Camper submitted image from Willaby Campground - 1
View All
Camper submitted image from Willaby Campground - 2
Nature
Camper submitted image from Willaby Campground - 3
Water
Camper submitted image from Willaby Campground - 4
Facilities
Camper submitted image from Willaby Campground - 5
People

Established Camping

Willaby Campground

Willaby Campground, near Quinault, Washington, is a charming spot that offers a rustic camping experience right by the stunning Lake Quinault. With its small number of sites, it provides a cozy atmosphere where you can truly connect with nature, surrounded by lush forests and the sounds of the outdoors.

The campground features basic amenities, including picnic tables and fire pits, perfect for gathering around after a day of exploring. Visitors have praised the beautiful views and the easy access to hiking trails, like the Lake Quinault Loop Trail, which is great for a scenic stroll with your furry friends. One camper noted, “For sheer beauty alone this campground deserves 5 stars,” highlighting the breathtaking scenery that makes this place special.

If you’re into water activities, you’ll love the proximity to the lake, where you can swim, kayak, or just relax by the shore. The day-use area is a hit, offering a nice beach for splashing around without the crowds. While the campground is small and can get busy during peak times, the peaceful vibe and natural beauty make it a worthwhile stop for anyone looking to unwind in the great outdoors.

Description

USDA Forest Service

Olympic National Forest

Overview

With all campsites located near the shoreline of glacially carved Lake Quinault, visitors are sure to enjoy the beautiful shoreline and interpretive opportunities in the area. From old-growth trees in the surrounding rain forest to excellent fishing, Willaby Campground's location is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.

Recreation

The forest features 10 miles of hiking trails and many waterfalls within walking distance of the campground. Lake Quinault is part of the Quinault Indian Nation As such,You must have a fishing permit and or boat permit through the Quinault Indian Nation. Both may be purchased through local merchants. Lake Quinault Lodge offers boat and kayak rentals as well as a number of interpretive tours.

Natural Features

The forested slopes of Olympic National Park provide a scenic backdrop across Lake Quinault. Towering conifers including Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western red cedar provide dense shade for this beautiful setting. The forest floor is covered with lush rain forest plants including moss, ferns, false lily-of-the-valley and oxalis.

Nearby Attractions

Nearby, Lake Quinault Lodge offers a restaurant and gift shop. Short trails in the area include the Big Spruce Tree Trail, Forest Service Nature Trail, Kestner Homestead Trail and the Maple Glade Trail. Explore the ocean beaches close-by as well as the National Fish Hatchery. For a more adventuresome day, drive up the valley to hike along the rivers or climb the 4,200 ft. Colonel Bob Peak for expansive views of the mountains and valleys on a clear day.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (360) 288-2525.

Charges & Cancellations

Reserved sites must be occupied within 24 hours or the site will be forfetied for remainder of reservation.

Fee Info

Extra vehicle fee $5 per vehicle per night.

Suggest an Edit

Location

Willaby Campground is located in Washington

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Seattle Travel on 1-5 south to Olympia, take highway 101 N toward Aberdeen. Take state highway 8, this turns into highway 12 which will get you to Aberdeen. From Aberdeen, WA travel 40 miles north on Highway 101 to South Shore Road. Take South Shore road 1.5 miles to Willaby Campground. Entrance to campground is from the South Shore Road just beyond the Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trailhead.

Coordinates

47.46132778 N
123.8605417 W

Open in Google Maps

Is Willaby Campground sold out?

Quickly grab cancellations!

Learn More

Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Available
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Poor

Site Types

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

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump

Contact

General Info

Reservations


Reviews

Add Review

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

69%
28%
10%
0%
0%

4.5

out of 5

22 Reviews

Reviewed Feb. 22, 2024

Good

Rustic campsites provide the perfect setting for an authentic outdoor experience, complete with Inat TV crackling campfires and starlit skies.

Reviewed Feb. 22, 2024

Nice place to viist

Whether you're pitching a tent beneath the canopy of trees or parking your camper in a cozy nook,  delta executor Willaby Campground offers a range of accommodations to suit every preference.

Reviewed May. 25, 2022

Campground's great, scenery's even better

For sheer beauty alone this campground deserves 5 stars.  We were in site 15, right on Lake Quinault, and really enjoyed everything we saw and did here.  The campground is small and right off the road but traffic noise isn't bothersome, particularly if you snag a site on the lake.  Overall, you can't beat the location.  Our site was quiet and more secluded than some of the others (we had to move to #14 next door when we decided to stay one more night--it was good but not as secluded).  But wow, the temperate rainforest across the road made the whole place worthwhile.  We were able to hike the Lake Quinault Loop Trail with our dogs (about 3.8 miles) and for these rain-starved Californians, it was heaven on Earth:  lush, verdant, and with a thousand different shades of green.  The campground has bathrooms with flush toilets and cold water sinks (no showers), and there are garbage cans for your trash.  Ranger station is about ½ mile away if you need maps or someone official to talk to.  Not a lot of options for takeout food, if that's your thing; the two restaurants up the road aren't exactly culinary treasures.  But the scenery makes up for any shortcomings.  Lake Quinault is a jewel.

