Chehalis RV & Camping Resort

We spent 2 weeks at Thousand Trails Chehalis. This is our 3rd stay at this Thousand Trails! The overall stay was GREAT and we look forward to our next stay. Few may know but Chehalis was the first thousand trails, and we really enjoy the history.

Pros
-Great Staff! They are very friendly, supportive and do a good job of making us not only feel like we are guests but also members of a community.
-Lots of sites with 50-amp power
-Very quiet (after quite time) and almost no road noise
-Very family friendly!
-Of all the thousand trails we have been on this one feels the most like actual camping (we stay in the upper ‘E’ whenever possible.
-Upper loops (loops C and D and parts of E, F, G and H loops) have okay to good LTE/5G internet lower loops (A, B loops and parts of E and F loops) little to no cell/LTE/5G coverage at all. Starlink is good in those sites with enough clear sky (mostly parts of C, D, F, G and H loops but exceptions apply all over the place.)
-Laundry with Pay App
-Lots of nearby Roadschooling, Historical and family activities (Mt. St. Helen’s NRA [highly recommend the USFS learning center), Matilda N. Jackson State Park Heritage Site, Ike Kinswa State Park Swim Area, WA Parks Mt. St. Helen interpretive center (best of all) and Lewis County Historical Museum
-Two lodges (only one open in the winter) with WiFi, 2 outdoor pools (closed winter), playground, basketball, community firepits, dog park, dump station just to name a few of the amenities
-On a personal level near where my family homesteaded in the late 1800s…

Cons
-Very few full-hook-ups sites (papa [I] likes this because it feels more like camping, mama does not like this)
-Some of the campsites are tight for big rigs and I wish that they would widen them a little
-steep roads (that can be slick) including the main entrance. Our rollers take the hit every time.

Review:
We spent 2 weeks at Thousand Trails Chehalis. This is our 3rd stay at this Thousand Trails! The overall stay was GREAT and we look forward to our next stay. Few may know but Chehalis was the first thousand trails, and we really enjoy the history.

Pros
-Great Staff! They are very friendly, supportive and do a good job of making us not only feel like we are guests but also members of a community.
-Lots of sites with 50-amp power
-Very quiet (after quite time) and almost no road noise
-Very family friendly!
-Of all the thousand trails we have been on this one feels the most like actual camping (we stay in the upper ‘E’ whenever possible.
-Upper loops (loops C and D and parts of E, F, G and H loops) have okay to good LTE/5G internet lower loops (A, B loops and parts of E and F loops) little to no cell/LTE/5G coverage at all. Starlink is good in those sites with enough clear sky (mostly parts of C, D, F, G and H loops but exceptions apply all over the place.)
-Laundry with Pay App
-Lots of nearby Roadschooling, Historical and family activities (Mt. St. Helen’s NRA [highly recommend the USFS learning center), Matilda N. Jackson State Park Heritage Site, Ike Kinswa State Park Swim Area, WA Parks Mt. St. Helen interpretive center (best of all) and Lewis County Historical Museum
-Two lodges (only one open in the winter) with WiFi, 2 outdoor pools (closed winter), playground, basketball, community firepits, dog park, dump station just to name a few of the amenities
-On a personal level near where my family homesteaded in the late 1800s…

Cons
-Very few full-hook-ups sites (papa [I] likes this because it feels more like camping, mama does not like this)
-Some of the campsites are tight for big rigs and I wish that they would widen them a little
-steep roads (that can be slick) including the main entrance. Our rollers take the hit every time.
-

The original Thousand Trails park and it shows. Has been through various overhauls but some confusing roads, wouldn’t advise arriving for your first time at night.

Most sites are only water and electric. Mostly 30a. Was warned that a lot of 50a rigs park in 30a spots and can take out a whole line of pedestals…. Thought that’s what breakers were for but eh.

Cell signal is spotty depending on where you are and some sites are nearly impossible to get level.

Some nice clubhouse amenities and nice recreation activities.

Good location in the area and usually has more availability than some other parks closer to Seattle or the coast.

