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Established Camping

Saltwater State Park Campground

Saltwater State Park Campground, near Des Moines, Washington, offers a unique camping experience with a blend of natural beauty and urban convenience. This spot is perfect for those who want to enjoy the outdoors while being close to the city, making it a popular choice for quick getaways.

The campground features clean facilities, including restrooms and showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of exploring. Many campers have enjoyed the beautiful sunsets over the water, with one noting, “The water at sunset is super pretty, can't beat that.” The beach area is a highlight, providing access to various activities like fishing and hiking along the scenic trails.

While the campground is small and sites are close together, it has a friendly vibe, and the host is often described as chill. Some campers have mentioned the frequent airplane traffic overhead, which can be loud but adds a unique charm for those who love watching jets. If you're looking for a spot that balances outdoor fun with easy access to Seattle's attractions, Saltwater State Park Campground is worth considering.

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Location

Saltwater State Park Campground is located in Washington

Detail location of campground

Directions

Located only two miles south of Des Moines, WA, near Sea-Tac International Airport in King County. Traveling north or south on I-5 take exit #149 at the Kent-Des Moines Hwy. 516, travel west on Hwy. 516 to Marine View Dr. turn left and travel south to S. 252nd St., turn right. The park entrance is one block on the left. Optional Route: From I-5 North: Take exit 147, turn left onto S. 272nd St. travel to 16th Ave So., turn right, travel north to Woodmont Dr. So., turn left , then turn right onto Marine View Drive and travel north to S. 252nd Street, just past the bridge turn left onto S. 252nd. The park entrance is one block on the left.

Address

25205 8th Place South
Des Moines, WA 98198

Coordinates

47.37271284 N
122.32317767 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Good
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Tent Cabin
  • Yurts

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • WiFi
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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5 Stars

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1 Star

10%
19%
46%
19%
10%

3.0

out of 5

11 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 12, 2024

2024 report - Camping closed all year

I live adjacent to the park. Camping is closed for 2024"while the park undergoes planning and development efforts.". Campfires have been banned for a couple years as the neighbors(who bought houses next to a state park) didn’t like the smell. Kayak rentals moved to Des Moines marina. Trails are fun, jet traffic is frequent. Sunsets amazing

Siteclosed for 2024
Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Sep. 2, 2021

Weird but doable

Small state park. The water at sunset is super pretty, can't beat that and it's only a five minute walk from the campsites. It's kinda unsettling though seeing signs that it's a high theft area.

Some of the campers here are pretty peculiar tbh. One guy kept yelling at his dogs for doing dog things and there was another family making being absolutely obnoxious and cussing after talk (thankfully they were right next to my site 🙃). Sites are really close together with no privacy. But they're clean and fit small tents pretty well.

Planes fly by constantly but if you have noisy neighbors it's kind of nice haha Bathrooms are super clean and there are 3 showers, also really clean. Host seemed chill.

Functionally it's a good campground. People just make it kinda weird.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Mark M., September 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Mark M., September 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Mark M., September 2, 2021
Reviewed Sep. 1, 2021

Great state park on the bay for airplane lovers!!

Staying two nights in the "preferred" #17 campsite. Parking was wide enough to fit my RV and my son's big Panel Truck. Pay showers ($1 for 3 minutes) and clean restroom with air dryer, pet friendly, lots of trails to hike and a beautiful beach area with a playground, seasonal/weekend snack shop, outdoor shower by the beach and full-time host. We paid $37 (+10 for extra vehicle) for one of the few "camper preferred" sites, but the normal rate is $25 (least preferred site) and $32 (average preference)and the only difference in the sites appears to be where in the campground they are located. We were at the end of the campground next to the camp host and a disabled access site, directly across from the showers. Great cell coverage for my T-Mobile plan. ***Commercial jets landing at Sea-Tac fly directly above us at a low altitude and are VERY loud and VERY frequent (every 3-5 minutes), so if you don't mind the noise, or LOVE airplanes (like we do), this is an Awesome campground!!!

