Thomas B.

The Dyrt Pro

Port Townsend, WA

Joined December 2018

Writer - Photographer - Adventurer

Nice spot for a quick overnight

This is the best of several boondocking options around the Fresno Reservoir. We were the only ones here on a weeknight (right before the 4th of July). There are several choices, including some with shade under the cottonwood trees you so often find near rivers. There’s also a flat concrete pad that would work well for a big RV. You could pitch a tent here if you wanted to. The access is good - about 2.5 miles from Hwy. 2. The dirt road is a little washboard but no big potholes. Verizon phone service was excellent. You’re right next to the dam outflow so not really a good place for swimming, but it looks like people like to fish here.

Amazing point

This is one of several very rustic dispersed campsites along a ruggedly beautiful stretch of Washington coast that are accessible only by hiking in. You’re set back only a few feet from the rocky beach and therefore exposed to weather coming off the ocean, so be sure to plan accordingly with tent, tarp and appropriate clothing. You have to register/reserve through the Port Angeles ranger station so you can’t just show up and camp. There’s a triangle trail from Ozette trailhead, so you can hike to Cape Alava and go south, and then return by going down to Sand Point and inland, or vice versa.

Walking distance to the beach

This is one of two campgrounds at Fort Worden, which I find slightly less preferable to the lower (beach) campground. It is a close second though, since it's an easy walk to the beach, and actually offers a nice wooded location. The sites are pretty close together, so you don't get a lot of privacy. There are also lots of trails, and you could walk into lovely town of Port Angeles if you were up for a bit of a walk. This is on the site of an old fort, so there are big parade grounds for walking and picnicking away from your campsite. You need a Discover Pass for day use. These are required at pretty much all county and state campgrounds in Washington State. They cost $30 per year.

Sacred remote location

This is one of several very rustic dispersed campsites along a ruggedly beautiful stretch of Washington coast that are accessible only by hiking in. You’re set back only a few feet from the rocky beach and therefore exposed to weather coming off the ocean, so be sure to plan accordingly with tent, tarp and appropriate clothing. You have to register/reserve through the Port Angeles ranger station so you can’t just show up and camp. There’s a triangle trail from Ozette trailhead, so you can hike to Cape Alava and go south, and then return by going down to Sand Point and inland, or vice versa. One really cool nearby feature is a series of petroglyphs carved by native people in a nearby stone. It does feel like a sacred place.

Nice campground but a few downsides

This is a decent campground run by some hard-working private owners. It definitely has its pros and cons. The big pro is that while they don't take reservations, they pride themselves on never turning anyone away. That means you can always find a place to spend the night, although it may mean pitching your tent in the lawn area behind the office/store. Another big pro is that you're within walking distance (~ a quarter mile) of the Ozette Ranger Station and trailheads to the beach. We did the triangle hike to Cape Alava, then down the beach where petroglyphs are visible, to Sand Point and back up to the beginning. Just over 11 miles altogether. You need wilderness permits for camping down at the beach, which you can now get at Recreation.gov. No permits are required for hiking, but you do need proof that you paid the National Park entry fee (or have a pass) to park in the trailhead lot.

The biggest negative of the Lost Resort is the shortage of toilets. There is one flushable toilet available at all times and two porta-johns up the hill. There is another toilet inside, but it's only available when the store is open during daylight hours. This was a big problem on a very busy Labor Day weekend. The nice people who run the place said they are trying to get more toilets, but are limited by the availability of water, low water pressure, and park restrictions. There is also a single shower available to campers for $3, or $6 for non-customers.

Each established site has fire ring and a picnic table, although you can tell that makeshift sites used for crowded nights don't have those amenities. There are some open sites and some very enclosed woodsy sites. The sites aren't numbered. There's a marshy area in the middle that would not be good for tents.

The road in from Sekiu is paved all the way, but it's curvy with a 35 mph speed limit. Our navigation brought us over on 112 from Port Angeles, but I highly recommend taking 101 along the gorgeous Lake Crescent and then heading north on 113. Maybe a few miles longer, but much faster and more scenic.

We enjoyed paddling our kayak on Lake Ozette, but it got a little tricky with some afternoon winds. Motorboats are allowed on the lake, but they are mostly small fishing boats.

Overlooked Opportunity

This nice little campground probably gets overlooked by people heading to Port Townsend or Marrowstone Island, but it’s well worth consideration. There are sites in the woods that are preferable to the more open sites near the day use area, which are very close together. The sites in the wooded loop offer better privacy, although heavy tree cover limits the sunlight if you have solar. Nice beach down the hill. Also not too far from the Port Townsend historic waterfront, which would be a nice bike ride but a long walk. Clean and well maintained. Would definitely go back for a night or two

Nice stopover on scenic river

This is a small campground on a pretty river. The sites are pretty close together, and it’s not really dispersed since there aren’t really any places to camp except the established sites. There are a lot trees so solar panels don’t get much charging. There’s a nice but short boardwalk through the trees. Nice platform overlooking the river. The road winds around a bit so you don’t feel like you’re to close together. Not a lot of trails, but not far to drive to Salt Creek Recreation Area, which is beautiful. About an hour to Hurricane Ridge.

Absolutely beautiful

It’s so great to find a new campground on the map and then have it far surpass your expectations. And then to arrive on a sunny Friday afternoon and find a great first-come/first serve (FCFS) campsite about 100 yards from a breathtakingly beautiful shoreline. Amazing! This county-run campground sets aside about half of its sites for reservations, and the other half, including dry RV sites, for FCFS. It probably gets harder to find a last-minute site in the peak summer months, but the friendly camp host (Pete) and a few others we talked to made it sound like it’s still possible. We almost missed this opportunity by not looking quite hard enough for the loop with the FCFS sites. In fact, we had gone on to another campground a few miles away and met someone who urged us to come back. We’re so glad we did. To get to the upper loop you have to pass some RV sites that are overlooking the water, but have zero privacy. Then you get to a more woodsy loop where the sites are farther apart. Our site (76) was perfect for our skoolie and support vehicle, but it didn’t really have a tent pad, and neither did the one next to us (77). Some of the sites in this loop back right up to the path that runs along the top of the bluff, which would mean people were walking right next to your site. Not very private. There’s easy access to the rocky beach which is super scenic, although often windy. There are several vault toilets and also full bathrooms with showers (bring quarters - 2 minutes per quarter). The campground is generally quite clean and well maintained. This is one of those campgrounds that you want to keep secret, but also tell everyone you know. So glad to discover it.

Right along the beach

This is one of two campgrounds at Fort Worden, which I prefer over the upper (Forest) campground. This is one of those campgrounds that gets big points for its location and views, and not so much for its privacy or beauty. It's a long, flat, open area along the beach and mixed in with the beach vegetation. The sites are pretty close together, so you don't get a lot of privacy. You do have the beach, lots of trails, a scenic lighthouse and that salt sea air. You do get lots of fog in the morning sometimes, and a pretty steady breeze off the water. You need a Discover Pass for day use. These are required at pretty much all county and state campgrounds in Washington State. They cost $30 per year.

Great views from average campground

This is a classic example of an average RV park/campground in a prime location. It's basically a parking lot plunked down in one of the most beautiful places on earth, in my opinion. The sites are right next to each other with only a few feet between sites. The front spaces have a view of mountains and water, and open out onto a pretty beach. You have essentially no privacy, but again, those views. You're a short walk to the Port Townsend business district with all its shops, restaurants and galleries. You can catch a ferry over to Whidbey Island, which is great for a day of biking. You’ll definitely need to book well in advance for this one.

On the shores of Hood Canal

This campground is located on the northern side of Hood Canal and offers some great views of the water. About half the sites are in the woods, although they are all pretty close together. Some of the larger sites, including the RV sites, are right next to the beach, and you can set up chairs and have a beautiful view. These sites have little, if any, vegetation to provide privacy. A mid-week visit in early May found lots of sites open. The grounds and bathrooms are clean and well-maintained. There is a lot of open lawn, especially in the day use area, which would be great in the busy summer months. You need a Discover Pass for day use. These are required at pretty much all county and state campgrounds in Washington State. Right now they cost $30 per year. There is one Washington Water Trails site available for people arriving by human-powered boats (kayaks). It's first-come, first-served, with a picnic table and fire ring.

Walking distance to Hood Canal

This is clean and well-maintained state campground that offers nice access to the southern tip of Hood Canal, although you have to cross Rt. 106 to get to the waterside picnic area and docks, and that can get fairly busy. Most of the campsites are pretty close together, so privacy is not great and noise could be an issue. At the campground you're really in the woods, so if you need sunlight for your solar panels, you may be out of luck. There are some nice trails that start at the campground. You could ride your bikes along Rt. 106, but again, it's kind of a busy road, and probably more so in the summer. You need a Discover Pass for day use. These are required at pretty much all county and state campgrounds in Washington State. They cost $30 per year.