This is the worst RV site campground we have ever seen!! First of all the so-called Rangers are Rude!! While inspecting our insurance and registration we were informed that she used to be a former police officer and that we needed to license our trailer or we were going to get a huge ticket on our way home?? Our trailer is new and had it’s temporary license displayed. No reserve spots, was told to drive around and look for a empty one, signage is practically nonexistent, along the way you’ll see randomly placed wooden picnic tables that look like if you sat on them they would fall apart because they’re deteriorating, cannot see the site markers due to fallen tree limbs, overgrown forest foliage or brush, map on website looked amazing but think it must have been pirated from another site, was not told the Wi-Fi reception was only at the lodges, looks like several people have decided to make this place their home, was given a extensive list of rules and standards but yet didn’t see any of those applied to the “long-term residents“. Literally look like meth labs were being constructed or had been constructed. Did not feel safe didn’t even bother hooking up left after driving 30 minutes around this hellhole. Wasn’t even worry about getting our money back just wanted to get the hell out of there. Thought we heard faint banjo music playing and the sound of pigs squealing. Was told extensively about the ability to sign up for a membership. If this is your way of advertising to get people to become members good luck with that “Pinky”!!!!

A very large campground. Several sections closed down for water/electrical improvements; but I was told it was OK to walk throughout the area. Beautiful quintessential NW woods, with mossy trees and ferns. Some spots (not mine) had stunning views of the Mount St. Helens crater. The ranger gave me a map of walking routes ranging from a shorter 1 mile loop to a 3.6 mile dual-use trail spanning the perimeter of the property.

There was a recent snow/windstorm and many sites had debris that had yet to be cleared. The tent area (which was still closed for the season) had some sites that looked inaccessible. Once it gets cleaned up it looks like it would be a nice area with lots of woods and privacy between sites. This applies to the RV sites under construction as well.

If you need cell service, I found that the C Loop - which was over a hill from the rest of the campground and with less tree cover - had very good Verizon reception, enough to stream videos without a hitch. It also has new electric pedestals with 50 amp service. It may fill up quickly in the summer months.

Other than that, the neighbors were quiet - even the kids!, the rangers were cautiously friendly (yes I had to verify insurance, etc.) but helpful, and I felt safe. Overall I was pretty happy with the place and would probably stay here again.

Thousand Trails Chehalis RV Campground is centrally located between Mount Rainier National Park and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. We stayed 7 nights at Thousand Trails Chehalis RV Campground. In this video, we provide you a walking tour of the campground and show you some of the best campsites. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 14.1 Mbps download speed and 0.15 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 5.94 Mbps download speed and 0.45 Mbps upload speed. T-Mobile cellular service clocked in at 0.76 Mbps download speed and 1.10 Mbps upload speed.

Typical Thousand Trails, very few sewer sites, sites small and unlevel and faculties and condition of sites are run down. We have a 44 ft motorhome and could get through the dirt streets but not many lots available. It’s a very large park and only half the sites are 50 amp. Verizon was poor and unable to get satellite. I don’t know what TT doesn’t upgrade their parks. Not worth the membership!!

We stayed twice in Chehalis, and we agree with others in that this place needs updating as there are many sites with no electrical available. That being said, it kept you from having neighbors if you camped near those sites. Due to COVID amenities were shut down. The natural beauty of this campground is what makes it special. C loop is where we stayed both times, as it had the most updated sites and cell signal was better in that area. If you are able to be in the sites close to the pool and lodge in this loop you will be able to use the campground WIFI. Staff were very friendly and restrooms were cleaned regularly.

Pros:

Gated entry
Good for group camping (or getting sites right next to each other even with first come first serve site selection)
Some sites with nice Mountain View
Semi private spots

Cons:
Map is not the best and roads in the camp are a bit confusing to navigate
Dog park area full of holes (so not safe for dogs to run) and poop that others have not cleaned up
Overgrown bushes and weeds
Water connection and electric boxes are very old and need to be replaced
Whole place seems very run down

It’s not a bad spot if you really need somewhere to park your rig for the night, but it’s not a relaxing beautiful spot like you would find in a state park.