Best Tent Camping near Neah Bay, WA

The Olympic Peninsula shoreline near Neah Bay harbors numerous primitive tent camping opportunities, with Shi Shi Beach and Cape Alava offering particularly remote coastal tent sites within Olympic National Park. Both locations require permits and feature tent-only camping zones along rugged Pacific shorelines. Campers must obtain a Makah Recreation Pass ($10) for camping near Neah Bay itself, while Olympic National Park backcountry permits are required for tent sites within park boundaries, including popular coastal locations like Second Beach and Sand Point.

Most tent campgrounds in this area require significant hiking to access, with Cape Alava and Shi Shi Beach accessible only via trails ranging from 2-4 miles in length. Campsites typically consist of small clearings in forest edges near beaches with minimal site development. Campfires are permitted at some locations using only driftwood collected from beaches, while prohibited at others. Bear canisters are mandatory for all overnight stays due to wildlife activity, and can be rented from ranger stations. Primitive toilet facilities exist at some locations, but campers should be prepared to practice Leave No Trace principles. According to one visitor, "You will need a permit and a bear canister which you can rent from the ranger station, but the payoff is a forever sunset."

Tent camping areas along this coastline offer exceptional solitude despite occasional weekend crowds during summer months. Most tent sites are tucked against forest edges providing protection from coastal winds while maintaining ocean views. The tent-only nature of these sites creates a more peaceful experience than developed campgrounds elsewhere on the peninsula. Sand Point and Wedding Rocks offer particularly secluded tent sites with direct beach access. Tide pools, sea stacks, and wildlife viewing opportunities abound throughout the region's primitive tent camping areas. Visitors frequently encounter eagles, seals, and occasionally whales from their tent sites. A recent review noted that "the views are amazing no matter which way you look, and you will not be disappointed by this amazing spot."

Best Tent Sites Near Neah Bay, Washington (37)

    1. Shi Shi Beach — Olympic National Park

    15 Reviews
    Neah Bay, WA
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 565-3100

    "This is a hike in primitive camping with no amenities other than one pit toilet."

    "Shi Shi Beach was beautiful and you MUST go to Cape Flattery via Neah Bay. Find the time!

    Shi Shi is part of Olympic National park."

    2. Cape Alava Campground — Olympic National Park

    3 Reviews
    Neah Bay, WA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 565-3130

    "sea stacks looming in the tide and the alpha wave inducing white noise of gentle waves churning, all while Bambi grazes near your tent."

    "The campsites are an up and down 3 mile trek out to the beach, and are then tucked in the trees along the edge of the beach. Permits are required, and the restrooms are horrifying pit toilets."

    3. Sand Point Camp Area — Olympic National Park

    2 Reviews
    La Push, WA
    17 miles
    Website

    "This is one of several very rustic dispersed campsites along a ruggedly beautiful stretch of Washington coast that are accessible only by hiking in."

    "> We packed up late on a Friday evening to make the trek to the Ozette Loop on the northern coast of Washington state, roughly a 4.5 hour drive from Seattle."

    4. Wedding Rocks — Olympic National Park

    1 Review
    Neah Bay, WA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 565-3100

    "This is one of several very rustic dispersed campsites along a ruggedly beautiful stretch of Washington coast that are accessible only by hiking in."

    5. Ericsons Bay — Olympic National Park

    1 Review
    La Push, WA
    17 miles
    Website

    "We stopped at this boat-only campground for lunch on a triangle paddle of Lake Ozette. It’s a nice wide beach that makes for easy landings."

    6. Dawleys Sol Duc River Campground

    5 Reviews
    Beaver, WA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 808-0843

    $35 / night

    "I arrived with a travel trailer and was taken to an area that was still a work in progress, but offered dry camping in a private clearing amongst an incredibly dense forest."

    "Lots of space at the sites and sites are spread out. Porta potties are clean. Wood for sale. Location is great!"

    7. Second Beach — Olympic National Park

    9 Reviews
    La Push, WA
    33 miles
    Website

    "After the pleasant 0.7 mile hike to the beach, I was amazed by how many tents I saw right by the end of the trail. It almost looked like a tent city!"

    "Just like every other beach around here, if you don't store your smelly goods in the can the ranger will make you trek it to your car. It's a mile from the parking area to the beach."

