Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground welcomes pets throughout its forested camping areas near Olympic National Park. Dogs must remain leashed at all campsites including both tent and RV sections. Campground loops A and B offer traditional camping with picnic tables and fire rings where pets can join their owners. The RV area includes full hookup sites accommodating larger vehicles while still permitting pets. Fairholme Campground, another pet-friendly option approximately 12 miles north, allows dogs on leash with access to water and toilet facilities. Campers with pets can also consider the free dispersed camping sites on NF-2918 where pets are welcome, though these primitive sites lack facilities and require proper waste management.
Hiking trails near Sol Duc provide excellent opportunities for exercising dogs, with the Sol Duc Falls trail being particularly popular for leashed pets. The campground's location amid old-growth forest means wildlife encounters are possible, so keeping pets secured is essential for their safety. Pet owners should pack extra towels during wet seasons as the rainforest environment stays damp much of the year. For those seeking additional comfort, Crescent Beach & RV Park and Elwha Dam RV Park both offer pet-friendly cabin options along with standard campsite amenities. Sites within Olympic National Park require standard pet waste disposal protocols, with no dedicated pet waste stations available. Bear activity has been reported in the area, making proper food storage crucial for sites with pets present.
$40 - $65 / night
"If you want an industrialized visit you can stat at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Alternatively there are hike in hot springs above the Elwha River."
"Right smack in the middle of Olympic National Park we had access to not only the Hurricane ridge area but were close enough to spend a day at Kalaloch on our way home!"
$24 / night
"There were 4 of us plus dog we had 3 tents (4p and two 2p tent) still had enough room for us to have cooler around etc. first night said lowest was 45 but it definitely felt colder."
"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"
$24 - $48 / night
"We are Washington residents and camped in early October of 2024. Our dogs loved the area and access to the river. The campsite had a lot of room and the facilities were clean."
"Steps away from the rainforest trailhead, so a great one night stay to hike the trails. It's a rainy place as you can imagine. Washington State itself sure is."
$45 / night
"Deer wander around the camp like pets. Sunsets are spectacular and the water views to the north you can see Canada. The area is a high bank from the beach. Very clean grounds."
"Lots of walking paths and beautiful scenery. Dog friendly as well. Great place for rv’s and tents. Does get chilly since you’re right on the bluff."
"Tucked away from Highway 101 west of Joyce; it's a great place to settle down for a night or two, enjoy some fishing and visit some often overlooked locations on the OP."
"There is centralized freshwater available and vault toilets and a trail that goes down to the Strait Juan de Fuca adjacent to the campground."
"Couldn’t get a spot at Fairholme so I opted for this location. I only saw 2 small areas you could back in with fire pits. One closer to the 101, and one further back before you cross the bridge."
"This is a nice small campsite right next to a river very close to Olympic national park."
"Close to Olympic NP. Many other campers here as well. Definitely would come back here and I recommend to anyone debating on where to camp outside the park. And it’s free!"
"We didn’t feel comfortable driving our class C into any of the nicer, more private spots off of this road due to large potholes, ruts, etc."
"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!)"
"This location is right Across from the ocean and the beach is private for people who stay at the campground. it’s definitely a lovely place."
$36 - $92 / night
"We had a secluded site which is perfect for a dog. It’s quiet in the park and there’s no major highway close by. The staff is great!"
"The staff genuinely cares about providing a positive experience for their guests."
"Metal cleets are placed around the deck stucture that you can use as tie downs for your tent and fly."
"T5 is right on the ocean, they are dog friendly and hosts Rachael and Tim are great. We highly recommend Whiskey Creek. Nearby Port Angeles and Joyce General Store make it great!"
GuideAmple opportunities to view waterfalls, beautiful Sol Duc River, & wildlife. If you want an industrialized visit you can stat at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Alternatively there are hike in hot springs above the Elwha River.
If you hike in quietly, you have the opportunity to see Blacktail Deer & Roosevelt Elk.
TravelerDNR managed campsite right off highway 101 about 20 minutes west of Sol Duc-Hot Springs Road. It has 9 campsites, first come first served (free with an Adventure Pass) with picnic tables, fire rings and a couple of fairly gross vault toilets. The sites can accommodate medium (~30ft) RVs but there aren’t any hookups. Primitive camping at it’s best. I stayed in site #8 which overlooks the Sol Duc River. There is a good bit of road noise being this close to the highway, but as a cheap spot to overnight close to Olympic NP it’s super convenient.
