Campground: Elwha Dam RV Park
Reviewed by: Robin
Location: Port Angeles, WA
Campfire Critiques has no affiliation with this campground.
Amenities
Elwha Dam RV Park in Port Angeles, WA, offers a variety of amenities designed to enhance the comfort and convenience of its guests. The park features spacious RV sites with full hookups, including water, sewer, and electricity, ensuring a hassle-free stay for RV travelers. The park offers clean restrooms but the showers are coin-operated. The site has a laundry facility, Wi-Fi, a clubhouse, and a vegetable garden you can pick food from and cook! For those seeking outdoor activities, the park is conveniently located near hiking trails, fishing spots, and other recreational opportunities. Additionally, a picnic area with barbecue grills is available for guests to enjoy outdoor meals in a serene setting. The park’s friendly staff is always on hand to assist with any needs, ensuring a pleasant and memorable experience for all who stay. This is also a Good Sam park so don’t forget to ask for your discount!
Access
To get to Elwha Dam RV from Seattle:
-
- Take the Bainbridge Island ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island.
- Once off the ferry, follow WA-305 N to WA-3 S and then merge onto WA-104 W.
- Continue on WA-104 W until you reach US-101 W.
- Follow US-101 W towards Port Angeles.
- In Port Angeles:
- Continue on US-101 W through downtown Port Angeles.
- Turn left onto Olympic Hot Springs Road, which is just a few miles west of Port Angeles.
- After a short drive, you’ll see signs directing you to Elwha Dam RV Park.
To get to Elwha Dam RV Park in Port Angeles, WA, from Forks or the Olympic National Forest (Hoh Rainforest or coastal areas of the National Park), follow these steps:
- Start in Forks:
- Head southeast on US-101 E, the main highway running through Forks.
- Drive towards Port Angeles:
- Stay on US-101 E for approximately 50 miles. This scenic drive will take you along the edge of the Olympic National Park and through areas of beautiful forests and coastal views.
- Approaching Port Angeles:
- As you near Port Angeles, watch for signs directing you to Olympic Hot Springs Road.
- Turn right onto Olympic Hot Springs Road, which is just before reaching the main part of Port Angeles.
- Arriving at Elwha Dam RV Park:
- Continue on Olympic Hot Springs Road for a short distance. The park is located near the Elwha River, and there will be signs guiding you to the entrance.
The park is located close to the Elwha River and is well-marked, making it easy to find. It’s advisable to check your GPS or a map for the most current road conditions and directions before starting your trip.
Atmosphere
At the time we stayed here, we were in our smaller C class and got to stay in space #38 which was by itself with no neighbors on either side. It was near the ponds and there was a van in space #39 below us. Because of our location, we felt like we had lots of space around us and it was quieter than other locations in the park, even though it was close to the restrooms and showers.
The campground has several trees and areas that are wooded. There are several ponds that give the place a feeling of tranquility and beauty.
Environment
Sites in this park vary. Some are open to your neighbor with no fencing or green screen between while others offer some privacy with trees and shrubbery. You might want to ask about this when booking if this is important to you. The park is gated and you receive a code when checking in. This code is used for the restrooms and clubhouse too.
Most of the sites are on dirt. Some have gravel. The site I was given was spacious and felt private. However, not all of the sites in the park are this way.
Overall, I found the park to be quiet during our stay. It was full, but the noise level was minimal in the evening hours. We only stayed here two nights. During the day we explored and went to Victoria, so I can only speak for the early morning and evening hours.
Surrounding Area
I really like the quaintness of the city of Port Angeles. I am also a Twilight fan and some of the book’s inspiration came from Port Angeles. Forks, WA where the Twilight saga is set is about an hour from Port Angeles, so if you too are a Twilight fan, you are close enough to experience both. If not, you can still visit Olympic National Park. There are entrances in both Forks and Port Angeles.
If you enjoy hiking, you can catch one of the trails directly out of the park without having to drive.
The Black Ball Ferry or COHO to Victoria Canada runs all day out of Port Angeles and is very easy to take. You just need your passport. The shopping district of Victoria is walkable so you don’t need a car or you can catch the Greyline bus that will take you all over the island to all the major areas. This is what we did. You can jump on and off the bus to sightsee in the areas you want to see. Do note if you want to go to The Butchart Gardens you will need a separate Greyline ticket. All the sightseeing tickets can be purchased on the ferry or you can pre-purchase your tickets at their website. We purchased ours on the ferry and had no issues getting bus tickets to both the gardens and the sightseeing tour. You can find the Greyline in front of the Empress Hotel.
One of the stops in Victoria was in Chinatown, which is the second oldest right after San Franciso. I know it does not seem like Canada is the place to go for Chinese food, but I highly recommend it. We ate at Ocean Garden and shopped the famous Fan Tan Alley.
Back in Port Angels…In the Twilight book series, Stephanie Meyers has Bella and Edward’s first date at the Bella Italia Restaurant. It is a delicious Italian food but don’t forget to make reservations. It is very popular, especially on the weekends. I ate the mushroom ravioli just like Bella and my sister at the tortellini. Both were delicious.
Favorite Things
The town of Port Angeles was my favorite thing. When I travel I always think “Could I live here?” and Port Angeles is a yes for me. I like the weather. It is not hot in the summer and it doesn’t get much snow in the winter. It is close to the National Park and lots of hiking. I can be in the mountains or near the ocean within an hour. I wish I lived closer to this gem of a town.
If I Could Change One Thing…
The park was a ways from the town. I usually travel without a tow vehicle. I simply drive my RV around (it is only 28 feet). Parking for the ferry got a bit complicated because the parking lots are not made for an RV. We had to find street parking that was not metered. Most of the streets near the terminal and downtown are metered. There is only one taxi driver in the town and no Uber. The taxi can take an hour to arrive. So it is not dependable. So the location of the park was not convenient.
The other change I would make is the coin-operated showers. I feel you are already paying for the RV park so why are you paying for the showers too? I have only been to one other RV park that charged for showers so I find this odd. A dollar for 2 minutes is a bit steep and who really knows how long you need.
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