National Park Service · Olympic National Park · WA

Fairholme Campground

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Caution
Staircase Developed Area is Open, Use Caution in Burned Areas The Staircase developed area is open. The surrounding wilderness areas will remain closed as repair and recovery efforts continue. Use extreme caution when entering burned areas. Burned landscapes may contain falling trees and branches…
Park Closure
Highway 101 Overnight Closures at Hoh River Bridge, October 13-19 These overnight Highway 101 closures cuts off the only direct route between some of the most popular areas of the park. There are no detours available. Taking alternate routes around the east side of the Olympic Peninsula will add at least…
Danger
Bat Tests Positive for Rabies, Visitors Urged to Report Potential Contact A rabid bat was found at Olympic National Park near Staircase Bridge on August 9th. At approximately 2 p.m., the bat swooped down onto an unidentified woman and was temporarily caught in her hair. This individual is at risk for rabies and…
Alerts: National Park Service alerts API · Oct 16, 2026
ReservableOut of season; the next season isn't published.
Book on recreation.govWe make nothing when you book
Right now
Closed for the seasonOut of the season the agency publishes
Sites
8478 on recreation.gov
Season
May 23 – September 29Open May 23 through September 29
45 ftLongest rig
680 ftElevation
742 ftWater · an unnamed streamTidal flat · 6.2 mi
18.4 miW of Port Angeles, WA
77%Tree cover
Open May 23 through September 29Today

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices

In the agency’s own words

The reservation season the 2026 summer season for Fairholme Campground is May 15, 2026 - September 29, 2026. Important information about booking windows: To better serve visitors, Fairholme Campground will be releasing campsites in a series of three staggered block releases by loop. These block releases will be 6 months in advance, two weeks in advance, and 4 days in advance. • B loop campsites and the majority of the walk-to sites will be available for reservation 6 months in advance. • C loop campsites and most of the remaining walk-to sites will be available for reservations 2 weeks in advance. Keep reading

• A loop campsites and walk-to site 85 will be available for reservations 4 days in advance. The campground may open on a first-come, first serve basis during the spring depending on weather before the reservation season. Fairholme Campground is located next to Lake Crescent on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula in Olympic National Park. The campground sits in an old-growth forest surrounded by steep mountains. Fairholme Campground features walk-in lakefront campsites and several drive-in campsites that provide views of Lake Crescent. The campground is large and set amidst a peaceful forest that thrives on the region's high annual rainfall. Rain or shine, it is one of the most visited areas of the park.

Recreation

Numerous day hiking opportunities are available near the Lake Crescent area. Please follow the link to Olympic NPS page for more information - Lake Crescent Area Brochure - https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/lake-crescent-area-brochure.htm Paddling and boating opportunities are available within minutes from the campground. Lake Crescent boat launch is located adjacent to the campground. Please follow the link to learn more - Boating - https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/boating.htm Fairholme Olympic Discovery Trailhead is located about 2 miles west of Fairholme Campground on US Highway 101. Bicycling, road cycling, and hiking are available at this access point. Please follow the link to learn more - https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/olympic/recreation/bicycling/recarea/?recid=80688&actid=26 Facilities Fairholme Campground is a large facility with 84 campsites, including walk-in lakeside campsites and one ADA accessible site. Each site has a campfire ring and picnic table. Food storage lockers are provided in some, but not all campsites. Drinking water is available at each bathroom and water spickets are also located along the trails to the walk-in campsites. There are no RV hookups at this facility, but a RV water fill station and RV septic dump station are located next to the campground where the boat launch is. Payment is required for each use of the RV septic dump station. The nearest gas station is located 17 miles west on US Highway 101 at the junction with SR 113. The nearest shower facility is Bogachiel State Park (35 miles one way) located off US Highway 101. Payment is required for use of shower facilities. Campers can purchase firewood at Fairholme General Store, Lake Crescent Lodge, and Log Cabin Resort.

Natural Features

Lake Crescent, a cold, clear, glacially carved lake, owes its existence to ice. Its azure depths, which plummet to 624 feet, were gouged by huge ice sheets thousands of years ago. As the ice retreated, it left behind a steep valley that filled with the clear blue waters of Lake Crescent.

Nearby Attractions

Olympic National Park has much to explore, including temperate rain forests, ocean shores, sub-alpine mountains, lakes and more. The towns of Port Angeles, Forks, and Beaver are within a 30 to 60-minute drive. Fairholme Campground is along the shores of Lake Crescent, which is a big attraction for visitors to the park. Additionally, access to the Sol Duc Valley, with its popular Sol Duc Falls trail and Sol Duc Hotsprings Resort nearby. A moderate drive from the campground also provides access to the Marymere Falls and Mount Storm King trails. Fairholme Campground is a good base camp to explore Olympic National Park, as it is located between Port Angeles (Hurricane Ridge) and popular western locations such as Rialto Beach, Hoh Rainforest, and Kalaloch/Ruby Beach. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (360) 327-3250.

