Camping in Olympic National Park: The Kalaloch Campground

A trip to the Olympic Peninsula is a right of passage for many national park enthusiasts. More than 3 million visitors each year travel to Olympic National Park to experience the rocky Pacific shores and hike in the temperate rainforests. With so many visitors and such remote wilderness, it can mean tough competition for campsites and lodging. During our June 2016 stay, Park Chasers camped in two places in Olympic: The Kalaloch Campground and Heart o’the Hills Campground. Today we’re sharing info about Kalaloch, the only reservable campsites in Olympic National Park.

Camping in Kalaloch Campground

Of its nearly 1 million acres, some of Olympic National Park’s best hiking and scenery can be found along the Pacific coastline. The Kalaloch (pronounced Klay-Lock) Campground sits ocean side along this western most edge of the park. With 170 reservable sites Kalaloch also one of the post popular campgrounds. Olympic National Park posts campground status updates online. Check here or with a ranger for information on site availability and the campground conditions.

Campers can stay year-round although reservations are open annually early July to mid September. Oceanfront sites at Kalaloch fill quickly, with most summer weekends booked early in the year. Up until summer 2016, Kalaloch Campground had the only reservable sites in the park. The park services recently added reservable sites to Sol Duc campground as well.

Kalaloch has standard national park campground amenities including flush toilets (no showers), tent pad and picnic table. All sites are non-electric. Each site also has a fire ring, although the area receives ample rainfall that a campfire may not be an option. If you are reserving a site online, pay careful attention to site dimensions as many of the sites have smaller tent pads or are pull-through style rather than back-in sites.

Lastly, one of the best parts about Kalaloch is the beach access. Several beach trails leave directly from the campground. Visitors can then hike some of the more than 65 miles of protected wild coastline of Olympic National Park. Kalaloch is one of the best sunset viewing spots in the park.

Kalaloch Campground Sunset — Pacific Ocean sunset near Kalaloch Campground

Directions and Reservations for the Kalaloch Campground

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
47.61306, -124.37472
47°36’47″N, 124°22’29″W
Kalaloch Campground is on Highway 101, 34 miles south of Forks, Washington, and 73 miles north of Aberdeen, Washington.

The park phone number listed on all NPS documents (360) 565-3130 does not reach the ranger station in Kalaloch. It is a pre-recorded message about road conditions and park closures. If you need a contact in the area, it is best to call the Kalaloch Ranger Station (360) 962-2283 or the nearby Kalaloch Lodge (360) 962-2271.

Reservations

Kalaloch Campground reservations can be made online through recreation.gov

Map of campgrounds in Olympic National Park - map provided by nps.gov — Map of campgrounds in Olympic National Park – map provided by nps.gov

Travel Notes for Kalaloch Campground

Kalaloch receives an average of 103″ of rain annually. Plan accordingly as you will likely be setting up, taking down, or spending time in the rain or drizzle. The Pacific Ocean keeps temperatures fairly moderate compared to other areas of the park.
There are limited amenities around Kalaloch. The Kalaloch Lodge a few minutes away has limited groceries and camp supplies. The nearest groceries and showers (YMCA in Port Angeles or Laundromat in Forks) are some distance away.
Prepare for limited cell phone service in the campground. The beach area near Kalaloch Lodge is the best spot in pinch.