Ohanapecosh Campground

Nice campsite. Awesome hikes. Ohanapecosh river is breathtaking

The Ohanapecosh Campground and picnic area are also open only from late May to early October and is located in the SE corner of the park, 11 miles NE of Packwood on SR 123. Elevation 1914'. 188 individual sites (2 Accessible) + 1 group site. Drinking water, flush toilets, dump station, amphitheater. Suited for RV or tent camping.Located in the southeast corner of the park, Ohanapecosh, named for a Taidnapam (Upper Cowlitz) Indian habitation site along the river, is thought to mean €œstanding at the edge.€ Situated among Douglas firs, western red cedars, and western hemlocks, visitors to Ohanapecosh can experience the beauty and complexity of an old-growth forest. The east side of the park is also somewhat drier and sunnier than the west side, making it a good destination when Paradise and Longmire are wet and foggy. Ohanapecosh is not accessible in winter.Ohanapecosh is located 3 miles north of the park boundary on highway 123 and 42 miles east of the Nisqually Entrance. The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center, open from June to early October, offers exhibits, guided interpretive programs, and book sales.At the Grove of the Patriarchs, located approximately 3 miles north of the visitor center and campground, visitors can hike a 1 mile nature trail along the Ohanapecosh River and through old growth forest.

Quiet and peaceful during the off season. It rained almost the whole time we were there and puddled pretty bad outside our Airstream, but it was manageable. This campground is about a 45 minute drive to the main visitor center. The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center closes early September for the season (which we didn't know). Great spots - although there are a few tight turns on the road so their recommended RV length of 27' is pretty accurate.

No Verizon signal at all. :)

Washington is proving as difficult as Oregon to secure a spot during the summer months, especially on the weekends.

We arrived at Ohanapecosh believing we had a reservation for Thursday night. So when I saw the sign stating maximum trailer length of 27', or motor home length of 32', I was hesitant but desperate and ignored the signage. We didn't know what loop or spot we were in, and there is absolutely no signal of any kind with AT&T or Verizon. So we began looping through A...none of the reservable spots had our name on them. The turns were very tight, but our 31' trailer was able to make them (just barely). Very very few of the sites would have accommodated us. This is a renters campground, maybe small vans or truck campers could fit into most spots.

Still, there were plenty of RVs, just none with our behemoth 50' total length. Many spots are not angled to allow you to back in if you've got anything larger.

We circled B & C loops. Still nothing. The turns got tighter and tighter, so I finally resorted to asking a ranger...fearful he'd question our length and make us leave.

Instead he directed us to H loop, both it and G are first come first serve. We scored a massive spot where we could easily fit and called it a weekend.

The sun shone every day but one. Towering Douglas-firs and western redcedars swayed in the wind above us. A guy in an old green pickup drove around selling wood for $6/bundle, smallish but including some kindling.

Stellar's jays and ravens were abundant. It's a quick drive to the Grove of the Patriarchs. If you don't find that short 1.5 mile loop astounding, we probably won't be pals. The hike to Silver Falls from the campground was gorgeous old growth and glacial till filled rivers.

There's an epic relief map in the visitor's center, too. A few years back, we found the drive to Paradise or even Reflection Lakes a bit long—but astoundingly beautiful. Our children now a bit older, it was a lovely jaunt and we didn't mind making it daily.

Rainier is your quintessential national park. A big, snowy mountain, wildlife abundant (we saw a black bear near Reflection Lakes), and ancient forests.

Enjoy.

Loved the gorgeous old growth trees throughout this campground. Highly recommend a site with a view of the Ohanapecosh river, there are several along the bank with beautiful views. There is a very nice day use area by the river for picnics. Well kept bathrooms for a national park with flush toilets but no showers. Many sites are reservable online in advance. A truck comes around in the evenings with firewood for purchase. National Park visitors center conveniently located right at the entrance of the campground. No cell service at the campground.

We stayed on the C loop. There are no RV hookups, no cell phone service, there are toilets but no showers. Our site fit my 30foot RV, but was very unlevel. Despite all that, we loved this campground! Our site was spacious and had a view of the river. The temperatures were perfect! Not too hot, not too cold. We enjoyed hiking a trail that left right from the campground. The roads and loops are paved so our kids were able to ride bikes. luckily I had kept a record of which campsite I had reserved because there is no check in or registration, just show up and pull into your site.

Why you would expect from the National Park Service. This is a very nice campground that is well-maintained. We were there at the end of the season so it was really quiet. The scenery is spectacular with the old growth trees. The river running through the campground is very pretty and just noisy enough to give you that "I'm out in the woods, peaceful, feeling." We had a 15" campervan and a wonderful spot right next to the bathrooms that only one other person used whole time we were there. We didn't see any bears, although we had secretly hoped we would. I'm sure they are a nuscince to most people. We had no cell service. I wish we could have stayed longer.

Restrooms, drinking water, beautiful hikes and the river is fantastic. The sites weren't very level. A section of the campground was closed which may have been because it was early in the season, June. A favorite campground.

We drove up to explore the Rainier area 2nd weekend in September. I was concerned about finding a first come first serve spot on a Saturday.

The area was fairly smoky due to the fires in Oregon, so we really lucked out with the spot we found. The person that had it, had left early. So we were able to back right into a spot that overlooked the river. It was a beautiful peaceful spot & nice to just listen to the water flow. The restrooms were a short walk away & clean.

We enjoyed hiking through the lovely old growth forest to Silver Falls & The Grove of the Patriarchs. The trails were nicely maintained. Was a great trip exploring the area. So much more to see & many more trails to hike.

Fairly well spaced out spots in a tall wooded area. Unfortunately not a lot of privacy between slots. Short walks to river and surrounding trails. Gorgeous PNW campground.