Dungeness National Recreation Area

Dungeness National Recreation Area lies adjacent to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge on the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Sequim. The Refuge is filled with eelgrass beds and tide flats that offer a haven to an abundance of migrating shorebirds in the spring and fall as well as flocks of waterfowl in the winter. The eelgrass beds also offer a nursery for the young salmon and steelhead in the area. 

The star attraction in this spectacular region is one of the world's longest natural sand spits, Dungeness Spit, which serves to soften the wild waves of the sea and form a serene bay, picturesque beaches and tide flats. 

While camping is not allowed directly inside the refuge, you will find a wonderful campground within the Dungeness Recreational Area that sits right at the edge, atop the bluffs overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Many sites offer stunning panoramic views of the dazzling turquoise waters. If you enjoy being lulled to sleep to the sounds of the crashing waves, this campground may just fit the bill.

Location

The Sequim-Dungeness area boasts the driest region in Western Washington with an average of just 17 to 18 inches of rain annually, or about half that of Seattle.  Known for being situated in the "banana belt," the mild weather is due to its location in the Olympic Rain Shadow where the typical southwesterly winds during stormy weather bring rain to the southwestern side of the Olympic Mountains. By the time this air reaches the summit of the Olympics, most of the moisture is gone. 

Olympic Mountains Camping

Travelers are often surprised to find that while it may be pouring rain in the rest of Western Washington, it's sunny and dry here.

Sequim and the entire Dungeness Valley offer a wealth of outdoor adventures and the opportunity to pick your own fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or lavender. Here you can dine, or even catch your own Dungeness crab, native to the area.

Campsites and campground amenities

The campground features 64 premium campsites in a forested area with lots of privacy due to the dense undergrowth between them. You'll find about one-third spaced along the high bluff just above the water, with sites 8, 10, 12 and 13, arguably the best. While reservations can be made for sites 34 through 66, sites 1 through 33 are available only on a first come, first served basis. There are two camp host sites, occupying 18 and 21.

Sites typically offer either full shade or partial shade with a fire ring and picnic table. There are no utility hookups; however, there are two fully ADA accessible restrooms as well as coin-operated showers available. Water faucets can be found scattered throughout the area.

Campground and area activities

With such close proximity to the Dungeness Spit, many campers enjoy the activities available there. The refuge offers a bird watcher's paradise with over 250 species of native shorebirds. There are also 41 species of land mammals, including harbor seals.

Olympic Mountains Camping 

The adventurous might hike the 5.5 miles to the end of the spit to explore the Dungeness Lighthouse found at its tip; tours are available for free every day of the week. There are also numerous hiking and biking trails that can be found throughout the region while both salt water and freshwater fishing can be enjoyed in the Dungeness River, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Discover and Sequim Bays.

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