What: Ohanapecosh has the reputation for being the best campground in Mount Rainier National Park. Ohanapecosh is thought to be a Native American word for “standing on the edge of something beautiful.”
When: Open each year from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend until Columbus Day.
Where: Ohanapecosh is in the southeast corner of the park, 11 miles north of Packwood off Highway 123.
Activities: Camping, hiking, fishing, scenic drives, an interpretive center and easy access to most of the park’s prime attractions.
Getting there: Cross the southern edge of the park from Paradise via Stevens Canyon Road. Outside the park, take U.S. 12 through Packwood to Highway 123.
Cost: $12-15 per night. Group sites are $40. There’s a $15 per vehicle fee to enter the park.
Of note: It’s highly recommended that you reserve a site if you want to camp on the weekend. However, getting there early can often assure you a site. There are 188 individual sites and one group site. Water, flush toilets, trailer dump stations and a gift shop are located in the park. In 2004, The News Tribune named Ohanapecosh C-19 and C-20 the best car camping sites in the park, however, they were damaged by flooding in 2006.
Information: For reservations call 1-800-365-2267, contact the park at 360-569-2211 or visit www.nps.gov/mora.
Craig Hill, The News Tribune
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