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Home to a once active Forest Service Guard Station, La Wis Wis Campground is located just just north of Packwood and outside of Mount Rainier National Park's southern boundary, and it is one of the best locations for an overnight stay in the Mount Rainier area.
La Wis Wis Campground is situated at the confluence of the Ohanapecosh River, Clear Fork of the Cowlitz River, and little Purcell Creek (together forming the Cowlitz River). The campground is shaded year-round by massive stands of Douglas fir and western red cedar, though many of the sites along the Ohanapecosh River's east bank enjoy dappled light and even a few sun exposed pebbly beaches.
What sets La Wis Wis Campground apart from the three main campgrounds in the national park (Ohanapecosh, White River and Cougar Rock) are the 15 spacious double/group sites and the even larger Coho Group Site. Together, these sites make La Wis Wis a perfect choice for larger gatherings. Additionally, a short (several hundred-yard) loop trail leads from the campground to the delicate Purcell Falls, a series of modest cascades along the creek. The trailheads are located adjacent to campsites C6 and D8.
Just up river is the Loop H portion of the campground, a separate and smaller collection of mostly walk-in campsites with no direct access to potable water (which is located only in the main portion of the campground). Loop H is located next to the Blue Hole, a deep and still pool in the Ohanapecosh River that is ideal for swimming on hot summer days.
Note: La Wis Wis Campground is only open May 16 through September 21.
Logistics + Planning
Preferable season(s)
Spring
Summer
Fall
Parking Pass
Not Required
Pros
Lots of double sites. Group site. Adjacent swimming hole and waterfall.
Went here for 2016 labor day weekend. We actually ended up here because ohanapecosh, our original destination, was booked out. We ended up at loop H, site 7 around 11pm, and it was raining. Took some time to cart in all our stuff from the parking spot (about 40 foot little trail) to the site. Despite all this, it was completely worth it, and a totally excellent surprise find! The site we had was very private, good tree cover, and right next to the river. There were areas to jump off the rocks nearby, and early in the morning when it's quiet you can see clearly plenty of fish swimming up the river. Nearby are some bigger sites and trails, and a short drive south to a little town for resupply if you need it
I would highly recommend this area, grab site 7 if you can. The only downside of this area is the water is still very cold, even in late summer, and as always in western wa, can be wet.
Having not been to the campground before and having younger kids we decided not to reserve a site close to the river. We ended up at C15 which is listed as a double. It was a fine site, but a bit cramped for us. To be fair one tent was a monstrous 10 man tent and the other was a 6 man. In my opinion the best sites that I saw were A16 and E1. Although A16 is listed at a single site it was much larger than the double we were in. There is parking that you could get two cars in without issue. It has great access to the river with about 30 ft an nice rocky area to hang out on while enjoying the river. It is not well shaded and gets the afternoon evening sun. There is a little bit of a walk to a restroom, but not bad. E1 also is large (it is a double) and has great river access, but is shaded and is towards the far end of the loop which likely would provide a little more privacy and quieter. There is restroom very close by. We are planning on trying to reserve E1 for next year!
Comments
I would highly recommend this area, grab site 7 if you can. The only downside of this area is the water is still very cold, even in late summer, and as always in western wa, can be wet.
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