Site15 and 14
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by L , May 25, 2022
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by L , May 25, 2022
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by L , May 25, 2022
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Jul. 14, 2021

Overlooking Lake Quinault

Willaby Campground is a beautiful campground in the Olympic National Forest and overlooks picturesque Lake Quinault.  It's a small campground with just 21 sites and basic amenities.  WIth easy lake access from the day use area, I would recommend packing a kayak or paddleboard if you have one.  There's also an easy walking trail along the lake that leads directly to all of the amenities at the historic Lake Quinault Lodge.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Tanya B., July 14, 2021
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Tanya B., July 14, 2021
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Tanya B., July 14, 2021
Reviewed Jun. 21, 2021

Beautiful but tiny

We camped at Willaby for the first time this year (reservations), and stayed in the most beautiful campsite, #13.  The beach access is very close, so you get a bit of traffic from the day use people. There's a gorgeous trail head right next to #15 that takes you to the big spruce that's about a 6 mile hike that I'd highly recommend. The campsites are very small and can accommodate 1 tent. #15 is a bit bigger and might be able to squeeze two tents. Bathrooms are reasonably clean, water source is powerful. There's no host, and we did have an issue the required Ranger intervention. They responded promptly and kept checking back. Phone # is on the bathroom info board . About a mile from Lake Quinault lodge and general store that sells wet firewood, ice, beer and other things you might need. Gas station as well.

Some spotty phone connection. You'd hit a place and get message dumps to your phone.

Site#13, 14 & 15
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by G , June 21, 2021
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by G , June 21, 2021
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by G , June 21, 2021
Reviewed Jun. 18, 2021

lush forest feels isolated

surrounded by really dense forest so each site feels secluded. right on lake quinault and super close to the town of quinault which is so cute.

Site7
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Feb. 5, 2021

Nice trails, pretty lake

Quiet campground, trees in-between spots so you don't see your neighbors. Spots right on the lake and a spot to walk down to the lake if you don’t get those campsites. You can hop on a great trail right from the campground that goes along a creek.

  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Kelsey Z., February 5, 2021
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Kelsey Z., February 5, 2021
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Kelsey Z., February 5, 2021
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2020

Cozy Campground on the great Quinault Lake

We drove in on a super busy weekend at the end of August (right before school starts and during this pandemic where everyone just needed to get out) but were able to get lucky and fund 1 site that wasn't reserved for a night.  Sites are on the small side but fairly private.  Some choice sites are right on the late (and further from the road), but those will undoubtably be reserved so plan ahead.  This campground has a great (free) day-use area with a really nice beach for swimming/splashing and it doesn't get too busy.  I wouldn't probably stay here more than a day or two but it's a great stop-over as you head north towards the Olympic National Park or ocean beaches.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by JeffT , August 28, 2020
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by JeffT , August 28, 2020
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2020

BEAutiful. Right on Lake Quinalt

Simple, rustic, and so beautiful. Not too busy, but alive. Several kid friendly hikes around. And the lake is just great for swimming and kayaking. Check in and check out was really simple, reserving online.

Site15
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Brittany C., August 1, 2020
Reviewed Jun. 20, 2020

Lakeside camping, gets crowded in the summer

This beautiful lakeside camping spot is perfect for a weekend at Lake Quinault! There are plenty of spots and although it probably fills up in the summer it would appear you can reserve the sites (saw notes on sites). 

There is water as well as at least one vault toilet that I saw, you are pretty close to the mercantile in Quinault so if you forget anything you can make a quick drive down the road for necessities. There's also a boat launch and a pretty great beach down towards the water (see my video) that gets you right out onto the lake.

IT's $25 a night here which is pretty fair for lakeside camping with basically all the things you need for a great time out on Lake Quinault. Also, check out the rainforest trail to see some spectacular old growth or drive upriver to do some pretty epic day hikes!

Month of VisitJune
  • windshield tour
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Zach A., June 20, 2020
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Zach A., June 20, 2020
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Sep. 12, 2019

Nice setting

This is a nice campground, with room for drop in camping. It is very close to the main road and not very quiet. The campsites were well maintained as were the bathrooms. Our campsite was very wooded and visually pretty private, despite road traffic very nearby. The day use beach area was great for launching a kayak, and has a boat ramp for larger vessels. Willaby creek offers a nice setting for walks and picnics.

  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Rebecca M., September 12, 2019
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Rebecca M., September 12, 2019
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Rebecca M., September 12, 2019
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Aug. 20, 2019

Nice and well mantained

The bathrooms were very clean and the place to camp is nice. The campground is relax (near beautiful lake) and everybody very respectful. There were a lot of dogs but all of them with leash. There was some noise from the route near by that was a little disturbing.

