Lodgepole Campground (Washington)

We had campsites 17 and 18 and I'm pretty sure they were the 2 worst sites in the whole campground. There were down trees everywhere. We were able to put a few tents up at site 17 but there was NOWHERE to put a tent at site 18. Why would they even allow us to camp there knowing you can't put a tent down or why hasn't it been cleared out of all the downed trees? This campground seemed to also be more geared for RVs then tents.
We were far enough from the road and river to hear any noises but you could walk over to the river. It was fast moving in some spots but other spots you could step into a little bit. The bathrooms were kept really clean! I never saw a fly or spider in there!
If we came back we would choose a different site. Site 20 had plenty of room and looked nice too.

Lodgepole Campground was beautiful. My greatest disappointment was proximity to the river: there was no easy access that we found (from sites 17-20) and fairly dangerous whitewater (esp for children) when we did get down there (a short hike). The site map online seems to be a tad misleading in this regard. We had hoped to be in a campground where we could spend time in/by the river (like sitting by the water, feet in), and this was not at all that. (We ended up driving to other access points for that.)

Aside from disappointment from thinking we would be camping along a river, Lodgepole was very nice. Lots of tall tree with filtered shade but also room for sun to come through. The campsites were generous and had a surprising amount of space between. We had four parties and reserved 17-20. Which was a huge amount of space and felt fairly private. The camp host was helpful and nice. The toilets were as clean as possible for vaults. There was no cell service (about a 20-30 min drive for that). Very peaceful and quiet.

Would recommend a pop-up canopy for shade during hottest months. And some sites, while large, didn’t have large tent spots (though I think this was due to early season, still lots of fallen debris).

Great campground but no water. A few years ago they converted the hand well pump to a solar system, and it wasn’t working. From other reviews it sounds like this isn’t just an occasional problem. It would have been helpful if the camp host had posted the system as out of order with directions to the closest potable water. Unfortunately the camp host said that the concessionaire who runs the the campground “wouldn’t allow him to”. Makes no sense to me. So I watched lots of campers try to get water only to discover the spigot was dry, and walk away in frustration. The concessionaire could do a better job. You might want to check in advance or bring your own water.

Beautiful peaceful place, with a great host.

It was peaceful and relaxing. No cell service and the river was the only thing we could hear. Will definitely plan to come back.

Very clean campground, lovely setting! There are many places to visit within a short drive from this campground.

Site was very beautiful and clean, camp hosts were nearby. Overall had a good experience, it is a little noisy at night but unbearable. The restrooms are very clean for being vault toilets.

The campground is well designed with ample space between campsites and located within 20-30 minutes of a number of beautiful Mt. Rainier hikes. Our hosts took time to introduce themselves to us the first morning we were there, as they made "rounds". They noted that that they usually drive through the entire campground three times a day to help ensure the safety of campsites as campers are out exploring the area. We will definitely consider returning for another stay.

Would definitely consider this campground for next visit to Mt. Rainier NP.

This was my second time at Lodgepole. I really like how spacious and private the campsites are. Unfortunately mine (#11) didn't have much of any tree cover and it was very hot during my stay, so it was impossible to spend time in the tent until evening when things cooled down. I like that there's a dumpster on the way out so you can drop a bag of trash in a you're leaving.