By:
Submission
This small campground is the only one in the park located at the sub-alpine level. Access is via an unpaved road and is dependent upon seasonal snowmelt.
From Highway 101, turn south on Deer Park Road east of Port Angeles. The campground is approximately 16 miles up the road.
Everything about this place is perfect. Photos are from Blue Mountain Lookout just above the campground. Hard packed dirt mountain, some loose gravel, lots of switch backs and room to pull over to allow oncoming vehicle to go by. This is a 10 star experience.
This place fills up fast so best to get here as early as possible if on a Friday. There aren't that many sites. If you get lucky, this campground offers some of the best views you will ever get from car camping, that isn't dispersed. If you stay here, I highly recommend seeing the sunrise or sunset from the top of Blue mountain. It's only a .5 mile round trip hike to the top, and 360 views. This is a delicate environment, so please be very careful to LNT.
So beautiful and peaceful. The long gravel road up keeps the traffic really low so you actually feel the quiet solitude. The road is in such good shape that even a small car could easily make it up. We hiked more than 8 miles and saw 8 other people (we saw more deer and grouse than people.)
FYI for folks who sleep in their vehicle, many of the campsites don't have level parking available, or you'll have to reposition your vehicle multiple times to find something close to level. I was pleasantly surprised to find the campground was about half full around 4pm on a Tuesday in early August, and there were a least a few sites that remained empty. Be prepared for colder temps due to the elevation.
We asked the Park Ranger for the location of the best views around. She sent us to this campground. She informed us that the road was dirt/gravel for 17 miles. No problem! A must experience. I would encourage you to make the drive, just be careful, and focus. Blue mountain is 6,000 Feet elevation. After arriving at the campground, drive a lil more upward, then submit the mountain on foot🧗 This was truly an amazing adventure that I will never forget. Check it out and you will see why. 😛😉🤠
