There are four campgrounds at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. Two campgrounds are first-come, first-served only (one of which requires a Wilderness Permit), and the other two are a mix of reservation / first-come, first-served, depending upon the season. Picnic tables, fire grates, flush toilets, and water are available at three of these four campsites.
Below is a quick rundown of each campground. For more detailed information, click on the campground name. Each link to recreation.gov is specific to that campground. If you notice informational discrepancies between the park's webpage for a campground and recreation.gov's page, it's best to stick with recreation.gov for those campgrounds requiring reservations. For any site you are interested in, click on the View Details link to learn more about that particular campsite, including RV/trailer-vehicle length for that site.
Cougar Rock Campground is open May 22-October 12, 2026, and is located two miles (3.22 kilometers) up the road from Longmire Historic District, in the southwest section of the park. It offers 179 individual sites ($20 per night) for RV or tent camping, including four ADA-accessible sites (A026, C002, C007, R005). Maximum RV / Vehicle-trailer length is 35 feet / 27 feet (8.2 meters / 10.67 meters). Reservations for individual sites may be made at recreation.gov during the peak season (June 23-September 13, 2026). May 22-June 22, 2026 and September 14-October 12, 2026, all sites are first-come, first-served.
There are also five group sites (open June 11-September 13, 2026) that will all accommodate a minimum of 12 people and - depending upon site choice - a maximum of between 20-40 people. Group sites are tent-only and are $60 per night. Reservations are required for the group sites through recreation.gov.
No hookups are available at any of the sites. Tent pad sizes vary and larger tents may not fit on the pads. Drinking water, trash collection, and flush toilets are available seasonally. The RV dump and fill station is CLOSED for the 2026 season.
Ohanapecosh Campground is located two miles (3.22 kilometers) from the Stevens Canyon entrance in the southeast section of the park, just off Washington State Route 123. This campground offers 188 standard sites, including 3 ADA-accessible campsites in Loop D (D014, D020, and D021), as well as two tent-only group sites each accommodating 12-25 people. Maximum RV / Trailer length is 32 ft / 27 ft (9.75 m / 10.67 m). .
Traveler's Note: Ohanapecosh Campground has been undergoing a major rehabilitation project expected to continue through the spring and early summer of 2026. As such, this campground (and its dump station) is closed until further notice.
White River Campground is located 11.5 miles (18.5 kilometers) from the Sunrise area in the northeast section of the park. This campground offers 88 individual sites. No ADA accessible campsites are noted, and there are no group sites. Maximum RV/Vehicle-trailer length is 27 feet / 18 feet (8.23 meters / 5.49 meters). Sites are first-come, first-served and are $20 nightly, paid via recreation.gov’s Scan and Pay mobile app. No hookups. Drinking water, flush toilets, and trash collection are available seasonally.
No 2026 season dates have been identified yet, but the season generally runs from early July-late September.
Mowich Lake Campground (early July – early October) is the smallest of the four campgrounds. Located in the northwest section of the park right next to Mowich Lake, this walk-in campground offers 13 tent platforms. There is no fee for camping here but campers must self-register at the kiosk. There are picnic tables, secure food storage, vault toilets (no potable water), and fires are prohibited. This campground requires a Wilderness Permit.
Note: Due to the indefinite closure of the Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge on State Route 165, the road to Mowich Lake Campground is closed and this campground is not accessible by vehicle, pedestrian, or bicycle traffic. The sites do remain accessible by backpackers along the Wonderland Trail.
Backcountry Camping
If you decide to really get away from it all, you can backcountry camp. A Wilderness Permit is required for this, and may be reserved in advance through recreation.gov. Reservations are encouraged but not required, and must be made at least two days in advance of the trip start. You may also go to any of four Wilderness Information centers in the park for a permit on a first-come, first-served basis, and requested a maximum of one day before your trip start date. Be aware, two-thirds of these permits are made available for advance reservation via recreation.gov, while the remaining one-third permits are issued at park Wilderness Information Centers.
Wilderness Information Center Locations:
Longmire Wilderness Information Center
360-569-6650
Located at Longmire. Generally open late May through mid-October.
White River Wilderness Information Center
360-569-6670
Located at White River, en route to the Sunrise area in the northeast corner of the park. Generally open late May through mid-October.
Paradise Wilderness Information Center / Guide House
360-569-6641
Backcountry & climbing permits, information. Located at Paradise.
Generally open late May through early September.
For more information on Wilderness Permits, including the Early Access Lottery and how to activate your permit, click here.
Note: The Washington State Department of Transportation has closed the State Route 165 Carbon River Fairfax Bridge to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice. The bridge provided access to Mount Rainier National Park's Mowich Lake Entrance and Carbon River Ranger Station and Entrance. There is currently no public access to Mowich Lake or Carbon River Entrances. Those with current backpacking reservations will be notified in the coming weeks as updates are received from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
- By Rebecca Latson - January 20th, 2026 2:57pm
