Best Cabin Camping near Neah Bay, WA

What is the most Northwestern campground in the lower 48 you ask? Hobuck Beach Resort just west of Neah Bay, Washington is located "where the Earth began" according to the local Makah Tribe. This campground/RV camp/ cabin resort has a little bit of everything for anyone at any price point. Spread over two sites about 3/4 of a mile from each other this is my go-to surf spot to really get away from it all. Found one of the few sunny weekends out on the Washington coast to try out my new Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel.

Campground Review:

For the luxury-minded who enjoy an actual bed and roof over your head 10 cabins are available at the north site in the park and 16 cabins at the south site. Cabins have their own bathrooms and can sleep up to six people, prices change throughout the year so check the website link at the bottom of this review.

For those who's camping experience includes 4-6 wheels there are 8 sites with full hookups at the south site. I have included photos of the campground map to give people a better idea of the layout of the sites.

For the full-on dirtbags and for those who don't require water/electricity there is a beautiful open field to set up shop wherever your heart desires or you can find room. The tent area has no designated sites and operates as a kind of "organized chaos" with people pulling cars over dunes into pits and getting sandwiched in when others arrive, so be aware of where you set camp.

Handy cans are located in various areas around the resort and there is one fully operational bathroom in either area. With that being said there is also only one fully operational shower in either area and it can get crowded/gross depending on the amount of people staying there. Expect to either take an ocean shower or do it at strange hours of the day.

Try to be flexible when making the journey out to Hobuck. Cabins can be reserved (and should be in the summer) but all other sites are on a first come, first serve basis. A use permit is required to camp on tribal land and you can get that at either the store in town or the resort check-in station.

The real draw here is the surf, Hobuck has one of the more consistent sets in Washington and surfers come from all over the state to check out the waves. In the summer and possibly other times of the year there is a rental shack set up by North by Northwest surf that can rent you anything you heart desires. If they are not there check out the main shop in Port Angeles on your way out if you want to rent/buy anything. The surf is pretty safe with really mellow currents most of the year so a great place to learn to surf!

Other things to do include hiking to either Shi Shi beach to the south or Cape Flattery to the north, both are fairly easy and Cape Flattery is mostly a boardwalk to the point. Shi Shi beach allows for camping but a permit is necessary as it is Olympic National Park land. Other than that Neah Bay has a great museum explaining Makah history and the Ozette village site originally located further south. There is also killer seafood you can get either directly from people in their homes or from Washburn's in town as well as day tours and kayak rentals to do some exploring on your own! 4/5 stars, it looks like their setting up to build more facilities in the north site (maybe more showers). If so I would give 5 stars here!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Makah nation is drug and alcohol free, I'm not sure if that carries over into Hobuck Beach Resort but PLEASE respect their wishes as you are guests on their land.

Check out Hobuck yourself: http://www.hobuckbeachresort.com/

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I occasionally get products to test in the field, since I spend time outdoors for both work and play this is great for me! This trip I decided to test out the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel.

I was really worried about bringing a solar panel out to one of the grayest and wettest parts of the US but the weather gods had pity upon my soul and gave me clear skies for 3 straight days out at Hobuck Beach.

The Goal Zero Nomad 7 was great! It gave me enough power to keep my tablet, phone and portable batteries powered through the weekend. I was able to set it up on top of my car and tent and keep things charged while I went out to my morning and evening surf sessions. I really liked the kickstand and "solar intensity" indicator on the junction box showing you how much juice you have running to your devices so you can dial in maximum performance.

The construction itself is super rugged, I wasn't worried at all about the constant sea breeze and dew that was ever present out there. It was ready to go right out of the box and is super simple to use, just plug your USB charging device directly in and your good to go! Bonus points for having 2 carabiners included so you can hang the panel off a backpack and charge on the go. I'm definitely bringing this product out in the field for work this summer and any sunny day. 5/5 stars

Check out the product here: https://www.goalzero.com/shop/solar-panels/nomad-7-plus-solar-panel/

They thought of everything for you.. so if your short on supplies, they got you covered. They have food, a bar, store, ice cream and more! Draft beer gets me every time! If it wasn't 5 hours away from home, I'd be back frequently. Next time I come, ill be getting one of the cabins!! Thank you!!

