Open
This is a day-use picnic area only. No overnight camping is permitted. Operating hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. from May 15 through Labor Day, and 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. from May 1-14. Picnic shelters are reservable through Recreation.gov.
About
Picnic Vista is a day-use picnic facility located within Mud Mountain Dam Park in the Cascade Mountain foothills of Western Washington. The area features two large reservable picnic shelters (Cayuse and Chinook) equipped with electricity, grills, restrooms, and potable water. This is not an overnight campground.
The site offers family-friendly recreation including unique playground equipment with a zipline, a two-foot deep wading pool for cooling off during summer, and large open fields suitable for sports and group activities. Over six miles of trails wind through old and new growth forests of maples and evergreens, available for hiking and mountain biking. The River Trail is open to horseback riders.
Mud Mountain Dam Park provides scenic views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding Cascade Range. The White River flows through the dam, with a seasonal reservoir formed during winter and early spring for flood control. Wildlife including bald eagles and elk can be spotted along the trails.
Directions
From Seattle (60 min): Take I-5 South to Hwy 18 East, exit at Auburn/Enumclaw, take Hwy 164 East through Enumclaw, turn left onto Hwy 410 East, go about 6 miles and turn right onto Mud Mountain Road, continue 2.5 miles to Mud Mountain Dam Park. From Tacoma (60 min): Take Hwy 167 to Hwy 410 East through Sumner, Bonney Lake, Buckley, and Enumclaw, stay on Hwy 410 East, go about 6 miles and turn right onto Mud Mountain Road, continue 2.5 miles to the park.
