Adams Fork Campground - Gifford Pinchot NF, Washington

Adams Fork Campground is located roughly an hour south-east of the small town of Randle off Forest Road 56 in Southern Washington.  The campground is nestled in a thick forest on the edges of the Cispus River and is fairly remote in location.  Throughout the area, visitors will find signs explaining the historical significance of the campground as it relates to basket making and the Cowlitz Tribe.  It should also be noted that ATV users can often be found at this campground as its located is excellent in relation to the many multi-use recreational trails in the area.

How to Get to Adams Fork Campground

From the junction of Interstate 5 and Highway 12, visitors can expect an hour and fifty-minute drive to Adams Fork Campground.  Head East on Highway 12 for roughly 50 minutes until you reach the town of Randle.  This is your last real area for services and groceries so stock up prior to driving further.  From Randle head South briefly on Highway 131 for about a mile and then veer left onto Forest Road 23 also called Cispus Road.  Cispus Road turns into Forest Road 23 and after approximately 20 miles you will stay left and merge onto Forest Road 21.  Drive another 5 miles on Forest Road 21 until you come to a junction with Forest Road 56.  Veer right and in a couple of hundred feet you will find the entrance to Adams Fork Campground.

Pros

• Adams Fork Campground is located deep in the forest and gives visitors access to many areas that are hard to reach
• Excellent proximity to Cispus River
• River through campground helps drown out the noise from neighbors
• Campsites are spaced out well

Cons

• Difficult to reach
• On a map Adams Fork appears to be close to Taklakh Lake and other Mt. Adams areas but it requires a 4×4 vehicle to get there

Things to Do

• Layser Cave is a historically significant cave worth visiting on your drive in or out.
• Trout fishing in the Cispus River is popular here
• Mountain Biking, Horseback riding and ATVs are all popular here thanks to the large network of off-highway trails in the area.

Forest Road 5601

As mentioned above, on a map it appears that there is a forest road leading towards Mt. Adams and the Taklakh Lake/Chain of Lakes area.  This road is called Forest Road 5601 and is not well maintained and nearly impassable for vehicles without high clearance and 4×4.  We drove this road from Taklhakh Lake towards Adams Fork in a 4×4 truck and it was sketchy at best.  The road is best suited for ATVs.  Here is a video on youtube of Forst Road 5601: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJpYdb8E-ew . You have been warned.