need some advice on the Olympic Peninsula

Hey michaelo, Jenn, Bear, and anyone else, I need some help. My wife, Ani, will be out of the country for 3 weeks. In her absence, my job is to figure out the best strategy for summer camping on the OP. From what I have read, most of the national and state park campgrounds are first-come-first-serve and they fill up during the good weather months. There are some private RV parks that look ok, but we prefer public campgrounds, when possible. I'll be doing a recon mission soon, so any tips you have would be appreciated.

I'm thinking it best to go during the week, getting to a campground early in the day. A ranger somewhere told me to show up around 9:30am and be ready to pull in when someone leaves. Is it really that bad? We're not early risers and we like to explore along the way, so we usually don't make it to a campground until mid-afternoon. Is that too late? It looks like there are a lot of small campgrounds. If your first choice isn't available, can you usually find a backup in the area?

We'd like to see as much of the Peninsula as possible over the summer. Do you have any must-see recommendations or strategies for getting into good spots? Thanks.

 

Howdy Jim,

Going to do the "Loop".. fun..



You can, of course, go one way or the other, but my preferred tract would be start at Grayland just south of Aberdeen and work way north.



I have it all mapped out , just haven't done it in on trip yet. I've stayed at all of them except the Neah Bay one, but have gone through there...

Pics here

and Kalaloch area pics



Fun, but Crowded during Summer.. In Kalaloch, you can't really go wrong if you don't get a cliff view.. the back ones are nice too..

Hope that helps..

 

Frank, Thanks a lot. Your pictures are great ... and very helpful.

 

Hi Jim and Ani
We used a Falcon Guide to Southern California camping when we were bringing Dewey home and loved it, we ended up camping at a couple campgrounds that we may not have found without the guide. When we got home we found one for our home state on Amazon, we haven't used it yet but a quick look at the listings for the Oly Peninsula suggests that most of the NP campgrounds are not on a reservation system.

Last summer after we sent in our deposit for Dewey we made a point to peruse the campgrounds on the peninsula just to see what's what. A lot of the campgrounds were laid out decades ago when the RVs were way smaller so perfect for teardrops, even the tiny tent sites can accommodate us. We found that even on summer weekends there were still sites available and during the week it was wide open. Now even though this was only a small survey I don't think you'll have that much trouble getting a site from Sunday to Thursday in the 1st come 1st serve campgrounds.



Good luck and don't forget to give us a shout when you're out this way.

Michael

 

Thanks, michaelo. That is very helpful. I picked up a couple of books on camping and RVing in WA, one of which is the size of a bible. If anything I have information overload. It helps to know you did a survey last summer and sites were available. I'll PM you my plans in hopes we can get together.

Jim

 

Michael..

Is that a "Tilley" I see hanging on the chair...
heheh,just sent mine in after some 25+ years for a replacement..
fun...

 

Hi Frank,

This trip sounds awesome and your photos are beautiful!

Diane

 

Diane,
The whole coast line is a trip...

The "Big trip" would start in Calif just north of the Red Woods... and then just work your way up the Coast.
Sarah (of Mick N Sarah fame) has a great log to use as a reference for campsites etc....

 

Frank, not a Tilley but almost as good, I really love Tilley's 3 year socks, comfortable and long lasting!

Michael

 

Sounds great. Waiting until April to hit the road is making us crazy, especially when we see routes like the OP! Thanks for sharing info.

Best,
Diane

 

Here's another quick link that helps show what's out there...



It only covers a few things..

I'm heading out just to Salt Creek, just west of Port Angeles, end of Sept just to enjoy it...

The Ultimate 3-Way: Olympic National Park
(FYI - not my Pics)





fun...

Ps. I won't be moving about, just camping there and watching the ferries roll by.. nice and relaxed like...

 

Hi Frank!

All I can say is "...wow!".

Diane