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Cougar Rock Campground, on the southwest side of Mt. Rainier National Park, is conveniently located to the Paradise area. 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 main attraction at Mount Rainier National Park is the mountain itself, a glacier-clad volcano of immense proportions. At 14,411 feet, it dominates the skyline for hundreds of miles. Visitors travel through majestic old-growth forest, past tumbling waterfalls and historic buildings to reach sub-alpine meadows, where world-famous wildflower displays are seen through July and August. Popular activities in the park include sight-seeing, hiking, rock climbing and camping. The Cougar Rock area is located at an elevation of 3,180 feet. Summers are dry and cool with daytime temperatures in the 60 to 80-degree range. Weather throughout the park can be variable, so visitors should come prepared. Natural Features: The 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. Recreation: From the facility, experienced hikers and backpackers can access the well-known, strenuous but beautiful Wonderland Trail, which encircles the park for 93 miles. For those who enjoy learning more about the parks natural and cultural history, there is an on-site amphitheater where interpretive programs are held. Facilities: The group campground has five campsites and is located within the general Cougar Rock Campground. Sites are relatively rustic, but have drinking water, flush toilets and picnic tables. All group campsites must 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. Nearby Attractions: Mount Rainier National Park is about 50 miles southeast of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area. ACTIVITIES Interpretive Programs: Educational Programs Hiking Picnicking: Picnic Tables Visitor Center: Ranger Station Day Use Area: Amphitheater
Cougar Rock Campground is located 14 miles east of Ashford, Washington, on State Route 706/Paradise Road.
This campground is not for the rest.
We stayed here before climbing Rainier. We spent around 9 nights there. Place B10 is terrible:
1) it has garbage right on the place, people are terrible they make noise with recycling waste all night. Every single person thinks it’s great idea to throw the trash right before they go to restrooms before night. But we tried to sleep during these times.
2) noise from men’s restroom, I don’t know why this is so hard to close the door
3) lights from the restroom
4) the food box at terrible place, it has sun all day long.
5) the place for tent has crazy angle, same as table
6) some of the people staying there just don’t know what camping is. They very loud, like I said after at late night they going to garbage with all their empty beer cans, they slam doors whole night at their cars. So bad
I don’t really understand why they need so many garbage bins at the campground around sites. Why just not have them at the exit
Also people trying to get at their homes to loop B, is it not supposed to be just tent loop?
This campground need the better host to keep quiet hours quite and better rules maybe mention that it’s not necessary to slam doors at 2 am like every 2 seconds for 15 minutes and trash. No trash at quiet hours
I had a great experience at Cougar Rock. It's cheap, so don't expect a lot of frills. I managed to get a first-come-first-serve spot two nights in a row mid-week in August. Rangers were extremely kind and helpful. As a solo camper I felt safe and comfortable here.
National camp ground, no frills. Working bathrooms on each loop. One section was very well kept, the other was OK but it is a basic campground and the bathrooms had running water so not an actual complaint. There are no showers. There are no hookups of any kind at the camp site, but again, that's just general information that they make known. It was strangely quiet, considering how many campers there were, but this was just a three day trial run before attempting a full-on RV trip, so what do I really know.
the location was awesome, we hit all the hikes early in the morning before the crowds came. site B27 had some trees to create privacy from the road, but it was pretty close to our neighbors as you can see in the photo. first night we didn’t sleep because our neighbors were extremely loud until 2 am. the second night was great since most of our neighbors left. i don’t recommend going if you like privacy and off grid camping. however it really just depends on your neighbors. bathrooms were clean with running water.
Awesome campground. A lot of campers there but still felt secluded and private in our campsite. Most sites fit 1-2 tents and just one parking spot. Bathrooms are great for a campground. Lockers to keep your food overnight. Beautiful area and close to many good hikes. Keep in mind you have to pay the $30 fee for entrance to Mt Rainier National Park on top of your campsite cost.
