Looking for more things to do on your visit to Olympic National Park?
Check out my Olympic Peninsula Hiking Guide and Explorer’s Guide to Lake Crescent!
LOCATION
Sol Duc Campground is located in Olympic National Park, 12 miles south of Highway 101 on Sol Duc Hot Springs Road. The turnoff for Sol Duc Hot Springs Road is two miles west of Lake Crescent.
ABOUT THE SITES
- Sol Duc Campground has 82 standard campsites and 17 RV campsites. There is also a group campsite.
- Standard nonelectric campsites cost $30 per night, while those with electricity cost $55.
- Standard campsites at Sol Duc Campground are scattered throughout a lush woodland. Site size varies, but many are spacious, with good privacy between sites. Some are large enough to accommodate RVs.
- The RV sites are packed together on a parking lot, away from the rest of the campground. It’s more of a parking spot with electrical and water hookups, but you are still surrounded by beautiful forest.
- Sol Duc Campground is open from roughly late March through October. Please check the Sol Duc Hot Springs RV & Campground webpage for current information.
- Some sites can be reserved, while others are first come, first served. For information on securing a site, see “How to Claim a First Come, First Served Campsite at Sol Duc Campground”.
- Reservations are available from mid-May through October. Sites can be reserved up to six months in advance on the Recreation.gov website. Remember that not all campsites can be reserved in advance; some remain first come, first served only throughout the year.
- Pets are allowed at Sol Duc Campground, but are not allowed on the trail to Sol Duc Falls or other National Park trails.
- Sol Duc Campground is quiet and secluded. You won’t get much traffic noise here, especially at night. While I can’t guarantee you won’t have noisy neighbors, it was peaceful and subdued when we walked through on our way to Sol Duc Falls, and many sites were vacant. Be a respectful camper, and do your part to keep Sol Duc Campground a place for all to relax and enjoy time in nature.
AMENITIES
- Restrooms with flush toilets and running water
- Drinkable water
- NO showers (but you can shower at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort after a pool session)
- Fire pits and picnic tables at all sites
- Firewood may be for sale seasonally
- Water and electrical hookups available at the RV sites ONLY
- Amphitheater
FUN STUFF
- Soak at Sol Duc Hot Springs. It’s the perfect ending to a day of hiking, and only a 15-minute walk from Sol Duc Campground. Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort also offers a restaurant, small store, and gift shop, and rents cabins.
- Hike to beautiful Sol Duc Falls. The trail departs directly from the campground, and it’s a three-mile hike along a peaceful, forested trail to reach the waterfall.
- Enjoy the tranquility of the Sol Duc River. This lovely river flows past the campground. Bring a camp chair and relax to the sound of the gurgling stream.
- Have kids? Don’t forget to check out the Junior Ranger program! You can pick up Junior Ranger booklets and get sworn in at one of Olympic National Park’s visitor centers. Check for scheduled Junior Ranger activities as well.
- Catch a ranger talk at the amphitheater. Programs may be offered on summer weekends. Check the bulletin board at the campground for a schedule.
CURRENT INFO & RESERVATIONS
- Sol Duc Campground offers both reservable sites (in peak season) and first come, first served campsites. Visit the Recreation.gov website to make advance reservations. For first come, first served sites, see below for how to claim a campsite.
- For general information about Sol Duc Campground, visit the Olympic National Park camping webpage and the Sol Duc Hot Springs RV & Campground webpage.
HOW TO CLAIM A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED CAMPSITE AT SOL DUC CAMPGROUND
If the idea of scoring a first come, first served campsite makes you nervous, I have good news: scoring a weekday site at Sol Duc Campground is generally pretty easy. Now, keep in mind I’m basing this off of one mid-week visit during the peak of summer. Still, on that one visit we saw dozens of open campsites. Fortunately, Sol Duc’s somewhat more remote location seems to deter the crowds that flock to nearby Fairholme Campground on Lake Crescent.
If you’re arriving on a Friday or Saturday, I recommend reserving in advance when possible. Either that, or arrive early. Now on to claim your site!
TOP TIPS FOR CLAIMING A CAMPSITE
- Arrive early, especially on Fridays or Saturdays. During the week, you may still be able to snag a site even late in the day, as the campground isn’t always full.
