Olympic National Park Camping is magical. There are many different camping experiences and locations to choose from in Olympic National Park. Old-growth forests and temperate rain forests are protected in the park, one of the biggest surviving blocks in the lower 48 states. It is possible to camp by hiking in or by boating in, in addition to the more conventional vehicle campsites.
You can camp by a peaceful lake, a rushing stream, or a dense conifer forest. Camping at Olympic National Park puts you only a few steps away from some of the most incredible experiences in the world. This guide is all about it!
How do you make Olympic National Park camping reservations?
Kalaloch, Mora, and the Hoh Rain Forest are the only park-operated campgrounds that accept reservations throughout the summer. Summer camping reservations at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort RV Park & Campgrounds may be made online for the summer camping season.
Log Cabin Resort RV & Campground accept bookings over the phone. All other campsites are first-come, first-served, and payment is only accepted through credit/debit card (or online).
How hard to find campgrounds for RVs in Olympic National Park
There is no lack of campgrounds in Olympic National Park. There are various places to base yourself while exploring the area, so you have plenty of choices. RV-friendly national park campsites are a good place to start. Kalaloch, Sol Duc, Sol Duc Hot Springs RV & Campground, or Log Cabin RV & Campground are all good options if you’re a planner and don’t like winging it.
Campsites in these locations may be reserved in advance only. You should avoid Ozette and Fairholme campsites if your vehicle is longer than 21 feet since their sites only accept vehicles up to 21 feet. The other campsites include a few sites that can fit vehicles up to 35 feet long, so visit early to secure one of these locations.
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How to go camping in Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is accessible through the I-5 corridor or one of the calmer state highways. Connect to Highway 101 after you arrive on the Olympic Peninsula to visit any surrounding Olympic National Park attractions. Take I-5 to Highway 101 from Olympia. Take State Route 16 north from Tacoma to Bremerton, then State Route 3 north to State Route 104. Connect to Highway 101 in Aberdeen from the Washington/Oregon Coast.
Camping on the Olympic Peninsula allows you to see a variety of Olympic National Park scenery. There’s something for every nature enthusiast here, from trekking up mountain peaks to animal viewing in jungles. Don’t forget to Instagram the Pacific Coastline’s sea stacks, which are among the highest in Washington state.
Whale watching is a common pastime in this area. Humpbacks, sperm whales, and blue whales, the biggest mammal to ever exist, are among the seven species of these ocean giants that routinely pass through the region. Kalaloch Campground is a great place to take out your binoculars when camping or hiking.
Look for RV and tent camping spaces at the park’s fourteen campsites. Unless there is a lot (a lot) of snow, most remain open all year. Car camping is permitted at most locations as well. In the summer, the only campsites that take reservations are Kalaloch and Sol Duc. All other sites, including tent-only sites, are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
How to get walk-up camping in Olympic National Park
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campsite is an 82-site campground in a riverfront old-growth forest next to the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. It is open from March 20, 2020, to October 24, 2020, and is located close to the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. As an added benefit, campers enjoy access to the resort’s three hot-spring pools and one freshwater pool (all of which are subject to fees), as well as the main lodge, gift shop, and restaurant.
There are 82 tent sites available for reservation via recreation.gov. Sixty-two of them are available online. The remaining 20 tent campsites are walk-up sites, which means you may book a spot on the day of your stay if you reach early enough. There are 17 RV sites available, with some of them accommodating RVs up to 35 feet in length.
Where to get wilderness camping permits Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park covers about a million acres and preserves a huge wilderness with thousands of years of human history. It also has many completely varied ecosystems, including glacier-capped highlands, old-growth temperate rain forests, and more than 70 miles of untamed shoreline. Olympic National Park is known as one of the most visited national parks in the United States.
All overnight stays in the wilderness are subject to permission year-round. A wilderness permit enables the permit holder and their party to camp in a specified camp location. A wilderness permit is valid for one year.
After Senator Daniel J. Evans’ devotion to protecting our wildest areas, Congress re-designated the Olympic National Park as the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness in December 2016, honouring his legacy of conservation.
One of the few wild locations in the lower 48 states is the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness.
Wilderness permits are restricted in number in order to reduce the effect on park resources. The number of persons and animals allowed on overnight wilderness treks is restricted to 12 people and 8 animals. In addition, each camp location has a maximum group size (some are fewer than 12 people), as well as a restriction on the number of animals allowed. Please refer to the descriptions of each camp location for information on the exact maximum group size and stock limit for that region.
Groups affiliated with the same organization may not join to create a group larger than 12 persons at any time, and they must camp and travel at least one mile away from one another.
