Trip Date: 7/26 – 7/27, 2022
On this trip, we took the gravel roads less traveled out on the Western side of the Olympic Peninsula. We traveled through the miles of the Olympic National Forest, eventually crossing the border into the Olympic National Park. Our destination today was the Queets Campground, in the Olympic National Park.
GPS track of our highway and gravel road travels:
Youtube video of this Gravel Bound journey:
After many miles of Highway and back country gravel roads, we reached one of the lesser traveled entrances to the Olympic National Park.
The evergreen forest was covered in moss and ferns, with each feature of the vegetation presenting it’s own unique shade of green. In a rainforest, every surface that remains still will soon find an ever thickening layer of moss growing upon it. The maple trees act as a wonderful scaffolding for the moss, leaving for some cool moss skeletons standing tall, years after the maple tree has died and the leaves fallen off.
After miles of gravel road travel, we reached our planned destination for the night, Queets Campground. We were able to escape the heat from the city and get in some relaxation out in the cool breezes of the Olympic Mountains, even though it was the peak of summer. The ice-cold and crystal-clear waters of the Queets river were flowing strong, giving a great atmosphere to the entire campground. It was a perfect spot to relax and enjoy a hot meal of pasta and tomato sauce, with some ice-cold sodas on the side.
Spending the evening relaxing on the shores of the Queets river was a great way to spend a summer evening in the Olympic Mountains. As the sun began to set, the evergreen trees caught the last golden rays of sunset in their outstretched branches. I was looking forward to spending a relaxing night deep in the forested mountains.
The next morning, we awoke to a chorus of birdsong, making for a delightful wakeup call. The fresh aroma of the old growth rainforest was welcoming as I first woke from my slumber. I had gotten an excellent night’s sleep out under the stars of the Pacific North West.
This was another excellent trip exploring the gravel backroads of Washington State. We had an excellent time hanging out at camp, relaxing by the river, and enjoying the rainforest environment here on the Olympic Peninsula.
If your looking for an excellent drive-in camping location, deep in the Olympic National Park, the Queets Campground could be the perfect destination. The gravel roads to get in had some potholes, but if you took it slow, pretty much any road vehicle should be able to make it into the camp, during the dry summer months.
This is a National Park Campground, requiring a nightly fee to stay, but the site was unattended by a host and no pay station available. After your visit, pay for your stay online or stop by at an Olympic National Park Entrance Station. The campsites are first come first serve.
