La Wis Wis Campground in Pacific Northwest — photo 1

La Wis Wis Campground

Pacific Northwest

About this campsite

Overview

Situated at the confluence of three waterways near Mount Rainier, La Wis Wis is nestled under a canopy of towering Douglas firs and red cedars. The handful of sites that dot the riverbank enjoy the most sunshine.

With an abundance of activities nearby, La Wis Wis is a popular destination for long-stay camping. Its proximity to Mount Rainier National Park makes it an excellent base for exploring all of the area's natural wonders.

Recreation

Hikers can easily access the Blue Hole Trail and Purcell Falls Trail from La Wis Wis.

Anglers can fish for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and whitefish at either Butter Creek or Skate Creek.

Facilities

La Wis Wis is ideal for tents, car campers and truck campers with a slide-in. The Hatchery Loop sites can accommodate RVs, but navigation
through other parts of the campground may be difficult due to narrow roadways and large trees.



The campground features 122 sites, including walk-in tent camping. Only vault toilets are available here. Picnic tables, picnic shelters and grills are provided.



Drinking water is available on-site at the main part of the camp. Campers staying at the Hatchery Loop need to bring potable water or get water at the main site.

Natural Features

Located in southwest Washington State, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest encompasses 1.3 million acres and includes the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982.

La Wis Wis is located in the Tatoosh Wilderness area of the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District. The campground sits where the Ohanapecosh River, Cowlitz River and Purcell Creek meet.

The campground features old-growth forest and opportunities to observe a variety of wildlife.

Contact Info

This location has limited staffing. Please call (360) 686-3008 for general information.

Nearby Attractions

La Wis Wis is located near the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. The popular Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise within Mount Rainier National Park is 28 miles away.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations

Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. 

A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

Group Sites

Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.  

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. 

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager

Location

Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo
SAT🌤️
28° / 12°
—
SUN☁️
30° / 17°
—
TODAY☁️
24° / 13°
💧 3%
TUE🌤️
25° / 11°
—
WED☀️
27° / 14°
—

Nearby Campsites

within 50km
OHANAPECOSH GROUP CAMPGROUND — WA6.5 km away

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OHANAPECOSH GROUP CAMPGROUND

Overview This facility is the group site at Ohanapecosh Campground. Ohanapecosh, on the southeast side of Mount Rainier National Park, is surrounded by old growth forest and crossed by an exceptionally beautiful snow-fed river. Close to Ohanapecosh are popular hikes to Silver Falls. The Grove of the Patriarchs trail is closed to public access until the bridge accessing the Grove is replaced. The main attraction at Mount Rainier National Park is the mountain itself, a glacier-clad volcano of immense proportions. At 14,411 ft., it dominates the skyline for hundreds of miles. Visitors travel through majestic old-growth forests, past tumbling waterfalls and historic buildings to reach sub-alpine meadows, where world-famous wildflower displays are seen in July and August. Popular activities in the park include sight-seeing, hiking, climbing and camping. Ohanapecosh campground has an elevation of 1,914 feet. Weather is dry, cool and sunny in the summer with daytime temperatures in the 60 to 80-degree range. Even though the eastern side of the park can be sunnier than other areas, weather can be variable and visitors should come prepared. Recreation The most popular campground in the park, Ohanapecosh is convenient to both the Paradise and Sunrise areas. Numerous hiking trails originate both in and nearby the facility, including the several trails that lead to Silver Falls waterfall. For visitors who would like to learn more about natural and cultural history, the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center is close by as well. Grove of the Patriarchs - The Grove of the Patriarchs is CLOSED to all public entry due to flooding in November 2021 which caused significant damage to the suspension bridge that provides the only safe access to the area ( News Release, 11/17/21 ). See the attached emergency regulation signed by the Deputy Superintendent. The Grove of the Patriarchs Trail will remain closed until the bridge can be replaced. During the closure, the Grove of the Patriarchs parking lot and restrooms have normal seasonal access, along with the Eastside and Silver Falls Trails. Construction to replace the bridge is scheduled to begin summer 2027. In addition to site clearing, the project will require supplies transport, bridge construction, trail reconstruction to meet the new bridge. This process is expected to take several years and construction work is limited to the summer season. Summers represent the only viable construction season in the park due to the heavy snow that blankets the park from roughly November through May. Facilities There are two group sites. Both have tent-only camping, and each can fit up to 25 people. Drinking water is provided. Visitors must use extra caution with food storage, as bear and other animals inhabit the area around the campground. Natural Features Ohanapecosh is thought to be a Taidnapam Indian word for "standing on the edge" of the Ohanapecosh River. The river itself is lined with mossy boulders and drains cold, clear water from higher elevations. Its banks are lined with thick, old growth Douglas fir trees and other evergreens. There is no direct view of Mt. Rainier from the campground, but the mountain dominates the landscape in nearby areas of the park.