Site17
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Travis P., September 1, 2021
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Travis P., September 1, 2021
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Travis P., September 1, 2021
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Sep. 1, 2021

Great spot near Seattle

We needed a place to stay with our camper van for a night before flying out of Seattle and it was perfect. Amenities were clean and fully functional. Nice people around and small spaces but very calm and quiet

Site17
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 7, 2021

Crowded Urban Camping

The campsite is best with a camper/RV. Can get loud with local partiers and sketchy bookings. It’s right in an urban/suburban corridor with incoming air traffic overhead constantly. It is getting two stars instead of one because the beach is clean and the amenities are okay.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Mar. 24, 2021

It’s... ok

The campground is small but does have bathrooms. The sites are pretty close together. It’s cool to take a walk from the campground to the beach but that’s about it. It’s a small park in the city, nothing else to it.

Also, lots of mosquitoes during summer!

Reviewed Dec. 7, 2020

This has become a family joke.

No joke- ALL day and night (I know, I know- I should’ve known) the planes felt like they were in our tent/heads. Every 3-30 seconds it was LOUD. It was a last minute booking between others, but this is the worst site I’ve ever stayed in. 

It was a party site and there were some scary people. Had I been alone with my girls, I would’ve stayed in the car.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Aug. 15, 2020

Nice day use

The day use area on the water is really nice, but the park itself is in a weird area and close to the Hwy overpass. Signs everywhere for “not responsible for theft” and it’s right outside of a neighborhood. Camping options are very limited since it’s a small park, so make reservations. I’d come here again for the beach access and views during the day, but probably not to camp

Reviewed Jul. 14, 2019

Neat little place

My family stayed here for a night when we went out to Washington a few months ago. It was a nice little place. Mostly we stayed here because of how close it was to seattle, so we were't at the campground very much. It does have a pretty good amount of sites. It's got showers and bathrooms which is always nice at a campground. It does have a lot of activities because of how close it is to the water. We saw people fishing, diving, sailing, etc. The only thing I didn't like about it was that building wood fires isn't allowed in the campground. 

The seattle area has all kinds of things to do. My family went to Pike Place Market which was awesome to see. We saw a Mariners game, the space needle, and went on some awesome hikes around the area. 

Overall the campground was a pretty nice place to stay, especially if you are trying to visit the seattle area for a couple of nights. Great place!

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Sam M., July 14, 2019
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Sam M., July 14, 2019
  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Sam M., July 14, 2019
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Jun. 29, 2019

Closest state park to city of Seattle

It’s a gorgeous park next to Pugent Sound. Fairly safe since it’s gated and a park ranger was there overnight. From my experience it was quiet and after a while the air traffic from the airport becomes tolerable.

However you must make reservations online on the website a few weeks before you plan to come

  • Review photo of Saltwater State Park Campground by Robert  G., June 29, 2019
Reviewed Jun. 14, 2019

Took a pass on this one

I hesitate to post this review but no one else has reviewed so here are my impressions. We thought we would use this as just an overnight stay while passing through the area but after checking it out, ended up passing. The day use area is very nice and right on the water; the campsites are located away from the water and look just ok. Half of the sites (20-37 and 49) are currently closed with no projected date of when they will re-open. The sites are not reservable. There was no park staff on-site when we arrived at mid-day during the week. Alcohol is prohibited in both the campground and the day use area. Note that the park is on the flight path of Sea-Tac airport. The campground is open April 1– mid-December but the day use area is open year-round.

Month of VisitJune

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the elevation of Saltwater State Park Campground?

    Saltwater State Park Campground is located at 32 feet.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Saltwater State Park Campground?

    Saltwater State Park Campground allows vehicles up to 60 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Saltwater State Park Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Saltwater State Park Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Saltwater State Park Campground have wifi?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Saltwater State Park Campground does have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Saltwater State Park Campground?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is good.