Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Gig Harbor, WA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Gig Harbor, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$20 / night
Dosewallips State Park, only 60 miles north of Olympia, is the eastern gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. The region is made up of forests, mountains, rivers, beaches and deltas – and surrounded by sound and sea. This freshwater/saltwater park makes a perfect day or weekend trip. It can also serve as a base from which to explore the historic forts and charming small towns to the north, or the first night on a grand road trip around the peninsula.
The park's moss-carpeted forest and glacial river slope down to a shell-strewn delta on Hood Canal, a delight for clam-diggers, anglers, boaters, birders and beach explorers. The park features riverside campsites, cabins and five-person platform tents.
Guests may share space with the local elk herds that wander through camp. (Stay back 100 feet, and never offer food.) Bald eagles have been seen on the beach and great blue herons flock to the river.
The evening may find you grilling up a shellfish dinner and retiring to your cabin or tent, where you'll fall asleep to the sound of the river, enchanted by this lush, green corner of the country.
PARK FEATURES Dosewallips State Park is a 1,064-acre, year-round camping park with 5 miles of shoreline on Hood Canal and the Dosewallips River. All camp areas are grassy and located in scenic, rustic settings.
All campsites are on the reservation system. The campground has 37 tent spaces, 58 utility sites, twelve cabins, one dump station, four restrooms (one ADA), and two showers (one ADA). Maximum site length is 40 feet (limited availability). During winter months (November 15 through March 1), the campground is winterized and only sites 21-29 have water. Winter water supply is still available.
$12 - $50 / night
Puget Sound is made of wetlands, pebble beaches, tidal flats, and salmon runs. You will find those features and more at Belfair State Park.
Located on Hood Canal between Shelton and Bremerton, the park's gentle breezes offer ideal conditions for kite-flying, windsurfing and kicking back on a warm summer day. Anglers can choose from fresh and saltwater fishing, and kayakers can push off onto the Cascadia Marine Trail and explore the Puget Sound waterways.
Belfair State Park is a 94-acre, year-round camping park on 3,720 feet of saltwater shoreline at the southern end of Hood Canal in western Washington.
$12 - $50 / night
Millersylvania State Park offers fun for everyone. Spend a summer day splashing in Deep Lake. Gather with friends in an historic kitchen shelter.
Conveniently located between Olympia and Centralia, this large, well-visited park beckons to adults and children alike.
Many of the park structures, including the kitchen shelters, were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, making the park a great place to see and admire the hallmark artisanship of that era.
With two swimming beaches, miles of forested hiking and biking trails, watercraft launches, non-motorized watercraft rentals (kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats) and abundant fishing, Millersylvania will keep you busy for a satisfying weekend or an extended outdoor vacation.
$12 - $45 / night
Fay Bainbridge Park is a 17-acre marine camping park with 1,420 feet of saltwater shoreline on the northeast corner of Bainbridge Island. The park offers sweeping views of Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains and features sandy beaches. On clear days, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker are visible from a sandy beach.
Due to seasonal high water conditions, restrooms may be closed intermittently throughout the winter. We apologize for any inconvenience. The campground has 14 tent sites at $20.00 per night with a central water location and a portable toilet. We also offer 26 RV sites with water and electricity, with ADA accessible site 17, at $40.00 per night and three cabins at $95.00. There are two restroom facilities, one with showers. Please note that there is no longer a dump station available.
Notice for Hiker/Biker Campers: Hiker/Biker campsites have moved from the north end of the campground to the south end, adjacent to the kayaker site. The north end of the campground is now for day use only.
Due to seasonal high water conditions, restrooms may be closed intermittently throughout the winter. We apologize for any inconvenience.
All RV sites have water and electricity and some will accommodate vehicles up to 40 feet in length. These sites are 11, 12, 13 and 14, these spaces are at a premium and very limited.
Most campsites can be reserved. Sites and cabins can be reserved online ten days or more in advance of arrival date. Any sites not reserved will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations cannot be made for the Accessible site, or the Hiker/Biker/Kayaker sites. The three Hiker/Biker sites are available for one night only.
$7 - $95 / night
$60 / night
Elkamp Eastcreek allows visitors a chance to connect with nature and experience the great outdoors. Located near the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, this campground provides easy access to a wide range of outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, river rafting, kayaking and wildlife watching. The campsites are nestled among the trees and offer plenty of privacy, making it a perfect destination for those seeking a peaceful retreat whether that be in a tent or more luxurious cabin. Elkamp Eastcreek also features modern amenities, including clean restrooms, showers and laundry facilities.
