Cowlitz Falls Campground

Cowlitz Falls (Bud Allen Park) Campground

(Click on Clear Sky Clock thumbnail for a detailed view.)

Randle Forecast

Location:

Just west of Randle, in Lewis county. (Roughly 80 miles or 2 hours southeast of Tacoma.)

Directions:

The campground is located south of Highway 12.

If coming from the west:

Turn right onto Savio Road at N46 32.401 W122 02.322
Turn right onto Kiona Road at N46 32.046 W122 01.020
Follow Kiona until it ends and curves to the right
You will now be on Peters Road.
The campground will be on your right at about N46 30.353 W122 00.732

If coming from the east:

Head west aftter driving through Randle
Turn left on Peters Road at N46 32.200 W121 58.658
Follow Peters Road as it winds south and eventually curves around and heads west
The campground will be on your left at about N46 30.353 W122 00.732

Description:

Cowlitz Falls is a large campground run by the Lewis County PUD. The northern loop of campsites surrounds a very large area of mown lawn. Sites A20-A29 are on the northern side of the loop and all should offer decent views. Sites A23-A26 probably have the most open skies. Trees to the south will block some of the lower southern constellations, but there is plenty of sky here!

See the campground map to get a better sense of the layout.

This site is on the edge of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, one of the darkest parts of the site. As of February 2008, I have only been here in the day, but I'm sure this will be an excellent place for observing. My only concern is light from other campers. I am planning to take a tarp to setup as a screen when I go this summer in case this is a problem.

The campground does take reservations. Go to the official campground website for more information about the site and to make reservations

Site Amenities - cell, water, toilet, etc.:

The campground has outhouses, garbage, and water. Many of the sites have full hookups for RVs. As a bonus, there is a nice set of play toys for smaller kids on the main lawns.

I was not able to get cell phone reception at the park.

Photos:

Site A25B	The Main Row of Sites
Looking South - The trees are fairly small.	Playground
Satellite Photo from Terraserver.	More good photos can be found at http://www.eastlewiscountychamber.com/Cowlitzfalls.htm:

Light Pollution Map: