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/

Despite the poor weather, I couldn't have been happier with my Whiskey Creek Beach camping experience. From the views, adequately spaced tent sites, steel fire pits, potable water, picnics table, Adirondack chairs and shower access, this was a perfect getaway for this solo, 50-something, female camper, accompanied only by her chow-chow . I was able to finally fulfill my dream of camping along the shore. 

One of the amazing features for those camping at the shorefront sites (T9, T10, T12) are the elevated, 12×14 decks that serve as your tent pad; No need to worry about a tarp placement beneath the tent. Metal cleets are placed around the deck stucture that you can use as tie downs for your tent and fly. These were useful for my additional tarp as I had to contend with mostly adverse weather conditions.The hosts have also provided, for your convenience, additional tie downs in case of high winds. Side Note: with the set up I created, I never once, had to contend with tent leakage, from the top or bottom. 

There is a small, single shower hut apx. 30 yards from the tent site. It is an off the grid shower, but extremely clean, and has running hot water. The cost was $5.00 for unlimited use. The outhouse for the sites, next to the shower hut, is rather old, and was, in my opinion, the only drawback. There is, however, a newer flush toilet up a small hill near the site which I found myself gravitating to. 

The hosts were extremely helpful and responsive. The area has a secure access gate. Firewood is available for sale at a cost of $4.99. The small town of Joyce is but a 10 minute drive where you will find an extremely well stocked old timey general store, two quaint resturaunts, and a laundromat, a huge bonus as I was on an extended stay of seven days.

For those inclined to explore the region, you are well within driving distance to some of Washington's exceptiinally breathtaking hikes, including Hurricane Ridge, The Ozette Triangle, and Cape Flattery.

If you enjoy a perfectly spaced concrete pads, paved roads, being close to all the chain restaurants type RV resort, this may not be for you. Otherwise if you enjoy really feeling away from the worlds chaos, being able to sit out with an amazing view and the loudest noise normally being the waves crashing, screeching of eagles and the occasional ship horn bellowing then this is a class A place! We have been all over the country and this is the place we always miss the most. You can stay at WCB in a variety of ways. Bring your own tent and stay on one of the waterside wood platforms. Bring your own RV and stay at either full hook up sites with both 30 and 50 amp available or dry camp. You can rent one of their RVs ranging from an A frame pop up to big motorhomes. There are also waterside cabins, tiny homes and a larger cabin. Really something for every one. AT&T service is decent, bounces between US and Canada towers though so be sure roaming is not an issue for your bill. The owners Tim and Rachel are absolutely great on top of everything else.

We had an amazing stay here. The manager helped us back in and helped us get set up—it was our first trip in our new rig. Having the beach literally right there was awesome. More sand dollars than I’ve ever seen on a beach in my life. Nice restrooms and laundry room. This park is heavily used by surfers, so as a result there’s a huge mix of rigs—from Sprinter vans and A-frame pop-ups all the way up to Class A. This location is close enough to Port Angeles that we went food shopping almost each day. Great wine tasting nearby, plus Hurricane Ridge and Dungeness Spit.

All the earlier reviews on this campground are correct. It’s cramped, with very little privacy. We laughed that it looked like we were parked at the grocery store instead of camping. The campsites on the end (21), by the lake (22-30), or by the creek (7-9) are probably the best, but still not great.

However, if you view this as a place to sleep while you explore a beautiful lake with great hiking, it becomes more palatable.

The good:

• The lake is fantastic.
• The hiking is great
• the devil’s punch bowl
• Spruce railroad trail for cycling

The okay:

• Park common areas

The bad:

• Cramped camping
• Bathrooms are very dated