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To know us is to know that we never pay for camping. So, it should be no surprise that we honed in on all the best dispersed camping Olympic National Forest style!
Dispersed camping in the Olympic National Forest is a great way to save money while visiting Olympic National Park. And the layout of the park makes it extremely easy to disperse camp in the Olympic National Forest without really going too far out of the way.
There are a handful of van life/road-tripping apps that we use to help us find free camping wherever we are. And there are also these four ways to find free camping in the United States.
With that said, there’s an even better way to find actual primitive campgrounds for dispersed camping in the Olympic National Forest — the Discover Pass. (More on that below)
We spent just over a week on the Olympic Peninsula, boondocking all over the Olympic National Forest, and we’re sharing all the exact locations in this post! But first, let’s dive into how to find dispersed camping spots in the Olympic National Forest.
How To Find Dispersed Camping Olympic National Forest
National Forest Roads
It’s super easy to jump on Google Maps and zoom in on roads off shooting Highway 101. If the road is a national forest road, it automatically means a free camping spot! There were plenty of times when this was the case for us. In fact, I’d say national forest camping is our number one way to camp for free.
If you plan to search for dispersed camping throughout Olympic National Forest this way, we recommend changing the map layout to the satellite version. This way, you can see what the landscape is in the area.
Dispersed Camping Websites + Apps
Like we mentioned above, there are loads of apps that have exact geotagged locations for dispersed camping in the Olympic National Forest and beyond. We did a complete blog post on the top “van life apps” on the market currently. Most of which happen to have free versions. Check it out here.
FreeCampsites.net is a fantastic resource for finding free camping as well. Before the age of apps, we used freecampsites.net to find free camping all across the United States and back!
Discover Pass Sites
If you plan on being in Washington for more than a few nights, it’s well worth looking into the Discover Pass. It’s a $30-35 pass that can be bought online or in stores around Washington, that lasts for a year, and allows free access to thousands of recreational sites across Washington.
The best part of the pass though is the access to free campsites. And particularly free campsites within the Olympic National Forest. By the Hoh Rain forest alone, there are four free campgrounds for dispersed camping in the Olympic National Forest!
Head here to find out more about the Discover Pass and locate the nearest place to purchase one!
Rules To Follow When Dispersed Camping in Olympic National Forest
Leave No Trace
This one’s pretty simple. Do not create new dispersed campsites in the Olympic National Forest. If there’s a pull-off into some dirt or gravel, park there. However, do not tread off the roads and obvious camping locations.
If it’s grassy and green, don’t park on it. You’ll kill the plants and creatures in the area and encourage others to do the same.
Pack It In. Pack It Out.
Also a very simple concept. Do not leave trash behind. If you brought it there, bring it out with you. Yes, this includes your toilet paper!
Do not dump or bury your trash. Pack it out with you. There are plenty of places to throw away trash within the National Park.
Respect and Follow Fire Rules
Before starting a campfire, be sure you’re allowed to. There are areas of Olympic National Park where you cannot have fires, and you certainly cannot and should not have them during fire season. Check the current fire rules here.
Poop + Pee Properly Outdoors
Yes, there is a correct way to use the bathroom in nature. Don’t worry, we put together a simple step-by-step post for you to know how to use that bathroom in nature correctly. Don’t ruin a great free camping spot by pooping and peeing everywhere!
Refrain From GeoTagging Exact Locations
This one seems a bit hypocritical writing, especially with the map below. However, we believe sharing exact geolocations and coordinates on our website is much different than posting them on social media. Keep places a bit more difficult to find than for those who don’t care about nature scrolling on the gram just to find a shot location.
Dispersed Camping Olympic National Forest Map
Below is a map of all the places we camped for free on the Olympic Peninsula. In some places, we stayed for just one night, while in others we stayed for three. And a few places we left and went back to again after a day or two elsewhere.
Dispersed Camping Olympic National Forest In Detail
Near Quinault Rainforest | 47.424759, -123.889598
WHAT’S NEARBY
This campsite ended up being the perfect place for a quiet night near the Quinault Rainforest. The spot is flat, we had good cell service, and it was far enough off the highway that we didn’t have any extra road noise.
It’s right in the forest, with ferns, big trees, and beautiful lighting in the mornings and evenings!
In September, there were a few skeeters in the area, but nothing too annoying to push us away. And, unfortunately, there was quite a bit of trash. Please pack out your trash if you visit here!
We did experience two vehicles drive by, reverse, and then drive by again, which made us a bit uncomfortable, but everything was totally fine! And by the looks of the map, there is a bigger free camping area just a bit down the road.
Free Dispersed Camping Near Kalaloch Rocks + Beach | 47.61583, -124.36242
What’s Nearby
There are a handful of free dispersed camping areas around this road. At the beginning of the road, we had cell service, however, as we drove deeper into the woods, it went away.
