Sol Duc Campground

Sol Duc came pretty close to getting 5 stars from us. We had an extraordinary large site, we had no one on either side of us, the campground was very clean and there was a lot of exploring and hiking opportunities. However, cell phone reception was sketchy in many locations and the restrooms could have used some added attention (our loop was only half full).

The campground is open year-round, first come, first serve only. There are 82 sites within the two loops situated right along the Sol Duc River. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. Restrooms, potable water, animal proof food storage lockers and an RV dump station are available. The campground is nestled under a thick forest canopy mostly made up of Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce, so no lack of shade...or the bright sun for your solar panels. Lichens and moss-cloaked trees dotted the shaded forest floor, while seas of glistening dew-moistened ferns gave the forest a "jungle-like" feel. Even the air seemed green.

The National Park Service indicates that the maximum RV length is 21 feet, with some that will accommodate a 35' rig. Well we were in Loop A and found at least 6 sites that would accommodate a 35 footer. We were able to park our rig without disconnecting our tow vehicle and our total length is 57'. For those of you that have a rig over 21' to 35', this campground is worth driving to and securing one of those larger sites.

Sol Duc Valley will definitely provide you a taste of what the Olympic rain forest is all about.

We camped here in mid October right after a big storm had hit the peninsula so only one of the two loops were open due to downed trees. The campground is definitely tight to drive through, but we were able to do two laps with our 33' Class C. There are a handful of pull-through sites that we fit in and we settled on one right by the creek. The back in sites are probably going to be too small for anything over 30'.
the camp host was very friendly and he told us to look out for the salmon in the creek, which we could see from our campsite. The resort down the road was fun to go get in the hot springs, although they are the regular pool type that just pumps in the hot spring water. Nice facility though and they have discounted rates in the evening.
I think the price was a bit steep at $25 per night for dry camping, but that is what happens when the NPS hands over campground operations to private companies. This campground was recently taken over by the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. They also have an "RV Park" at the resort with full hookups, but this was truly just a parking lot with hookups along the edges.
The road in is all paved and in nice shape.

Mid week in mid August. Arrived before noon to find only 5 sites available, all walk in ones for tents not RVS.

It is one of two Federal Parks on the Olympic Peninsula where reservations can be made on line so people have reserved them.

Overall impression was a fairly tight camp site that I wouldn't return to.

The salmon cascades by the road on the way up were very impressive, but no salmon yet.

One of two reservable campgrounds in Olympic National Park, I chose this because we would be here over a weekend and didn’t want to chance not being able to find a campsite. It’s a long drive in so you would not want to arrive and not find a place to rest your head. By late Friday night, the campground was full. There is an RV section with hookups and two other loops with no hookups. Our site (B70) was a bit awkward and we ended up pulling our van in forward instead of backing in, otherwise our heads would have been lower than our feet. This space could easily accommodate two cars if you were tent camping. Our senior lifetime pass was not accepted at this campground as it was listed as an RV campground. However, upon arrival, I didn’t understand why they called it an RV campground. There were no hookups or other amenities that would make it any different than a tent only facility in the A and B loops. In fact, many of the sites had pads that would not accommodate anything larger than our 17-foot van. The bathrooms were reasonably clean and had soap. No hot water or showers but again, typical of National Park campgrounds. Quiet hours were not enforced and, in fact, the people in Site 65 were loud until 2:30 am. The next morning, garbage was strewn all over their site, an ax was still stuck in wood, and food was left out all over the table, including a jar of honey (I swear I am not making this up). This campground has signs at the entrance and on every site picnic table that it is an active bear area and how important it is to keep a clean campsite. By 10 am, everyone at the site was still asleep, and neither the camp host nor ranger had done nothing to roust/oust them. (By the time we returned from our hike/soak in the hot springs, they were gone but the people who came after had to clean up the site.) The main draw to this campground is Sol Duc Falls and the hot springs. It is over a six-mile hike roundtrip from the campground to the falls and there is a trail to the hot springs (or you can drive to the trailhead and walk .08 mile to the falls). There is an additional charge for the hot springs ($15 for adults, $11 for 62 and older; optional towel rental for $3) but it is so worth it to soak your weary muscles after a hike, despite the crowds. The bonus is being able to take a shower since there are none in the campground. No cell service. We would stay here again only if we wanted to visit Sol Duc Falls or the hot springs.

Campsites are all located within huge trees. Site A 18 is a pull-through on the outside of the loop and was very flat and fit our truck and trailer with room to spare. We stayed at this campsite in July 2018. At that time, there were no rangers present on-site and campground host was away for our entire stay. We spent an afternoon at the hot springs - it was overpriced, but we enjoyed the pool. There are showers at the hot springs, but they are not private - all open with no doors or curtains - and very crowded. There are RV sites with hookups, but they are not among the regular campground sites. It's a converted parking lot located between the resort and campground.

This campground is not in the right location