259 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Puget Sound waterfront camping dominates the landscape around Wauna, Washington, with multiple state parks offering shoreline access. Notable options include Penrose Point State Park and Dash Point State Park, both providing a mix of tent and RV camping in forested settings near saltwater beaches. Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor represents one of the few private RV resorts in the region, offering full hookups and amenities like laundry facilities. Most campgrounds in the Wauna area accommodate both tent and RV camping, with several also offering cabin or glamping options for those seeking additional comfort.
Campground access generally remains consistent year-round, though seasonal considerations affect amenities and availability. Most state parks in the region operate throughout the year, but some amenities may be limited during winter months. "The campground is quiet, except for the nearby construction. The staff is super friendly and accommodating," noted one visitor to Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor. Reservation requirements vary by location, with most established campgrounds requiring advance booking, especially during summer weekends. Joemma Beach State Park represents one of the few dispersed camping options in the area but is only open from March through October. Weather in the Puget Sound region can bring significant rainfall during fall and winter, making spring and summer the most comfortable camping seasons.
Waterfront views and beach access constitute the primary attractions for campers in the Wauna area. Several visitors highlighted the importance of tide schedules when planning activities. "We had a great time exploring the beaches. Sites were reasonably private and quiet at night," reported one camper at Penrose Point State Park. The tall trees provide ample shade at most campgrounds, with many sites featuring enough coverage to protect from both sun and light rain. Wildlife sightings include seals, various shorebirds, and occasionally raccoons visiting campsites. Campground noise levels generally remain moderate, though holiday weekends can bring increased activity. Tight spacing between sites is common at Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor, while state parks typically offer more separation between camping areas. Most locations provide clean restroom facilities, though shower availability and water pressure can vary by campground.
"Firstly, I just have to say what a positive and amazing experience I had at this campground. The volunteers were friendly, kind and absolutely awesome to interact with."
"The campground itself is tucked into a beautiful, forested area with plenty of trees and privacy between sites. Ours had a tent pad, fire ring, and picnic table."
from $31 - $91 / night
Check Availability"Pros: group camp is very close to beach front area, GREAT CLAMMING AND OYSTERING!"
"Penrose Point State Park is a great place close to Seattle to go camping in a small or large group. It's tent or camper friendly with plenty of spots for busier seasons."
from $12 - $72 / night
Check Availability"Often our first or last trip of the year, due to its proximity to the greater Seattle area. Most of the folks we meet are from western Washington. "
"On the water of the Hood Canal, it offered more family activities than many of the parks around. The campground itself is situated close to the water with several loops, tightly packed together."
from $12 - $87 / night
Check Availability"Close by stores, trails, parks, harbor. Tacoma across bridge (10 minutes - $6.25 toll)."
"Costco, Home Depot, Albertsons and other shopping close by."
from $57 - $104 / night
Check Availability"Nice wooded campground with access to the water. Plenty of opportunities for day hikes and not far from port orchard Washington. Some sites have hookups and others are dry camping."
"Trails, views, and history in walking distance. Coin operated showers and clean restrooms."
from $12 - $250 / night
Check Availability"Location was clean, easy to access and feels like a world away from the busy cities close by."
"This is clean and well-maintained state campground that offers nice access to the southern tip of Hood Canal, although you have to cross Rt. 106 to get to the waterside picnic area and docks, and that"
from $12 - $51 / night
Check Availability"The grounds are well-maintained with easy access to some hiking trails that are easy to moderate in difficulty."
"Dump station close by worked great on exit. Wooded with ferns. Rain was nice to enjoy through the windows."
from $12 - $88 / night
Check Availability"We arrived little later around 6 p.m. And being such a nice day there were only few sites left."
"Conveniently located right next to the bathroom with an area for parking two vehicles. I have AT&T and had good service in this spot."
from $12 / night
Check Availability"Tucked away remote campsite in a forest next to estuary. Two sites have hookups. Clean restrooms with shower."
"Site 8 is a pull through and is very large, but not so private as everyone walking to the main dock walks right past your site."
from $12 - $70 / night
Check Availability"The location is great, so close to the water, Penrose and other peninsula activities."
"Great location if you want to relax and take long walks at nearby state parks and beaches. Robyn is a spectacular host who was great to communicate with. We will be coming back."
from $50 / night
Check Availability
ScoutThis is a great spot to camp! It has all the necessities you need. Picnic bench, fire pit with grate, clean bathroom with shower, running water, and dumpster. Beautiful beach front and trails within walking distance. My campsite was a bit closer to my neighbors than I cared for but there are some sites more enclosed. Overall it was a good experience.
