Falls Creek Campground, Lake Quinault (Olympic NF, WA): which site to take

Falls Creek Campground, Lake Quinault

River front, lake front. There’s a few spots on the west side across the river that are accessible only by bridge

Falls Creek is a small Forest Service campground where Falls Creek runs into Lake Quinault, in the rain forest of the Olympic Peninsula: big mossy trees, ferns to your waist, and a beach on the lake a few steps from the first sites.

A handful of sites sit right on the shore. Nine more are walk-ins on the far side of the creek, reached by a bridge, where you carry your gear in along a path through the ferns. In our July photos nearly every site has a tent on it, so book ahead.

Quick facts

Sites: 31, nine of them walk-in (Recreation.gov); 28 on our map
Booking: Reservations at Recreation.gov; a reserved site must be taken within 24 hours
Fee in 2019: $25 a night
Water: Drinking water
Toilets: A flush toilet
Vehicles: RVs up to 16 feet, no hookups; one vehicle per site
The lake: Belongs to the Quinault Indian Nation: fishing and boats need its permits, and boats its inspection
Getting there: Three miles off US 101 on South Shore Road; the turn into the campground is a very sharp left
From Portland: About 190 miles, four hours; from Olympia, 95 miles, two and a quarter hours

Which site to take

On the shore: Lakeshore B, Lakeshore A, Lakeshore E About 20 to 70 feet from the water.
Walk-in, across the creek: Walk-in A, Walk-in B, Walk-in C, Walk-in D, Walk-in E, Walk-in F, Walk-in G, Walk-in H, Walk-in I Carry your gear over the bridge and along a fern path.
Nearest the road: Loop J, Loop F, Loop H, Loop B About 100 to 120 feet from South Shore Road.

Every spot

Spot	To the lake	Next spot	In our photo
Lakeshore A	40 ft	30 ft	a table and grill among ferns, the lake behind
Lakeshore B	20 ft	30 ft	a tent on the grass, the lake right behind it
Lakeshore C	100 ft	40 ft	a gravel pad off the loop road
Lakeshore D	90 ft	20 ft	a car and a tent under mossy trees
Lakeshore E	70 ft	40 ft	a gravel pad hemmed in by brush
Lakeshore F	100 ft	20 ft	a big pad with a table, a tent at the edge
Lakeshore G	70 ft	40 ft	an empty pad in deep green
Lakeshore H	100 ft	60 ft	a big grassy pad, a family tent
Walk-in A	150 ft	40 ft	a canopy over the table, a path in through ferns
Walk-in B	180 ft	20 ft	a table in the ferns, mossy trees
Walk-in C	190 ft	0 ft	a path through ferns to a table
Walk-in D	190 ft	0 ft	two tents at the end of a fern path
Walk-in E	190 ft	10 ft	a table and fire ring in a fern clearing
Walk-in F	190 ft	10 ft	a busy table under big trees
Walk-in G	160 ft	50 ft	a path in through ferns to a tent
Walk-in H	200 ft	20 ft	tents among ferns and moss
Walk-in I	220 ft	20 ft	tents and a full table
Loop A	150 ft	70 ft	a parking spur by the loop road
Loop B	150 ft	40 ft	a tent and table, an umbrella
Loop C	220 ft	10 ft	a table and boulders by the loop road
Loop D	200 ft	50 ft	a tarp over the table, mossy boulders
Loop E	230 ft	10 ft	a white tent among ferns and boulders
Loop F	200 ft	40 ft	cars and a shade tent
Loop G	290 ft	60 ft	an empty gravel pad, a table at the back
Loop H	320 ft	40 ft	cars and tents under big cedars
Loop I	360 ft	50 ft	a truck and a tent under a mossy tree
Loop J	360 ft	40 ft	cars, a kayak and a canopy
Loop K	330 ft	50 ft	a tent and table on a wide pad

Distances are straight lines from each pin, to the water and to the nearest neighbor, so read them as “about”. Photos from May 2019.

Questions

Can you reserve a site at Falls Creek?: Yes, at Recreation.gov. A reserved site must be occupied within 24 hours or it is given up.
Are there walk-in sites?: Nine, across Falls Creek from the rest of the campground. You cross a bridge and carry your gear along a path.
Can I fish or launch a boat on Lake Quinault?: The lake belongs to the Quinault Indian Nation. You need its fishing or boat permit, and boats must pass its inspection first.
Can I bring a trailer?: A small one: Recreation.gov gives 16 feet, and most sites take one vehicle, with no other parking in the campground.
Anything to watch for?: Bears come through, so store food properly. Recreation.gov also warns of theft in the area.

Checked October 2026 with Recreation.gov: Falls Creek Campground and OpenStreetMap (Lake Quinault). Been there since? Tell us what has changed: support@tentspots.com.