RangerIf you camp anywhere in the Olympics let Sol Duc be your home base! Right smack in the middle of Olympic National Park we had access to not only the Hurricane ridge area but were close enough to spend a day at Kalaloch on our way home! The soak in the Sol Duc Hot springs were amazing especially after a hike. We saw some great wildlife and wildflowers on this trip. Sol duc is about an hour from Port Angeles. Happy Adventuring! And remember to practice leave no trace ethics.✌❤
GuideThe Sol Duc hot springs campground is next door to the hot springs resort in northern Olympic National Park. The campgrounds are often crowded year round due to the popular hot springs as campers are given access to the hot springs pools inside the resort. We went over a chilly rainy weekend in April and had what felt like the whole place to ourselves. The camp sites, while close together, are semi private due to the lush rainforest all around. Starting a fire is difficult, make sure you pack rain gear, and keep your site clean because there are black bears around- however, none of this should stop you! It's a rain forest after all!
The surrounding forest is pure magic- emerald green and full of old growth evergreen trees. There is an easy nature trail (unpaved and some incline so if you have trouble walking this may not be for you) less than 5 miles from the camp that offers some truly beautiful views of the Sol Duc River. There is also access to the Sol Duc Falls trail directly from Loop B campsites. This trail is fairly difficult coming from camp and is about 6 miles round trip. If you drive up the road a bit you can use the main trailhead for Sol Duc Falls and cut out a lot of the more difficult terrain.
GuideMarch 23 - October 28, 2018 Located along the Sol Duc River in magnificent Olympic National Park, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is on the “edge of the backcountry in the heart of the Olympic National Park” with hot spring pools and access to many hiking trails.
Recreation Opportunities:
The resort's main lodge offers the front desk, gift shop, restaurant and access to three hot mineral-spring pools and swimming pool. Additional onsite amenities include a poolside deli and massage therapy.
Olympic Peninsula Hiking Mineral Hot Springs & Pools Olympic Peninsula Fishing Overview RV Park Sites Campground Sites Booking & Rates Features & Amenities
Restrooms Restrooms are located in the Campground only, which is ¼ mile away from the RV Campground. Public restrooms are not offered at RV Campground. Pool Access Pool admission is not included in camping rates. Guests may purchase hot spring pool access at the resort’s front desk Laundry No laundry facility offered. Camping Supplies All sites have fire rings with metal grates for grilling. Individual BBQ grills are not available. Ice is available for purchase at the resort’s front desk. Campfire Firewood is available from the Camp Host (site #39) and the Front Desk. Food Waste Storage Animal-Proof Trash Receptacles required.
there are excellent hiking trails and views. You can sit on a rock and watch the salmon swim up river and jump 10 feet in the air to clear rocks. it is amazing. the resort is so nice and the sulfur pools are nice to relax in a night before bed.
LegendCampsite Review: This campground in the Sol Duc Valley is composed of several different loops and setups for every type of adventurer. In addition to the lodge with a general store and restaurants, there is an RV only parking lot which seemed a little different as it’s just a parking lot with hookups and a table at the end of each space. There was no separation whatsoever between them. However, the loops are more set into the fairytale-like forest and you feel much more like you’re actually in the rain forest. The campsites themselves seemed to all be kind of small, and a little close together but with nice flat areas, tables, fire ring, and lots and lots of underbrush you can’t really see your neighbors. We stayed at site 38 in loop A which had a nice tent spot set out under the trees along with a decent table and fire ring set back from what is basically a parking lot that was open to the road. When getting your site be careful about the exact size allotment if you’re in a larger vehicle, because these sizes didn’t seem correct. This site is listed as being a 35’ back-in, but it really is just a shared parking lot between this and the site next to it (37) across from the central restrooms. While the site might say it’ll fit your vehicle, the roads are narrow and there are a good number of trees and branches around which may impede your maneuvering if you’re in something large. Because our site and the one next to it have “spaces” for 2 vehicles each, we did have a few people whom would pull up park in the “lot” and then explore around the campground and loop at the board for available spaces which was a little annoying, but at least they aren’t walking through our site.