    8. Misty Willows Farm and Camp

    1 Review
    Beaver, WA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 477-3980

    $40 / night

    "We chatted and she helped us reserve the spot that she recommended for our group, then she walked (well, she ran and we drove…) down to the site and she talked us through the amenities.  "

    10. Littleton Horse Camp

    4 Reviews
    Joyce, WA
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (360) 374-6522

    $10 / night

    "Littleton Horse Camp is on the edge of the very popular Lake Crescent area of Olympic National Park."

    "We had a great stay, we stayed in the lower campsite #2 and it did not have the horse requirement so we nabbed it before 6pm."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Neah Bay, WA

687 Reviews of 37 Neah Bay Campgrounds


  • Jenn B.
    Jul. 1, 2018

    Fairholme Campground — Olympic National Park

    Lakeside Camping

    Great backup site if your beach camping plans get rained out. If you can get there early, grab a site on the water. $10 per person, per night. Campground has clean bathrooms, potable water, fire pits, picnic tables and bear boxes for food storage.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 9, 2025

    Ozette Campground — Olympic National Park

    Worth the Drive x10!

    We’re not even sure that we should be reviewing this one… maybe we just need to keep it to ourselves?  Cuz, it’s that cool!  But since it's part of the Olympic NP campground list, it's publicly known, so here goes...

    Upon arrival, we grabbed our beverages, our chairs, and walked the short path from our campsite to the shore of Ozette Lake. No sooner had we settled in to watch the evening’s color change than scores of water fowl claimed their nightly roots and an otter swam by on its way into its home in the grass – already totally worth the drive in. 

    This small campground lies at the end of a long winding, but well paved, road in Olympic National Park. Getting there is part of the adventure, but from here one can hike out to the western most point of the contiguous 48 US states, Cape Alava. The sheltered lake offers many great miles of paddling and small boat fishing holes, as well as access to some great backcountry camping spots. 

    We paddled from the campground to Ericson Bay and then hiked the very wet trail out to the Pacific coast, which was a great day trip.   The next day we took the path more traveled out to the coast via a boardwalk trail which will take you  to Cape Alava and you can walk along the beach for miles and miles.  Be mindful of the native territory in this area though and head the warnings.  Absolutely worth every moment!

    The campsites are smallish and most won’t accommodate large RV’s but have a lot of grass area for tents, picnic tables, and fire rings. The toilets are a bit of a walk as they are located at the Ozette Visitor’s Center.  They have clean, flush toilets and running sinks, fresh drinking water, but no showers.  The campground could really use a couple of vault toilets as the toilets are a 1/4 mile away, and it's the only reason we gave this a 4 out of 5.   Trash and recycling is located near the visitor's center as well lots of information about hiking in the area.

    Many of the sites have good to decent open sky for solar power and satellite internet, the mobile phone service was non-existent. Nearby towns with any services are Neah Bay and Clallah Bay, which are both super cool to check out.

  • Kelly G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2021

    Cape Alava Campground — Olympic National Park

    Extravaventure!!!

    Wow!!! This was such a magical adventure! You will need a permit and a bear canister (which you can rent from the ranger station) but the payoff is a forever sunset, the scent of healing salt air, the sound of eagle’s fledging their young, giant sea stacks looming in the tide and the alpha wave inducing white noise of gentle waves churning, all while Bambi grazes near your tent. You might even see seals and whales so bring binoculars. I hiked the 9.4 mile Ozette Triangle over two days. I started from my campsite at the Ozette Campgrounds and hiked out Sand Point Trail. Then I explored giant sea stacks and saw petroglyphs along the Ozette River to Sand Point Beach Travel Way. Mt campsite had a rustic pit toilet nearby, a fire ring (burn dead driftwood only!) and a view of a distant sea stack framed perfectly by giant trees. After spending the most restful magical night right on the cusp of the rainforest, I explored northward some (do this during ebb tide so you don’t get trapped between peninsulas) before I headed back along the Cape Alava Trail. I did not want this hike to end. I can see why these are some of “The Best 100 Miles in National Parks” as ranked by Backpacker Magazine. I will go back and include this as part of a seven day of Cape Alava to Shi Shi Beach.