SiteSite 10
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed May. 29, 2019

Quiet, serene, perfect

Sites are tucked along a hillside, most look out over the lake. An easy walk down to the pebbly beach and boat ramp. We saw the most amazing sunset. Bathrooms are clean but may run out of toilet paper—plan to bring a spare roll just in case.

  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Catherine S., May 29, 2019
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Catherine S., May 29, 2019
Reviewed May. 1, 2019

Amazing Lake Views!

Willaby Campground is right on Quinalt Lake in the southern part of Olympic National Park -- a great spot to hit if you're coming into the peninsula from Oregon or Southern Washington.

Campsites are in a big loop that is on a slope, and some of the sites have amazing views right overlooking the lake. It's a small campground.

The are plenty of hiking options around the area and lots of lake activities. Willaby makes a great base for seeing the whole Quinalt area. There is a national park lodge on the lake with beautiful gardens just a short walk away, and the small town has a little general store that has a little deli and Free WIFI! After not having internet for a few days, we might have spent a little bit too much time in the general store instead of in the campground!

Site5
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Stephanie Z., May 1, 2019
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Stephanie Z., May 1, 2019
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Stephanie Z., May 1, 2019
  • (13) View All
Reviewed Apr. 24, 2019

Stunning. Breathtaking.

This is my favorite campground ever! We went late August 2018 and the lake was gorgeous! The campground is on the lake, beautiful views. Parking is difficult in some sites for trailers, due to being on a hill. The host was awesome, the creek that runs behind the host site leads to the lake. Bathrooms were clean. You are camping in a rainforest! Campground is on Southshore rd, I HIGHLY recommend taking the slow dirt Rd on Northshore Rd. Such gorgeous views, I saw a bear, maybe 2.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Andrea R., April 24, 2019
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Andrea R., April 24, 2019
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Andrea R., April 24, 2019
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jul. 19, 2018

Willaby on Lake Quinault

About half the campsites are on the lake and if you can you want one of those ones!! We had site 10 and the view was amazing. the campsite was fairly private and decent size. The campground is ideally located by Olympic National Park with easy access to many hikes and just down the road from the Largest Sitka Spruce!

  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Kim B., July 19, 2018
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Kim B., July 19, 2018
Reviewed Jul. 19, 2017

Beautiful lake under the stars!

We arrived late and the camp host allowed us to set up our tent in the overflow area which ended up working out great! We camped right by the lake with an amazing view of the mountains, lake and stars. The campground itself was a little tight so I was actually pretty happy to find our own little spot in the overflow area.

SiteOverflow area
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Josh W., July 19, 2017
Reviewed Jun. 17, 2017

Beautiful campground in old growth rainforest!

Pretty campground in Olympic National Park! Visit the lodge to shower for $3 with access to the sauna. Easy access to trails for exploring! Quiet and first come first serve campground. Get there before noon to secure a spot.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed May. 30, 2017

Forested spots right next to the lake

This may be my favorite car-camping campground. Why?

  • The spots are heavily forested, so they feel private even though they are close together.
  • The trees are amazing. The moss is amazing. The lake is beautiful.
  • Flush toilets
  • It's one of the few spots around Olympic NP that takes reservations. I drove up late on Friday of Memorial Day weekend, so really wanted a reservation to make sure I had a place to sleep.
  • It was nice and quiet, even on Memorial Day weekend
  • Nice flat, dedicated tent spots (although small if you have multiple tents).

I stayed in spot 11 which was really close to the lake (although no access given the steep slope). There was drinking water right next to my site. The only bad thing about #11 is that you can hear the loud hand dryers from the nearby bathrooms.

Site11
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Lauren E., May 30, 2017
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Lauren E., May 30, 2017
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Lauren E., May 30, 2017
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Sep. 30, 2016

Great but not perfect..

This is the best campground on lake quinault south shore. It is right on the water and has secluded spots the form a figure 8. The bathrooms are fairly fresh and didn't offer a complaint. The campground doesn't give you a ton of privacy but is better than most in the area. No overflow camping at all.

Reviewed Jun. 14, 2015

Tight spaces, but seem private

We did a quick drive through these sites and there were several right on the lakefront, but elevated so there's not immediate access unless you're down at the day-use portion of the campground. This is an Aramark site, so there are modern conveniences such as flush toilets and Wi-Fi (seriously).

The individual sites were small, but terraced so there was enough space between them to feel private.

  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Bill M., June 14, 2015
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Bill M., June 14, 2015
  • Review photo of Willaby Campground by Bill M., June 14, 2015

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Willaby Campground?

    Willaby Campground allows vehicles up to 30 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Willaby Campground?

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

  • Does Willaby Campground have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Willaby Campground does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Willaby Campground?

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

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Willaby Campground?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Willaby Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Willaby Campground, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Willaby Campground?

    There are 21 campsites at Willaby Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts