Butler Creek is a locals' hotspot for dispersed camping. If offers waterfalls, a refreshing creek with very cold water, lush forest, a birch forest, a few improvised campsites, and very few people.
Once you are on NF 5270, you will cross a creek on a small bridge. The first camping spot is here by the bridge. It has one large campfire ring and an area for several tents. Best for hammock camping, it offers several trees to tie off for the hammocks. There is another camping area up an old, unused logging road not far from the main road. This spot offers another campfire ring and a large field for many tents. It is very overgrown and likely not a great place for having a campfire.
If you follow NF 5270 for about another 2 miles, you will pass two waterfalls on the side of the road and come to a short road that branches off to the left. It dead ends at another camping area that offers two campfire rings and a few areas for tents or hammocks. There is a trail down to the creek from this area.
Farther up NF 5270 is a trailhead for Tatoosh Trail, which leads into Mount Rainier National Park. This trail is not open to dogs as it goes into the park. The NF 5270 road is not in the park and is open to pets. This area is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
If you drive to the end of NF 5270 (the road washed out many years ago), there is one more waterfall that runs in the spring, but by fall it is not very impressive. There are no campsites at this area, but it is obvious people have created campfires in the road.
Spring, summer, and fall seasons all offer peaceful camping at Butler Creek. Summer also brings wildflowers, and fall brings fall colors in the birch forest.
Comments
Sign In and share them.