Renting an RV for Olympic National Park
How to find the right RV or campervan for your road trip to Hurricane Ridge, the Hoh Rainforest, and the Pacific Coast in Olympic National Park.
You can rent an RV for Olympic National Park in Seattle, a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the north entrance in Port Angeles. The route around the park (there’s no through-travel) is mainly on US-101, which is well-maintained and goes around the perimeter.
Olympic’s many in-park campgrounds let you visit the coast, the rainforest, and the alpine terrain on your own schedule instead of driving in and out from a town each day.
The primary thing to consider for an Olympic National Park RV rental is rig size. The park’s campgrounds were built for smaller RVs and campervans, so a smaller vehicle will fit in most in-park sites, while spots for larger motorhomes are more limited.
What Makes Olympic Worth an RV Trip
Sea stacks on Olympic’s coastline
The range of ecosystems is the reason to do Olympic by RV. One morning you’re watching the sun come up over the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Hurricane Ridge at 5,200 feet. A day later you’re parked under 200-foot Sitka spruce in the Hoh Rainforest with nothing but the sound of the river. The day after that you’re sitting outside your RV on a Pacific bluff watching waves break over sea stacks.
Each entrance sits far enough apart that visitors staying in a hotel usually have to pick one or two: alpine meadows and glacier views up at Hurricane Ridge in the north, old-growth temperate rainforest in the west at the Hoh, or 70 miles of wild Pacific coastline along the edge.
In an RV you reach all three on a single loop without backtracking, and you camp on the coast or under the rainforest canopy rather than an hour away from it.
Olympic covers nearly 922,000 acres and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2024 it drew 3.71 million visitors, the 8th-busiest national park that year, and most of them came for the same reason RV travelers do: three distinct landscapes in one park, spread across a peninsula you can loop in a few days.
Which Campervan or RV to Rent for Olympic
Most roads in and around Olympic National Park are paved and manageable for the majority of drivable RVs.
The one road worth noting is Hurricane Ridge, which climbs steeply over 18 miles from Port Angeles to 5,242 feet—the NPS recommends using pullouts on the way down to let your brakes cool, and towing is not allowed.
Any RV in the Blacksford rental fleet handles it fine, but it’s important to be a calm, patient driver in any vehicle. Here are the best RVs for Olympic:
Winnebago Solis PX
Best for: couples, small families, or two couples
Length: 21 ft • Sleeps: 4
At a compact 21 feet long, the Solis PX fits every campground inside Olympic, including the tight sites at Mora and Kalaloch where bigger rigs can struggle, and it’s easy to handle on narrow spur roads and in crowded lots.
Its sleeping areas include a queen Murphy bed in the rear and a full-size pop-top up top. Some renters even use it as a day vehicle while staying in hotels at night, for the bathroom, fridge, and bed on the road.
Solis PX Features
Propane cooktop, fridge, and sink
Wet bath with cassette toilet
Gas generator
Rooftop AC
Outdoor shower
Winnebago Sunflyer 24GG
Best for: families who want more room to spread out
Length: 27 ft • Sleeps: 5
The Sunflyer 24GG is comfortable step up in space that still handles every main park road. Its sleeping areas include two rear twins that convert to a king, an over-cab bunk, and a convertible dinette. The rear storage garage holds bikes, kayaks, or hiking gear for the whole group.
Sunflyer 24GG Features
Full-size fridge and freezer
Microwave/convection oven
Separate shower, vanity sink, and flush toilet
Gas generator
Rooftop AC
Nexus Triumph 29T
Best for: larger groups who want the most living space
Length: 31 ft • Sleeps: 8
Rent the Triumph 29T when you want everyone under one roof. At 31 feet it’s better suited to bigger Olympic campgrounds like Heart O’ the Hills and Kalaloch’s larger loops rather than the tighter coastal sites.
Its sleeping areas include a king bed, over-cab bunk, convertible dinette, and roll-out sofa.
Nexus Triumph 29T Features
Full kitchen with tankless water heater
Private bath with shower, skylight, and flush toilet
4kW gas generator
Rooftop AC and heating
Inverter for running outlets and the TV off-grid
Other RVs and camper vans are available in our Seattle fleet depending on your group size and preferences. Our team will help match you to the right one when you get a quote.
Browse Olympic National Park RV rentals
Getting to Olympic National Park by RV
From Seattle, the drive to Port Angeles (the Hurricane Ridge entrance) takes about two and a half hours: north on I-5, then US-101 near Olympia around the south end of Puget Sound. There’s nothing tight or technically demanding on the main roads.
If you’re headed straight to Port Angeles and renting a smaller RV, consider taking the Bainbridge Island Ferry. The crossing from Colman Dock takes about 35 minutes, leaving a 50-mile drive to Port Angeles, and it can save an hour depending on traffic. Washington State Ferries treats RVs over 20 feet as oversized, which means a separate lane, higher fares, and a summer booking window that fills fast. Get more information at wsdot.wa.gov.
