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Established Camping

Mowich Lake Campground — Mount Rainier National Park

13 Reviews

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About

National Park Service

The campground at Mowich Lake is the smallest of the four camping areas within the boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park. The road is unpaved after the first three miles and may be rough. Also, this is a walk-in campground only and fires are not allowed. With all that said, however, it just may be the most pristine and beautiful place to pitch a tent you’ll ever come across, with one of the most magnificent views of the mountain that you’ll find anywhere.

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Location

Mowich Lake Campground — Mount Rainier National Park is located in Washington

Coordinates

46.93271104 N
121.86292618 W

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Access

Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
Group

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Toilets
Alcohol

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

First Come - First Served

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General Info

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2021

Amazing View!

The view was nice and same goes for everyone there. The campground was pretty rough, so make sure to bring a sleeping mattress or something soft to lay on.

SiteB2

Month of VisitSeptember

Megan H.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 26, 2021

Great spot inside the park

I loved this spot! The lake is absolutely beautiful and there are so many different trails branching off of it. We got there at like 3pm on a Tuesday and got one of the last 2 spots, it definitely fills up fast even during the week. Most of the people there were backpackers and everyone was very quiet and respectful of the fact that it was a small campground with no privacy and close proximity to everyone else. Each spot had a raised platform for your tent, bear box, and picnic table. Bathroom was basic but seemed decently clean. It definitely gets cold up there even in mid August so pack warm! My only complaint was the gravel road to get up there, it’s like 15 miles long and it’s rough. Not the worst road I’ve ever been on but it wasn’t fun and it felt like you had to drive it forever. Make sure you have a National park pass for your car but besides there are the first come first serve spots with no permit or fee. We did the Tolmie Peak trail and the trailhead is straight off the campground which is super nice. Would definitely go back here and try to spend more time exploring the surrounding area

Site18

Month of VisitSeptember

(4) View All

kasey

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 21, 2021

The view is worth it

Okay so there are a few things to know before making the trek here:

You don’t need a permit or anything to stay but you DO have to pay $30 to park your car on the premises and the pay station is in the middle of the road on your way in. So DONT pass it like we did.
Some sites are reserved for back country campers but it isn’t super obvious. It was hard for us to get a site, so plan to arrive on the earlier side.
Even in July there is snow and temperatures reached as low as 40F. Fortunately we were prepared, but you may not be.

But all in all this location was so reclusive and relaxing. I’ve never felt so close to nature and would absolutely recommend it in the future.

Month of VisitAugust

Kier S.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 4, 2019

Leave your hammock at home

Hammock score: 0 of 10

Good location for day hikes, bear boxes, trash cans and pit toilets all good things.

All spaces are wide open. No privacy and your view is the picnic area.

(4) View All

Mary C.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 9, 2019

Ranger Review of AfterShokz Air at Mowich Lake Campground

Campground Review:

Mowich Lake is a decent sized campground at the base of Mt Rainier. We stayed here the night before the Rainier to Ruston run. The sites were your standard, with a picnic table, fire ring, and plenty of trees for shade and cover. There are lots of things to do in the area. We like to fish in the tributaries that are smaller for kids. An excursion up to Crystal Mountain to see the peak and enjoy the view is a must! The littles love riding the gondola up the mountain. The lake attracts a lot of mosquitoes so be sure to bring ALOT of bug spray and garlic. Invest in a screen tent to cover the picnic table. The lake is beautiful!!! During the summer, the water is crystal clear and incredibly inviting. The entrance to the campground requires you to dive on an unpaved road with lots of potholes.

Ranger Review:

I had the opportunity to review the Aftershokz Air headphones. These headphones are absolutely a must for any parent who runs with their littles, as you can still hear some of the louder noises around you.

Pros:

-Bone conduction tech, allows you to enjoy out of ear listening.

-Slim fit with placers

-Microphone for easy call communication

Cons:

-I have a small head, so these do not fit me as well as they fit my husband

-You cannot chew gum, as the movement causes the headphones to shift

I absolutely love these headphones and now own both the air and Titanium Mini. As a female who enjoys running alone through both city and trails, the fact that I have the option to not have my hearing impacted eases my mind for my own safety. I will tout the benefits of these far and wide.

(4) View All

Adeline T.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 22, 2018

Great spot, amazing hiking!

