Margaret McKenny Campground

Camping during COVID has been a challenge and this is definitely one of the nicer places we’ve stayed during this time. The entire campground is primitive camping and the only amenity is the several vault toilets. Plan to bring what you need and pack out your trash. With that in mind, it is an incredibly serene environment, especially up in the A and B loops which are winding narrow lanes surrounded by lush forest and well spaced private campsites. C loop seemed a little more rowdy the entire time we stayed. It is a bowl shape with an open field in the center which looked like a great place for kids to play. B loop is reserved for horse camping during the week and it was mostly deserted during our stay. It made for a lovely very private path to walk the dog.

We stayed in A5, which is the sunniest campsite in the entire campground and our solar was not sufficient. Between the tree cover and the nearly perpetual clouds, we ended up having to drive to plug in at a friend’s house to recharge. We would not come here again without a generator to keep the batteries charged.

The camp hosts Steve and Ginny are the nicest people you’ll ever hope to meet in your life but they do seem like a stickler for the rules, so be sure not to burn trash in your campfire, display your Discover Pass properly, and keep your dog on a leash or they (or worse, the warden Barry) might have a talk with you. We didn’t use the campground bathrooms (vault toilets) but they seemed very clean and well maintained when we checked them out.

The Capital State Forest itself is idyllic with streams and a waterfall and an abundance of trails, which are used by hikers, bikers and horses. The nominal price of camping is free but parking requires purchasing a Washington State Discover Pass for $30 per vehicle, so in reality, it cost us $60 to park our bus and car for six days. If you don’t park a car, camping is free. But though it is free, there is a seven day camping limit in all of the Capital State Forest so that others can also camp for a week for free in one of the several campgrounds. So plan to leave the forest after seven days.

We had virtually no cell signal while we were camped here. We did hear C loop has better signal, so it will depend on where you camp.

We never actually registered, and we were’t sure whether we were supposed to. We had a reservation and our site was marked with our name and dates of stay when we arrived so we just pulled in and stayed.

There was an abundance of wildlife - deer, snakes, squirrels, butterflies and many BEES - and the trails and parking area are heavily used by horses and riders during the day so prepare to encounter horses throughout Margaret McKenney and the forest. It actually provided a great opportunity to train our dog not to bark at the horses since there were so many of them.

Only a few spots can accommodate the bigger rigs so recommend you scout first if you are in the Class A or longer travel travel class. I nearly pinned myself in the C loop thanks to thoughtless folks and their parking style. Got out of that pinch and had to help a nice lady get her horse trailer out...so what am I really saying? This place is tight. Also, I don't recall seeing less level or more difficult back in spots in a DNR campground, ever. Furthermore, not used to seeing so darn many rules posted literally everywhere. I got into one of the few spots I could fit my rig on B Loop and there are rules on the table saying I could get booted tomorrow, because dang it, I forgot my horse :)

Anyway, for the horse campers this may be your place. Also saw some tweakers and homeless campers. They didn't have horses either.

We have a 32’ travel trailer that sits lower to the ground than we’d like, so finding free boondocking with easy access is a big deal.

This campground worked well for us. Well maintained dirt roads, with a few very minor pot holes led to a number of of back in sites nestled in the trees. It took a bit of maneuvering to get into our site, as there are some large rocks used to designate the camper pad from the rest of the site, but it was manageable. There was a picnic table & fire pit, and most of the campsites are fairly large. There was lots of rooms for the kids to play, when the sun was out! Pit toilet located at one end of the loop was clean & well maintained by the friendly host.

We were there in the off season, so we had our pick of the sites, and it was incredibly quiet, until the day we left (a Saturday) when a group of cub scouts was arriving, and there was a very large group of horse & riders with all their trucks and trailers lining the exit road.

You must have a Washington Discover pass to camp here, and can only stay in Capitol Stars Forest for 7 days in a 365 day period. We stayed an extra night after asking the campground host if it was ok. Close-ish to Olympia.

The caretakers, Steve and Ginny, are great folks. They cared for the campground well and I always felt safe and at home. Thanks so much for a great stay. I'll be back!

Now for the logistics. Verizon cell service is virtually nonexistent for data, but I always had the ability to do emails and texts.. But, I found if I placed my cell phone up in the escape hatch I had enough signal to get data. Next, the a loop tends to be quieter than the c Loop. The c Loop tends to have a lot of kids. It's nice to hear them laughing, but I like quiet time. So, the A loop is what you're looking for if you want solitude. I didn't look at the B Loop but I think it's for the equestrian crowd.

Finally, lots of trails in that immediate area for bikes horses and hikers. Beautiful place.