US-101 is the main route of the whole trip, looping the peninsula to connect Port Angeles in the north, Forks and the Hoh Rainforest in the west, and Lake Quinault in the southwest, with most campgrounds right off it.
5-Day Olympic Peninsula RV Itinerary
There’s no wrong way to loop the peninsula, but this routing makes logical sense for a first trip: start in the north, move west, finish on the coast. It covers the park’s three main ecosystems without backtracking.
The total driving distance for this five day itinerary is roughly 435 miles (87 miles a day on average) which leaves plenty of time for hiking, exploring, and just sitting outside with a cup of coffee.
Day 1: Seattle to Port Angeles
Pick up your RV or camper van at Blacksford in Seattle, stock up on groceries if you haven't pre-ordered with our team, and drive to Port Angeles (about 82 miles, two and a half hours).
Check into Heart O’ the Hills Campground or the Port Angeles KOA for the night. Walk the waterfront, grab dinner in town, and get an early start the next morning.
Day 2: Hurricane Ridge.
Drive the 18 miles up to Hurricane Ridge early, before the parking lot fills. The views of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca are best in morning light. Hike the Hurricane Hill trail (3.2 miles round trip) or the easier Meadow Loop trails.
Head back down by early afternoon, then drive west on US-101 toward the Hoh (about 88 miles from Port Angeles). If you’re in the Solis PX, Fairholme Campground on Lake Crescent is a beautiful overnight stop along the way. It sits right on the water and has a dump station, but its sites max out at 21 feet.
If you’re in a larger RV, the Port Angeles KOA is the better second-night option, with full hookups and no size constraints.
Day 3: Hoh Rainforest
Drive roughly two hours to the Hoh Rainforest and park for a hike at the end of Upper Hoh Road. The lot fills by late morning in summer and is tight for larger RVs, so get there early and spend your time on the Hoh River Trail, which extends as far as you want to go into the old growth.
Camp at Hoh Campground so you’re already parked for the Hall of Mosses in the morning.
Day 4: Pacific Coast
Walk the Hall of Mosses before 8 a.m. if you can; the morning light through the moss-draped maple canopy is something else, and it’s a short loop. Then head north to Mora Campground (50 miles) and spend the day at Rialto Beach. Note: the Mora Road corridor beyond the campground to Rialto Beach may be closed for storm damage repairs. Check the Olympic National Park current conditions page before you leave.
If Rialto is closed, Second Beach and Third Beach near La Push are accessible via a different road and equally worth the visit.
In the afternoon, head south along US-101 to Ruby Beach for the sea stack views at sunset. Camp at Kalaloch (about 25 miles south of Mora).
Day 5: Lake Quinault and back to Seattle
Stop at Lake Quinault (25 miles south of Kalaloch) for a short walk through the old-growth forest before heading north on US-101. Then drive back to Seattle in about three hours (roughly 160 miles).
If you rented from Blacksford, we’ll drop you at the airport so you can fly home the same day.
RV-Friendly Campgrounds in Olympic National Park
Most of Olympic’s campgrounds were originally built for tents and small rigs. Only Sol Duc has RV hookups, and length dictates where your rental can fit at the other campgrounds. Most sites fit RVs around 21 feet, and while a handful stretch to 30–35, the narrow loop roads, low branches, and tight turns make the bigger rigs a squeeze.
Renters regularly find campground sites barely long enough and end up angling their rig to stay clear of the road, so find a site rated a few feet longer than your RV to be safe. Reservable campgrounds release sites in staggered blocks by loop.
Reserve via Recreation.gov, which lists site lengths. The best sites at Kalaloch and Hoh sit in the loops that open six months out and go within hours, so set a calendar reminder for the exact date.
For first-come, first-served sites, arrive before 9 a.m. on summer weekends. If you can’t get a spot inside the park, there are good private campgrounds nearby (listed in the next section) with full hookups.
Heart O’ the Hills Campground
Located 5 miles south of Port Angeles, on the road to Hurricane Ridge.
RV size: Most sites fit 21 feet; a few allow up to 35
Hookups: None. Flush toilets and potable water on site. No dump station; the nearest is at Sol Duc or the Port Angeles area.
Reservations: First-come, first-served year-round. Fills by mid-morning on summer weekends, so arrive early.
Why RVers love it: Heart O’ the Hills is the closest to Hurricane Ridge, set in dense Douglas fir and cedar forest. Even in July, you’ll want a sweater at night.
Fairholme Campground
Located on the western tip of Lake Crescent, 40 minutes west of Port Angeles off US-101.