$25 - $40 / night
Enormous trunks reach for the sky, lacy limbs stretch to the sun, grooved bark is sanctuary to tiny creatures in the vast cathedral of Douglas-firs that dominate the forests on this side of the Olympic Peninsula. Staircase is located in the southeastern corner of Olympic National Park, about a one-hour drive from Olympia, and two hours south of Port Angeles.__Staircase Campground has 49 sites, with a number of the sites along the North Fork Skokomish River. The access road to the Staircase area is unpaved and periodically closes due to unfavorable weather conditions such as snow. This access road, NF-24 is often closed completely from Nov. - May. Make sure to check the status of the road before planning your trip.__
A variety of hiking trails navigate through the Staircase area along the Skokomish River and the nearby forests. There are several short day-hikes that explore the area. Shady Lane trail is flat, and less than a mile to Lake Cushman. The hike to Flapjack Lakes is for the stronger hikers, gaining over 3,000 feet in elevation. Longer hikes, like the North Fork Skokomish River trail, can be done in a couple of days.
A variety of hiking trails navigate through the Staircase area along the Skokomish River and the nearby forests. There are several short day-hikes that explore the area. Shady Lane trail is flat, and less than a mile to Lake Cushman. The hike to Flapjack Lakes is for the stronger hikers, gaining over 3,000 feet in elevation. Longer hikes, like the North Fork Skokomish River trail, can be done in a couple of days.
A $10.00 service fee will apply if you modify your reservation or change your stay dates. Cancelling your reservation prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time two nights before your stay will incur a $10 cancellation fee. Camping reservations cancelled the day before and day of arrival incur a $10 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee If you need to cancel or modify your reservation after 12:00 am Eastern Time on the day of arrival you must contact campground staff. Recreation.gov Rules and Reservation Policies____
$24 / night
Good place for families that looks to be kept really clean. The spaces are packed in fairly tight with no dividing barriers of trees. Campsite 10 looks to be the best as it has a little canopy tree and is in the corner without obstruction for a view of the Puget Sound. Water and electric hookup, picnic table, fire pit at each site with additional bathroom with a shower for the grounds. There is a ship playground for the kids and beach volleyball court. It is nestled back through an area of homes that back up to sites 1-8.
Came to stay 4 nights and camp with family.
Sites are nicely sized but any rig over 25foot would have trouble getting into.
Absolutely no cell service.
In Site 25 we had enough of an opening to get Starlink to work ok.
In the reserved loops bathrooms are flush toilets and kept clean.
Forest is thick
There is a dump site which says it costs $5.
Potable water throughout.
Went here for a social event and had a blast. Big sites with lovely paths between, wonderful shop with firewood available at any hour (just square up when the place is actually open), clean plumbed bathrooms and a coin operated shower at $0.50/minute. There’s a beautiful meadow, a creek, huge trees. The owners are incredibly friendly and the place is very dog friendly.
I came for my birthday and had a great time. Staff was so friendly and helpful, and the place was clean. They have a little store in case you forget something and firewood that’s way cheaper than buying elsewhere. People were fishing, paddle boarding and swimming. I would absolutely go stay there again!
I spent three nights (arrived Monday, departed Thursday) at this lovely campground about an hour from my house. The grounds are well-maintained with easy access to some hiking trails that are easy to moderate in difficulty. (If I were in better shape without 50+ years of knee problems, I'd rate all the trails as easy.)
The campsites are a short walk to the Dosewallips River, which is shallow and not very fast this time of year. It's a longer walk to the Hood Canal itself.
You're not going to have a private, quiet, pristine wilderness experience here. US 101 runs through the park next to the campground, and the logging trucks can be quite loud. There are lots of families -- meaning, kids running around and riding bikes -- and the campsites are close to one another without any privacy. But, highway traffic is pretty much nonexistent in the evening and night and the entire camp was pretty quiet by 9 pm every evening.
The camp is arranged in a bunch of loops. The first and last sites in each loop are preferable because of all the open space between the site and the road. The last site -- in my case, No. 20 -- is the best with an RV because the trailer will provide privacy from the adjacent campsite and there's a big space to other sites. (See the attached photo.)
T-Mobile was 2 bars of 4G LTE reception. I have a Pepwave cellular modem in my trailer and had virtually no problem streaming shows.