- Check first for unoccupied sites. Please note that the site must be completely vacated — if a camp chair or other personal items are there, that means the site has been claimed!
- Check the registration board for to see which sites will be vacated that day. If you don’t find a vacant site you like, this is the next step. Each campsite has a slot on the board where campers place their registration stubs. Once the camp host has cleared the board for the day, the slots for available sites will be empty. If the board has not been cleared, check the departure dates on the stubs.
- When you see that someone is planning to vacate a site, you can go to that site and politely confirm if they are leaving. If so, they may allow you to leave a personal item at the site to claim it, such as a camp chair.
OK, so you found a campsite, but now what? Read on!
HOW TO REGISTER YOUR CAMPSITE
- First, claim your site by either parking your vehicle there or leaving a personal item at the site, such as a camp chair. Remember, the site must be completely vacated for you to claim it!
- Next, go to the registration board for your campground loop. Fill out one of the campsite registration slips as instructed.
- Tear off the stub from the registration slip and place it in the window for your campsite. This stub shows that the site has been claimed and includes your departure date. The camp host comes through daily to remove stubs for sites that have been vacated, but if you arrive early you may find that the stubs haven’t yet been removed.
- Put the payment portion of the registration slip in the locked box next to the board. Payment is by credit or debit card only! Provide your account information on the payment slip, or go online to make a payment. Information on how to pay online is included at the board, but this can be a challenge since cell service is poor at Sol Duc Campground.
NEARBY & NOTABLE
- Lake Crescent is a wonderful area to explore. Head to Barnes Point to visit historic Lake Crescent Lodge, the Storm King Ranger Station, and take a short hike to Marymere Falls.
- Devils Punchbowl is a favorite swimming hole on Lake Crescent. Our family loves it! To reach it, drive to the northeast corner of the lake, then walk one mile along the paved Spruce Railroad Trail. This trail extends further along Lake Crescent, and is perfect for hiking or biking.
- Hurricane Ridge is another must-see in Olympic National Park, offering incredible hikes surrounded by the Olympic Mountains.
- Granny’s Cafe is the place to go for towering cones of soft serve. The cafe is located a few miles east of Lake Crescent right off Highway 101, and is a good place to stop en route to or from Hurricane Ridge.
- Lake Ozette offers a wild, more remote experience. Drive to the northwest corner of Olympic National Park to kayak, or take a hike to a windswept Pacific beach.
- Rialto Beach on the Pacific Coast offers amazing scenery and tide pools. You can camp nearby at lovely Mora Campground.
THE VERDICT
With many beautiful, forested campsites with easy access to hiking trails and Sol Duc Hot Springs, Sol Duc Campground is a gorgeous place to camp! Too bad we haven’t actually stayed here overnight. Yes, you heard right, we haven’t camped here… yet. Regardless, we were impressed when hiking through on our way to Sol Duc Falls. It was a late weekday morning, and many of the campsites were empty, with numerous slots available on the reservation board. The setting was verdant and peaceful, a green oasis in the midst of towering trees.
We checked out a variety of campsites, noting that many offered great privacy. Some were near the river, and all had picnic tables and fire rings (not that those were of much use with the current fire ban in effect). The registration system for first come, first served campsites was identical to Fairholme Campground, but unlike Fairholme, which was completely booked, Sol Duc had a large number of vacancies.
Why would a beautiful campground like Sol Duc be so empty? I don’t have a clear answer, but I think the half hour drive from Highway 101 might be part of the reason. While not a long drive, it’s further out of the way than other campgrounds located near the highway. Also, while Sol Duc Campground is convenient to Sol Duc Hot Springs and Sol Duc Falls, it’s further from all the other sights within Olympic National Park.
Even with these minor concerns, I think Sol Duc Campground is a fabulous place to camp. The restrooms were clean (by campground standards), and an amphitheater offered the promise of ranger programs during peak season. On weekends, I imagine it’s a popular place, and with the uptick in camping over the past several years, I expect its popularity will grow. If you’re headed out to camp on the Olympic Peninsula, put Sol Duc Campground on your list.
