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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service group campground

Atkisson Group camp

Forest Service group campground in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Klickitat County, Washington. 2,661 feet. 17.2 miles from White Salmon.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Elevation
2,661 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 group standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Klickitat County

Overview

Sitting just west of Washington's second largest mountain, Mt. Adams, Atkisson Group Camp is open for campers between May and September and becomes a sno-park for a variety of activities in winter. The flat, forested terrain makes Atkisson a popular spot for hikers, mountain bikers and winter sports enthusiasts.

Recreation

The flat terrain surrounding Atkisson is ideal for biking and hiking during the warmer months. Huckleberry and mushroom picking is permitted, and Nordic skiing and and snowmobiling are popular during the winter.

Facilities

This group site is a large paved area with plenty of room for RVs. There is a covered, common picnic building in the center. Atkisson will accommodate up to 50 people and offers 99 feet of paved driveway.

In winter, this area serves as Atkisson sno-park, with a covered warming shed a large wood burning stove.

Campers must bring drinking water, but vault toilets, a fire ring & picnic table are available.

Natural Features

Located in southwest Washington State, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest encompasses over 1.3 million acres, including the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument established by Congress in 1982.

Atkisson is located in the Mount Adams Ranger District in the easternmost portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This Ranger District comprises 367,000 acres and includes Mt Adams Wilderness, Indian Heaven Wilderness and Trapper Creek Wilderness.

Mt Adams, a potentially active stratovolcano and the second-tallest mountain in Washington state, is a prominent landmark of the District. Elevations here range between 1,200 feet at the Wind River Work Center (12 miles north of Carson, WA) and 12,276 feet at the summit of Mt. Adams.

The District also features a great diversity of habitats, from old growth to second growth forest, wetland areas, low and high elevation meadows and lakes, as well as glaciers.

Nearby Attractions

Atkisson is a great base for exploring the region further, including the abundance of activities and sights around Mount Adams. The nearby town of Trout Lake offers restaurants and shopping.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • hiking

The land around Atkisson Group camp

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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