Lower Oak Bay Campground

I spent three nights here- th, fri, and sat. Thursday was the busiest night. Sites 1-5, as mentioned, are close together, but creative parking ensured I had some privacy in site 5. Toilet (clean) and water available. Sites 6-9 towards the end of the spit were taken by a huge group of people the entire time. Dry camping only. Most campers were one night only stays. Fairly quiet, but the day use area sees some traffic and consequently dust. Great place to paddle board or kayak as the water is flat with very little wave action. At high tide, the tidal flats behind the camping area fill up and it’s interesting to watch. Bald eagles, Canada Geese, gulls, and other waterfowl make a regular appearance. Decent location for days trips up to Port Townsend and other coastal areas. Like many places, there is a burn ban, but a couple of campers felt that didn’t have to follow the rules and had campfires anyway. Come on people, do better!

Previous review encouraged me to check out this spot. It’s a very small spit of land along a bay. The first five spots are very cozy and close together in a little cul-de-sac. Spots number six through nine are located a bit further down the beach. They are also tight as well. The single vault toilet is nice and clean. I walked only 50 yards to put my paddleboard in the water to paddle in the bay. I was lucky to be here on a beautifully sunny day. The ferry terminal is only about 20 to 25 minutes away.

Lots of people coming through checking to see if any spots are available. I believe many of these folks are local and have camped here before. I did speak with one gentleman who said he comes here every week and lives only five minutes away.

Larger vehicles more than 25–30 feet would not do well here.

When the tide is high there is water on both sides of this strip of land. I have a lovely view of Mount Rainier and across the bay. What a lovely place!

We camped at the Upper Oak Bay Park (see our review there), but scoped out this campground as well.

This lower campground is better suited for smaller trailers or vans. There are designated sites, but there is no clear delineation between sites and they're pretty close together. The sites when you first drive in are tightest, and anything other than a short wheelbase van would encroach on the other sites. We could have parallel parked at one of the sites further in, but would have still been a little tight.

Upsides: great views, not crowded (one camper on a Monday), beach access (just watch the tides), close to town and several state parks. $20 per night which is very reasonable for waterfront camping.

Weak Verizon signal. Booster required for solid data.

Overall a nice place to park. Seems like it doesn't get very crowded, especially on weekdays.