Where can you camp for free in Washington?

On most national forest land (Olympic, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Gifford Pinchot, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Colville, Umatilla) outside developed sites; at DNR's first-come campgrounds and dispersed areas with a Discover Pass; on WDFW wildlife areas unless posted; and at BLM sites like Rock Creek and Juniper Dunes.

Do you need a Discover Pass for dispersed camping in Washington?

On DNR and WDFW land, yes: a Discover Pass ($10 a day or $45 a year, plus fees from some sellers) is needed to park there, and it covers DNR's first-come campsites at no extra cost. National forests don't use the Discover Pass.

Do you need a Northwest Forest Pass to camp in a national forest?

Dispersed camping itself is free. A Northwest Forest Pass ($30 a year) or National Forest Day Pass ($5) is needed at Forest Service sites that charge a day-use fee, such as many trailheads. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted instead.

How long can you dispersed camp in Washington?

It depends on the land: 14 consecutive days and 28 a year on most national forests (on the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville, then off the forest for 30 days), 21 days a year on the Olympic, 10 days in 30 on DNR land unless posted otherwise, and 21 days in 30 on WDFW land.

Can you sleep at a Washington rest area?

You can stop for up to 8 hours in a 24-hour period, but state law prohibits camping or setting up a tent at safety rest areas.

Washington Dispersed Camping: Free Sites, Passes & Limits

Washington has free camping in every corner of the state: forest roads in the Cascades and on the Olympic Peninsula, state forest land managed by the Department of Natural Resources, wildlife areas in the dry east, and a couple of BLM sites in the scablands. What changes from one to the next is the pass you need on the dashboard and how long you can stay. Here's how each one works, with the current rules for every national forest.

Which land, which pass

Land	Pass to park	Stay limit	Campfires
National forests	None for dispersed sites; Northwest Forest Pass at fee sites	14 days at a time, 28 a year on most forests (Olympic: 21 a year)	Allowed unless restricted
DNR state forests	Discover Pass	10 days in 30, unless posted	Only in designated campgrounds
WDFW wildlife areas	Discover Pass or Vehicle Access Pass	21 days in 30	Up to 3 feet across
BLM	None	14 days	Varies by site

Passes:

Northwest Forest Pass ($30 a year) or National Forest Day Pass ($5): needed at Forest Service sites in Washington and Oregon that charge a day-use fee, such as many trailheads. An America the Beautiful pass ($80 for US residents) works instead.
Discover Pass: $10 a day or $45 a year, plus fees from some sellers. It covers DNR, State Parks and WDFW land. The fine for not displaying one is $99.
Vehicle Access Pass: free with an annual Washington hunting, trapping or fishing license (not a razor clam or shellfish license), valid on WDFW land only.

For how dispersed camping works in general, see our dispersed camping guide.

National forests

Dispersed camping means no toilets, water, fire rings or trash pickup, and no fee. The rules differ by forest:

Olympic National Forest

Camp at least a quarter mile from developed sites such as campgrounds, picnic areas and trailheads, 200 feet from water, and within 150 feet of a road.
21 days per calendar year on the forest, under an order through June 2028.
Campfires only below 3,500 feet, when not restricted. No permit needed to gather firewood for use on the forest.

Olympic National Park, which the forest wraps around, requires a permit for all backcountry camping.

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Camp at least 100 feet from lakes and streams, in groups under 75. The forest's dispersed camping page sets 14 consecutive days and 28 days a year; its posted stay order ran to May 2026, so check the alerts for a renewal.
A forest-wide food storage order requires storing food in a bear-resistant way.
Middle Fork Snoqualmie (off I-90 near North Bend): dispersed camping is prohibited within a quarter mile of Forest Roads 56 and 5640 up to the Snoqualmie Lake Trailhead, through December 31, 2026.
The Suiattle River Road (FSR 26) is closed to vehicles from about milepost 4 to the trailhead, along with Forest Roads 2640, 2660, 2680 and 25, until January 1, 2028, after flood damage. Trails beyond the Downey Creek Trailhead are also closed through December 31, 2026 after the Miner's Fire. Check the forest's alerts for other road closures.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Dispersed camping is allowed throughout most of the forest, 100 feet from lakes and streams.
14 consecutive days in one spot, and 28 days a year in total.
Mount St. Helens: the crater is closed to entry, and fires and stoves are banned in parts of the volcanic monument.
Around the 2026 Backbone Fire (Cowlitz Valley Ranger District), Forest Roads 5290 and 5290082 and their spurs are closed through December 31, 2026.

Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests

These two forests share one stay order through May 2027:

After 14 consecutive days you must move off the forest and stay away 30 days. "Location" counts as anywhere within a 5-mile radius.
No more than 28 days a year.

Leavenworth area: no camping between the Icicle River and Icicle Road (#7600) outside developed campgrounds, from the Snow Lakes Trailhead west to Rock Island Campground, and none on Forest Service land within Leavenworth city limits or at the Icicle Ridge Trailhead. Chelan and Cle Elum have a few more restricted spots; check the forest's alerts.

Several trails in the Chelan Ranger District, including part of the PCT, stay closed after the Sisi Fire through December 31, 2026.

Umatilla National Forest

In Washington's Blue Mountains: camp at no charge in most areas, up to 300 feet from an open road, for 14 days within any 30. Firewood for campfires is free, with no permit needed.

DNR state forests

The Department of Natural Resources manages 80 campgrounds, all first come, first served at no extra cost with a Discover Pass, and allows dispersed camping across much of its land:

Camp at least 200 feet from streams and other water, on durable surfaces.
Not where camping is limited to designated sites, in day-use areas, or within 500 feet of a developed recreation facility.
10 days in any 30 on DNR land, unless a different limit is posted.
Campfires only in designated campgrounds and day-use facilities, unless posted; elsewhere you need written permission.

DNR lists dispersed areas in the Ahtanum, Loomis, Loup Loup and Naneum Ridge state forests, plus Buck Creek, Elk Heights, Glenwood, Rattlesnake and Wenas. Some campgrounds close for the season or the budget: Bear Creek and Lyre River are closed until April 15, 2027, and Dougan Falls and Winston Creek until June 1, 2027 (Winston Creek opens in December for hunting season). When DNR declares a burn restriction, it bans outdoor fires on state forests and in DNR campgrounds too.

WDFW wildlife areas

Camping is allowed on Department of Fish and Wildlife land unless posted, for 21 days within 30. You need a Discover Pass or Vehicle Access Pass to park, campfires must be no bigger than 3 feet across and 3 feet high, and vehicles can't be left unattended more than 21 days.

BLM land in eastern Washington

Rock Creek Recreation Site (Escure Ranch), south of Spokane: three developed campsites with fire rings and tables, an RV and equestrian loop, no fees, 14-day limit.
Juniper Dunes Wilderness, near Pasco: 7,140 acres of dunes, no fees, 14-day limit, stoves only, no trails or water. It's surrounded by private land, and high-clearance 4WD is strongly recommended.

Rest areas

Washington law lets you stop at a safety rest area for up to 8 hours in 24, but not camp or put up a tent there.

Before you go

Check the forest's alerts. Fire and flood closures from 2026 are still in place, fire restrictions change through the season, and stay orders get renewed every year or two.
Get the forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), free from the Forest Service, to see which roads are open to vehicles.
Bring water and a way to pack out trash and waste.
Bears: store food in a bear-resistant way; Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie requires it forest-wide.

Planning a campground trip instead? See our Washington camping guides.

Washington Dispersed Camping: Free Campsites in the National Forests, DNR and BLM Land

Which land, which pass