RV size limit: Best for rigs around 21 feet. The access road is steep and narrow with low branches and tight turns, so the Sunflyer and Nexus 29T don’t fit here.
Hookups: None. Flush toilets and potable water. Dump station at the nearby boat launch ($10 per use).
Reservations: Six months in advance for B loop; two weeks out for C loop; four days out for A loop. Reservation only mid-May through late September; first-come, first-served outside that window.
Why RVers love it: A lakeside setting on Lake Crescent, known for its strikingly clear, deep-blue water, and a natural stop on the way west to the Hoh. Best suited to the Solis PX given the tight sites and steep access road.
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground
Located 12 miles up Sol Duc Hot Springs Road off US-101, about 40 minutes southwest of Port Angeles. It’s run by a concessionaire (not the Park Service), which is why it has hookups.
RV size limit: 17 sites fit RVs roughly 20–36 feet. The forested tent loops take smaller rigs but don’t have hookups.
Hookups: The 17 sites have 50-amp electric and water (no sewer), plus a dump station on site ($10/use), and showers are available at the resort. The other loops are dry.
Reservations: Up to six months in advance. RV season runs late March–early November, and the hookup loop books fast in summer.
Why RVers love it: The hot springs pools and the Sol Duc Falls trailhead are a short walk from the sites. Worth knowing before you book: the RV sites are a gravel lot set close together, so you trade the privacy of the forest loops for the hookups and the springs.
Mora Campground
Construction note: Mora Road beyond the campground (to Rialto Beach) is closed to all traffic July 8–mid-October 2026. The campground will stay open. Ruby Beach (south on US-101) and Second and Third Beach at La Push (reached by La Push Road, not Mora Road) are the coastal alternatives.
Located in coastal forest near the mouth of the Quillayute River on the west side of the peninsula, about two miles from Rialto Beach.
RV size limit: Most sites up to 21 feet; a limited number up to 35 feet.
Hookups: None. Flush toilets, potable water, and a dump station (summer only, $10/use).
Reservations: Block release by loop: A, B, and E loops six months out; C loop two weeks; D loop four days. Reservation only mid-May through late September; first-come, first-served outside that window.
Why RVers love it: It’s closest campground to Rialto Beach, where driftwood, offshore sea stacks, and the tide pools at Hole-in-the-Wall draw beachcombers up the coast. The campground itself stays quiet, set in mossy coastal forest a short drive from the sand.
Kalaloch Campground
Located on the Pacific coast bluff, 35 miles south of Forks, WA.
RV size limit: Most sites best suited to 21 feet or under; campground technically accommodates up to 35 feet but confirm your specific site before arriving
Hookups: None. Flush toilets, potable water, and dump station ($10/use).
Reservations: Required mid-May through late September; first-come, first-served outside that window. Staggered release by loop: A and B loops six months out, C and D two weeks, E and F four days. The six-month sites go within hours.
Why RVers love it: The one campground in Olympic set on a bluff above the Pacific, with a number of sites overlooking the water and stairs down to the beach from the A and D loops. A loop is the ocean-facing loop along the bluff; sites there and in D are the ones with water views, and they book first.
Insider tip: Stop at the Kalaloch Mercantile’s small convenience store and coffee shop for snacks and firewood.
Hoh Rainforest Campground
Located at the end of Upper Hoh Road, 19 miles off US-101.
RV size limit: Most sites suit 21 feet or under. A few sites in A loop take RVs up to 35 feet.
Hookups: None. Flush toilets and potable water; an RV fill spigot is in A loop. No dump station so empty your wastewater tank at Mora or Kalaloch on the way in or out.
Reservations: Required mid June–early Sept. A loop opens six months in advance; C loop two weeks out; B loop four days out. First-come, first-served outside that window. Like Kalaloch, it’s sites are very popular.
Why RVers love it: You’re camping among old-growth Sitka spruce and bigleaf maple hung with club moss on all sides. Staying here puts you on the trails early, before the trailhead parking lot fills up.
Note: Check the latest Upper Hoh Road conditions before your trip.
Private RV Campgrounds Near Olympic
Book a private campground if you prefer full hookups to run the air conditioning, charge devices, empty gray/black tanks, or simply take a break from generator use. All three below have sites with electric and water hookups, plus individual sewer connections.
Port Angeles KOA sits about three miles outside of downtown, so you’re very close to the park’s north entrance. This KOA has clean modern restrooms, hot showers, and laundry facilities.
Elwha Dam RV Park is small, friendly, and right on the river near the park’s north entrance in Port Angeles, WA. It has walking trails and quick access to Hurricane Ridge and the Elwha Valley.
Forks 101 RV Park is on the west side of the peninsula in Forks, WA. It’s a useful grocery supply stop and a good base for multiple nights if you’re focused on the coast and Hoh Rainforest.
