Heart O' the Hills Campground

Heart O' the Hills Campground is a developed, drive-in campground on Hurricane Ridge Road, set among old-growth trees above Port Angeles. Its 97 sites make it a practical overnight base for an early visit to Hurricane Ridge. Camping here is first come, with self-registration and no reservations, so arrive with a backup plan during busy periods; site spacing varies, and some campers find the loops close together.

Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring with grate. The campground has flush toilets and potable water, but no RV hookups or dump station. It is listed as open year-round; heavy snow can make access walk-in only, so vehicle access depends on conditions.

The Heart O' the Forest day-hike trail starts at Loop E. The area's campground brochure describes it as an easy 4-mile round trip, so you can trade some campsite time for a walk among the trees without driving to a separate trailhead.

These trees are nesting habitat for marbled murrelets, seabirds that spend winter at sea and nest on mossy branches high above the ground in summer. Adults can fly 50 miles or more to bring food to a chick. Nearby streams are home to the Olympic torrent salamander, found only on the Olympic Peninsula, and tailed frogs; their tadpoles cling to rocks to graze on algae and take about two years to mature.