This place is glamping at its finest. It is located at the top of the Olympic Peninsula on Lake Crescent. There is plenty to do here from fishing, cycling, boating, and hiking.

They have small cabins and a lodge with an amazing restaurant.  I recommend this to friends who aren't quite the rugged camper but still want to explore the Olympic Mountains.

I stayed here the night before they were closing for the season (lucky!) Stayed in a chalet. Minimal amenities but perhaps that’s the beauty of it. An A line cabin on this lake with minimal luxuries just appreciate the beauty of simplicity. Opening the door to this incredible glacier lake is something dreams are made of. It really humbles you and gives you gratitude.

Tent sites are terrible. Really close together and no views. Cabins block lake views.

RV sites - are pretty tight as well.

The lake is beautiful!

Didn't eat in the very expensive restaurant. Found the manager - I think that is who they were - to be only friendly to some folks (not us). They did not provide information about the campground - like where the water taps are or where to dump trash. We had to use an RV sites water spout as we couldn't find a general use one.

The bathrooms have only one shower and only one sink. It is hard to brush your teeth or wash your face when there is a line of people waiting behind you. As well the hand dryer in both the men's and women's bathrooms were incredibly loud (all night long).

Trash and recycling were unnecessarily far away. So far - that when I was doing laundry - someone came into the laundry room to dump their trash instead of walking to the bins on the opposite side of the campground. For a campground that was purchased by the National Park - metal animal proof bins, I am sure, could be attained.

The price was okay. Obviously though, folks who were paying for the higher priced cabins ($270+ a night) - were the focus. Us bike campers were not well received.

But again - the lake is beautiful!

For scenic views this campground is pretty hard to beat. Lake Crescent is stunning. The water is very clean and great for swimming in August. The campground is not laid out well and the sites are small and close together. Prepare to be friendly with your neighbors. It’s alway a drag to flush the septic system 6 feet from your neighbors door... “howdy neighbor!” The staff was great, but the campground basically unpoliced, so you end up with noise and dogs running loose. There are a variety of cabins available, a restaurant, and nice gift area.

I loved it here, but it’s not for everyone. The layout is pretty funky, with the tent/car camping area being a big field with no designated spots, so it ends up being packed with cars and campers everywhere like a music festival. There is an RV area and cabins for rent as well that look very nice. Wherever you are parked it is a short walk to the beach, hence the amount of surfers. It is first come first serve, but with how packed it was when I came on a Friday and Saturday, I don’t think they limit the amount of campers you just have to find a spot. It was $25 a night for the “tent” sites and then a $20 permit (lasts a year) to be on the reservation since it is Indian land. There are portapotties around the camping areas which are all clean, and then there is an actual bathroom with one toilet and one shower indoors and one outdoors. Everyone is very friendly so being squeezed together isn’t too much of an issue. But be prepared for people to park right next to you in the middle of the night looking for a spot. If you want to fit right in bring a surfboard, because these people all know eachother. Us rock climbers felt a little out of place but it was still fun! Very short drives to Cape Flattery and Shi Shi Beach! Also a few good few options in town.

Lost Resort Campground is near the end of the road at Lake Ozette in Olympic National Park - super close to the official ONP Ozette Campground. While the Ozette campground is great because its directly on the lake, the Lost Resort campground is great because it doesn't turn anyone away.

There are some great, quiet and wooded sites at Lost Resort. There are also several very open areas where they can put campers who turn up when everything else in the neighborhood is full (ie. the NP campground and backcountry are the only other options here)

Lost Resort has a little camp store that's open into the early evening most days and serves full meals as well as coffees, espressos and has a pretty well stocked shop with camping necessities. Firewood is available for sale on an honor system even if the store is closed.

