Iron Creek Campground

Show on map541-338-7869
Gifford Pinchot NF Cowlitz Valley Ranger District
Randle, WA 98377

Overview

Iron Creek Campground sits near the confluence of Iron Creek and the Cispus River. This large campground winds through a forest of old-growth Douglas firs, cedars and hemlock. Lush vegetation and ample space between sites offers excellent privacy.

Recreation

Iron Creek provides great fishing for cutthroat trout, whitefish and rainbow trout.

Visitors can stroll along the .3-mile Iron Creek Old Growth Trail and weave through the forest and along the Cispus River, or continue on a longer walk down the Iron Creek Campground Trail. This trail is barrier-free and designed to accommodate any age or skill level, with benches and plenty of places to stop along the way.

Facilities

There are 99 single and double family sites that are back-in and paved. Level spurs provide easy RV parking. Picnic tables, campfire rings and drinking water are provided.

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.

Iron Creek is part of the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, which is located in the northernmost portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This District is roughly located among three volcanic peaks: Mt. Rainier to the north, Mt. Adams to the east, and Mount St. Helens to the west.

Contact Info

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

Nearby Attractions

The Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife Interpretive Site is just up Forest Road 25 toward the town of Randle. Forest Road 25 is a popular scenic drive and provides excellent views of Mount St. Helens.

The Windy Ridge Viewpoint at Mount St. Helens is approximately 20 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.

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 will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Camp site features

Across 98 camp sites:

  • Fire pit: all 98 sites
  • Picnic table: all 98 sites
  • Pets allowed: all 98 sites
  • Longest RV: 40 ft
  • Largest party: 12 people

Fees

Extra Vehicle Fee $8.00

Directions

Take Highway 12 from I-5 and proceed 40 miles to Randle, turn south on Forest Road 25 and continue for 12 miles to the campground.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

226 reviews
5 stars
159
4 stars
47
3 stars
7
2 stars
5
1 stars
8
Craig H
Loop:B
Site:
Reviewed 10 months ago
We always have a excellent time at Iron creek. The old growth trees and the quit tranquility keeps us coming back.
Deborah T
Loop:B
Site:
Reviewed 10 months ago
Beautiful park and sites near Cispus River.
Holly L
Loop:A
Site:
Reviewed a year ago
We were there at the end of the season. It was very quiet and vaults were very clean. Our site was level and long enough for our truck and 24 foot trailer. The roads to this campground are narrow with lots of potholes. iron creek falls is a must see.
Deborah T
Loop:B
Site:
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful campground in an old growth forest of huge majestic pines. Located along the Cispus River. Fished while a bald eagle looked on, just beautiful!
Zachary E
Loop:C
Site:
Reviewed a year ago
The campground is lovely with massive trees and hiking trails everywhere. The river is gorgeous to walk down to. The big reason we will not come back unless fixed.... the road! We went through war-torn potholes, attempt and botched fixes and bumps that put our camping trailer to the test. Go if you enjoy extreme off-roading. Once the bridge is fixed we will use thst main road and pray it is better than the current route.
Maxine C
Loop:D
Site:
Reviewed a year ago
I was excited for this camping trip. I received confirmation about my reservations for 2 spaces. The space (D79) assigned for my family had a notice in email stating it was closed due to dangerous trees, but the site was open for us when we arrived. The parking at D79 was torn up by tree roots.The 2nd site (D80) was mostly great. We did have issues with there being gravel in all areas clearly open for tents. We never saw any camp host. It wasn't clear where to check-in and checkout, so, we never did. The toilet houses are little more than concrete outhouses, which, would be fine if properly cleaned and maintained. Unfortunately, said outhouse is adjacent to site D79, and was quite odorous.
Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve

Season dates

Walk In season

May 14, 2027 – May 20, 2027

First come, first served

Peak season

May 21, 2027 – Sep 18, 2027

Reservable online

Walk In season

May 14, 2028 – May 20, 2028

First come, first served

Peak season

May 21, 2028 – Sep 18, 2028

Reservable online

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