NPS · Mount Rainier National Park · Packwood, WA

Ohanapecosh Group Campground

This facility is the group site at Ohanapecosh Campground. Ohanapecosh, on the southeast side of Mount Rainier National Park, is surrounded by old growth forest and crossed by an exceptionally beautiful snow-fed river. Close to Ohanapecosh are popular hikes to Silver Falls. The Grove of the Patriarchs trail is closed to public access until the bridge accessing the Grove is replaced. The main attraction at Mount Rainier National Park is the mountain itself, a glacier-clad volcano of immense proportions. At 14,411 ft. it dominates the skyline for hundreds of miles.

Reservable · Recreation.gov2 sitesPets okFires okTents only

This is the group site. Looking for the main campground? Ohanapecosh Campground, 192 sites, is next door.

More like this: reservable in Washington · tent only in Washington · pets allowed in Washington · group sites in Washington

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Ohanapecosh Group CampgroundOHANAPECOSH GROUP CAMPGROUNDOHANAPECOSH GROUP CAMPGROUNDOHANAPECOSH GROUP CAMPGROUND
Photos courtesy of Dodi Vessels, Share the Experience · Recreation.gov
2fires
active
West Fork · 16 mi away · 310 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Group tent areas2
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

2 sites in 2 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFires
GRP 2Group 2 C LoopPartial25 / 5Yes
GRP1Loop A20PavedPartial25 / 5Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

There are two group sites. Both have tent-only camping, and each can fit up to 25 people. Drinking water is provided. Visitors must use extra caution with food storage, as bear and other animals inhabit the area around the campground.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Ohanapecosh Group Campground20°30°40°50°60°January: 17.22 inches of precipitationFebruary: 12.93 inches of precipitationMarch: 13.21 inches of precipitationApril: 8.35 inches of precipitationMay: 5.08 inches of precipitationJune: 3.84 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.41 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.64 inches of precipitationSeptember: 4.43 inches of precipitationOctober: 11.25 inches of precipitationNovember: 18.16 inches of precipitationDecember: 18.92 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 29.2°F averageFebruary: 28.3°F averageMarch: 29.7°F averageApril: 33.2°F averageMay: 40.6°F averageJune: 45.2°F averageJuly: 53.1°F averageAugust: 54.4°F averageSeptember: 49.3°F averageOctober: 39.6°F averageNovember: 31.5°F averageDecember: 27.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Rainier Paradise RS, 9 miles from the campground at 5,427 feet, station USC00456898 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 116 inches a year.

Getting there

Located on State Route 123, four miles north of State Route 12.

Nearest townPackwood, Washington
Coordinates46.7311° N, 121.5703° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    West Fork

    16 mi from the campground · 310 acres · 16% contained

  • Wildfire
    Three Queens

    49 mi from the campground · 9,575 acres · 33% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump Station ↗10.8 mi
Outdoor gearRMI Rentals ↗22.1 mi
RV sales & serviceSunset RV ↗37 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.1 mi
    Carlton Creek ↗
    7.6 mi trail
  • 2.1 mi
    Backbone
    2.6 mi trail
  • 3.5 mi
    Blue Hole
    0.08 mi trail
  • 3.8 mi
    River View
    1.4 mi trail
  • 3.8 mi
    Backbone Lake
    0.5 mi trail
  • 4 mi
    Kincaid ↗
    8.8 mi trail

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Mount Rainier Wilderness begins about 0.4 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

Ohanapecosh is thought to be a Taidnapam Indian word for "standing on the edge" of the Ohanapecosh River. The river itself is lined with mossy boulders and drains cold, clear water from higher elevations. Its banks are lined with thick, old growth Douglas fir trees and other evergreens. There is no direct view of Mt. Rainier from the campground, but the mountain dominates the landscape in nearby areas of the park.

Recreation

The most popular campground in the park, Ohanapecosh is convenient to both the Paradise and Sunrise areas. Numerous hiking trails originate both in and nearby the facility, including the several trails that lead to Silver Falls waterfall. For visitors who would like to learn more about natural and cultural history, the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center is close by as well. Grove of the Patriarchs - The Grove of the Patriarchs is CLOSED to all public entry due to flooding in November 2021 which caused significant damage to the suspension bridge that provides the only safe access to the area ( News Release, 11/17/21 ). The Grove of the Patriarchs Trail will remain closed until the bridge can be replaced. During the closure, the Grove of the Patriarchs parking lot and restrooms have normal seasonal access, along with the Eastside and Silver Falls Trails. Construction to replace the bridge is scheduled to begin summer 2027.

Guidebooks for Mount Rainier National Park

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Easy Day Hikes Mount Rainier National Park
    Di Heidi Schneider and Mary Skjelset, 2024
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Landscape Photographer's Guide to Mount Rainier National Park
    Anthony Jones, 2021
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Mount Rainier National Park
    Heidi Radlinski, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Wonderland trail
    Tami Asars, 2024
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Ohanapecosh Group Campground?

Sites at Ohanapecosh Group Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Ohanapecosh Group Campground?

Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Ohanapecosh Group Campground have?

2 sites, including 2 group tent areas.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Ohanapecosh Group Campground?

Ohanapecosh Group Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Ohanapecosh Group Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Ohanapecosh Group Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Ohanapecosh Group Campground?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 2 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

What is there to do at Ohanapecosh Group Campground?

The most popular campground in the park, Ohanapecosh is convenient to both the Paradise and Sunrise areas. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Ohanapecosh Group Campground?

Packwood, Washington.

Source: Getting there

What if Ohanapecosh Group Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Ohanapecosh Campground (under 0.1 mi), Campground: Coho Group Camp (3.7 mi), and La Wis Wis Campground (4 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby

Which national park is Ohanapecosh Group Campground in?

Ohanapecosh Group Campground is a Mount Rainier National Park campground. Entrance fees, alerts, and hours are on Park Atlas.

Source: Mount Rainier National Park