The exact geotag is where we camped, up a pretty steep hill in a gravel area. This area of the forest was cut down, allowing for a bit of sunlight to hit the van here. It really isn’t anything to write home about. However, it’s flat and spacious, so it gets the job done for the night!
There are loads of dispersed camping sites throughout Olympic National Forest in this area. However, not all of them are very flat. So, leveling blocks would be super helpful here.
Dispersed Camping in Olympic National Forest Near Hoh Rainforest | Multiple DNR Sites
What’s Nearby
There are so many places to camp for free on the road leading to the Hoh Rainforest. The majority of the 18-mile road is littered with free camping pull-outs.
However, there are also multiple free primitive campgrounds in the area as well. These are all on a first come first serve basis and are legitimate campgrounds, free with the Discover Pass.
We did not have the Discover Pass at this point (a major bummer), so we didn’t stay at any of the campgrounds in the area. However, I’m 100% positive staying at any of them would be fantastic.
Two that we looked into were Minnie Peterson Campground and Hoh OxBow Campground. Just be sure to get a pass before entering this area so you can stay there for free.
Free Camping at Rialto Beach | 47.919113, -124.637948
What’s Nearby
- Rialto Beach Hole in the Wall
- Forks
- Beaches
Okay, this campsite is up in the air for if you can actually stay here or not. We stayed, along with five other campers, no problem in this parking lot. It’s also a popular spot to stay listed on some of the free camping van life apps.
With that said, one family we recommended to stay here was scared off by national park rangers, saying the Reservation Police would come and move them along.
Here’s the deal.. the parking lot is not actually part of the national park. The paved lot to the right is, but the rock lot where we geotagged is not.
As we said, we stayed there with no problems, and it was amazing. However, it is part of the Quileute Indian Reservation, so there may be some truth from the rangers there.
All that to say, on Rialto Beach you can also backcountry camp. And there were loads of people doing that while we were there. It’s a very popular and extremely easy place to walk into and camp!
Toilets are available at on the national park side of the parking area, which isn’t too far away. And there was potable water, however, it was shut off when we visited in September, so not sure if that’s an option during other times of the year or not. We had full bars of service, however, no data, though other people had service and data in the area!
Dispersed Camping Olympic National Forest Central Location | 48.121796, -124.219833
What’s Nearby
- Cape Flattery
- Ozette Section of National Park
- Sol Duc Falls + Hot Spring
Okay, this spot was one of those perfect places to park after a long day on the road, and/or watching the sunset over at Cape Flattery. There is legitimately nothing special about this pull-off, except that it’s flat, quiet, and off the road.
This area is a pretty big section of the Olympic National Forest and has some killer spots for free camping right on Lake Beaver nearby. There were a couple of campers there, set up for the long haul. However, with Georgie, we really didn’t want to be right on the main road, so we opted for the location we geotagged instead!
Bear Creek Campground DNR Location | 48.065791, -124.240986
What’s Nearby
- Sol Duc Falls + Salmon Cascades
- Lake Crescent Area
This campground is absolutely fantastic and would be a great place to set up shop and then explore Olympic National Park from there. It’s relatively close to both the Sol Duc Falls area of the national park, as well as Storm King and Lake Crescent.
The campground is free for seven days with the purchase of the $35 annual Discover Pass, and is a proper campground. There are fire rings, picnic tables, and pit toilets here. But you’ll need to bring your own water and pack out all your trash.
We stayed at Bear Creek Campground for three nights and enjoyed working from the campground, as we had fantastic cell service. Truly the only reason we left when we did is that we ran out of water, and in the spot we were in, we were getting no solar charge.
Dispersed Camping Near Sol Duc Falls | 48.057985, -123.996119
What’s Nearby
Cell service, flat(ish), and relatively quiet, this spot was okay, but we probably wouldn’t stay here again. Honestly, this road goes in and out of the national park boundary, and I think we may have been technically in the national park, but it worked for a night.
There are a handful of places up and down this road, and even more further up the road than we were to stay the night. Some of them do say private property, so just be aware as you search for a place to stay.
The super nice thing about this dispersed campsite is the location. It’s literally ten minutes from the entrance to the Sol Duc area of Olympic National Park — where you can park up in the picnic areas and use the bathrooms if you just use the geotagged location for sleeping.
Free DNR Camping Near Straight of Juan De Fuca | 48.153109, -123.861688
What’s Nearby
- Lake Crescent
This place seems so far out of the way, but really it’s not too far from Lake Crescent. And to be honest, we actually would have stayed at Lyre River (a free DNR Campground) but it was full when we arrived.
Anyways, back to this location. It’s just a parking lot for Murdock Beach, but it has a pit toilet, and there are places you can camp all around here. We stayed there to just set us up for a day at Lake Crescent the following morning. Although, there were loads of people searching for fossils and agate at the beach in the morning, so it’s probably a great experience for that as well.
