Mount Rainier – Cougar Rock campground

Updated 02/17/2025

The Cougar Rock campground at Mount Rainier National Park, located between Longmire and Paradise, provides great access to many hiking options within the park.

  • Mount Rainier - Cougar Rock campground
  • Mount Rainier - Cougar Rock campground
  • Mount Rainier - Cougar Rock campground

Highlights

  • Set in a mixed conifer forest at 3,180′
  • Well maintained campsites with park rangers on site
  • Distances: 9.5 miles to Paradise; 8 miles to Reflection Lake; 2 miles to Longmire

Campground info

  • Location: Mount Rainier National Park – Google map
  • Campground & park info: Cougar Rock campground
  • Campsite cost: $20 per night
  • Reservations: reserve online during peak season (late June to early September) up to 6 months in advance at www.recreation.gov; first-come, first-served in the off season
  • Season: Late May to late Sept., depending on conditions
  • Facilities: 173 campsites
  • Amenities: potable water, flushing toilets, picnic tables, fire pits, bear boxes for food storage, amphitheater with ranger programs in the summer, no hookups for RVs
  • Nearby town for supplies: Ashford, Washington
  • Dogs: dogs are allowed in the campground, but not on any of the trails within the national park

Hiking trails near the campground

Mount Rainier National Park

Hiking trails:

  • across from the campground: a section of the Wonderland Trail at the Nisqually River and Paradise River
  • Paradise: Skyline Loop, Glacier View, Alta Vista, Nisqually Vista, and more
  • via Stevens Canyon Road: Reflection Lakes, Pinnacle Peak, Snow & Bench Lakes
  • Longmire: Rampart Ridge, Trail of the Shadows, Twin Firs
  • waterfalls: Comet Falls, Narada Falls, Carter and Madcap Falls, Myrtle Falls

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