Dosewallips State Park

We used to love coming here each summer for a family clamming trip. We had to drive separate vehicles and we were going to stay in my mothers rv.
I was livid when I found out we had pay 40 $ to park our car in a tall grass field. The Park employee told us how to find this so called parking lot but we drove right past it not realizing they would dare to charge 40 $ to park in a field.
That really made me think twice about this place… Then we found out the beaches were closed for shellfish due to red algae. Now I cannot blame that on anyone but it was certainly the icing on the cake. Now some good points… It’s pretty and there are campsites that back right up to the river. There’s hiking and showers! If you have small kids this is the campground for you. It’s very family friendly.

First time at the park and we would go back/​recommend to others. We stayed in spot #77 for our 23 foot RV and truck with no problem getting in or out with the trailer. It’s a level spot next to the cabins. The trails around the park are wonderful — clean, well-​maintained, and easy to access.

positives: clean, near rocky river and puget sound waters, oyster picking, roomy private tent camp grounds, great forest covered 3-​mile trails.
bad: trails poorly mapped, forks on trails are unmarked and not listed on camp maps, camp ground needs better directions to site (as you drive in there should be arrows and camp numbers directing you which way to turn), very limited a cleaning water access (use TV water if there isn’t an rv already connected otherwise I wouldn’t know where to find water (bathroom sinks not option because can’t get bucket under faucet)), don’t expect Sandy beaches anywhere nearby, no meaningful grocery stores nearby.
note: very noisy water and road noise. it’s a feature some may like or dislike.

As a little girl, I would sit beachside for hours on end, shucking oysters to the household flathead so it seemed only right to share this experience with my love.
From Seattle, Dosewallips Park can be reached either by water (ferry across) or by land (drive up into the peninsula). We chose the latter, taking Highway 101 which wraps around the canal and is lined with beautiful rain forests. It was a sunny day which made for a fun drive in the convertible.
We arrived just as the tide rolled out, leaving a trail of oysters as far as the eye could see. Setting up a little picnic of freshly shucked oysters with our icebox of condiments, we literally ate right off the beach. The oysters were delicious and beautifully translucent with these blue gills. I saw that others around us came for the clams and they looked super fresh too.
As we were leaving the parking lot, we saw Taylor Shellfish also pulling out– so now you know where they harvest their oysters!
My only recommendation for those who are looking to eat freshly shucked oysters is to research any toxin spills around the area. Fish and Wildlife Department is a great resource regarding this and any other shellfish questions.
Happy shucking!

NON-​STOP OYSTER EATING!
If you can shuck, you can eat. I learned the skills of shucking and thus built a passion. It’s an adventure each time to find the soft, fresh meat of oyster goodness.
Travel here by ferry or take the long drive; each is an adventure. Enjoy all that Washington has to offer – the ocean breeze, the fresh air, and beautiful mountain scenery. It’s a win-​win situation. Get your shellfish or crabbing license at Fred Meyers along with any fishing or water wading equipment and you will be more than prepared for the feast.
Don’t mind flying insects or love watching the stars? Pitch a tent, lay out some sleeping bags, and stay the night at the campgrounds just down the street from the beach. For being out in the sun working hard, it would be too much to rush through cooking and not being able to enjoy nature and good company. Having shucked so many oysters and dug up so many clams, it’s rewarding to cook my your loot.
If you’ve never tried oysters, I would recommend you try it here. If you are afraid of the fishy taste, bring some salsa or Tabasco sauce and you will love it! A great way to enjoy summer in Washington, gather some friends and head out!

I had an excellent summer clamming experience here! There were also plenty of oysters too. On a Tuesday during low tide, there were only maybe a dozen others out on the beach with us, and everyone was friendly.
There was a portable restroom stall in the parking lot where we parked to walk out to the clamming area. There is a clean running-​water bathroom facility within a few minutes of driving further down the road (this parking lot/​bathroom area does not have beach access).
Bring bug repellent and apply before you get out of the car, there were TONS of mosquitos around — something you don’t necessary think of when planning your clamming trip!

The location is near perfect along the Dosewallips river adjacent to the hood canal.
There is a catch. There is very little privacy. The trees have been thinned to a point that there is not much to block the view of the neighboring camp site.
More importantly, the people there are seriously crazy. We showed up and someone was in our camp spot. We asked them to move and the woman want bat sit crazy. I had to get the ranger to help her move her crazy and her tent.
The following day, a couple meth mechanics showed up on the other side of us. We rolled to the next camp spot. Not our style.
Not much the people running the camp ground can do to improve this place. It has a great location and it is well run. It just attracts crazy people.

This is a nice waterfront state park with clean bathroom facilities and plenty of picnic tables. Not all parking areas allow walking to shoreline, but the views are fantastic. Location is directly off of main highway with easy accessibility.