Really loved my stay here. One reason we wanted to stay here was to be close to lots of beautiful hiking near Mt. Rainier. One of the days we went to Sunrise Visitor Center and did a few hikes within the park. It was a blue sky day and Mt. Rainier was shinning! The campground is great. Lots of parking and the campsites are big and clean. 2 pit toilets, but bring your own toilet paper, especially in the summer when it’s super busy. Walk in campground, so get there early to reserve your spot. There is a parking lot where you leave your car, then find your campsite. That was a little odd to me, but it worked out. We also hiked Spray Fall which was gorgeous. Mowich Lake is close by and the water is so clear and beautiful! Definitely nice to have the lake close by to jump in on a hot day! To get to campground you do have to drive on a dirt road for about 10miles. We have a truck so we didn’t have any issues. No cell service which we figured. Either need a discovery Pass or pay $5 for the day. Loved it here!

Month of VisitAugust

(10) View All

Jess G.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 21, 2018

backpackers paradise

Free camp ground in Mt. Rainier national park. Mostly used by backpackers but car campers are welcome. Spots are very small and there is zero privacy. All sites have bear lockers and picnic tables. 1 Vault toilet. Recycling and trash cans. Trail heads at camp ground going in several directions. We did the spray falls hike as well as tolmie peak. Both hikes are beautiful. About 3 miles each.

(11) View All

Sasha W.

Legend

Reviewed Aug. 24, 2018

Mt. Rainier Views!!

My husband and I just spent a weekend at Mowiche Campground located in Ashford, Washington. We chose this campground because we wanted to be close hikes near Mt. Rainier. Hiking here is incredible, and it was so nice to go out hiking in the morning and having a campsite so come back to. The campsites were a little small so I felt like we were close to our neighbors, but we honestly weren’t at the campground a whole lot other than in the evening and sleeping. It was super busy, but we went in August so we expected it to be busy. We made reservations online which helped because we were guaranteed a spot. Every campsite was filled. I did see some RVs in an area as well. If you are a hiking lover, I would recommend doing Tolmie Peak! This was hands down my favorite. It was about an hour drive from the campsite, but we got up pretty early and we’re back by 1pm. Such amazing views of Mt. Rainier. ALSO, there is an area where you can see Mt. Rainier from the campground.

Month of VisitSeptember

(10) View All

Laura F.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2017

Lake Mowich

There are 10 spots, first come first serve, they are arranged in a circle above the day use parking lot. You will have to carry your gear up you cannot park next to your site, no fires allowed. Bit of a rough ride to get up there but totally worth it. There are bears! Although I didn’t see one apparently according to our neighbor he walked right behind me. L Really beautiful and kinda eerie crystal clear lake. You are in the middle of nowhere. Get gas before you go up, the town has signs saying last chance for gas and make sure you have everything you need including water because you will be all by yourself and there is nothing out there. Great trails right from site.

Month of VisitOctober

(7) View All

Kyle M.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 13, 2017

Lake Mowich and Friends

This place is beautiful with many different options.

Site...Lake Mowich can be accessed by dirt road so kayaking and inflatable boats are highly recommended. The area fills up on weekends with plenty of day-use activities including hiking, lake use, and access to the Wonderland trail around Rainier. There is a fire lookout and another alpine lake just a few miles up one of the many trails. The campground is partially reserved for backpackers taking the 90+ mile trek around Mt. Rainier. They have designated food containers minimize the impact of the campground. There are 2 pit toilets which are beautifully maintained during the summer. This place can get a little busy on sunny summer weekends and there are no campfires allowed. The beauty here should be experienced at least once even if you arent into hiking.

Month of VisitAugust

Jessie T.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 22, 2016

Beautifully kept grounds

The campground is beautiful for car campers! It's a loop layout with trash/recycle, bathrooms and designated box type platforms for the tents. Cons: all spots are right next to each other so not a lot of privacy, camp fires are not allowed, cars have to be parked away from the campsite.

Maria P.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 30, 2016

Beautiful hiking & gorgeous lake

The tent sites are right off the parking lot; I was a bigger fan of the backcountry camping. But the lake is this amazingly clear, turquoise blue. You can see the fallen dead wood sitting at the bottom of the lake. Hiking into the alpine was too beautiful for words. I loved the area, but I didn't like the parking lot proximity

kevin T.

Ranger

Reviewed Jun. 20, 2016

Mowich Lake

This cam[site is great aside from the roads. This is a very popular place so come ealy. This campsite is first come first serve. There is tables. Sadly you cannot build a fire here so it does get really cold at night time because there are glaciers in the park.