I live 5 miles from this park and am here all the time, just not for camping. I came for one night to do a shakeout in my new to me trailer. My husband came to be my second set of eyes as I set up camp and to entertain our kiddo while I made dinner. Then we drove him home since he had to work in the morning. Several reviews complain about the airplane noise overhead, but I live in Federal Way and cargo planes from JBLM often fly over my house so some commercial airlines don't bother me one bit. I was in a pull-through full hook-up site. I did not hook up the sewer hose however because the lid was broken and I would have had to find a large rock to hold my elbow in place. All in all, it's a nice campground and was quiet. I didn't even hear the cars on road.
We arrived at 10pm with 2 exhausted kids and someone had sniped our site! We went to the Campground Host and not only did they get us into an emergency spot (which was actually better) they gave my kiddos each a little toy. They even checked on us each day to make sure everything was going well in the new site.
This is the second year we have camped at Fay Bainbridge. Love the whole area. The camp host is friendly and helpful. The spots are spacious and shaded and the beach is easily accessed.
Nicely maintained property, with spacious sites, great restroom facility, acres to gorgeous meadow and evening star viewing. Tom was gracious and welcoming host. Enjoyed our stay!
So beautiful, so well maintained. The meadow over the bridge is a hidden delight. Constant attention to the grounds regularly. Exquisite!
I live adjacent to the park. Camping is closed for 2024"while the park undergoes planning and development efforts.". Campfires have been banned for a couple years as the neighbors(who bought houses next to a state park) didn’t like the smell. Kayak rentals moved to Des Moines marina. Trails are fun, jet traffic is frequent. Sunsets amazing
i stayed here for my sister batch party last summer and it was definitely a time to remember! marc was such a great host and the campsites were beautiful!!!!!!!!!!
This is the ultimate family campground. Kids and families on bikes everywhere, amphitheater, trails, water, grass fields, the works. The spots along the road are subject to highway noise, it does die down at night, but starts early. (If you live on a busy street, you won’t notice!) There are quieter tent sites in the back, but also what looks like a group camp. Staff was super friendly. Probably need to reserve far in advance, we reserved 3 weeks out and got the last spot. Not everything was open though, still clean-up from winter going on. Online reservation system worked perfectly and was intuitive. Had a few bars of ATT. Did not investigate WiFi. Beautiful park!
Very disappointed. Booked and told tent sites could be driven up to. Not the case. Host was very nice. Beautiful place
A nice enough little spot near where we needed to be. Day trip to NE section of Olympic NP was doable. Day trip to Seattle would probably be doable as well. Nice area and small towns with good food and atmosphere. Park is small and sites are very close together. Modern sites are in the open right next to each other. Rustic sites are very shaded but still close together and gets load on weekends when it's full.
Facilities: Showers and bathrooms were nice, individual rooms for each bathroom and shower, most are code locked to prevent day use people hogging them
Cell Service: Good enough Verizon and T-mobile to work remotely
Starlink: While we didn't need to use it, the rustic (non-elec) sites are extremely shaded so no clear view for the dish; some modern sites would maybe work
Solar: Our site had a SW facing opening so we were able to grab some solar, but most other rustic sites are very shaded with very little to no sun; modern sites are open to the sky but solar is not needed there with an electric site
We reserved a space for 1 night the day before. Great communication with Brett, everything went really smooth. The facilities are great and very clean, the park very quiet. There are a lot of big rigs parked there, some of the pm long-term as it seems. We enjoyed ourselves and would definitely visit again.
It’s weird place one part looks like people without a home live there the other part have half million dollars rvs rolling in! Beautiful area! Main Street near by that is apparently a racing street
We've been there 6 years ago , very nice campground !
I stay here from time to time with an RV. I appreciate there is electric, sewer and water. I use this an overnight point to fill my RV before going off grid. It is also a nice spot to stop close to Seattle for an easy overnight without a lot of hastle.
We love Tall Chief because it is super close to a lot of great spots around the Seattle region.
It’s super close (like 7 min drive) from one of my favorite coffee shops, Aroma Coffee Co. Try it! You won’t be disappointed!
Tall Chief’s biggest perk is probably how nice they keep the park. Bathrooms are usually found to be immaculate. The main bathrooms have a great “spa” feeling to their design and make you feel like you are glamping.
Most sites are pretty big too. We can easily fit our trailer, tow vehicle, and extra vehicle and still have space!
