Byway
All public landNational parks
National Forest · Washington

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Forest Service1,496,308 acres · USDA Forest Service
Gifford Pinchot National Forest — landscape
Walter Siegmund (talk) · CC BY 2.5
Can you sleep here

Dispersed camping is generally allowed

On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.

Stay limit14 days in most forests — the exact limit is set per forest and district
In an RVDispersed sites are unimproved: no hookups, no water, no dump station, and access roads are often unsurfaced. Designated wilderness inside the unit is closed to all vehicles.
Rule36 CFR 261.58 — occupancy and use, set by forest order

Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page

Area
2,338 sq mi
Managed by
Forest Service
Campgrounds
48
Longest rig
99 ft
The boundary

Where the land is, and what fits

The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.

Map loads as you scroll

Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 48 campgrounds shown

48 of 48 campgrounds
About

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a national forest located in southern Washington, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5,300 km2), it extends 116 km (72 mi) along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. The forest straddles the crest of the South Cascades of Washington State, spread out over broad old-growth forests, high mountain meadows, several glaciers, and numerous volcanic peaks. The forest's highest point is at 12,276 ft (3,742 m) at the top of Mount Adams, the second-tallest volcano in the state after Rainier. Often found abbreviated GPNF on maps and in texts, it includes the 110,000-acre (450 km2) Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982.

Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.

Wilderness inside

No vehicles past these lines

Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.

  • Mount Adams Wilderness47,123 acres
  • Indian Heaven Wilderness20,784 acres
  • Tatoosh Wilderness15,776 acres
  • Trapper Creek Wilderness5,963 acres
  • Glacier View Wilderness3,060 acres
Scenic drives

Byways through this country

Lookouts

Places worth pulling over

Next door

National parks close enough to pair

Plan it

Drive to Gifford Pinchot the long way

Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.

Plan a driveOfficial Forest Service page