s. Rope swings and places to jump off just down the road. White pass hiking and sledding if there’s still snow. Always a great time.

This is a great little campground to head To when Ohanepecosh in Mt Rainier NP is full and you still want to be in the area for local hikes. There is a great watering hole to swim in in the frigid but refreshing river that runs alongside most campsites, accessible from the upper (closed) loop. Some brave souls jump from the rock outcropping though we were not so intrepid. Friendly camp hosts, mostly families in camp made for a nice atmosphere in a lovely setting. Good access to Mt. Rainier hiking trails.

I camped here twice this summer, once in late June and again in late July. Both times for hiking in Mt Rainier Nat Park. Great alternative to the parking lot conditions at Ohanakaposh just inside the park. Most of the sites are reservable, but a fair number are first come, first serve. The campsites along the river are the best, but fill up quickly near the weekend. Best to go early in the week if you don't have reservations. On my first trip I managed to get a riverside spot, not so lucky second time around. However, all the campsites are nice, large and well equipped. Camp hosts were very friendly and helpful.

We went camping here in early August. We did not make reservations but with the camp hosts assistance we were able to get a great spot. It was surrounded by enough trees to make it feel secluded, but they vault toilet was not far and the water spicket was easily located. My family of 4 had a great time. The camp hosts were friendly and very helpful. I do suggest if you are coming for the west side to stop and get firewood in Packwood as it is easily $3 cheaper in town than at the campground.

There isn’t much here, but there is running water and vault toilets. When we went you could make reservations, but there were plenty of walk-up sites available. The hosts were nice, but the night we got there we were reading the board at the entrance when a man popped out of the trees and started asking us questions. He was nice and we got straightened out and found out where we were going but it was a little strange. It was a nice campground though, very quiet and very close to the entrance of Mt Rainier National Park. My husband said it was one of his favorite places on our trip.

Sites are green and shaded. Most are pretty close to one another, but several have river access. Toilets are nonflushing, pit-style, but are kept pretty clean. There was no shower available. Many sites are reservable while many are first come, first served. If you do not reserve ahead of time, be sure to come on a Thursday before the weekend crowd comes. We went early Thursday afternoon and had several to choose from. (Open sites are clearly labeled "Open" in green while reserved sites are clearly labeled in red.) By Friday afternoon, the campground was full. Single sites are labeled with an "S" while multi-sites are labeled with an "M." Our single site in C Loop had plenty of room for 2 tents, but there were some sites that were much smaller. Firewood is sold in small bundles for $6. Be sure to check out Blue Hole, a beautiful swimming hole with a very rocky beach.