USDA Forest Service · Washington

Atkisson Group camp

USDA Forest Service · Washington, United States

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Sites
1
Hookups
1 with water, 1 no hookups
Season
May 28 to September 18
Max RV length
99 ft
Group sites
Yes
Drinking water
Yes
Restrooms
Yes
Pets
Yes
Elevation
2,703 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 1
Cell coverage
AT&T weak · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Access road
N621 S ICE CAVE (NFSR 1700017) · crushed aggregate or gravel · high clearance vehicles
Lake
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Nearest town
CARSON
Address
Gifford Pinchot NF Mt Adams Ranger District, CARSON, WA, 98610
Phone
541-338-7869
Activities
Camping, Hiking, Mountain Biking

1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.

About

Overview

Sitting just west of Washington's second largest mountain, Mt. Adams, Atkisson Group Camp is open for campers between May and September and becomes a sno-park for a variety of activities in winter. The flat, forested terrain makes Atkisson a popular spot for hikers, mountain bikers and winter sports enthusiasts.

Recreation

The flat terrain surrounding Atkisson is ideal for biking and hiking during the warmer months. Huckleberry and mushroom picking is permitted, and Nordic skiing and and snowmobiling are popular during the winter.

Facilities

This group site is a large paved area with plenty of room for RVs. There is a covered, common picnic building in the center. Atkisson will accommodate up to 50 people and offers 99 feet of paved driveway.

In winter, this area serves as Atkisson sno-park, with a covered warming shed a large wood burning stove.

Campers must bring drinking water, but vault toilets, a fire ring & picnic table are available.

Natural Features

Located in southwest Washington State, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest encompasses over 1.3 million acres, including the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument established by Congress in 1982.

Atkisson is located in the Mount Adams Ranger District in the easternmost portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This Ranger District comprises 367,000 acres and includes Mt Adams Wilderness, Indian Heaven Wilderness and Trapper Creek Wilderness.

Mt Adams, a potentially active stratovolcano and the second-tallest mountain in Washington state, is a prominent landmark of the District. Elevations here range between 1,200 feet at the Wind River Work Center (12 miles north of Carson, WA) and 12,276 feet at the summit of Mt. Adams.

The District also features a great diversity of habitats, from old growth to second growth forest, wetland areas, low and high elevation meadows and lakes, as well as glaciers.

Contact Info

This location has limited staffing. Please call (509) 427-3677 for general information.

Nearby Attractions

Atkisson is a great base for exploring the region further, including the abundance of activities and sights around Mount Adams. The nearby town of Trout Lake offers restaurants and shopping.

Charges & Cancellations

Group Sites

Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Weather, month by month

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January37°27°0°45°11 of 11
February37°27°8°49°11 of 11
March42°28°22°60°11 of 11
April47°33°23°74°10 of 11
May59°44°32°83°1 of 11
June66°46°36°86°0 of 11
July78°54°46°98°0 of 11
August80°56°45°99°0 of 11
September71°50°39°87°0 of 11
October55°41°33°75°0 of 10
November43°33°18°57°8 of 10
December37°27°14°56°9 of 10

Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.

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All public campgrounds in Washington · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.