No sewer connections which can be a bummer, but the nice bathrooms make up for it imo.
The staff are always super nice and helpful.
Another thing that can be annoying is trying to find a site with good cell reception due to all the trees. They definitely have a few, but I would say arrive early so you can drive by all the sites while checking to make sure you have good reception if you need it.
I’m getting 120+ mbs download on AT&T in my site right now, but several sites down from me, it can dwindle down to 5mbs!
Unraveling these cryptic clues adds another layer of mystery to the five nights at freddy's game, keeping you engaged even when not actively fending off animatronics.
Just 20 minutes south of Olympia, WA you can pull off I-5 and pitch a tent beneath towering old growth Douglas Fir and Hemlock trees. This stunning state park reminds us both of the kinds of campgrounds we frequented as kids.
Most of the campsites in the forest loops are small with limited parking and the narrow roads would not serve larger camper rigs. Our little 15 foot travel trailer made it in without any problem. The feeling of camping under the old-growth canopy is so classic Washington, but the solar gain is pretty minimal. Ironically, the electrical hookup sites, which more easily accommodate the big rigs, are out in a more cleared area where there would be solar gain for days.
We camped on the closest loop to the full-hook up RV area and were able to get our solar suitcase out into the sunshine on its extension cord for a few hours. The bathrooms in the forest loops are pretty simple ranging from pit toilets to flush varieties with showers. There is a more modern bathroom facility with nicely clean and refreshing showers near the larger RV field. Things to do in this park are abundant. The water is super chill, shallow and warm.
Only “cartop boats” are allowed in the lake, making it ideal for stand up paddle boards, small kayaking boats, inflatables, canoes, fishing dinghies and just swimming around. Lightening storms in this part of the world are pretty rare, so very fun to see one over the lake while we were here. The lake shore has some classic picnic shelters, built by the CCC, that are reservable, offer wood burning stoves, and lots of places to cook for a family get together.
Hiking and trailing running in the park is wonderful, and with all the loops your efforts can range from 30 min strolls to half-day hikes. The trails are well mapped, and signed making it nearly impossible to get lost.
Tumwater is about 10 miles away on country roads to the north, and Grand Mound is 10 or so miles to the south. Either of these communities provide the usual suburban supplies for groceries and restaurants. There are also some nearby convenience and general stores where you could pick up some ice and such. During the summer months the park has a small cafe and ice cream shop.
This is a big park that is part of Thousand Trails. No sales pitch to join, which was nice. Rangers were super nice. Bathrooms very new and clean. Lots of trees between sites. Hard to find one in the sun if that is what you are looking for. Looked like lots of long term campers. Very quiet. We enjoyed see the surrounding area - Beaver Lake Park, Carnation, Fall City. Didn't make it to Snoqualmie Falls, maybe next time.
So many logs md paths around the campsite… our littles thought they had their own private park. Perfect stream nearby for a five and two year old to throw rocks
I spoke to the owner over the phone and he told me he had a lot of space . Once I came he discriminated and said no no no . He seem nice over the phone but he really isn’t . Extremely racist
Stayed in site 202 in the RV section of the park. We had tents but enjoyed access to water and electricity. 202 is separate from the other camp sites which was great but can be downwind of the dump station and dumpsters. When the wind shifted it was bad. 202 also opens up to the main road entering the park. If you have small children or animals, I would not recommend this site for fear of them running into the street. This also resulted in a lot of campers thinking our site was a cut through and attempting to walk through our site at all hours. Upside was it was a short walk from our site to the lake, you don't have to walk through the rest of the campground but you do have to walk on the main road with no sidewalk. State park was clean and well maintained. Couldn't go 30 mins without seeing a park ranger or employee out and about. Lake was crowded from 11-5/6 but early mornings or late afternoon it really quieted down. Bathrooms by the RVs have the showers and a nice volleyball net set up. Would not recommend it if you are not kid friendly. This is a very kid friendly camp ground. Has a beer garden and snack shack but limited hours on those and rentals for the lake which was nice.
Clean facilities, some nice perks like a beer garden and ice cream and the lake is great. You’re packed in pretty close to each other, but the trees provide pretty good insulation. We enjoyed our stay.
Camping near Gig Harbor, Washington, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful retreat, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Gig Harbor, Washington, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the beautiful outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Gig Harbor, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Gig Harbor, WA is Dash Point State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 65 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Gig Harbor, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 40 glamping camping locations near Gig Harbor, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
