Consider Iron Creek as Camping Season Begins

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Looking for a quiet campground that’s family-friendly, with room for the kids to run? Look no further than Iron Creek Campground, just 10 miles outside of Randle in East Lewis County.

Situated on the inside bend of the Cispus River, near the Iron Creek and Cispus junction on Forest Road 25, Iron Creek Campground boasts just under 100 campsites between four large campground loops. Campsites are woven through a forest of old-growth Douglas-firs, cedar and hemlock trees dusted with long strands of wispy, ethereal, ghost-like moss.

Fire pits, picnic tables, potable water, composting restrooms, Dumpsters and a level campsite (with poured pads for RV parking) are all provided for $20 per night. Your reservation comes complete with trails and access to the Cispus River, plus a campground that is centrally located in the in the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District’s Burley Mountain and Cispus Valley area. Iron Creek Campground makes for a perfect starting (or stopping) point during your weekend getaway.

 

We arrived at the campground at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday evening. We would have arrived sooner — we took a “wrong” turn on Cispus Road (left, when we should have gone straight), instead of following WA-131 from Randle.

We wound down around the Cispus Learning Center, and up through the Burley Mountain area along the Cispus River. As we drove, we wondered why we hadn’t seen any wayfinding signs to Iron Creek Campground. As we neared the last intersection before the campground, a sign indicated we were only 10 miles directly from Randle, via Forest Road 25 — we had definitely taken the scenic route!

Saturday morning, we got up and wandered into Randle (this time on Forest Road 25) for groceries at Fischer’s Market and a cup of coffee, and checked out some roadside merchants and local businesses. We were in Randle during Memorial Day Weekend, so we stopped by the Randle Firefighter Association Hall (Randle Fire Hall) to check out the flea market wares.

My husband haggled for and scored a new camp stove coffee pot for $12, and I found a large abalone shell and traditional Native American hand-woven basket for $10.

After running out of pocket cash, we headed back up State Route 131 and Forest Road 25, following the signs back to Iron Creek Campground. We passed the Woods Watchable Wildlife Trailhead (check out White Pass Scenic Byway’s Cispus Loop Itinerary) on the way back, and considered checking that out on a future trip.

Once back at the campground, we headed down to the banks of the Cispus River, via the Iron Creek Campground Trail and the Old Growth Trail. The trail was fairly level, with benches, railings, staircases and scenic points along the river. Kids and adults were standing on the bank fishing, while others walked with dogs. Some couples held hands as they meandered the path through the wildflowers and clover.

 

Sunday morning, we got up early and headed out with two other families to search for adventures nearby. We had been camping with two other families from the Chehalis area, with several kids in the group ranging from 16 months to 17 years old, so we needed to entertain a wide variety of interests.

Our first stop was the Iron Creek Falls trailhead along Forest Road 25. From the parking area, with our 16-month-old in a backpack carrier, we followed the beaten path for about two-tenths of a mile from the road, until we were facing the 38-foot-tall waterfall, with two streams of white water cascading down through a worn-smooth rock face, into a blue-green punchbowl — a third smooth waterway was also visible, though the water volume wasn’t at it’s height, for us to be able to see the waterfall in all her glory.

 



After taking lots of photos at Iron Creek Falls, we headed back to the parking area, and headed back towards the Cispus Learning Center, and arrived at Tower Rock U Fish RV Park.

The campground was impressive. The campground and RV park featured a good-sized fishing pond and auxiliary ponds, stocked with rainbow trout. With poles, line, and bait included, no fishing license required, a “no catch and release” policy, and only $5 per fish — this park sets the stage for hours of family entertainment.

Located in the shadow of Tower Rock, and near Tower Rock Campground (operated by the U.S. Forest Service), the privately owned, family-run Tower Rock U Fish RV Park campground provides 29 full hookup campsites, plus tent sites, cabins, group facilities and recreational offerings, such as volleyball, badminton and a communal fire pit. Perfect for a family reunion or just a lazy weekend, you can camp near the pond’s edge and catch your dinner. You can also purchase ice, firewood, and propane on-site. Restrooms and vending machines were also on site.

Our group caught a few fish, and families along the banks around us also caught fish. It was a lot of fun to sit along the bank and listen to kids squeal with delight as they netted their catches.

 

From Tower Rock, we wandered back across Yellow Jacket Creek, past Cispus Learning Center, and toward Layser Cave.

The route to Layser Cave was clearly signed, and there was a parking area across from the trailhead. The 800-foot-long trail to the cave and lookout point was fairly easy for all ages of our party to travel under their own steam, except for our toddler who stayed in the backpack.

Rediscovered by (and named for) Tim Layser in 1982, Layser Cave is one of the most extensive archaeological sites in Southwest Washington. Animal bones, stone tools and artifacts found in the cave have allowed archaeologists to document human history and Cowlitz Native American culture back in time, nearly 7,000 years at the site, with intermittent periods of inactivity coinciding with major volcanic events in the area, according to Cowlitz historical documents. The cave appeared to be abandoned about 300 years ago. It’s worth noting that this timeframe of abandonment coincides with the period of time in the 1700s and 1800s, when Cowlitz natives were fleeing parts of their aboriginal homelands in present day Lewis County to avoid the deadly “grey fever” (now believed to be either influenza or malaria), according to historical resources.

With interpretive markers at the site, the kids in our group seemed pretty impressed by this landmark site. An elementary school age girl with our group remarked, in an inspired and thoughtful tone, that she was living “just like the Indians” as she sat by the mock fire pit. 

Layser Cave was also a definite “hit” among all ages of the group.

 

We didn’t make it back to the Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife Trail. And, the trailhead for both of the popular Covel Creek Falls and Angel Creek Falls are also located in the Cispus area. It’s also worth noting that Iron Creek Campground is only 26 miles from Windy Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens. Along the road to Windy Ridge, you can also check out the Bear Meadows and Donnybrook viewpoints, Miner’s Car, Meta Lake, Independence Pass and Smith Creek trailheads, Harmony Falls and Spirit Lake.

Whether you’re a hiker, sightseer, daytripper, backpacker, or just a happy camper looking for some peace and relaxation in the heart of old-growth nature — Iron Creek Campground will make a great “home base” for your next adventure.