As campers begin to fill parks this Memorial Day weekend, the North Olympic Peninsula offers a variety of experiences to those who want to get away from it all.
Peninsula campgrounds have it all: seaside, forest or mountains — with options to stay in an RV or tent, and hike-in, bike-in or boat-in sites.
Campers can choose among county parks and campsites within Olympic National Forest and the nearly million acres of Olympic National Park.
Clallam County operates two parks with campgrounds: Salt Creek Recreation Area and Dungeness Recreation Area.
“Get out early to get sites,” said Bruce Giddens, county parks and fair supervisor.
Half of the campsites can be reserved, and the other half are first-come, first-served, Giddens said.
On Thursday, reserved campsites were full, and campers were already in some of the other sites.
Campers who don’t get a site by noon have slim chances of getting a place, Giddens said.
Salt Creek Recreation Area is on Camp Hayden Road off state Highway 112 about 10 miles west of Port Angeles.
It features 64 campsites, many with a view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and has access to upland forests, rocky bluffs, rocky tidepools, sand beaches and Salt Creek.
Dungeness Recreation Area, located on Kitchen-Dick Road off U.S. Highway 101 just west of Sequim, is located on the bluffs overlooking the Strait.
It has equestrian trails, birdwatching opportunities for land and sea birds, and easy access to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.
Camping at Clallam County parks is $17 per night for residents and $20 per night for nonresidents, with a $5 extra-vehicle fee. Utility sites at Salt Creek Campground cost $22 per night for Clallam County residents and $22 for nonresidents.
Day-use areas are also available.
There is a $7 fee for reservations that can be made at www.clallam.net/Parks.
Jefferson County’s parks are the best bet to get into a campsite for Memorial Day weekend, said Matt Tyler, county parks and recreation manager.
“There always seems to be room in our campgrounds,” Tyler said.
“People are really coming out and having fun.”
Campsites at Quilcene Community Park at 294964 U.S. Highway 101 — a forested campground near Quilcene that offers biking, boating and kayaking — are $12 per night.
At Lake Leland Campground — located 5 miles south of Discovery Bay on Highway 101 at 165 Leland Valley Road — campsites cost $18 per night.
Oak Bay Park, 2 miles east of Port Hadlock, features two campgrounds: an upland park on the bluffs and a lower park on a spit near the water.
Campsites at the lower park at 301 Portage Way are $18 per night, while upper park campsites at 290 Cleveland St. are $18 per night.
Indian Island Park on state Highway 116 features kayak-in- or canoe-in-only camping.
More information about Jefferson County parks is available at http://www.countyrec.com.
Olympic National Park campgrounds on the Peninsula include Altair, Elwha, Heart O’ the Hills, Hoh, Kalaloch, Ozette and Sol Duc.
All campsites are first-come, first-served, except Kalaloch.
Deer Park Campground is closed until June 8 or until the snow has melted, and Dosewallips Campground is closed because of a road washout.
Ranger Pablo McCloud said personnel expect large crowds this weekend.
Significant snow remains in the mountains and is melting off elsewhere in the park, potentially affecting roads, trails and park facilities.
Fees for overnight camping at Olympic National Park-established campgrounds range from $10 to $18.
A complete list of campgrounds and reservation information is available at www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm.
For more information on park closures or camping, contact the rangers at the park visitor center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, or phone 360-565-3131.
The National Forest Service operates only first-come, first-served campgrounds on the Peninsula.
“Judging by the volume of calls, I expect a busy camping weekend,” said Peggy Dressler, visitor information assistant for Olympic National Forest in Quilcene.
Although campgrounds are clear, snow blocks many high country trails, Dressler said.
Campsites at Falls View Campground, located in a conifer forest above the Big Quilcene River 3.5 miles south of Quilcene on Highway 101, cost $10 per night, with a $5 fee for extra vehicles.
Dungeness Forks Campground, off Palo Alto Road on Forest Service Road 2880, has only tent sites in a shaded, forested area at the fork of the Dungeness and Graywolf rivers 7 miles southeast of Blyn.
Campsites cost $14 per night, with a $5 fee for extra vehicles.
Seal Rock Campground is 2 miles north of Brinnon on Highway 101.
Campsites cost $18 per night, with a $5 fee for extra vehicles.
On the West End, Klahowya Campground on the south shore of the Sol Duc River at Milepost 212 on Highway 101 offers a rain-forest setting and an interpretive nature trail, fishing, picnicking and trails.
Campsites cost $17 per night, with a $5 fee for extra vehicles.
Klahanie Campground, 6 miles east of Forks on the South Fork Calawah River, is closed now but will be opened June 29.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
