Cougar Rock Campground

Overview

Cougar Rock Campground, on the southwest side of Mt. Rainier National Park, is conveniently located near Paradise. Individual campsites are reservable on this page. Group campsite reservations can be made via Cougar Rock Group Campground.

Paradise is the most popular destination in the park, with a lodge and visitor center, many miles of hiking trails and a commanding view of the mountain-the highest in the state and Cascade range. The main attraction at Mount Rainier National Park is the mountain itself, a massive glacier-clad volcano, peaking at 14,411 ft. and dominating 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 bloom through July and August. Popular activities in the park include sight-seeing, hiking, rock climbing and camping.

Cougar Rock campground is located at an elevation of 3,180 feet. Summers are dry and cool with daytime temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees. Weather throughout the park can be variable, so visitors should come prepared.

Recreation

From the facility, experienced hikers and backpackers can access the well-known, strenuous and beautiful Wonderland Trail, which encircles the park for 93 miles. For those who enjoy learning more about the park's natural and cultural history, there is an on-site amphitheater where interpretive programs are held.

Facilities

Cougar Rock is relatively rustic, but has drinking water, flush toilets and picnic tables at all 173 campsites. This facility is one of only two campgrounds in the park with campsites that can be reserved. Visitors must use extra caution with food storage, as foxes and other animals have been known to frequent the campground looking for food.

Natural Features

Cougar Rock Campground has one lookout point from which campers can view Mt. Rainier. Although it is peaceful now, the still active volcano last erupted in the mid 1800s. The campground is adjacent to the Nisqually River and is surrounded by thick forests. A short drive to Paradise in summer reveals fields of lush wildflowers.

Nearby Attractions

Mount Rainier National Park is about 50 miles southeast of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area.

Charges & Cancellations

If a camper does not check-in at the ranger station 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.

Camp site features

Across 176 camp sites:

Fire pit: 13 of 176 sites
Picnic table: 13 of 176 sites
ADA accessible: 4 of 176 sites
Longest RV: 35 ft
Largest party: 6 people
Equipment: CAR, CARAVAN/CAMPER VAN, PICKUP CAMPER, POP UP, RV, Tent, Trailer

Directions

Cougar Rock Campground is located 14 miles east of Ashford, Washington, on State Route 706/Paradise Road.

Stay Limit

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

Reviews

Cougar Rock Campground in Mount Rainier National Park provides a beautiful, scenic, and peaceful camping environment with clean, well-maintained facilities and friendly, helpful park staff. The campground is conveniently located near popular hiking trails and park attractions such as Paradise and Longmire. Sites vary in size and privacy; some are spacious and secluded while others are smaller, closer together, or uneven, which may challenge larger tents or RVs. Amenities include flush toilets, bear-proof food storage, and water filling stations, but showers, soap in bathrooms, and electric hookups are not available. The campground faces occasional issues such as limited cell service, noise from neighbors or traffic, fire bans restricting campfires, and ongoing maintenance concerns including hazardous trees, closed loops, and limited dump station access. Despite these challenges, most visitors find it a quiet and enjoyable base for exploring the park.

Beautiful and scenic location with peaceful atmosphere

Clean, well-maintained restrooms with flush toilets

Helpful and friendly park rangers and staff

Convenient access to hiking trails and park attractions

Bear-proof food storage and water bottle filling stations

Some campsites are small, uneven, or close together, limiting privacy

No showers and no soap in bathrooms

Limited or no cell service inside the campground

Fire bans restrict campfire use during summer months

Maintenance issues including hazardous trees, site closures, and closed dump stations

1,089 reviews

5 stars

718

4 stars

245

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Michelle D

Loop:Loop B

Site:

Reviewed 23 days ago

Great location very close to Paradise and many hikes. Nice campground with a decent amount of space between sites.

Jay S

Loop:Loop C

Site:

Reviewed 25 days ago

How about firewood available for sale at the campground and not Longmire?

Kristin T

Loop:Loop E

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

This is the best campsite I have been at. The sites were beautiful & well spaced, the bathrooms were clean, and the campgrounds are conveniently located within the park.

Judith K

Loop:Loop A

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

This was the perfect place for us to park our 24' travel trailer (site A9 which had plenty of sun for our solar panels.) The check-in was easy -- we had not expected an onsite ranger handling reservations, so that was a plus. The bathrooms were stocked, fresh water was available at the bubblers at the restrooms as well as a service sink also at the restrooms; the CG was tidy. Trails right from the CG can get you to several waterfalls and even down to Longmire or up to Paradise, depending on how long you want to walk. The CG itself made for a nice daily walk. Otherwise, it's a great launching point to get to all the south side of Rainier has to offer. We checked out a day early (before official checkout time) and were automatically refunded that last night.

Mark S

Loop:Loop A

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Nice campground, well kept, clean restrooms (though old), Friendly helpful staff

Tara M

Loop:Loop A

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

The campground is in an excellent location to access the rest of the park. We stayed in the A loop on a first come first serve basis. The only downside to this was hearing traffic throughout the night which was disruptive for sleeping.

Availability

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

Reserve