Most people go camping to be with friends or family and to experience the great outdoors but I go camping as an excuse to eat. If you are willing to put in some manual labor for your food, there is no better place to get delicious seafood in this state.
So to say I am hesitant to give this place a review would be true, I don’t want to share. However, it is only right to shine the light on what real seafood is and how much of it we actually have in the northwest.
Get here by ferry for the more scenic and relaxing route, or by road if you are coming from the south and have a fascination with driving on long boring roads. The camp grounds aren’t the newest and shiniest, the restrooms I can never get used to, the camp sites are somewhat small and activities are not abundant BUT, that is not why we are here is it?
To start your adventure of deliciousness, go to
, select Whitney Point, Dabob Bay and find the low tide days before heading out for a day trip or RSVPing a campsite. Get the proper licenses, it is very expensive if you are caught without one. They are particularly on point with catching people, which is a nice thing to me.
Let’s get to what we are here for. The clams are so much better in both flavor and texture than any clams that you can buy from a store, most of those that we buy seems to be farm raised, not sure how or what that means but these ones that you dig out of the mud are indescribably better, in every way possible. Every bite is a taste of the ocean breeze and scent manifested into a shell.
The oysters, same story. Although, I would avoid eating the really big ones raw, it simply too much fecal matter in one go. Maybe I am just weak but I prefer if one were to consume that much fecal matter, it would be best to at least fry or cook it first.
The geoducks, remain elusive to me. Perhaps this year I will attain both the tools and the skill to acquire this dong of the ocean. I can only imagine how mind blowingly delicious this will be. I will pack a bottle of premium sushi soy sauce, wasabi, cutting board and a knife next time I head out onto the beach, hopefully to return with a belly full of live geoduck sashimi.
I do find it hilarious that people are judging this park negatively because it doesn’t have the best campsites or facilities in the state. Yes, it’s probably not the best camp site by far but they miss out totally on why people come here. If you looking for nice camp sites for camping related activities, you shouldn’t come here. If you are looking for more privacy/​trees/​seclusion, you shouldn’t come here. If you are looking for the newest/​cleanest bathrooms, you shouldn’t come here.
You come here to devour an endless supply of delicious, local, organic, sustainable, seasonal seafood while hopelessly hoping you don’t crap your pants because you think the holes in the ground with a cover on top are too gross to poop in.

I’d never go here again, even if it were free (let alone $ 35), and I’m surprised why this place gets such good reviews. It’s car camping central, with little to no privacy. You might as well camp in your backyard. The one upside for car campers (and downside for people who camp to get AWAY from society) is that there’s tons of open space with little foliage. The spots along the road and river have some privacy, but they’re literally touching the 2-​lane road that cars are driving on all day long. We were at #51 (one of the average spots) for a Saturday night. Our view was of dozens of RV’s and giant tents, with huge families and kids skateboarding and biking past us all day. It feels like a giant family reunion. The river is beautiful, although only where it’s not very accessible. We did the 3.5 mile loop hike, which was sweet… that was the best part, and we didn’t pass one person.

As state parks go, this one is fine. Right on the river and lots of spaces to choose from, all the amenities. For me, I prefer a more remote campground where I can pretend I’m alone. Not possible here, but I found a fairly secluded spot with a path to the river. The thing about being on the river is that everyone else wants to camp there too. You are better off going up the road a couple miles to Seal Beach. Much more separated spots with access to the sound.

I grew up camping here, its so beautiful. My fiancé and I camp here all the time during the summer. We love to dig for clams and shuck oysters on the beach. Then cook them over the fire. yum yum! Great place! Fun times!

Beautiful state park at the mouth of the Dosewallips River in Brinnon, WA.
Highway 101 bisects the park with day use areas on the Hood Canal side and a campground (with cabins, too) on the inland side. There are plenty of outdoor activities to be had here and abundant wildlife. Last time I went by here the day use picnic and restroom area was closed to the public due to a herd of elk that had decided to move in… cool!

Great park! We stayed in late August for the first half of Labor day weekend. Campground is very open and is great for letting the little ones ride bikes and play in the camp circles. Would go back for sure… We really enjoyed shucking our own oysters and eating them.

This year, we decided to do some early season camping and reserve one of the 3 platform tent here at Dosewallips. We arrived on a Friday night in May after dinner at the Geoduck Tavern which is just a stones throw from the entrance of the state park.
After unpacking a few things, it began to rain so we decided to setup «camp» inside the tent and enjoy the heat. Our tent came equipped with a futon (pulled out to a double bed), a bunk bed (double on bottom, single on top), a few benches, and an electric heater.
After enjoying a comfortable evening in our dry tent, we headed out to check out the beach from the campground. We walked over to the beach on the trail from the campground that eventually follows the highway and to the parking lot. It was full of folks digging for clams and just exploring the beach front. We headed back to our campsite and gathered up some supplies for clamming and then headed out to purchase a permit at the generals store down the street. After bringing back our quota of clams from the beach we cooked them up with some lemons, onions, and a Sam Adams Summer beer. They were super tasty.
Overall, this campground is very clean and safe. The staff is also very helpful and was always available when we had questions. I’d definitely come back here and hope next time to check out some of the trails around the campground.

