Tenino City Park

We arrived right at dark to find a sign saying the campground was closed for the rest of 2020, even though everything on the City’s website said it was open. There’s plenty of dirt parking right next to the campsite (a bit uneven/potholey, but manageable), so given that it was now dark and we were unfamiliar with the area we decided to just park for the night.

We were there for about an hour when we got a visit from a Tenino PD officer. She was very nice and acknowledged that the website was not updated and said it was OK for us to just stay the night.

We had no issues the rest of the stay, though you do hear the occasional car/train go by. Noticeable, but not excessive. We would definitely give the actual campground a shot when it’s open.

Although I was poised to write a glowing review of this campground, all that changed when we were visited by the local police department and told we were trespassing and that the campground is CLOSED.

There is no signage saying closed, nor is there any information about it being closed on Tenino city’s website. Police appear to not be enforcing the closure on those who only stay for the night but once they realized we’d been there for multiple nights (they thought 5 but we’d actually been there for 8), they came and were fairly unpleasant about the whole situation. They did say they noticed our campsite was clean and we were quiet but they were still under the impression that we were intentionally trespassing so I had to be firm and clear that there is zero indication anywhere about the closure. We told them we’d leave the next morning and they left us alone.

If this campground reopens, it is a fairly nice, quiet and secluded spot and the proximity to Oly can’t be beat. “Right in the middle of town” isn’t quite an accurate description. The (RV) campsites are heavily wooded and the town itself is about the size of a small neighborhood. There’s not even a single stop light. “City” is a bit of a stretch! Until the cops arrived, it had been a very pleasant experience. It is not wilderness camping, no, but it’s ideal for technomads - quiet and serene with excellent cell signal on all four networks.

A couple of downsides include the trains - some nights they came through constantly and other nights were fairly quiet. We didn’t see any particular pattern, it seemed random. Another downside is that there was a LOT of trash to clean up when we first arrived, including a half filled gallon of spoiled milk and take out containers filled with half eaten rotten food. We also cleaned up a good bit of glass, including a broken meth pipe. We decided not to tackle the abandoned tent in the woods behind our site. Make what you will of all of that. We never encountered a rough element but it’s clear the park is frequented by drug users and less than quality visitors. We’ve gotten used to that as a perennial element of camping on the west coast and plan to clean up wherever we camp before we settle in.

So, If it hadn’t been for the arguably hostile approach by the local police officers, who suggested we had stayed longer than allowed (actually, ten days is the posted limit and they thought we’d been there five) instead of just telling us the park was closed and acknowledging there was no signage to that effect and that we hadn’t intentionally broken the rules, we’ have given this campground 4 stars at least. But instead their approach was that we must have known the park was closed and were intentionally trespassing, which was unnecessarily hard handed for people who are being quiet and clean and obviously not causing any trouble.

Bottom line: despite the park being utilized nightly by both tent and RV campers, this campground IS CLOSED, which we confirmed with city hall the day we left, and you risk being approached by Officer Not-So-Friendly if you stay here.

We stopped here on our way up towards Bellingham... There are 6 or so numbered sites that have fire pits, and then just parking around for tents or other small to medium sized rigs... we are the only people camped here tonight in our 22 foot trailer... sites slightly uneven but not bad. bathrooms are locked. Sign says it's $15/night for the numbered sites and then $10/night for other spots... Super quiet, the sheriff rolled thru earlier to check on things. There is a town with Walmart/Costco etc. only 20 minutes away. AND my favorite part, there is a great paved walking trail that runs behind the campground. It's a beautiful path, I just took a nice rollerskate on it! Would definitely stay here again, nothing fancy but perfect for a quick overnight. Great verizon and att service as well!

You're in a town in a city park next to some ball fields, houses, a school, and place where people park.
So there really isn't any privacy. Ballgame sounds in the background, cars, motorcycles, and trains passing by. Nothing really annoying, just there.
The iron ranger says pick a spot to camp, either one with a number for $15, or one without for $10. We paid our ten bucks and set up.
There are no facilities or staff, just a public restroom with one flush toilet and one urinal and no sink or water. The door does lock and there was toilet paper, so that's pretty sweet.
We stayed for a night on our way through and we felt safe eating our dinner and going to sleep before continuing on our way.
This is not a destination, just a decent spot to camp for cheap, thanks to the city of Tenono, with strong Internet signal :-)

Included pics.... beautiful grassy grounds with large evergreens. Public bathrooms on site. No showers. I saw on this forum it was 10$ a night but I have never paid anything. It has been many years since I was here there is a ball park next to it and there is a paved walking trail that goes from here to Yelm for joggers, hikers and bicycles. Pets ok on a leash and there is a fire pit and/or grill ... that’s about it. I will stay here again. I believe there was a week limit when I was here before and it was free. I see no where to leave money and no one has come to take a fee. It’s a very nice place to stay for a couple days when you want a quiet place to rest. I think kids might be sorta bored here but there is the park next door.

This city park campground sits on the edge of a charming eclectic little town.
An iron ranger stands guard at the entrance to take your money.
There are no signs indicating where the camping area is and a kiosk with a map does not have a map of the park itself. The camping area is past the ball fields in the trees.
The camping area is wooded with old tall trees spaced well enough to drive between. There are "premium" sites which get you a pole with a number on it and a picnic table for an additional $5. Regular camping is just in the trees and along the road and are unmarked. Any size rig can find a space if it's not crowded. Getting level could be a problem.
Very little sun gets through the trees so solar may limit your stay.
There is a water spigot in an inconvenient location and not so clean bathrooms, one with a clean shower and a locking door. If there's a dump station anywhere nearby it's not apparent. You'll have to go back to the highway.
There is a donation museum in the park which may only be open on weekends and an old schoolhouse as well as a shed full of antique farm implements. A swimming pool with a waterfall dating back to the 1800s looks pretty cool but was fenced in and locked.
Follow the road up towards the cell tower and you will find a small sign that says TRAIL. This will take you on a nice hike through the woods above the park. There is a also a Rails-to-Trails trail that runs though the park and is nicely paved. You can follow this all the way to Lacey or at least 20 miles.
Walking distance through this charming little town with friendly neighbors is a market with purified water, bar, antiques, thrift store, cafe and not one but two Mexican restaurants. Ironically a candy store and dentist share the same building.
I enjoyed a very quiet night with my windows open and only the sound of a distant train.
Verizon 4GLTE is a solid 5 bars directly under the cell tower.