Sunset Falls Campground (Gifford Pinchot NF, WA): which site to take

Sunset Falls Campground

Beautiful campground that is open all year. Sunset falls with nice jumps are great for younger crowd. A few tent spots are well hidden for extra privacy

Sunset Falls is a small Forest Service campground on the East Fork Lewis River with a waterfall inside it, an hour from Portland. It is open all year, and you can only reserve in summer.

The sites to want are 11 to 16, along the river and more than 300 feet from the road; 14 is tucked beside a little side creek. Sites 4, 5 and 18 are the ones by the road.

Quick facts

Sites: 18 (Recreation.gov); 17 on our map
Season: All year, run by a concessionaire
Booking: Reservations Memorial Day to Labor Day at Recreation.gov; otherwise first come, first served
Fee (2026): $20 a night, $8 for an extra vehicle; day use $5
Water: None. Bring your own
Toilets: Vault toilets
Vehicles: RVs up to 22 feet, no hookups
Elevation: 1,000 feet
From Portland: About 44 miles, an hour and a quarter; from Vancouver, 35 miles, an hour

Which site to take

By the river, away from the road: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 About 80 to 140 feet from the river and 330 feet or more from the road.
Hidden: 14, 15 “Well hidden with a cute little side creek,” says the note on 14.
Closest to the falls: 15, 16, 14 About 900 feet in a straight line.
By the road: 4, 5, 18 60 to 80 feet from it. “Close to the road :(” says the note on 5.

Every site

Site	To the river	Next site	In our photo
1	240 ft	70 ft	under tall firs, a table and fire ring
2	200 ft	80 ft	deep in fallen leaves, low sun
4	210 ft	120 ft	open ground among tall firs
5	220 ft	140 ft	table and fire ring under firs
6	80 ft	130 ft	no photo
7	100 ft	120 ft	fire ring and table, alders toward the river
9	130 ft	80 ft	no photo
10	180 ft	70 ft	table by a log fence, leaves on the ground
11	100 ft	70 ft	ferns and alders, the river through the trees
12	100 ft	50 ft	a framed tent pad, alders behind
13	120 ft	50 ft	a framed tent pad; a footbridge over the side creek nearby
14	90 ft	70 ft	table and fire ring among alders and ferns
15	80 ft	60 ft	table among ferns and alders
16	140 ft	60 ft	table under alders and firs
17	340 ft	70 ft	a gravel tent pad edged with timber
18	380 ft	70 ft	grassy, the road and parked cars in view
unnumbered	200 ft	100 ft	table under tall firs

Distances are straight lines from each pin, to the water and to the nearest neighbor, so read them as “about”. Photos from November 2019.

Questions

Is Sunset Falls open in winter?: Yes. The Forest Service lists it as open all year; our photos are from November.
Can you reserve a site?: From Memorial Day to Labor Day, at Recreation.gov. The rest of the year, and any site not reserved, is first come, first served.
Is there drinking water?: No. Bring your own.
Is the waterfall in the campground?: Yes. The falls are a popular place to cool off on hot days, the Forest Service says, and there is no fishing at the falls.
Can I have a campfire?: Not while fire restrictions are on. In 2026 the Forest Service’s Stage 2 order ran from July 1 to October 31.