Eco Park

Eco Park Resort and campground is a private campground located near the entrance of Mt. St. Helens and is the closest place to stay near the volcano. They have campsites, yurts, RV sites and cabins, all for a pretty reasonable price. I was there "off-season" so it was pretty quiet and I had no problem finding a place to stay. I had a nice soft, grassy tent site not too far from the out house. They have running water, hot showers, and flush toilets but the outhouse was closest to my site. They are busier during the summer season, so reservations are recommended.

They have open fire restrictions so the owners have a group campfire for us. We all gathered at one large fire pit with log benches and sat around talking and roasting marshmallows. There were only a few of us staying that night, but it was much more fun than having a campfire alone!

The park has several horse and hiking/mountain biking trails down to the Toutle River where you can still see the evidence of the volcanic mudflow from the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption. The park offers guided horse trail rides as well as letting you hike on your own.

The park also has a cafe and gift shop. This is a great place to stay as a home base for exploring Mt. St. Helens but also a great place to spend a day exploring the trails of the park. None of the sites are located on or near the river but you can access the river by hiking/biking (< 1 mile) or by horseback.

The park owners are incredibly nice and I wish I had spent more than one night here. This campground is highly recommended.