The toilet facilities in Loop A were clean, but could have used a good once over. They seemed to have been maintained, just not super regularly and thankfully no guests had come in and destroyed them. There was hand soap but unfortunately the hand dryers were broken (which I normally like because of the reduction of trash, but dislike because of the increased noise they produce). You have some potable water/dish cleaning spigots, but nothing is there to catch the waste. There are also a couple of bear proof trash cans and the camp host sold fire wood (pricey at $8 a bundle). However, you can collect downed wood whenever the host isn’t selling wood.
Amenities: standard picnic tables, fire rings, plus flush toilets, potable water, & bear/cougar proof trash cans |Prohibited: pets off-leash
Nearby Hikes: Sol Duc Falls, exploring some old growth forest with a waterfall (highly recommended), Lover’s Lane, Ancient Groves, a self guided nature trail, & a couple lake trails
You’re also just down the road from the Sol Duc Hot Springs, which is 3 different pools with the water pumped into them. At $15 a person, this seemed a little pricey, but you do get access to the showers, so if you’re really desperate it might be an option to clean up and then relax after some strenuous hikes.
ScoutGiving three stars is subjective, but I can't give it a higher rating for RV camping because of how tight the spaces are. The park itself it worthy of 5 stars easily! The RV lot is really crowded. You do have a picnic table and fire-ring, but the next one is 15 feet away. At times it can feel like you are at an RV rally being held in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Before you drive your rig in here, I highly recommend you drive up the road about 50 yards and park in the dump-station lot, then walk back and scout out where your spot is and if you have a clear path to park. All spaces require backing in and you will often have to ask someone to move their vehicle so you will have enough room to manuever. If you look up Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort on Google Maps and do the Satellite view, you can see the RV campground directly across the river from the pool at the hot springs (they are within easy walking distance to each other). I've also attached two parking lot pictures.
Here are some pros and cons and you can decide for yourself:
Pros: Olympic National Park is absolutely beautiful, and there is so much to see for everyone. There are several hikes that are easy enough for almost everyone (Rain Forrest, Sol Duc Falls, etc.), and several that are just nice by car. Of course there are a lot of options for serious backpackers. The Hot Springs are open (as of May 2021) and you can reserve a time for them every day you are staying in the RV spaces. The park is absolutely beautiful and to see everything requires a lot of driving, so you can use your spot here as a base camp. The Sol Duc Falls are a relatively easy hike and are nearby. No matter what campground you stay at in Olympic National Park, be prepared to drive a lot to see other parts of the park. The hot springs are nice, relaxing, and you can reserve a spot when it is not overly crowded as they have reservation times for RV campers. Also, despite the very crowded campground, most people were very nice and cooperative, and things quite down around 10PM each night. The dump station I mentioned above is also open.
Cons: The RV spacing is very minimal. We have an Escape19 trailer (no pop-outs) and when we extended our awning, there was about two or three feet left before it encroached on the RV space next door. One experienced camper pulled in next to us so that when he extended his pop-out it went half-way over the log separating the two spaces. There are NO RV spaces in any of the nearby campgrounds at Sol Duc, so if you have an RV and want to camp at Sol Duc, this is where you are going to camp. Also, if your electrical outlet is not working, check with the desk at the Hot Springs as they apparently fail sometimes due to the air from the hot springs. They were very prompt at fixing our outlet. The hot springs emit a sulfur odor just like you would experience around an active volcanic area like volcanoes national park in Hawaii.
Bottom line is the park is awesome and if this is the only RV space you can get, or if the hot springs are very important to you, then by all means stay here. I had a difficult time finding any detailed information about the campground on-line so I just want to make this info available so people are not surprised when they arrive.
GuideWe have stayed here many times. This campground has everything you need for a nice getaway. The sites are somewhat private, the bathrooms are sufficient, and there are trails to explore close by. The campground IS in the National Park, so make sure you have your Access Park Pass or you must pay the entrance fee to the park. Also keep in mind that National Park rules apply to dogs. So you will want to keep your pet leashed at all times, or risk a hefty fine.
TravelerI’ve stayed at Rainbow’s End twice. Both times were in their overflow camping area, which are two spots with water and electric only, under some trees which made for comfortable shade. The staff at the park are nice and professional, the facilities are always clean, and there is a large dog park (it has a somewhat short fence, perfect for my small dogs but be careful with bigger animals). Lots of people live at Rainbow’s end full time. It’s very clean and well maintained. You do get some road noise from the US 101, but it’s not too noticeable. If you aren’t taking advantage of water and electric hookups, it could be a little expensive.