GuidePeaceful and Beautiful! Staff is the Best! We Love Doug!!
Scoutwhen you enter there’s spots to pull off to right away. We got a knock on the door and told that this area is not dispersed camping. We saw few others there too but they left before anyone came to check up on this place. You can get fined up to 100 dollars per vehicle
ScoutLoved this place, clean showers
GuideNo water or amenities - close to road but quiet minimal traffic
LegendGeneral: 132-site RV park in beautiful Gig Harbor. The site layout is a bit wonky. Some are pull-through, some are back-in, some on concrete pads, and others (small tent sites) are just in a grassy area. Some have trees or foliage separating them while others have zero separation.
Site Quality: Varies. We had an electric and water site, located in a cul-de-sac near the tent sites. Our pad was shared by two sites. Fortunately, the site next to us was vacant. Completing the site is a picnic table. IMO the two best sites are 65 and 51.
Bath/Shower: Three stalls and three showers, and although they were clean, it was obvious they were not attended to during our two-night stay (I'm assuming there is a cleaning schedule, but it was not posted). Showers were a bit tight, but the water was warm.
Activities/Amenities: IMO, the nicest amenity this park offers is a small but nicely equipped exercise room. Other amenities include: a pet area (and dog wash), a well-equipped laundry room with an ironing board (but you do need to buy a special card), and a dump station (for an extra fee).
We appreciated a courtesy call the day of our arrival to let us know what to do if we arrived after the office was closed.
While not the fault of the RV park, it was located near the Gig Harbor Sportsman Club, and shots echoed throughout the park from the time we arrived at 5 pm until 8 pm, but fortunately only the first night. This was both annoying and disconcerting.
We opted not to pay the $35 “site-lock” fee. To me, this is a very annoying fee (and the reason for deducting a star), but fortunately we got the site we reserved. RV parks like this are expensive, and while they offer various amenities, they are not our favorite type of place to stay. Given the nature of our travels this summer, we will be staying in quite a few of them.
GuideBathroom, Internet, no water. Quiet. Legal. Safe. Beautiful.
GuideAnytime a notes dispersed Camp spot is for real, and has Internet I give an inmediate great review. There are several pull-out spots to park a car, van, or Camp. An RV could park here, as well. It is beautiful here, a raíz Forest. 1.5 miles to a gas station. 8.6 miles to a Safeway grocery store. No water.
ScoutFirst they said they had available spaces then they said they didn't.We drove 50 miles to come out here and they didn't have a space all of a sudden!
Camping near Wauna, Washington offers direct access to sheltered inlets of southern Puget Sound with tidal fluctuations of 12-14 feet in many locations. The area sits at the base of the Kitsap Peninsula where dense Douglas fir forests meet saltwater shorelines, creating distinct microclimates that shelter campers from prevailing winds. Winter temperatures rarely drop below freezing while summer highs typically stay below 85°F, making three-season camping viable at most established sites.
Wildlife viewing: Dosewallips State Park on Hood Canal provides excellent elk spotting opportunities. "Campground has elk that walk through it and is right on the river. There are several hiking trails that start from the campground," notes Dean from Dosewallips State Park Campground.
Beachcombing: Best at low tide. The tidal changes expose rocky shorelines perfect for exploring. "As the tide comes and goes, so does the water fowl. Nice campground, open sites, full hook ups," explains Kari R. at Belfair State Park. Plan activities around tide charts posted at most waterfront campgrounds.
Hiking: Forest trails vary in difficulty. Manchester State Park offers military history alongside nature trails. "Took a quick trip out to this local spot. Pleasantly surprised how private the sites are. Very well maintained! A quick walk to the beach, old torpedo building, trails. We had a great time taking a little hike along the water," shares Heather M.
Clamming and oyster harvesting: Seasonal availability. Several beaches permit shellfish collection with proper licensing. "We loved this spot! A quick walk from camp and your picking oysters from Hood Canal. Amazing! The swimming was great too. We also hiked the trail out of camp which was a pretty, wooded trail," explains Blaine B. at Twanoh State Park.
Privacy between sites: Penrose Point State Park receives praise for well-spaced campsites. "This campground is remarkable in the privacy between each of the camping spots, the bird life, the wild and deep forest vibes, and the walking trails," notes Brittany D. Sites nestled among native vegetation create natural barriers between neighbors.
