South Beach Campground in Olympic National Park

Campground · Olympic National Park

South Beach Campground

Sleep with Pacific surf rising from the beach below.

Photo: National Park Service
Type
Campground
Nearest trail
0.8 mi
Audio stories
3 nearby
  • Restrooms
  • Parking
  • Picnic tables

Hear the audio tour

A Paycheck in the Forest

Overview

About South Beach Campground

Why stop

  • Open water views and beach access reward the simple campsite setup.

Heads up

  • Closely spaced, exposed pitches offer little privacy or shade.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundSouth Beach Campground47.56725, -124.36098
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

6 active Olympic alerts

  • CautionUS 101 Hoh River Bridge reduced to one laneUS 101 at the Hoh River Bridge is restricted to one lane of alternating traffic; obey the signals and 25 mph speed limit.Official details
  • ClosureStaircase wilderness trails and campsites remain closedWilderness trails and campsites around Staircase remain closed during recovery from the Bear Gulch Fire; the developed Staircase area, including the Rapids Loop, campground, and ranger station, is…Official details
See all 6 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Olympic Tour Guide

Your drive to South Beach Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Olympic audio tour

Recorded for this area

A Paycheck in the Forest
0:00 / 0:31
“Some of the park's old log buildings are reminders of a jobs program. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps employed men to work on public lands.”

Plays on the road 0.4 mi from South Beach Campground in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Kalaloch Beach One and the Spruce Burls
  • Kalaloch Beach Two: A Steep Little Beach Stop
  • Kalaloch Lodge: Seafood Above the Pacific
  • Kalaloch Beach and the Tree of Life
  • 204 audio storiesacross Olympic’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Olympic Marmot, Humpback Whale, Grey Whale, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 148 trails, 94 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
JMJamesApp Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about South Beach Campground

A coastal overnight stopSouth Beach Campground is a simple National Park Service campground on a bluff above the…

South Beach Campground is a simple National Park Service campground on a bluff above the Pacific, with open ocean views and beach access. It suits campers who want the coast close by more than a secluded woodland site: the pitches are open and close together, and surf is often audible from camp. Sites are first come, first served, with self-registration; arrive early in summer if you need a spot.

Pack water and plan for the basicsThere is no potable water, so bring enough for drinking and washing.

There is no potable water, so bring enough for drinking and washing. Flush toilets, picnic tables and fire pits are available. The toilets and beach trail are not wheelchair accessible. This is a seasonal campground, typically open in summer; check current dates and conditions before planning an overnight stay.

Getting down to the shoreThe beach approach involves working across driftwood and logs, so expect uneven footing and…

The beach approach involves working across driftwood and logs, so expect uneven footing and take your time, especially if carrying gear.

A coastline with a long human historyThe beaches along the Kalaloch coast are thought to have served as safe landing places for…

The beaches along the Kalaloch coast are thought to have served as safe landing places for Indigenous ancestors for thousands of years. That older human history is part of the shoreline's character, alongside the changing mix of sandy beaches and rocky headlands.

Sea otters and kelpSea otters from Alaska were reintroduced to Washington's coast in 1969 and 1970, and their…

Sea otters from Alaska were reintroduced to Washington's coast in 1969 and 1970, and their return helped kelp forests flourish. Kelp beds offshore are a place to scan for otters, though a sighting is never guaranteed.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Olympic

All Olympic wildlife maps

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking

Top sights in Olympic

All 94 places
  1. 1Hurricane RidgeSight
  2. 2Ruby BeachBeach
  3. 3Rialto BeachBeach
  4. 4Sol Duc FallsSight
  5. 5Marymere FallsSight
  6. 6Second BeachBeach

Take Parkwolf to Olympic.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

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