Camping in this area is a great option, especially if you can snag a spot at Lyre River Campground, then spend a day at the day-use areas of Lake Crescent. We spent an entire day at East Beach Day Use after camping here. It was perfect!
Dispersed Camping in Olympic National Forest on Hot Springs Road | 48.047662, -123.587839
What’s Nearby
Absolutely no services in this area. You could filter water from the river, and use the bathroom up at Madison Falls Trailhead. Cell service is great and the location, while right on the road, is the perfect hub for so many things nearby.
We stayed at this location for three nights on two different occasions and it was perfect for what we needed. There are a couple of other places along the road that are even better than the large pullout that we stayed in. One, in particular, is a back-in spot that’s right on the river’s edge, offering so much privacy. Great for those looking to camp in a tent right next to their rigs.
A family we know stayed in this area for two weeks, using it as a hub for their adventures in this section of Olympic National Park. Rangers had actually suggested they stay in the location they did, and while most of their stay was good, they did have some choice words yelled at them on their last day in the area.
Overall, a fantastic spot for a day or two in our opinion! Even with the road noise and the busyness of people heading up the road to Madison Falls, we found it quite enjoyable!
Olympic National Forest Dispersed Camping In A Nut Shell
We dispersed camped in the Olympic National Forest for just under two weeks. And while that may seem like a long time, there really is so much to explore and see. And Olympic National Park is so weird in the layout, that you really do need a lot of time to really enjoy the park as a whole.
This list of places to camp for free near Olympic National Park is not at all a complete list. These are simply the places that we actually stayed while in the area. In most cases, we noted if there were better options nearby. And again, this post explains in detail more ways to find free camping in the United States.
If you choose to disperse camp, always leave a place better than you found it, poop and pee properly in the outdoors, and be respectful and kind to those around you!
Getting to the Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is where Olympic National Park is. It can be a bit awkward to get to, especially since the national park has no roads actually through it. You’ll basically be taking a road trip on US Highway 101 in Washington to explore Olympic National Park.
You’ll want to fly into Seattle or Portland (Seattle is closer distance-wise, but awkward with ferries), and then rent a car to drive around the Peninsula.
If you’re taking ferries, be sure to book them in advance, so you don’t have to wait in standby for sometimes multiple ferry crossings as we did. Keep in mind, opting out of ferries means taking toll roads out of Seattle to Olympic National Park!
To avoid all this, you can simply fly into Portland, head to Aberdeen, Washington, and then continue up the loop of Olympic National Park.
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Need To Have Items For Dispersed Camping Olympic National Forest
Bug Spray | check current prices here
With how damp the national forest is, and all the natural water sources, there are loads of bugs and mosquitos! Be sure to pack some DEET free mosquito spray to keeps the bugs away!
Water Jug | check current prices here
We have two different water jugs in our van build, allowing us to stay in dispersed locations longer! This basic jug is great for storing a large amount of water. It comes with a pour spout and is easy to use!
We also now have the Dometic Water Jug and Faucet. It’s a game changer in the van. It’s a rechargeable faucet that simply attaches to the water jug.. giving you flowing water at the tap of the faucet! It’s amazing and something we never knew we needed until we got it!
Trowel and Bathroom Supplies | check trowel prices here
We did an entire post on how to properly go to the bathroom in nature. You need to have a trowel, toilet paper, and a bag to carry out your used toilet paper in.
We’d also recommend bringing along hand sanitizer and baby wipes! They are straight game changers in feeling cleaner after using the bathroom over and over in the wild!
An Actual Toilet | find the best one here
If digging a hole and going the bathroom in nature isn’t so much your thing, there are plenty of options for a toilet in a car or campervan. Yes, you’ll have to throw away the bag of poop/pee or dump the cassette toilet, but bringing a portable toilet with you while dispersed camping gives a better experience for new campers and kids too!
Check out this post for all our portable toilet recommendations … most of which we’ve used before!
Car Camping Gear | read about it here
This post is a complete list of all our car camping gear we bring with us on the road. This list includes the essentials for camping along with some items that are just downright fun to have with you! It’s a full post, with items linked for easy purchase!
What To Read Next
Since we’re on the topic of our suggestions for camping.. we have a couple more camping posts that we think may be helpful for you!
Our Complete Car Camping Checklist
More On The Olympic Peninsula + Olympic National Park
13 Hikes in Olympic National Park | best day hikes
Quinault Rainforest | it’s better than the Hoh Rainforest in our opinion
A Life Changing Experience at Rialto Beach
Waterfall Hikes in Olympic National Park
Save + Share This Post Here
This post was written with you in mind. We want our readers to be able to get out and see the beautiful Creation in the world, and we want it to be the least stressful that it can be. We’re sharing these exact free camping coordinates so you can save on your budget, and also not have to stress about searching high and low for a dispersed campsite.
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