What makes for the best Valentines day ever? Staying in the platform tents here! (although the cabins & campsites look very nice as well). Spacious, clean, and most importantly DRY, this was our little slice of camping heaven in the northwest in February.
Accommodations are ridiculously affordable ($ 45 in off season) for move in ready space. There is enough room for 5 – 6 people to bunk. Also– the heater, lamp, and electrical outlet are invaluable!
The park itself is pristine, with trails looping around it. The river borders the back and across the road are access to the flats where oyster hunting is easy pickins all year. We would love to come back fro calm season.
I am in love with this park & it’s fairly quick access to Seattle ensures we will be back, preferably with a a truckload of friends.

Thanks to other reviewers for having posted on this great state park.
We rented one of the new really nice cabins. What a treat!!! They are so clean and we were snug as bugs while it poured rain.
Our children are quite young and were able to toodle all over the place on their bikes, and we could see them just about everywhere.
What you won’t find in a guidebook: If you go a mile or two down the road just north of the park (Sign says Dosewallips Rec area) you will find a little unmarked path that seems to go around behind a power station building in the woods. It leads to the most incredible waterfall! Locals keep it to themselves, but we got one to spill the beans, and we went and saw it. Don’t miss it!
Highlights:
Totally the waterfall!!!
Salmon doing their spawning thing — racing against the river current
Elk in herds everywhere
Eagles flying all around
Clams and Oysters at the flats by the ocean
Clean campsite
Great rangers
Lowlites: There is no real grocery store for an hour in each direction of this park! Get your supplies before arriving or you will pay huge dollars for nasty food at the dirty little Brinnon Grocery store.
Great for a family vacation overall.

This is one of my family’s favorite campgrounds in all of Washington. We’ve been going here for my entire life which sadly is approaching 30 years. It’s very clean, the camping spaces are pretty spacious and the lawns and bathrooms are well maintained.
I’m picky about bathrooms when I camp and these are as good as it gets. They are clean, contain mirrors and garbage cans and the showers which are coin operated are not bug-​infested.
The camping spaces are large, many with hook-​ups, the lawns are great for playing lawn sports and catch. It is rainy here, especially in the spring when my family liked to go, we used Dosewallips as our homebase for oystering and clamming.
Lots of hiking trails are nearby as well as a couple convenience stores and gas station. The camp hosts have firewood.

This park is lovely, well-​maintained, and full of things to do. Between the river, the forest, and the tidal mud flats, not to mention an open field or two to spot critters in and/​or fly kites, you won’t be bored.
The rangers are super-​friendly and the facilities are clean; my family has a leave it cleaner than you find it policy and at our site, we could literally only find a handful of debris left by others for us to pick up. Say hi to Eric, who was one of the friendliest park rangers we’ve ever met in this state. Instead of telling our kids that they couldn’t take oyster shells from the beach and leaving it at that, as a rule for them to follow, he explained that even the dead-​looking shells might have teeny baby oysters attached to them, and told the kids about the different species of oysters they’d picked up (in the form of shells). He was so nice about it that they had no idea they’d just been scolded very gently AND educated at the same time!
The park has mostly pit toilets (modern outhouses) which are fine; when it’s breezy, they are well ventilated and not smelly. Showers cost a quarter for a few minutes of hot water. My only complaint is that just like all the other Washington State Parks, the toilet paper they provide is the thinnest, roughest stuff and they stock it in near-​impossible dispensers… good luck getting more than three sheets at a time. You will enjoy your trip immensely if you just bring a roll or two of the good stuff from home in gallon-​size Ziploc bags!
Brinnon, the little town nearby, is both good and bad. There’s a great-​looking café (we missed dinner and had our own breakfasts, so we didn’t try it) and a small-​country-​town dangerously-​amusing country store/​gas station for the necessities, but there are also houses close enough to the park that someone’s barking dog was a bit of an annoyance the first night. Oh well. It does mean that if you forget hot dogs, chips, propane or ketchup, you’ll be able to recover gracefully without driving a long way, and that’s a plus for sure.
The platform tent was excellent, dry and clean. The beds are adequate and beat the hell out of the sleeping bag on the ground with a root in your back that make up so many of my camping memories. The picnic tables are made from Trex, and it really pleases me that they are totally on the recycling bandwagon at this park, with a big recycling center at the entrance.
Firewood and kindling are available at totally reasonable prices ($ 4 and $ 1 per bundle).

Camping, hiking, biking, clamming — there’s plenty to do and see here. There are also 3 luxurious platform tents you can rent year round with futon and bunk beds, a little heater, lamp and table. Plus a rug on the floor. Rental rates are VERY reasonable and even though we stayed in one in the summer I’m really looking forward to renting one in the winter. Picnic table and fire ring right outside the tent and decent privacy.
Don’t miss the walk under Hwy 101 and then over the bridge down to the beach. There’s a great viewing platform and clamming during the season on the enormous flats. It wasn’t clamming season and it was on a weekday we went and we had the entire, huge beach completely to ourselves all afternoon. At low tide. Awesome. There’s one long hike through the woods and you’ll have to figure out how to get down to the river — there aren’t marked trails, and you can’t go during the salmon run.
This is a terrific place to bring kids. Especially if you don’t mind not having privacy or have an RV. We like privacy and don’t have an RV and had a blast.