Cougar Rock Campground
Mount Rainier National Park · Washington · 176 sites
Photos: Recreation.gov
Overview
Cougar Rock Campground is a National Park Service campground in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, with 176 sites in 6 loops. Very shady: nearly every site is under trees. Verizon at 2 of 157, AT&T at 114 of 157; T-Mobile reports none.
156 of 157 mapped sites shaded
0 of 157 mapped sites in full sun
0 of 157 mapped sites with clear sky
Map of the campground
Every site from the Recreation.gov listing. Choose a layer to see it across the campground; tap a site to open it in Roam.
Layers
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Questions
Which sites at Cougar Rock Campground are the shadiest?
Nearly all of them. 156 of 157 sites at Cougar Rock Campground have good shade from the trees, including from the hot afternoon sun. These counts cover the 157 of 176 sites with a mapped location.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Cougar Rock Campground get the most sun?
None are truly sunny; the sunniest still have trees over nearly all of the site. These counts cover the 157 of 176 sites with a mapped location.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Cougar Rock Campground?
Hard. No site has a fully clear gap; 8 have a partial one where Starlink may drop out. These counts cover the 157 of 176 sites with a mapped location. Satellite texting on a phone needs less open sky, but still works best from the most open spot you can find. This is our estimate from tree heights — check with the Starlink app's obstruction check when you arrive.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Cougar Rock Campground are the most level?
1 of 157 sites is flat, and 7 more have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 149 are steeper, better for tents. Sites that take RVs or trailers fit rigs up to 35 ft. These counts cover the 157 of 176 sites with a mapped location.
See the slope at each site in RoamDoes Cougar Rock Campground have cell service?
Patchy. Verizon at 2 of 157; AT&T at 114 of 157; T-Mobile reports none. That's the coverage each carrier reports to the FCC, not a measured signal, so under trees or below a ridge it can be weaker.
See the coverage map in RoamWhat’s the weather like at Cougar Rock Campground in October?
In October, expect highs around 53°F and lows around 37°F, with about 9.4 inches of rain over the month and 1 inch of snow. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Cougar Rock in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 176 in 6 loops
- Kinds
- 125 for RVs or trailers · 49 tent-only
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 35 ft
- Accessible
- 4 sites
- Elevation
- 3,106–3,211 ft
- Every site
- Drive-in · Check-in 12 PM, check-out 12 PM
- Managed by
- National Park Service
- Booking
- Reserve on Recreation.gov
How we know Sources and limits
Shade, sun and Starlink are our estimates from Meta and the World Resources Institute’s canopy-height model (about 2 m pixels, from satellite imagery calibrated with space lidar; CC BY 4.0). From 2 m above each site we trace 72 lines out to 60 m and note the tallest tree in each direction. Shade counts trees overhead, the canopy within 30 m and how much of the afternoon sky is blocked. Sun counts how open the southern sky is. Starlink needs open sky above 35°, with the northern half counted twice because US dishes tilt north, and we keep the best spot within 8 m of the site’s post. The model sees tree heights only, not trunks, buildings or hills, so check with the Starlink app when you arrive.
Slope is the ground at each site’s post over about 4 m, from USGS 3DEP 3.4 m lidar: level under 2%, gentle to 4% (most rigs level on blocks), sloped to 8% (fine for a tent), steep beyond.
Cell coverage is from the FCC Broadband Data Collection (carrier filings as downloaded May 2026): each site is tested against each carrier’s modelled outdoor 4G/5G coverage. It is what the carriers report, not a measured signal.
Weather is NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the campground. Sites and facts are from Recreation.gov’s open data (July 2026). Map imagery: USGS The National Map. Photos: Recreation.gov.
From the campground’s Recreation.gov listing: “Cougar Rock is relatively rustic, but has drinking water, flush toilets and picnic tables at all 173 campsites. This facility is one of only two campgrounds in the park with campsites that can be reserved. Visitors must use extra caution with food storage, as foxes and other animals have been known to frequent the campground looking for food. Cougar Rock Campground has one lookout point from which campers can view Mt. Rainier. Although it is peaceful now, the still active volcano last erupted in the mid 1800s. The campground is adjacent to the Nisqually River and is surrounded by thick forests. A short drive to Paradise in summer reveals fields of lush wildflowers.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.