    Pro Tips:

    1. Take a picture of the current tide chart posted at the trailhead and know how to use it.
    2. There are wonderful restrooms at the the trailhead parking lot but there is not a single trash can or dumpster to be found anywhere. I love this! It is a reminder to truly Leave No Trace and pack out everything in an effort to reduce the drain on limited park resources to deal with garbage. So take two trash bags, one for you and one for your neighbor.
    3. Get a map and information sheet of the Petroglyphs before you go so you can enjoy this little treasure hunt!
  • C
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground — Olympic National Park

    Very Clean but Limited Facilities

    Campground has Access to Sol Duc River. Site #11 is directly on the bank. Very clean but limited facilities. No showers. Clean restrooms. Bear boxes available and recycling. Access to many trails.

  • Karen H.
    Oct. 4, 2020

    Whiskey Creek Beach NW

    Unexpected Gem

    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.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2021

    Hoh Campground — Olympic National Park

    Wet but worth it.

    This is a very wet campground(you are in the Hoh Rainforest afterall), so bring some extra tarps to stay dry. There are 3 loops, with a few riverside sites in Loops A and C. There were a lot of downed trees that were in various states of being cleared when I was there, which did close some sites to campers. Some sites had some privacy and others did not, but all were level. I was comfortable on my site, but preferred more privacy. None of the sites that I looked at had dedicated tent pads, but all had the usual picnic table and fire pit. It's a short walk to the visitors center and lots of hiking trails are nearby, including one that cuts through the campground. It was very quiet at night, and even though I was not on a site on the river, you could hear the river at night.

  • T
    Jun. 29, 2021

    Fairholme Campground — Olympic National Park

    Great Location, Horrible Road Noise

    Pros: -beautiful lake view and access -free food storage containers, no need for bear canisters -plenty of trees at campsites for hammocking -walk in and drive in sites -choose your own site -proximity to lake keeps the campground cool in the summer months

    Cons: -campsites very close to one another -horrible road noise at all hours -lots of bugs (bring bug spray!)

  • Scott-Christy B.
    Jun. 20, 2019

    Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground — Olympic National Park

    Pine tree sites in the park

    $22 for a tent site but you will also have to pay or have a park pass to get into Olympic NP. Bathrooms are basic with no showers. Water spigots at restrooms. Sites are level and come with fire ring and table. Quiet and wildlife visible.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 9, 2025

    Ozette Campground — Olympic National Park

    Worth the Drive X10!

    We’re not even sure that we should be reviewing this one… maybe we just need to keep it to ourselves. Cuz, it’s that cool!  We grabbed our beverages, our chairs, and walked the short path from our campsite to the shore of Ozette Lake. No sooner had we settled in to watch the evening’s color change than scores of water fowl claimed their nightly roots and an otter swam by on its way into its home in the grass – totally worth the drive in. 

    This small campground lies at the end of a long winding, but well paved, road in Olympic National Park. Getting there is part of the adventure, but from here one can hike out to the western most point of the contiguous 48 US states, Cape Alava.   Worth every moment!

    The sheltered lake offers many great miles of paddling and small boat fishing holes, as well as access to some great backcountry camping spots. We paddled from the campground to Ericson Bay and then hiked the very wet trail out to the Pacific coast, which was a great day trip.   The next day we took the path more travelled and headed out along the boardwalk trail to the beach where you can access Cape Alava.  Some native territory back in this area, so please be respectful of signs and warnings.  You can walk along the beach for miles and miles.

    The campsites are rather small and won’t accommodate large RV’s but have a lot of grass area for tents, picnic tables and fire rings. The toilets are about 1/4 mile away at the Ozette Visitor’s Center, with flush toilets and running sinks, fresh drinking water, but no showers.   There you can dispose of trash and recycling, as well as check out some cool interpretation displays and access a couple of trails and the Ozette River. 

    Many of the sites have good to decent open sky for solar power and satellite internet, the mobile phone service was non-existent.  In a word, PERFECT!

    Nearby towns with any services are Neah Bay and Clallah Bay, which are both super cool to check out.


Guide to Neah Bay

Nestled in the stunning landscapes of Washington, Neah Bay offers a variety of tent camping options that immerse you in nature's beauty. From serene beaches to rugged trails, this area is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts.

Tips for tent camping near Neah Bay

Tent campers like these nearby activities

Unique features of local campgrounds

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Neah Bay, WA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Neah Bay, WA is Shi Shi Beach — Olympic National Park with a 4.9-star rating from 15 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Neah Bay, WA?

TheDyrt.com has all 37 tent camping locations near Neah Bay, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.