The campground is a horshoe/U shape up a hill with some private cabins that can be reserved. Sites are not numbered. Be sure to check that your site has a flat spot for your tent footprint if you're tent camping.

All sites have fire pits and tables and the ones on the far side are more wooded and dark if you like to sleep early or are hammock camping. Ozette was the only place we encountered mosquitos camping in ONP. (The store sells bug spray too).

The store also has wifi which reaches the closer parts of the campground. There isn't much of a signal anywhere in the upper NW peninsula, so this is a nice chance to connect if you need to research where you're hoping to sleep the next night!

There are 3 toilet options: One in the store open during hours, an outdoor full service near the store - open 24 hours, and 2 port a potties on top of the hill closest to the upper campground sites. There are showers available during store hours for a fee- 3$ if you're camp at the site, 6$ if you aren't.

Sites are $25 a night here (5$ more than the NP campground), and they take credit cards!

We were fortunate to have booked this campground six months in advance, so we got a great site that was next to the water and very accessible for our kayak. The site was close to the road and there was little to no privacy. The RV dump station was really well setup and the lodge with restaurant was convenient all though we never went there. The boat launch was well organized with different rentals. The lake is amazing with visibility of at least 20 to 30 feet. The only reason we wouldn't come back here is that you cannot reserve a site and there is a high probability of getting one that would not work for us. There were sites that backed into the restrooms and showers. That would be a nightmare! If we could reserve a site, we would come back, but not knowing what we are going to get, won't take that chance. Beautiful area!

This park is so beautiful, located directly across from the ocean. All sites are a quick walk to the beach (1/2 mile private beach for guests. So awesome that it never gets crowded!) and behind the park are great views of snow capped mountains. Just down the road is a state park with beautiful hiking and great views. Crescent Beach is perfect for anyone wanting to spend time in the water or outdoors. WiFi isn’t always the best but who needs that when you’re camping at one of Washington’s most beautiful beachfronts?! 10/10 highly recommend!

We camped for seven days in Olympic and stayed at Lake Crescent Lodge for two nights to give ourselves a break. Lake Crescent was gorgeous. Watching the sun set over the mountains and weather patterns was breathtaking. 

Unfortunately both days we were there the water was too choppy to kayak or be out on the water. The wind was almost unbearable any time we were outside. This was the middle of July, so I can't really imagine making a fall trip here!

Because of COVID, dining was take out. Even so, our meals were very good and the prices were pretty reasonable for Washington.

We stayed in the Storm King rooms. Everything about it was great...working shower (albeit a bit short, tall people watch out), bathroom with a real door and fan, nice bed and a balcony! It was such a welcome reprieve after camping, really felt luxurious. The ONLY con however...the walls are absolutely paper thin. We could hear everything our neighbors said and did. Made it very hard to sleep. 

I don't know if I would make this my destination for a trip to the peninsula, but as a stopping point it was perfect.

Words do not capture what it means to camp and explore this nation within a nation. First, you must have a pass to camp or do most recreational activities. The permit is $10 for the YEAR so save your pass (paper). You may purchase your pass at most retail outlets and you hang it from the rear view while on sovereign land. Do not miss the trail to Cape Flattery. You'll want a camera, hiking stick. Binoculars and perhaps something to keep you dry as it gets wet. The cape trail traverses various terrain and moderate difficulty. There are wood paths and bridges to help on particularly hairy parts. At the top of the trail, you may opt for a walking stick made by a tribal member. There are there for your use and are to be returned when done or leave $5. All honor system. Also, lots of wildlife at the pond at the top by RV turnout. The beaches, the town, all are worth seeing yet the cape trail is the MUST SEE! Nearby town of sekiu was also worth a look. The drive in alone is worth the trip and yes, bald eagles were seeing over the water. The actual site is a beach site with myriad camping options. If you like roughing it or have an elegant rig, this spot is right. Really at a loss for how blown away I a man by this experience. Some old and sacred spots inviting you to wonder.