The summit fills the windshield on SR 706 as the road climbs to the Nisqually Entrance. The walk at Paradise is through subalpine wildflower meadows under that mountain in a short summer, and it is the Rainier day most people take. Sunrise is the other park day, an alpine view straight at the same summit from the other side. Cougar Rock and White River are the nights, and you lock those pads before you book the van.
If you want a guaranteed pad, reserve Cougar Rock on Recreation.gov. It is the overnight on the Paradise side, typically late May through early October. The park campgrounds page lists no electrical, water, or greywater hookups at the auto campgrounds, and Cougar Rock caps RVs at 35 feet.
White River is the overnight on the Sunrise side, first-come-first-served through the Recreation.gov app or a cashless kiosk. It typically runs late June through September and caps RVs at 27 feet. If Cougar Rock is already booked, this is the park night that is left.
The park campgrounds page lists Ohanapecosh as closed for all of 2026 for a rehabilitation project. As of September 2026, the permits and reservations page does not require a timed-entry reservation for Paradise or Sunrise, only the entrance fee or a park pass.
Ashford and Packwood are the towns on the two approaches. Mount St. Helens is a separate volcano day, and it belongs to Washington.
Point Defiance Park and the zoo
Five Mile Drive threads old-growth forest along the bluff above Puget Sound. Owen Beach is the low-tide stretch, sand and driftwood with Vashon Island beyond. The zoo and aquarium are in the same park, forest and beach and animals in one daylight stretch.
The park page has the outer loop of Five Mile Drive closed to vehicles, open to walkers and bikes. There is no camping in the park. For Olympic's north side and Snoqualmie Pass, start in Seattle.
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
The mile-long boardwalk at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge runs over tidal marsh at the river delta. Herons and eagles work the mudflats while the tide turns under the planks. You walk out over the estuary and back.
The refuge page does not allow pets on the boardwalk, and there is no camping at the refuge. Olympia is the start for Olympic's south side.
Dash Point State Park
The tide at Dash Point runs out toward Vashon and the west shore, leaving a sandy beach scattered with driftwood. This is the close first night on the Sound, and the improved loop is the van overnight.
The state park page caps RVs and combinations at 32 feet. A Discover Pass covers day use, and you reserve through Washington State Parks. If you need more sleeping space or a longer rig than that cap, look at RV rentals in Tacoma.