OHANAPECOSH CAMPGROUND — WA6.5 km away

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OHANAPECOSH CAMPGROUND

Overview Ohanapecosh Campground, on the southeast side of Mount Rainier National Park, is surrounded by old growth forest and crossed by an exceptionally beautiful snow-fed river. Close to Ohanapecosh are popular hikes to Silver Falls. The Grove of the Patriarchs trail is closed to public access until the bridge accessing the Grove is replaced. The main attraction at Mount Rainier National Park is the mountain itself, a glacier-clad volcano of immense proportions. At 14,411 ft., it dominates the skyline for hundreds of miles. Visitors travel through majestic old-growth forests, past tumbling waterfalls and historic buildings to reach sub-alpine meadows, where world-famous wildflower displays are seen in July and August. Popular activities in the park include sight-seeing, hiking, climbing and camping. Ohanapecosh campground has an elevation of 1,914 feet. Weather is dry, cool and sunny in the summer with daytime temperatures in the 60 to 80-degree range. Even though the eastern side of the park can be sunnier than other areas, weather can be variable and visitors should come prepared. Recreation The most popular campground in the park, Ohanapecosh is convenient to both the Paradise and Sunrise areas. Numerous hiking trails originate both in and nearby the facility, including the several trails that lead to Silver Falls waterfall. For visitors who would like to learn more about natural and cultural history, the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center is close by as well. Grove of the Patriarchs - The Grove of the Patriarchs is CLOSED to all public entry due to flooding in November 2021 which caused significant damage to the suspension bridge that provides the only safe access to the area ( News Release, 11/17/21 ). See the attached emergency regulation signed by the Deputy Superintendent. The Grove of the Patriarchs Trail will remain closed until the bridge can be replaced. During the closure, the Grove of the Patriarchs parking lot and restrooms have normal seasonal access, along with the Eastside and Silver Falls Trails. Construction to replace the bridge is scheduled to begin summer 2027. In addition to site clearing, the project will require supplies transport, bridge construction, trail reconstruction to meet the new bridge. This process is expected to take several years and construction work is limited to the summer season. Summers represent the only viable construction season in the park due to the heavy snow that blankets the park from roughly November through May. Facilities This large campground has 188 individual sites for RV or tent camping situated among the ancient trees. There is drinking water, but no electric hookups. Visitors must use extra caution with food storage, as bear and other animals inhabit the area around the campground. Natural Features Ohanapecosh is thought to be a Taidnapam Indian word for "standing on the edge" of the Ohanapecosh River. The river itself is lined with mossy boulders and drains cold, clear water down from higher elevations. Its banks are lined with thick, old growth Douglas fir trees and other evergreens. There is no view of Mt. Rainier directly from the campground, though the mountain dominates the landscape in nearby areas of the park. Charges & Cancellations If a camper does not check-in at the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center at the campground window by 12:00pm check-out time the day after the scheduled arrival date, their reservation will be cancelled, the camper will incur a $10.00 service fee, and forfeit the first night's camping fee.

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La Wis Wis Campground