Charges & Cancellations

A $10.00 service fee will apply if you modify your reservation or change your stay dates. Cancelling your reservation prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time two nights before your stay will incur a $10 cancellation fee. Camping reservations cancelled the day before and day of arrival incur a $10 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee If you need to cancel or modify your reservation after 12:00 am Eastern Time on the day of arrival you must contact campground staff. Recreation.gov Rules and Reservation Policies

What the agency tells you

Rule

Call the recorded line at (360) 565-3131 to check current status and area information (updated twice daily).

Rule

This campground has a 7-day maximum stay limit during the reservation season. There is a 21-day maximum stay limit for all Olympic National Park campgrounds collectively in a calendar year.

Rule

Expect long delays at Heart O’ the Hills Entrance Station and Hoh Rain Forest Entrance Station. In order to avoid waiting in line for long periods of time at Entrance Stations, plan on arriving before 10:00 AM or after 5:00 PM.

Everything else this campground posts · 12
Rule

Entrance fees: Save time at park entrances by purchasing your digital park entrance passes on Recreation.gov at no additional cost. Once purchased, passes for Olympic National Park must be printed prior to use. While in the park, the paper copy is presented at entrance stations and displayed on the vehicle dashboard, particularly when the vehicle is parked at trailheads. Connectivity is limited or non-existent in the park, therefore printing the permit in advance is required. The pass will be accepted at all park entrance stations.

Rule

Most campsites in Fairholme cannot accommodate large RVs or trailers. Please read campsite details and warnings carefully before reserving a site.  There is limited parking available in the campground. If your vehicle(s) do not fit in your campsite (see information below), vehicels will be required to park in the boat launch parking lot area outside of the campground.

Rule

Maximum one passenger vehicle per walk-in site (sites 70-90). Please park at designated space for the campsite you reserved. There will be a reserved recreation.gov placard for your assigned parking spot. - Trails that lead to walk-in campsites are relatively short and steep -- not all walk-in campsites have a food storage locker. All food and scented items must be stored in your vehicle or an animal reisistant food container when not in use. - Camping aboard a vessel on park waters is prohibited.

Rule

Maximum one RV and tow vehicle per standard site (sites 1-69) provided both vehicles fit in the driveway, are not parked on any vegetation, and are clear of the roadway.   - There is very limited overflow parking around the campground. All vehicles that cannot fit into campsite will be required to park in the boat launch parking area. Two registered vehicles per standard site (campsites 1-69) - which include tow vehicles, vehicles being towed, or trailers/campers/fifth wheels.

Rule

Maximum two passenger vehicles per standard site (sites 1-69) provided both vehicles fit in the driveway, are not parked on any vegetation, and are clear of the roadway.

Rule

Roads in the campground are very steep and narrow with low tree branches and tight turns. Maneuvering large RVs and trailers into campsites may be difficult. Please read campsite warnings and measurements carefully. Accommodations cannot be made for RVs or trailers that cannot fit or be maneuvered into reserved sites.

Rule

The Port Angeles Visitor Center is open daily and provides information about the area's natural and cultural resources; call (360) 565-3130 for more information.

Rule

Help keep our wildlife wild by following proper food storage practices. All food and scented items must be stored in a vehicle or an animal resistant food container when not in use.

Rule

Fairholme campground is a reservation only campground from May 23rd - September 29th. During this period there will not be any First-Come First-Served availability. Check with the Fairholme campground ranger or host for any cancellations that may be sold as First-Come First-Served sites on a 1-night only.

Rule

Pets are not allowed on hiking trails in Olympic National Park. Pets are allowed in developed areas such as campgrounds, picnic areas, roads, parking lots, and some paved trails. Pets must be leashed (up to 6 feet) and always attached to a human. Do not leave pets unattended or tied to an object in a way that will damage vegetation or park property.

Rule

Swimming in Lake Crescent can be dangerous due to the year-round cold-water temperature. Swim at your own risk.

Rule

Gathering wood from the campground is strictly prohibited. Firewood is available at Fairholme General Store, Lake Crescent Lodge, and Log Cabin Resort.  - Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.

Read them on the agency’s own page →

Tents and rigs

Sites
84 · 1 tent-only, 19 walk-in
Hookups
None
Longest rig
45 ft
Accessible sites
1
Pets
Allowed
Campfires
Allowed, barring fire bans
Shade
Every site
Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Toilets
Flush Toilets - seasonal
Showers
Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
“Payment is required for use of shower facilities.”
Drinking water
Yes
Dump station
Yes
recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
Boat ramp
Yes
Store
Nearby
Bear boxes
Yes
Firewood
Sold here
Stay limit
7 nights
recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Source: Stated in the agency description · Aug 23, 2026
Water, toilets and showers: read from the agency description, shown above · Sep 12, 2026

Around the campground

On the water
Lake, Beach, Coast
Biking
Birding
Boating
Canoeing
Fishing
Hiking
Kayaking
Paddling
Swimming
Water access
Night sky · 181st darkest of 400 in WA
Bortle 3
Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026

No reading yet, book on recreation.gov

recreation.gov lists 78 of the 84 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.