Clean facilities: Important for longer stays. Manchester State Park maintains high standards. "Shady in a lot of areas. Facilities were good and trails around are fun and easy enough for me and 2 kids. The beach and its tides are why we came," shares Ingrid M. Most state parks provide token-operated hot showers.
Beach access: Quality varies by location. Dash Point offers both forest and shore experience. "Easy to find, great access to the sound & creek, sites had plenty of tent space. Well forested, potable water & fire rings, bathrooms were clean," reports Lee C. Sites closest to water typically book months in advance during summer.
Wildlife encounters: Morning and evening activity. Jarrell Cove State Park provides ample viewing opportunities. "Recently we spent the 4th of July weekend at Jarrell Cove and we had a great time. The campground is very family friendly (we have a toddler) and quiet... I read previous reviews and they do have deer that roam and when we pulled up there was one at our site to greet us," mentions Nicole L.
Seasonal closures affect some sites. Joemma Beach State Park operates March through October only. "Small and Beautiful Campground. Joemma State Park campground is no longer all first come first serve only. It is now reservable online, but if you get there and there is an available spot it is $12 a night that you pay at site," reports Diamond A.
Site spacing varies dramatically. Campgrounds with less buffer space can feel crowded during peak periods. At Twanoh State Park, "The campsites are all cramped together right next to the roadway. There's no vegetation so you can see just about every site/camper from any site you choose," warns Justin L.
Airport noise affects some locations. Campgrounds closer to Seattle experience flight path disturbances. "Commercial jets landing at Sea-Tac fly directly above us at a low altitude and are VERY loud and VERY frequent (every 3-5 minutes), so if you don't mind the noise, or LOVE airplanes (like we do), this is an Awesome campground!!!" explains Travis P. about Saltwater State Park.
Cell service fluctuates by location. Coverage improves closer to urban areas but diminishes in more remote settings. At Jarrell Cove, one camper noted "zero Verizon cell service" while at Joemma Beach State Park, another mentioned, "I have AT&T and had good service in this spot."
Kid-friendly beaches: Dash Point State Park offers gentle shorelines suitable for younger children. "Beautiful weather and close escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Clean facilities as well!" shares Braden T. The park features day-use lake access and multiple play areas.
Cabin options: Available at select parks. Several locations offer alternatives to tent camping. "We are squeaky new to RVing. This place was great! Clean, friendly staff, everything we needed and more! They even had a dog wash," mentions Sunflower E. about Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor. State parks like Belfair and Dosewallips also offer cabins or platform tents.
Junior ranger programs: Educational activities. Programs run seasonally at larger parks. "Our family of four tent camped for three nights in this happy go lucky campground. The grounds, including bathrooms, were well maintained and the kids enjoyed taking part in the junior ranger program," notes Sarah H. at Penrose Point.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Schedule accordingly. "Every night, my husband and I would walk to the wildlife viewing platform to see lots of birds, or walk down by the river and see lots of elk and bald eagles," shares Amy & Stu B. about their stay at Dosewallips State Park.
Full hookup availability: Belfair State Park Campground offers comprehensive services. "Nice pull throughs but waterfront. No sewer hookup and only 2 sites with electric and water. Great kayaking too," says Mike K. about nearby Jarrell Cove. Site reservation systems typically allow filtering by hookup type.
Site size considerations: Length restrictions vary. Larger RVs fit best at designated parks. "We camped here in a early September last year. We enjoyed being so close to the water for swimming and floating. It's also just a short drive into town to get supplies," shares Becky R. at Belfair State Park.
Dump station locations: Not universal. "Only had 2 night here, but it was quiet and very enjoyable. Spacious lots. No sewer at our site, but we did have electrical and water. Dump station close by worked great on exit," notes Lauren M. about Dosewallips State Park. Some smaller parks like Jarrell Cove lack onsite dump facilities.
Year-round accessibility: Manchester State Park remains open through winter months. "We came here a year or two ago and decided to return. Great place as always! We stayed in spot 8 with our 20' camper. Electric and water only. Plenty of vegetation to separate campers," says Brennon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Wauna, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Wauna, WA offers a wide range of camping options, with 259 campgrounds and RV parks near Wauna, WA and 14 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Wauna, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Wauna, WA is Dash Point State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 76 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Wauna, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 14 free dispersed camping spots near Wauna, WA.
Keep Exploring