I thought this was a pretty good campground for free. I liked how it is close to the town of Tumwater, so easy to get supplies, drinking water, throw trash out and grocery shop. Drive out there is paved, pleasant, tree lined and pretty. It was not the most quiet campground as there were orv, gun shots from the target range close by and next to me I had a loud party going on until 12A. That only happened one night thankfully. This campground seemed to attract a bit of a riff raff crowd. I was told that my stove could be stolen or any other things of value, so I had to put them away whenever I left which was a pain. The site itself was roomy, pretty, large picnic table and small firepit. I was too close to the toilet though so would get the smell. I liked how the sites are mostly spread out and you are not right on top of your neighbor and have a bit of privacy. Surprised that I arrived on a Wed afternoon and only one site left. Cannot use any of the horse sites, only on the weekends so limits your choices. The hosts were nice and came around twice a day to check on things.

The Park hosts are super friendly, helpful and live on site. Good for families and great for equestrians. Plenty of space between sites. Beautiful sites that accommodate horses and a parking lot for trailers that won’t fit. Sites have a fire pit, a picnic table and lots of space. We carried our own drinking water and there is s creek nearby you can access for water if completely necessary. I’m certain there must be water here, I just did not need to use any and there isn’t any that I have noticed.

There are a couple sites that are wheel chair accessible and have a path to a bathroom.
Lots of horses here and walkers using the extensive trails around the area. No showers here. Firewood is scarce and trash around the campsite will call attention from the hosts. You must pack out all trash ALL. No burning garbage is a big rule here.

I only gave 3 stars because it was kinda noisy. There were a couple nites the lower groups of sites got a bit loud after 11pm. Nothing serious but there is a noise rule-quiet hours between 10pm and 7am. I’m sure this is mostly for radios and generators. There were several of those running throughout the day. .

Cell service was ok with T mobile. Slow loading but it was there. I didn’t try to stream. PCS mobile didn’t have service at all.

This was my first spot I boondocked at when starting the RV life back in May 2017. Area was clean and all you need is a WA State Discover Pass to stay here for free. Just register your spot and vehicle on arrival.

I have a 25 foot Class C so was a bit tricky in some areas (the first loop) to back into, but it worked. If you keep following the trail and turn right to the other area, there are larger sites. Mine was full of trees, which is nice, but not so great for solar panels to collect energy. I was only staying one night anyways so no big deal.

Also nice area to walk your dog and yourself. :)

I travel full-time in my RV and work remotely so cell signal strength is important. This are was very spotty - I presume because of the large, dense tree growth.

About a 25 minute drive from hwy 101 on paved roads, this campground has 3 loops with approximately 8 sites per loop. Loop A is the first and closest loop to the entrance and was the only one open when we arrived in early November 2017. Loop B is the prettiest, with more spacious sites. Sites in loop C are clustered around a fenced grassy area which is presumably for horseback riding. Loops B and C are designated for equestrian campers.

Off loop C is a trail down a small embankment to a creek. Trail is short but pretty - worth a quick stroll. Campground is quiet even though it is not far from the road, we didn't notice any road noise.

We arrived in the evening. Around 9am a truck stopped out front out site and someone got out and checked our vehicle, presumably to confirm we had the Discover Pass, then drove on. Around 11:30am a couple people arrived on foot to check and clean up the site - we saw them just as we were leaving.

No garbage, dump, or water. 7 day camping limit is enforced by asking you to self-register your license plate at the iron ranger.

This was a nice spot to camp for a couple days heading up to Olympic National Forest. You are suppose to get a Discover Pass to camp here which cost $35 for the year. The camp hosts never did ask about it.

The campsites are a bit tight to fit our rig into. The big spots were all ready taken. We did find a nice tight spot in the C loop. There are 3 different loops here. One for horse trailers, one for small rigs or tent, and one for bigger rigs. This area seems like it can get busy at times, and it might be hard to find a sight. It was a peaceful quiet time while we were there except for some dogs occasionally. The camp host did warn of possible partiers or weirdos in the campground at night, but we had no problems. They are nice clean sites with vault toilets scattered about. No water or trash here.

There is a good network of horse/biking/hiking trails around here. The mountain biking on McKinny trail was pretty fun, especially on the way back. There is also a pretty creek you can take a short walk to. To small to fish. Not a lot other to do in this area we found.

Cell and internet worked pretty good. Power was an issue. Hard to find much solar parking in this campground, but we scraped by. I visited the Middle Waddel campground about a mile down the road and liked it more. There were quite a few large pull thru sites. There was also water available here from the camp host. And the sites were a little more open for solar opportunities. The Middle Waddel campground was less busy as well while we visited.

We came there on a Friday around dinner and all the sites were full already. It is a pretty popular place with locals. There were lots of horses, which is not so great if you have a dog that is not used to them. You need to purchase a Discovery Pass ($30/year) to camp here. Not worth it if you are spending only a night, but well worth it since it is required for most free campgrounds in WA. Great hiking and mountain biking trails from the campground, again not so great if your dog is nervous/barking around horses.