Dispersed camping is the term used for camping in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Typically, it refers to roadside car camping, but also refers to backpacking in undeveloped sites. Dispersed camping means there are no services like trash removal, and amenities such as toilets, tables and fire pits, are not usually available.
It is your responsibility to plan ahead and learn the extra skills necessary for dispersed camping. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resource...
What is Dispersed Camping?
Dispersed camping is the term used for camping in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Typically, it refers to roadside car camping, but also refers to backpacking in undeveloped sites. Dispersed camping means there are no services like trash removal, and amenities such as toilets, tables and fire pits, are not usually available.
It is your responsibility to plan ahead and learn the extra skills necessary for dispersed camping. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.
Dispersed camping along Forest Service roads is allowed where there is adequate space to safely park completely off the roadway and not on any vegetation. Whether car camping or backpacking, choose an existing campsite on bare or compacted soil. Unless signed as an area where a fee is required, dispersed camping is free. Dispersed camping is prohibited in developed campgrounds and areas posted closed or no camping. Some designated Wilderness areas have additional restrictions. For the best information on dispersed camping opportunities and local restrictions, please contact the nearest ranger district office.
Rules for Dispersed Camping
These rules apply to car camping and backpacking
You may camp in a dispersed area in an individual Ranger District for up to 14 days within a 30-day period. After 14 days, you must move to another Ranger District or off the National Forest until the 30 days has elapsed.
Do not blaze new roads to campsites, create new campsites, clear ground, cut or harm vegetation or construct a trail.
Do not drive beyond constructed physical barriers, such as berms or gates.
Do not drive through streams or wetlands to access a camp.
If campfires are legal in your location and you choose to have a campfire, pick a site with an existing fire pit. Do not create new fire pits. Make sure your campfire is always attended and is dead out and cold to the touch before you leave your site. Fires may be restricted or banned based on the fire danger rating.
Follow Leave No Trace principles and come prepared to “Pack it in. Pack it out.” Pack all trash home. Dispose of human waste in a sanitary manner. In high use locations, areas above tree line and snow-covered areas it is not possible to bury human waste in a sanitary manner. It will need to be packed out and disposed of at home using a wag bag, blue bag, portable toilet or another Leave No Trace approved method.
Do not block roads or gates.
Keep food and scented items secure from wildlife by keeping a clean camp and store items in your vehicle or use a wildlife resistant storage canister.
Failure to follow regulations can lead to legal consequences. Additional Forest rules and links to report crimes can be found on our Law Enforcement page.
The historic Mather Memorial Parkway (State Route 410) is the gateway to a recreational haven. On a clear day, enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Rainier. For more excitement, take a spin in the off-road vehicle area at Evans Creek, or zip down the slopes of Crystal Mountain Ski Area. Or if you prefer solitude, escape into the solace of the forest and leave the world behind.
Mather Memorial Parkway
Created in 1931, this paved two-lane classic Cascades drive along Highway 410 from Enumclaw to the eastern edge of Mount Rainier National Park presents majestic views of Mount Rainier and surrounding peaks. More than 200 miles of trails accommodate hikers, horses and mountain bikes. Drive, hike or ride to the Suntop Lookout Cabin at the top of Forest Road 7315. Choose a primitive campsite along forest roads east and west of the parkway. In November buy a permit at the Enumclaw office and take the family out to the woods to cut your own Christmas tree. Most forest roads are unpaved and minimally maintained. Cell phones have limited coverage in the mountains.
This vehicle accessible, high elevation lake is quite popular since it is a short walk from the road. A few campsites can be found near this scenic lake that is a popular fishing spot. The road up to the lake offers views of the entire Upper South Fork Stillaguamish River basin.
Start out in second growth forest, which quickly opens to grand views of the Ruth Creek Valley within Mt. Baker Wilderness. The trail grade is fairly level for the first mile and then begins a gentle climb for the next 2.5 miles. In early summer see numerous waterfalls and the occasional avalanche cascade down the steep cliffs of the Mt. Sefrit and the Nooksack Ridge to the south. The white dome of Ruth Mountain appears after the first mile. Open views are almost continuous as the trail only briefly enters small patches of forest. Approximately a half mile below the pass is the turnoff to the right for the Hannegan Camp. To continue to the pass, stay left, as the trail steeply switchbacks through sub-alpine forest.
At Hannegan Pass, encounter a signed junction with Hannegan Peak Trail 674.1, which gains 1,200 feet in one mile to the summit of Hannegan Peak. To the east is an unmaintained mountaineering route leading to Ruth Mountain and Icy Peak. One mile north of Hannegan Pass the trail enters the North Cascades National Park. This is the first leg of the very popular Copper Ridge loop. The trail also accesses Whatcom Pass, Easy Ridge, an extended trip across the North Cascades Picket Range to Ross Lake Reservoir, and other less traveled locations in the North Cascades National Park.
There is one dispersed campsite with a picnic table and fire ring, and a day-use shelter located at the trailhead but no vehicular access to that site due to a washout this is the only site available at this location
