Cabins near Tahuya, Washington offer access to the Hood Canal, a glacially-carved fjord with 213 miles of shoreline. Located in Mason County, Tahuya sits at an elevation of 130 feet with dense evergreen forests and access to Tahuya State Forest's 23,000 acres. Summer temperatures average 70-75°F while winter drops to 40-45°F with frequent rainfall.
What to do
Clam digging and oyster harvesting: The Hood Canal shoreline provides excellent shellfish gathering opportunities. At Rest-A-While RV Park, visitors can pay the office for shellfish harvesting rights. As one camper noted, "Oceanside view stay, beautiful scenery, calm waters which is perfect for paddle boarding. You can dig for clams and oysters by paying cash to the office for your gatherings."
Lake recreation: Many cabin accommodations provide lake access. At Belfair State Park Campground, "The beach was great, water is rather warm for in the sound, it's also pretty shallow which is great for the kids to play in," according to one visitor.
Wildlife viewing: The area offers exceptional wildlife watching opportunities. Nearby Dosewallips State Park Campground features a wildlife viewing platform. A visitor explained, "Every night, my husband and I would walk to the wildlife viewing platform to see lots of birds, or walk down by the river and see lots of elk and bald eagles."
What campers like
River access: Many cabins are situated near rivers for fishing and relaxation. One camper at Dosewallips State Park noted, "Our campsite backed up on the river, so we were able to wade in it and put out some chairs and sit on the beach."
Hood Canal views: Waterfront cabin rentals provide scenic vistas. A guest at Glen Ayr Resort described it as a "Nice campground with all the amenities of a hotel. Full hook ups, showers, BBQ's, games, hot tub, laundry facilities, game room with fireplace and pool table all with a beautiful view of the Hood Canal!"
Hiking trails: Several properties offer immediate trail access from the cabin areas. At Dow Creek Resort, a visitor appreciated the "Awesome little campground. Trails to walk & amazing customer service!!!" Another guest described it as "very clean and kept grounds in the woods."
What you should know
Reservation timing: Cabin rentals near Tahuya require advance planning, especially for waterfront locations. As one camper advised about Belfair State Park, "The beach loop fills up quickly - get your reservations in as early as possible if you want to camp there."
Cabin amenities vary significantly: While some cabins offer deluxe features, others provide basic shelter. At Summertide Resort & Marina, a visitor noted, "The cabin was a bit older, but it has a charm to it, everyone had service there too."
Highway noise: Some canal-side properties experience road noise. A camper at The Waterfront at Potlatch mentioned, "All have views of beautiful Hood Canal. Property is well maintained. Would have given five stars, if not for the noise from the 101, which is just feet away."
Tips for camping with families
Beach access for children: Choose cabins with gentle shoreline access for families with small children. At Belfair State Park, a visitor shared, "Tent camped here mid week last August. There's a beach loop for RVs and a woods loop for tents & smaller RVs. Overall pretty quiet, close to town, close to ATV trails & dog friendly. The kids loved the park!"
Platform tents and glamping: For families wanting a middle ground between tent camping and cabins, consider platform tent options. A visitor to Dosewallips State Park reported, "While it's quite basic it gave an amazing nature experience. We usually do tent camping, but we opted for platform tents here as we were only staying one night. The tent was much nicer than we expected and had a good amount of space."
Cabin selection strategy: Research cabin locations carefully for the best family experience. At Millersylvania State Park Campground, a visitor recommended, "The canvas tent option was one I didn't know about until I got there. The tents are cabin shaped and have a few chairs and BBQ grill outside it. Great option for families."
Tips from RVers
Site spacing considerations: Many Tahuya area campgrounds place RV sites close together. At Belfair State Park, a visitor observed, "Small sites with little privacy but very well kept for a heavily used park. That is the waterfront loop, the tent loop is also quite nice and a bit more private but we have not stayed there."
Off-season advantages: Consider cabin stays during shoulder seasons for better availability and quieter conditions. A visitor to Millersylvania State Park shared, "After months of trying to get reservations for this popular campground, we finally got one for Thanksgiving weekend! The park is on their winter schedule so only sites 1-7 and 226-248 were open. It made for a nice, quiet weekend even though the open sites were 80% full."
Accessibility features: Some cabin areas offer better access for larger rigs than others. At Dow Creek Resort, one camper noted, "Clean sites, as advertised. Sites are dirt, so can get a little muddy in the wet season. Friendly staff - stayed over Thanksgiving, and were able to accommodate our check in, which was nice to find a campground actually open."
