Ground tents
Developed sites allow up to six people or one immediate family and two tents, if they fit the tent pad. Mowich Lake is primitive walk-in tent camping with a wilderness permit.
Choose your camping setup
Start with how you sleep, then choose a campground and the right site category.
Cars, vans and trailers
Use the designated campsite parking pad. Cougar Rock allows RVs to 35 feet / trailers to 27; White River 27 / 18. No utility hookups.
Groups and backpackers
Groups of 12 or more must use group sites. Group sites are tent-only, with no RVs. Backcountry overnights require a wilderness permit year-round.
Find your campground
See Mount Rainier campgrounds beside the park’s roads. Numbers match the comparison below; confirm your approach before traveling.
- Campground · numbers match the comparison
- Park boundary
Compare All 3 Mount Rainier Campgrounds
Compare locations, site types, dated operating seasons, facilities and published fees. Check the linked booking page for your site and travel year.
| Location | Campground | 2026 season | Tents & vehicles | Published campsite fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Cougar RockDirections to Cougar Rock CampgroundCougar Rock Campground Campground location, not an assigned campsite. Check access and booking rules before travel. | about May 23 – Oct 12 | Tent-compatible sitesRV max: 35 ft RV, 27 ft trailerTrailer max: 27 ft | $20; group sites $60 | |
| 2. Ohanapecosh179 sitesFlush | No 2026 season listed | Tent-compatible sitesRV max: 32 ft RV, 27 ft trailerTrailer max: 27 ft | $20; group sites $60 | |
| 3. White River88 sitesFlush | about Jun 20 – about Oct 5 | Tent-compatible sitesRV max: 27 ft RV, 18 ft trailerTrailer max: 18 ft | $20 |
- Mount Rainier boundary
- This campground
What does camping cost?
Compare the price and charging unit for your setup. The booking total depends on the selected site, travel year and applicable fees.
Drive-in individual sites
$20 per site per night at Cougar Rock, Ohanapecosh and White River, when operating. No hookups; entrance fee is separate.
Group tent sites
$60 per group site per night at Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh, when operating. RVs are not allowed in group sites.
Wilderness reservations
$6 reservation fee plus $12 per person per night, up to 13 consecutive nights. Obtain the issued permit before your overnight trip.
Which Campgrounds Are Open by Month
Read across each row for the 2026 season. Operating dates do not show campsite availability.
Scheduled all monthScheduled part of monthNo scheduled season
| Monthly context | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WeatherAvg high / low · °FLongmire Rainier NPS, WA · station preview · 1991-2020 | 37°26° low | 40°26° low | 45°28° low | 51°31° low | 60°37° low | 66°42° low | 75°46° low | 76°46° low | 69°42° low | 55°35° low | 43°29° low | 36°25° low |
| Park crowdsAvg park visits · 2021–2025 | 26.0kLowest | 16.4kLowest | 23.8kLowest | 31.5kLowest | 85.5kLow | 224.9kModerate | 420.9kPeak | 398.3kPeak | 235.0kModerate | 134.5kModerate | 28.4kLowest | 19.4kLowest |
| Campgrounds · 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Cougar Rockabout May 23 – Oct 12 | No season | No season | No season | No season | Part of month | All month | All month | All month | All month | Part of month | No season | No season |
| OhanapecoshNo 2026 season listed | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season |
| White Riverabout Jun 20 – about Oct 5 | No season | No season | No season | No season | No season | Part of month | All month | All month | All month | Part of month | No season | No season |
How to book Mount Rainier camping
Choose the campground, site type and travel dates before opening the booking page.
Cougar Rock reservations
Reserve individual sites through Recreation.gov and group sites through the separate group listing. Some individual sites are first-come, first-served.
White River first-come
Follow the campground registration and payment instructions. Download the Recreation.gov app before travelling; do not rely on cell service.
Wilderness permits
Reserve eligible summer trips through Recreation.gov, then obtain the actual permit in person. Walk-up permits follow separate availability rules.
Check your vehicle’s fit
Use published maximum lengths to make a shortlist, then check the individual campsite and route.
Enter your RV, van or trailer length
- Campground maximums are a shortlist. Check your individual site’s dimensions and equipment rules.
- Only published equipment lengths are listed. Check other sites in the comparison above.
- Use the operating calendar for dates and check the approach road before booking.
- Cougar RockNo full hookups35 ftRV
- White RiverNo full hookups27 ftRV
No campgrounds match these filters. Try a shorter setup or compare camping outside the park.
Know the camp rules
Plan for the park’s normal camping rules. Official conditions carry restrictions for your travel dates.
Use designated sites
Sleeping in vehicles outside campgrounds is prohibited. Keep all wheels on the gravel or paved campsite pad.
Tent fit matters
Two tents are a maximum, not a guarantee of space. Tent pad sizes vary; some large tents will not fit.
Check your approach
Verify campground and road access before choosing a route, especially Mowich Lake. Its wilderness permit does not guarantee road access.
Camping outside the park
Compare the park’s gateway areas first, then confirm nearby campground seasons, fees and equipment rules with the operator.
Ashford
Nisqually Entrance approach for Longmire and Paradise.
Packwood
Southeast approach; the direct Stevens Canyon route is seasonal.
Enumclaw
Northeast approach toward White River and Sunrise; those roads have a winter closure season.
Questions about Mount Rainier camping
Quick answers to the practical questions below.
Can you camp anywhere at Mount Rainier?
No. Camp in designated sites; sleeping in vehicles outside campgrounds is prohibited. Mowich Lake walk-in sites and overnight backcountry trips need a wilderness permit. Check access before choosing a route.
How much does camping at Mount Rainier cost?
Developed drive-in individual sites are $20 per site per night. Group tent sites at Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh are $60 per site per night when operating. Wilderness reservations cost $6 plus $12 per person per night. Entrance fees are separate.
How do you check whether Ohanapecosh is open?
Use the NPS campground page and Current conditions for operating dates, rehabilitation work and services. The comparison shows the reviewed 2026 schedule, not today’s access.
When is White River camping season?
White River’s typical season is late June through September, depending on snow and weather. It is first-come, first-served; check the official campground page for the season you plan to visit.
Are RVs allowed at Cougar Rock?
Individual sites allow RVs up to 35 feet and trailers up to 27 feet, subject to site fit. The no-RV rule applies to group tent sites. There are no hookups.
Is Mowich Lake a drive-in campground?
Its campsites are primitive walk-in tent pads requiring a wilderness permit. There is no potable water and larger tents may not fit. Check official access instructions rather than assuming you can reach it by road.
How we built this page.
An independent guide using official data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.
- Official guidance
- NPS and the relevant operators. The linked official pages support the access, facilities and rules described here. Confirm details before traveling.
- Crowd context
- 2021–2025 monthly averages. NPS recreation visits describe normal seasonal demand, not trail congestion, parking availability or unique visitors.
- Schedules and conditions
- Planning patterns, not live status. Seasonal information describes the normal pattern or explicitly dated source schedule. Current conditions are handled separately. The official source is the place to confirm today’s access.
Topic sources and data details
Campground locations, site counts, published fees and dated 2026 operating seasons come from the committed NPS/operator campground dataset. Normal setup and booking rules were checked against the official sources linked in each section.
The operating calendar aligns NOAA station climate normals with 2021–2025 NPS park visits. Weather varies with elevation and location; park visits do not measure campsite occupancy. Maps reuse reviewed park boundaries and road geometry. The vehicle shortlist does not guarantee an individual site or route will fit your equipment.
Operational source check: September 10, 2026. Design and emphasized source review: 2026-10-21. A design review does not refresh every underlying record.