Dog friendly campsites near Sol Duc Hot Springs sit within Olympic National Park's temperate rainforest where annual rainfall averages 140 inches. Located at 1,640 feet elevation, the area includes both developed campgrounds and primitive sites where temperatures typically range from 65-75°F in summer and 35-45°F in winter. Most campgrounds remain accessible through mid-October when seasonal closures begin.
Hike to waterfalls and tidepools: The area offers numerous hiking options from easy walks to challenging treks. As a camper at Hoh Campground noted, "Imagine a world where moss, funguses, lichen and other epiphytes grow upon the living trees in such vast numbers as to be more noticeable than the massive trees themselves." For tidepools, visit the Salt Creek area about 30 miles away.
Visit historic sites: Explore remnants of the former Elwha Dam, removed in 2014 during the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. "The area doesn't get the frequent rains. It was perfect weather and scenery was magnificent," reports a visitor to Elwha Dam RV Park.
Fish local rivers: The Sol Duc River and nearby Lyre River offer fishing opportunities. "Some steelhead fishers came through too. We had a blast," mentions a winter camper at Lyre River. Local rivers contain steelhead, salmon, and trout depending on season. Fishing licenses required.
Private sites with river views: Many pet-friendly sites offer river or lake views. At Lyre River Campground, "There were a lot of happy young families when we were here... close to water and vault toilet and every spot, except for #3 (which has room for multiple tents) and #4 which was a single tent site, were on the river's edge."
Cooler temperatures: The forest canopy keeps sites cooler than surrounding areas during summer. A visitor to Fairholme Campground observed, "The campground is right by the lake and offers walk-in sites that are literally on the lake shore. The best site in my opinion is 72, which is not directly on the lake shore but has a great view and good tree coverage."
Wildlife viewing: Elk herds frequent the area, especially in meadows during early morning and evening hours. According to one camper, "Awesome time hiking and hammocking. Lush Green Everywhere! Woke up surrounded by a herd of Red Elk." Many sites also report eagle sightings and occasional black bear activity.
Weather preparation: The rainforest environment means precipitation can occur even in summer. "It was very humid and everything was covered in a layer of dew in the morning," warns a camper about Hoh Campground. Pack rain gear and waterproof storage for all seasons.
Limited cell service: Most campgrounds have spotty or no cell coverage. A visitor to Dispersed Camping NF-2918 noted, "T-Mobile has 5G service in this area. Verizon is 1-2 bars of 4G." Download offline maps before arrival.
Busy summer weekends: Reserve sites weeks or months in advance for summer visits. "Traffic to get into this part of the park is backed up for miles. So, plan accordingly," advises a Hoh Campground visitor. Arrive before 11am for first-come, first-served sites.
Choose sites with amenities: For families with dogs or small children, select campgrounds with flush toilets. "The bathrooms were recently renovated and offered flush toilets and running water, but no showers," reports a Hoh visitor. Fairholme also offers similar facilities.
Visit ranger programs: Olympic National Park offers Junior Ranger programs at visitor centers during summer months. "There are a few trails and they are not very busy. We felt so content in this campground," writes a Hoh Campground visitor about the family-friendly atmosphere.
Bring indoor activities: Pack games for rainy periods. "It was chilly and windy but we still had a blast," notes a camper at Salt Creek Recreation Area. Several campgrounds offer covered areas for shelter during rain showers.
Check site dimensions: Many campgrounds were developed before larger RVs became common. "Check out the parking space limitations carefully, because this campground was developed back in the day before the massive rig trend," advises a Hoh Campground visitor.
Water and dump stations: RVers at Sol Duc should note available facilities. "There's a dump station and water fill near the boat ramp," reports a Fairholme visitor. Most campgrounds provide potable water but not all offer dump stations.
Limited generator hours: Respect quiet hours when running generators. "The registration process for this campground is confusing, if you show up without reservations like we did... Ultimately, there wasn't room for us at the non-hookup campground, and the RV sites were all booked," cautions a Sol Duc visitor about RV planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Sol Duc Hot Springs, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Sol Duc Hot Springs, WA is Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground — Olympic National Park with a 4.3-star rating from 68 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Sol Duc Hot Springs, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 114 dog-friendly camping locations near Sol Duc Hot Springs, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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