Heart O'the Hills Campground

Visit in the shoulder season to get Sitka Spruces, Western Hemlocks, sword ferns and vine Maples all to yourself. The campground is massive! It’s probably pretty busy in summer but in Autumn, everyone is in loop A and B but find a spot in loop D or E and you’ll have all the old growth all to yourself. We had a really special walk through the forest in the morning too. The facilities are clean and water is great, no showers.

The campground is 100% first-come-first-served, so arrive early in peak season. A majority of the sites here are really small and many don't have much privacy. We lucked out and found a site with a decent amount of privacy but was still small. Keep in mind that most sites won't accomodate more than one tent, or two smallish tents. The bathrooms were standard flush and were very well maintained. Firewood was not for sale on site; we bought some in Port Angeles. Not a whole lot to see in the vicinity of the campground (other than a nature trail through the forest), but Hurricane Ridge is only about 20 mins up the road, and Lake Crescent is about 40 mins away. Overall I enjoyed camping here and could not get enough of the old growth forests.

Heart O'the Hills is the closest campground within proximity to Hurricane Ridge. With a little over 100 first come-first serve sites, you typically won't have a problem finding one, especially if you arrive on the earlier side of the day. We arrived around noon on a Saturday in mid-September and had plenty of choices available. There are several loops of which we stayed in Loop D. Many of the sites are set along thick vegetation which makes for nice privacy. Firewood is sold in Loop C, however if none is left you are allowed to collect downed wood within 1/4 mile of your campsite as well, that is if it isn't wet. Take a look around your site for the giant banana slugs, they're known for making many appearances in Olympic NP.