Olympic National Park RV Logistics
Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park
When to Go
The rainforest and coastal sections are accessible year round, unlike Hurricane Ridge, which switches to weekend-only access in winter. Summer has the most reliable weather and competitive campground reservations.
Spring and fall have thinner crowds which improve your odds of getting the specific RV and campgrounds you want.
Groceries and Fuel
Pre-order groceries through Blacksford and leave Seattle with everything stocked, which takes the pressure off day one. If you shop on your own, Port Angeles is the best resupply on the north side of the peninsula and Forks covers the west; between the two, options thin out fast.
Fill gas and low propane tanks in Port Angeles before heading west, and top off fuel in every town you pass. Gas generators cut off when the tank drops below a quarter, so a full tank matters any time you're relying on the generator for power.
Expect Minimal Cell Service
Mobile service is unreliable once you’re past Port Angeles and Forks. Download offline maps before you leave, since Google Maps and AllTrails both work without signal, and expect dead stretches deep in the Hoh and along the coast.
Park Entry Fees
Olympic charges $30 per vehicle for seven days, the same for US and international visitors, with kids 15 and under free. If you’re visiting other national parks in the same year, the $80 America the Beautiful pass covers them all and pays for itself if you visit three parks.
Getting Back to Seattle
If you took the Bainbridge ferry out, the return needs no reservation, but oversized-vehicle queues run long in summer, so build extra time into your last day.
If you didn’t take the ferry, retrace your US-101 and I-5 route back to Seattle.
FAQs for Olympic National Park
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It depends on your group size and how much of the park you want to camp in. The Winnebago Solis PX, at 21 feet, fits every campground in the park, including the tight coastal sites at Kalaloch and Mora, so it's the most flexible choice for couples or small families.
The Sunflyer 24GG adds room for a family of five and still handles every main park road. The Nexus 29T has the most living space for larger groups, but at around 31 feet it's limited to the bigger campgrounds and loops rather than the tight coastal sites.
All Blacksford RVs are fully self-contained, so you can camp inside the park whichever rig you choose.
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Most individual sites suit RVs around 21 feet, and a limited number stretch to 35 feet, though the narrow loop roads and low branches make bigger rigs a squeeze.
The Solis PX (21 feet) fits nearly every site in the park. Larger rigs like the Sunflyer 24GG and Nexus 29T fit only a handful of sites, mostly in specific loops, so confirm your exact site length when booking at Kalaloch, Hoh, Mora, and Fairholme. Recreation.gov lists each site’s length and overhead clearance.
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Not at the park-run campgrounds. Heart O' the Hills, Fairholme, Mora, Kalaloch, and Hoh have no electric, water, or sewer hookups.
The one exception is Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground, run by a concessionaire, which has 17 RV sites with 50-amp electric and water (no sewer) plus showers at the resort.
For full hookups outside the park, private campgrounds near Port Angeles and Forks have them.
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For some campgrounds, yes. Kalaloch, Hoh, Mora, Fairholme, and Sol Duc take reservations through Recreation.gov, and they release sites in staggered blocks by loop, six months, two weeks, and four days ahead, rather than all at once.
The most sought-after loops open six months out and book within hours in summer, so the exact release date matters. Heart O' the Hills is first-come, first-served year-round and fills by mid-morning on summer weekends.
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Yes. You can fly into SEA, rent an RV in Seattle with free airport pickup, and be on the road to Olympic the same day.
Port Angeles and the north entrance are about two and a half hours away, so with a campsite booked you can be set up in the park by evening.
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Yes, it's one of the easier national parks for a first trip. The main roads are paved, US-101 loops the whole peninsula, and the drive from Seattle is straightforward.
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Yes, though the park has no road through the middle so you’ll enter and exit through points around the perimeter via US-101. Spur roads take you into specific areas (the coast, the Hoh Rainforest, Hurricane Ridge), so the trip is a loop rather than a crossing.
The one climb to know about is Hurricane Ridge, 18 miles up to 5,242 feet; use the pullouts to let your brakes cool on the way down, and note that towing isn't allowed on that road.
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Entry is $30 per vehicle, valid for seven days, the same whether you’re a US resident or an international visitor. For a trip focused only on Olympic, the standard $30 fee is best.
If you’re a US resident visiting several national parks in a year, the America the Beautiful Annual Pass ($80) covers entry to all federal lands.
Visit Olympic National Park in an RV
Olympic’s stops are spread far apart, which is what makes it worth doing by RV. Your kitchen, bed, and bathroom come with you, and you camp inside the park instead of driving in and out from a town each day.
The coast, the rainforest, and the mountains sit within a day’s drive of each other on US-101, and a Seattle RV rental pickup puts you on the road to this incredible national park in under three hours.