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.

A site at White River Campground, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Below is a quick rundown of the four campgrounds. To see a campsite map, click on each campground name. Traveler's Note: the actual campground map may indicate more sites than listed in this article or on recreation.gov.

Cougar Rock Campground (May – early October) is located 2 miles (3.22 km) 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 4 ADA-accessible sites, and 5 group sites ($60 per night). Maximum RV / Trailer length is 35 ft / 27 ft (8.2 m / 10.67 m). Reservations for individual sites may be made at recreation.gov during the peak season (June 24, 2025 through September 6, 2025). May 28 – June 23, 2025, and September 7 – October 13, 2025, all sites are first-come, first-served.

For group sites:

• Site 1 has a maximum capacity of 30 people.
• Site 2 has a maximum capacity of 40 people.
• Sites 3, 4 and 5 have a maximum capacity of 25 people per site.

A maximum of 5 parking spaces is available at each group site. Additional vehicles must park in the picnic area. These group sites are tent only, no RV or trailer combination. Reservations may be made through recreation.gov.

A site at Ohanapecosh Campground, Mount Rainier National Park / NPS - C. Meleedy

Ohanapecosh Campground (late May – late September) is located 2 miles (3.22 km) from the Stevens Canyon entrance in the southeast section of the park, just off Washington State Route 123. This campground offers 188 sites ($20 per night), including 3 ADA-accessible campsites in Loop D (D014, D020, and D021). Maximum RV / Trailer length is 32 ft / 27 ft (9.75 m / 10.67 m). Reservations for individual sites may be made at recreation.gov during the peak season (June 24, 2025 through September 6, 2025). May 28 – June 23, 2025, and September 7 – October 13, 2025, all sites are first-come, first-served.

For group sites:

• Sites 1 and 2 each have a maximum capacity of 25 people.

A maximum of 5 parking spaces available at each group site. Additional vehicles must park in the ranger station parking area.

These group sites are tent only, no RV or trailer combination. Reservations may be made through recreation.gov.

Traveler's Note: Ohanapecosh Campground will be closed throughout the 2025 season for major infrastructure improvements.

White River Campground (late June – late September) is located 11.5 miles (18.5 km) from the Sunrise area in the northeast section of the park. Recreation.gov and the NPS campground table notes this campground offers 88 individual sites ($20 per night), while the map of the campground indicates 111 campsites. No ADA-accessible campsites are noted, and there are no group sites. Maximum RV/Trailer length is 27 ft / 18 ft (8.23 m / 5.49 m). Sites are first-come, first-served and paid via recreation.gov’s Scan and Pay mobile app.

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.

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.

Carbon River Ranger Station
360-569-6624
Located on the Carbon River Road 5.5 miles (8.85 km) east of the Mowich Lake (SR165) junction.
Generally open year-round.

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.