No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.

Booking windowOut of seasonOut of season, no booking. The last reservable season the agency published ended September 29, 2026, and it hasn't published the next one.recreation.gov
Max stay7 nightsthe facility record
If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservation; this campground publishes its own terms toorecreation.gov’s schedule
Runs itNational Park ServiceBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record
Watch for a cancellation

Full? Watch it.

One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Book on recreation.gov

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 9

What you actually pay

The sign priceNational Park Service
The National Park Service publishes no per-night rate for this campground that we can read, so there’s no sign price to print. That’s a gap in the record, not a free campground.
The booking feerecreation.gov
Reservation fee, booked online$8
One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.
Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.
What a stay costs
The agency publishes no nightly rate for this campground, so there’s nothing to add the $8 booking fee to. We won’t total a receipt with a number missing from it.
If your plans changerecreation.gov
Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10
Cancellation fee$10
Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night
No-show$20 + your first night

“A $10.00 service fee will apply if you modify your reservation or change your stay dates. Cancelling your reservation prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time two nights before your stay will incur a $10 cancellation fee.” · this campground’s own terms

Who keeps the booking fee

The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →

How we know this receipt · 5

rules read Sep 9, 2026 · record Aug 23, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

84 sites

All 84 sites

Sleeps
A1standard nonelectric
A10standard nonelectric45 ft
A11standard nonelectric40 ft
A12standard nonelectric25 ft
A13standard nonelectric
A14standard nonelectric30 ft
A15standard nonelectric25 ft
A16standard nonelectric30 ftyes
A17standard nonelectric25 ft
A2standard nonelectric
A3standard nonelectric
A4standard nonelectric
A5standard nonelectric
A6standard nonelectric22 ft
A7standard nonelectric
A8standard nonelectric45 ft
A9standard nonelectric25 ft
B18standard nonelectric30 ft
B19standard nonelectric30 ft
B20standard nonelectric
B21standard nonelectric30 ft
B22standard nonelectric
B23standard nonelectric
B24standard nonelectric25 ft
B25standard nonelectric30 ft
B26standard nonelectric
B27standard nonelectric30 ft
B28standard nonelectric22 ft
B29standard nonelectric
B30standard nonelectric20 ft
B31standard nonelectric21 ft
B32standard nonelectric25 ft
B33standard nonelectric45 ft
B34standard nonelectric
B35standard nonelectric22 ft
B36standard nonelectric
B37standard nonelectric
B38standard nonelectric
B39tent only nonelectric25 ft
B40type not stated
B41standard nonelectric
B42type not stated40 ft
B43standard nonelectric
B44standard nonelectric
B45type not stated40 ft
B46standard nonelectric
C53standard nonelectric30 ft
C54standard nonelectric40 ft
C55standard nonelectric
C56standard nonelectric30 ft
C57standard nonelectric30 ft
C58standard nonelectric30 ft
C59standard nonelectric25 ft
C60standard nonelectric18 ft
C61standard nonelectric30 ft
C62standard nonelectric35 ft
C63standard nonelectric35 ft
C64type not stated
C65standard nonelectric25 ft
C66standard nonelectric45 ft
C67standard nonelectric40 ft
C68standard nonelectric40 ft
C69standard nonelectric40 ft
70walk to
71walk to
72walk to
73walk to
74type not stated
75type not stated
76walk to
77walk to
78walk to
79walk to
80walk to
81walk to
82walk to
83walk to
84walk to
85walk to
86walk to
87walk to
88walk to
89walk to
90walk to

25 of 84 listed

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Coordinate48.07008, -123.91814
The phone360-565-3130
The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

Getting there

Fairholme lies on the west side of Lake Cresent within Olympic National Park, about a 45-minute drive from Port Angeles and a 30-minute drive from Forks. Fairholme Campground is accessed by Camp David Jr. Road, off US Highway 101.

The weather

the next four days · the thirty-year normal

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

This Afternoon70°Mostly Sunny1% rain
Tonight46°Light Rain94% rain
Saturday54°Slight Chance Light Rain then Mostly Sunny22% rain
Saturday Night38°Mostly Clear

NWS forecast for Port Angeles, WA

Typical weather

Typical May night 43°F, day 63°F.

Coldest night of the open season: typical May night 43°F. Bring the bag rated for it.

80°32°20°

Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or moreOutside the published season

A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Augusts are colder than the August line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.

Measured at: ELWHA RS, WA (USC00452548), 16 miles away and 320 ft lower

The land, and who answers for it

what threatens it · who answers for it

Roadless country, and what’s coming for it

Roadless
Mt. Baldy3,557 acres · 10 mi · inventoried roadless area

You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.

Who answers for this land

Emily Randall, official portrait

Fairholme Campground is in Washington’s 6th congressional district. Its representative, Emily Randall (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from
Right now: The agency lists it out of season. The season it publishes is the bar below.
Cell signal: the Park Service’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.