Gifford Pinchot National Forest

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Gifford Pinchot National Forest campgrounds are widely appreciated for their beautiful, spacious, and natural settings featuring old growth forests, rivers, lakes, and hiking trails. Campgrounds generally offer peaceful, family-friendly atmospheres with friendly, helpful hosts. Facilities typically include vault or pit toilets that are clean but sometimes poorly maintained or odorous, and water availability is often limited, requiring campers to bring their own supplies. Access roads can be rough or narrow, and cell service is frequently limited or nonexistent. While many visitors enjoy privacy and scenic surroundings, occasional issues include noise from logging trucks, campers, or generators, overcrowding during peak times, mosquitoes and other bugs, and inconsistent management of reservations and campground rules.

Beautiful and peaceful natural settings with rivers, lakes, and old growth forests

Spacious and private campsites with privacy options

Friendly and helpful camp hosts

Clean and generally well-maintained restroom facilities

Good access to hiking trails, waterfalls, and outdoor activities

Limited or no potable water at many sites

Rustic toilet facilities that can be smelly or poorly maintained

Rough, narrow, or gravel access roads

Limited or no cell phone service

Noise disturbances from logging trucks, campers, and generators, especially during peak periods

2,455 reviews

5 stars

1,509

4 stars

555

3 stars

193

2 stars

1 stars

102

Spencer H

Campground:Govt Mineral Springs Guard Sta

Loop:Area Govt Mineral Springs Guard Sta

Site:

Reviewed 10 days ago

Excellent place to chill off grid for a weekend! No cell service. No electricity. No running water. Gas lanterns, gas stove and gas refrigerator all in good working order. Heater worked great the first night stopped working second night. Outhouse very clean. Bring sleeping bags, water and matches.

Cindy P

Campground:Takhlakh Lake Campground

Loop:Area Takhlakh Lake Campground

Site:

Reviewed 12 days ago

I have been camping at Lake Takhalakh for years. It never disappoints.

Maria C

Campground:Lower Falls Campground

Loop:Upper Loop

Site:

Reviewed 16 days ago

This is a beautiful campsite. Each site is a good distance from the next to give nice privacy along with plenty of trees for shade. I chose site #27 and it was close to the clean facilities. It was spacious enough to tie up 2 Sheppard dogs on their own long lines between trees so they could run and play but also be secure. The site managers Chris and Brittany (sp) were very helpful and welcoming. The river and the lower falls are gorgeous. I was able to find a secluded spot to tie my dogs on 100ft leashes and let them take their life vests into the river without any worry. They had plenty of room to run, splash, and play while also secured to a fallen tree on the bank. We had a great time! I will be camping here again in the future.

Cindy S

Campground:Gotchen Guard Station

Loop:(Same)

Site:

Reviewed 23 days ago

The area is beautiful and the cabin would have been perfect, but there is a significant mice infestation in the cabin. We heard them running around all night We saw three as we cooked dinner, when we opened the cupboard under the sink. They chewed up the cabinet as we sat by the wood stove. There were mouse droppings on the dishes, on the sponges, and all over the counter. We cleaned them up, went hiking and came back to more droppings all over the kitchen.

Vanessa d

Campground:Gotchen Guard Station

Loop:(Same)

Site:

Reviewed 23 days ago

We stayed here in late September. It was incredible! Our family had a wonderful time! We loved it so much we've already booked another weekend in November.

Eryn H

Campground:La Wis Wis Campground

Loop:D

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Avoid this site. The ratty cottonwood sapling in it is completely infested with tent caterpillars. They were dropping in our food, clothes, gear and crawling all over everything. Ugh.

Keep your options open

Watch for a matching campsite across monitored campgrounds in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Popularity: Moderate

Busiest in November, when about 40% of guest capacity is reserved. Based on 6 years of reservations.