Ohanapecosh Campground

This is the developed campground beside the Ohanapecosh River in Mount Rainier's southeast corner. It sits at 1,914 feet among Douglas-fir, western red cedar and western hemlock. Choose it for nights in the forest with the river close by and trail access nearby; this is a developed campground, and sites can feel close together, so privacy varies.

Trails begin in the campground and lead toward nearby destinations including Silver Falls. If you want a waterfall walk as part of your stay, this is a useful base: you can start on foot from camp instead of driving to a separate trailhead.

The forest and river are the setting campers value most. River access varies around the campground, though, and getting down to the water can be steep from some areas. Don't assume your site will be right on the bank. The park's campgrounds don't have electrical, water or grey-water hookups.

Ohanapecosh is generally drier and sunnier than Paradise and Longmire, so it can be a good east-side option when those areas are wet or foggy. That's a regional pattern, not a weather guarantee. The campground is reached from State Route 123; in a typical year, its camping season runs from late May into early October, and the area is inaccessible in winter.

The name reaches back to a Taidnapam (Upper Cowlitz) habitation site along the river. Its meaning is uncertain; the National Park Service gives the likely translation as “standing at the edge.”