Established Camping
Willaby Campground
About
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.
Facilities
There are 21 campsites that can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs up to 16 feet in length, however no hook ups are provided. Some sites are in wooded areas and others are not; many of the sites have a view of the lake. The campground has a potable water system. The site also has a barrier-free flush toilet as well as several accessible camp and picnic sites.
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.
contact_info
For facility specific information, please call (360) 288-2525.
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.
Fee Info
Extra vehicle fee $5 per vehicle per night.
Location
Willaby Campground is located in Washington
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
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonAvailable
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobilePoor
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Tent Cabin
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
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.
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.
- (12) View All
Excellent campground by lake
The views and proximity to several hikes made our two night stay perfect.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- (6) View All
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.
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.
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!
- (9) View All
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.
- (5) View All
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.
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.
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!
- (13) View All
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.
- (5) View All
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!
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.
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.
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.
- (4) View All
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.
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.