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Olympic National Park: Hidden Camping Gems Guide

Washington, USA

Discover hidden campgrounds at Olympic National Park beyond Hoh Rainforest and Hurricane Ridge. Local knowledge for quiet campsites and secret adventures.

Olympic National Park: Hidden Camping Gems Guide

Three Parks in One

Olympic National Park is unique: you get glacier-capped mountains, old-growth rainforest, and wild Pacific coastline all in one park. Most visitors hit the famous spots—Hoh Rainforest, Hurricane Ridge, Ruby Beach—and never discover the quiet corners.

Here’s where the locals go.

The Hidden Campgrounds

Graves Creek Campground

Sites: 30 | Elevation: 540 ft | Season: Year-round

At the end of the South Shore Quinault Road, past Lake Quinault, is this gem. It’s in the park (most Quinault campgrounds are National Forest), and it’s rarely full.

Why we love it:

  • Access to quiet rainforest trails
  • Graves Creek Falls trailhead right there
  • No reservations (first-come only)
  • You can often get a site when everything else is full

Queets Campground

Sites: 20 | Elevation: 290 ft | Season: Year-round

The Queets River Valley is the forgotten rainforest. Just as lush as the Hoh, with a fraction of the visitors. The road in is rough (high-clearance recommended), which keeps the casual visitors away.

Why we love it:

  • True wilderness feel
  • Roosevelt elk are everywhere
  • River access
  • Almost never full

North Fork Campground

Sites: 9 | Elevation: 520 ft | Season: Year-round

Tiny, remote, and quiet. Located on the North Fork of the Sol Duc River. The access road isn’t maintained for large RVs, so it stays peaceful.

Why we love it:

  • Only 9 sites = intimate experience
  • Old-growth forest surrounds you
  • Great fishing access
  • Off the main tourist circuit

Deer Park Campground

Sites: 14 | Elevation: 5,400 ft | Season: June-October (weather dependent)

Most visitors go to Hurricane Ridge for alpine views. Deer Park offers the same scenery, different angle, no paved road, and far fewer people.

Why we love it:

  • Subalpine meadows and views
  • Stargazing above the fog layer
  • No RVs (road is narrow, steep, unpaved)
  • Sunrise over the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Warning: The 17-mile road to Deer Park is steep and winding. Not for the faint of heart or low-clearance vehicles.

Coastal Camping

Third Beach to Toleak Point (Backcountry)

Permit required | Distance: 2.9 miles to Third Beach + 1.7 miles to Toleak

This is beach camping at its finest. You hike in (past a beautiful waterfall), set up on the sand, and watch the sunset over sea stacks. Permits are required and limited.

What to know:

  • Tide tables are essential (some sections impassable at high tide)
  • Bear canisters required
  • Driftwood fires allowed below the high tide line
  • Book wilderness permits early

Ozette Coastal Loop (Backcountry)

Permit required | Distance: 9.4-mile loop

Start at Lake Ozette, hike to the coast through a boardwalk forest, camp on the beach, and loop back. Less crowded than Shi Shi or Rialto.

Why we love it:

  • Wedding Rocks petroglyphs
  • Tidepools at Sand Point
  • Beach camping without the Third Beach crowds

Best Time to Visit

Peak Season: July-August

  • Best weather (relatively)
  • All roads and campgrounds open
  • Crowds at popular spots
  • Reservations essential for big campgrounds

Shoulder Season: May-June, September-October

  • Variable weather (pack for rain)
  • Fewer crowds
  • Some high-elevation campgrounds closed
  • Fall colors in October are stunning

Winter: November-April

  • Constant rain (this IS the Olympic Peninsula)
  • Low-elevation campgrounds open
  • True solitude
  • Hurricane Ridge sometimes accessible for snow activities

The Weather Reality

Let’s be honest: the Olympic Peninsula is one of the wettest places in the continental US. The Hoh Rainforest gets 140+ inches of rain per year.

How to handle it:

  • Pack rain gear for every trip, every season
  • Embrace the mist—it’s part of the magic
  • Bring extra tarps
  • Wet gear dries, memories last

That said, the rain shadow effect means the northeastern part of the park (Sequim, Dungeness) gets significantly less rain. Plan accordingly.

Pro Tips

Wildlife

  • Roosevelt elk are everywhere, especially in the Quinault and Queets valleys
  • Black bears exist—use food storage
  • Banana slugs are not a trail snack

Tide Tables

Coastal hiking REQUIRES tide table knowledge. Some areas are only passable at low tide. Check NOAA tide predictions before every coast hike.

Reservations

  • Kalaloch and Sol Duc book up 6 months ahead
  • First-come campgrounds fill by early afternoon in summer
  • Wilderness permits (required for backcountry) reserve at Recreation.gov

Cell Service

Essentially none in most of the park. Download offline maps. Tell someone your plans.

The Bottom Line

Olympic National Park rewards those who venture past the main attractions. The hidden campgrounds—Graves Creek, Queets, North Fork, Deer Park—offer the same wild beauty without fighting for space.

Embrace the rain. Explore the quiet corners. Find your Olympic.

Into the wild, wet, wonderful.