Last-Minute Camping in Washington: State parks and no-reservation campsites

Since March 24, 2025, Washington State Parks has offered same-day camping reservations at all parks with reservable campgrounds—no more rolling the dice on first-come, first-served sites. Learn more here. For flexible dates, visit the reservations system and follow these steps:

1.  Choose a flexible date
2.  Pick a park and a timeframe up to four months in advance
3.  Add group size and equipment. The flexible dates option makes it easier to pick a spot without sifting through many dates. You can also go back and add filters to accommodate your specific needs.
   

More camping resources: 5 close-to-Seattle campgrounds that are great but not as busy | Campgrounds to reserve early — with backup plans in case you didn’t

Where the parks are

State Parks (Discover Pass Needed)

Here are the parks where all camping is first-come, first-served:

• Joemma Beach State Park: 19 primitive tent sites.
• Mount Spokane State Park: 8 standard sites and more than 12,000 acres to explore.
• Obstruction Pass State Park: Small Orcas Island park with 10 primitive sites; take your car on the ferry or arrive by boat or kayak.
• Sucia Island Marine State Park: Horseshoe-shaped island in the San Juan Archipelago; 60 standard sites accessible only by watercraft.
• Wallace Falls State Park: You will need to set out early to score one of the two prime sites at this park in Snohomish County.
• Blake Island Marine State Park: Close to Seattle but you’ll need a boat or water taxi; 44 sites.
• Cape Disappointment State Park: The entire campground is closed due to construction and is expected to remain closed until summer 2026. You can call the park office at (360) 642-3078 for updates.
• Curlew Lake State Park: Just 25 miles from the Canadian border, this out-of-the-way lakeside park has 80 sites; most campsites must be reserved. Due to colder temperatures, water and restroom facilities may be reduced during April and October. Hook-up sites may be affected. Please call the park at (509)775-3592 for more information.
• Jarrell Cove State Park: Access this forested campground on Harstine Island (in South Puget Sound) by boat or car; 19 campsites are available for reservation.
• Lewis and Clark State Park: Jackson House State Park Heritage Site just 2 miles to the north. (The park wading pool is closed until further notice.)
• Schafer State Park: A short hop east of Interstate 5 in Elma on the East Fork Satsop River. Notice posted in January, 2026: Due to freezing temperatures and winter conditions, water has been shut off at the campsites until further notice. Water is still available at the frost-free spigot located near the East Campground restrooms. Contact the park for updated information, [email protected] or (360) 482-3852.

National Parks and Forests

Campgrounds at Olympic National Park (National Park Pass Needed)

The following campgrounds offer first-come, first-served camping, some all of the time and some only during certain periods. For more information about camping in Olympic National Park check here.

• Deer Park: 14 sites in a spectacular mountain meadow at the end of a winding dirt road. First-come, first-served, tents only.
• Fairholme: 88 sites on Lake Crescent.
• Graves Creek: 30 sites in the Quinault Rain Forest. First-come, first-served. Self- register at the campground.
• Hoh: 72 sites by the Hoh River. Sites are first-come, first-served outside of the reservation period of June 12 to September 8, 2026.
• Kalaloch: 170 sites by Kalaloch with views of the Pacific Ocean. First come, first served in the off-season.
  Reservations required May 15-September 20, camping is first-come, first-served in the off-season. Due to severe bluff erosion, the following campsites have been closed permanently (A18, D24, D31, E6, E9).
• Mora: 94 sites in a forest along the coast, two miles from Rialto Beach.
  Reservations are required May 15-September 20, first-come, first-served in the off-season.
• North Fork: 9 sites in rainforest. First-come, first-served. Self-register at the campground.
• Ozette: 15 sites by Lake Ozette. First-come, first-served. Self-register at the campground.
• Queets: 20 sites by the Queets River. First-come, first-served. Self-register at the campground. Note: This campground is only accessible from the Upper Queets Road due to a past mudslide.
• South Beach: 55 sites on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. First-come, first-served. Self-register at the campground.
• Staircase: 49 sites near the Skokomish River. Closed due to the Bear Gulch Fire.

Campgrounds at Mount Rainier National Park (National Park Pass Needed)

Mount Rainier National Park has two campgrounds, which are first-come, first-served. For more on camping in Mount Rainier National Park, click here.

• Mowich Lake: 13 tent sites in the northwest section of the park. Mowich Lake walk-in sites are not accessible by vehicle, pedestrian, or bicycle traffic from SR165 due to the closure of the Fairfax Bridge. The sites remain accessible from the Wonderland Trail. Wilderness permit required.
• White River Campground: 88 individual sites for first-come, first-served camping only.

Campgrounds at North Cascades National Park (Free, No Pass Needed)

North Cascades National Park has six campgrounds available for first-come, first-served use in the winter season. Most of the campgrounds are available for reservations during the summer season, generally late May through early September. Drive-in campgrounds along Highway 20 are on a reservation system through recreation.gov, and we’ve got more on North Cascades National Park camping here.

Note: The Stehekin area is prone to flooding, which increases in a post-fire environment. Check the forecast before your trip for outlooks and advisories from the National Weather Service. Be very aware of your surroundings, follow warning signs, and pay particular attention to debris flow areas.

• Goodell Creek Main Campground: 19 sites near the Skagit River.
• Gorge Lake: Eight sites on the bank of Gorge Lake. Gorge Lake Campground remains closed until further notice due to debris flow and flooding hazards following the 2023 Sourdough Fire.
• Purple Point: Six tent-only sites near Lake Chelan. The remote location is only accessible by walking, boat, or plane.
• Harlequin: 7 tent-only sites by the Stehekin River. The remote location is only accessible by walking, boat, or plane.
• Lakeview: Nine tent-only sites located by Lake Chelan. The remote location is only accessible by walking, boat, or plane.

Campgrounds at Olympic National Forest (Pass Required for Some)

Most of the campgrounds in Olympic National Forest are first-come, first-served, and most have amenities such as drinking water.

Fan favorites: Willaby (two walk-in tent sites) on Lake Quinault, and Seal Rock, on the Hood Canal. This is a first-come, first-served campground – reservations are not accepted. Pay upon arrival.

Fee payment options: On-site fee machine. The Olympic National Forest has gone primarily cashless. Cash is not accepted on site. Details on Olympic National Forest camping are here.

Campgrounds at Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (Pass Required for Some)

Although a few popular campgrounds in this area take reservations, most are first-come, first-served. One to remember is Kachess Campground, located tantalizingly close to Seattle on Lake Kachess. It has some first-come, first-served sites. Details on Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest campgrounds are here.

Campgrounds at Gifford Pinchot National Forest (Pass Required for Some)

While the largest and most popular campgrounds in Gifford Pinchot National Forest are reservation only, there are a number of small, usually primitive, first-come, first-serve areas in more distant parts of the forest. Details here.