Clean and tidy but not much privacy

This is a very basic campground, but it's clean and very well maintained. It's about 10 minutes off Rt. 3, all the way on paved roads, which do get pretty narrow as you enter the park. The sites, some of which are reservable, are pretty close together and don't offer much privacy. Some are right next to each other in an open area. Some are set into the woods, but still not very private. The bathrooms are centrally located, and very clean by campground standards. The big plus about this campground is the proximity to the water. You can walk to docks in a couple of places, which means you can bring your kayaks or small boats, or arrive by boat, if you want. When the tide is out the mud is exposed in several areas. There isn't really a beach area. This would be a great campground for a one-night stopover, but the closeness of the sites would make it less desirable for longer stays. If you like to play horseshoes you're in luck. There are two sets of horseshoe pits. Less than half the sites were occupied during a midweek in early May. Summer weekends probably get more crowded.

First to Review
Healing Retreat Now Open to the Public

This is not a typical camping area. It is a private, non-profit, healing retreat focusing on wellness. It started out as a place for people recovering from cancer and their loved ones and healthcare providers. It recently opened to the public while still maintaining a focus on health and wellness. 

There are four tent platforms in the woods that can be reserved, as well as a yurt that is also used for yoga and other activities. There are also cabin rentals. It's a beautiful location, and campers can also participate in yoga and meditation programs and wellness activities (for a fee). There are two labyrinths for relaxation and meditation, and also several trails and paths.

Handy Stopping Point

We kind of stumbled into this free spot while heading to a more formal campground near Pelton Dam. As the daylight faded I spotted a pullout/turnaround area which then led to a rather private loop with a great view of the Deschutes River and Lake Simtustus. I had to confirm with the Dyrt BLM map overlay, but I was glad to find myself on public land. It’s not really a place I’d choose to spend more than one night, since it doesn’t really connect to any trails or walking areas, but it was a handy en-route overnight spot, complete with a nice view and bright sunset. It’s only a few miles off Rt. 26, following signs to Pelton Dam. There was plenty of room to turn around my 26’ skoolie. However, I didn’t really see a good place for a tent, but I didn’t look very hard. There were signs of previous users, including a fire ring (which I didn’t use). Since it was the eve of Earth Day, I did collect a bagful of empty cans and trash. Leave no trace, people!

One of our favorites in Central Oregon

We enjoyed a return to this campground and found it less populated in April than it had been when we were here during late summer a few years ago. It's located right along the Deschutes River with a landing used by rafters and fishers. There are lots of trails and roads to walk on, so it would be easy to spend a few nights here. You can't make reservations, although when we found it full last time we were able to share one of the larger sites with a guy who had somehow fit his Class A motor home through the very small tunnel you have to fit through to get here. There's no drinking water, so make sure to bring your own, or be prepared to purify the river water. There's a fair amount of ground cover, so you feel like there's a little privacy between sites. This site will stay on our list of easy favorites in Central Oregon.

Right by the river

This is a nice campground right on the banks of the Deschutes River, surrounded by high canyon walls and basalt outcroppings. The road is pretty bumpy and narrow, but it’s flat and there are several wide spots for passing. You can see pretty far ahead so you’ll know if other vehicles are coming well in advance. The sites are decent size, but there aren’t many trees so privacy is minimal. A canopy is a good thing to have. There is a boat ramp for arriving or launching. There’s also a trail down to Trout Creek, about 7 miles away. Only one other site was taken mid-week in late April, but it probably gets busy on weekends. No reservations are taken.

Up in the woods

We ended up at this spot after finding roads closed by snow farther up the hill. It had plenty of fairly flat ground for our 26” skoolie. There was a fire ring, but we didn’t use. It got very cold at night. We were fine in our bus, but our traveling partner had his water bottle freeze in his tent. It’s a bit of an uphill drive off 15, but it’s a pretty good gravel road. There was a fair amount of litter from what looked like a hunting group when we arrived, but we took it with us.

Broad Horizons

This dispersed spot was a nice one-night stopover. It’s pretty close to the main road (26) on a pretty good gravel road. The site can accommodate a pretty big rig or trailer, although there’s really only one fairly level area, or just a car and a few tents. It’s got a 360-degree view of the surrounding hills. Drawbacks are that it’s got limited hiking and biking options.

Dramatic cliffs and beautiful lake

This is a basic campground set in a beautiful location along the shores of Lake Billy Chinook which is actually a dammed reservoir fed by three major rivers in this area - Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius. Sites are large and open, if not super private. It’s clean and well maintained. Easy access to trails and boating. It can get pretty windy.