Salt Creek Recreation Area alongside the Strait of Juan de Fuca might be the best beachside campground you’ve never heard of.

Breathtaking views. Crashing waves. Tide pools and stunning beaches to explore… and all this comes with an RV hookup for $32 a night.

We’re fans of the many state parks scattered around Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. But Salt Creek, about 16 miles west of Port Angeles, has a little something extra: The Strait of Juan de Fuca’s wild, windswept beauty.

So how do you grab one of these beautiful RV spots? Plan ahead: The campground, operated by Clallam County, offers 39 utility sites with water and electricity, 24 of which are reservable through CampLife. Or you can take a chance trying to snag one of the 15 utility campsites that are first-come, first-served.

We did it both ways during a visit in June.

We had booked two days at Salt Creek for the summer solstice and decided to stay on for a third day, grabbing a first-come site… in the front row!

If you’re not fixated on having a hookup, Salt Creek also offers 52 primitive sites scattered in the forest and along a bluff overlooking the Strait, some of which are reservable. We recommend booking ahead during the busy summer season.

During our stay, we found plenty to do.

For starters, there’s that view. The utility sites look northward toward Vancouver Island over the turbulent waters of the Strait, where eagles soar overhead as a constant stream of container ships cruise by along the horizon.

The park offers several access points to get a closer look at the churning sea, where stairs lead down to the rocky shoreline.

Part of the park is a marine sanctuary featuring a series of tide pools. At low tide, Tongue Point is filled with sea life as it juts out into neighboring Crescent Bay to the west of the campground.

Amid Salt Creek’s 196 acres, you’ll find old-growth forest, athletic fields and play areas and some lovely trails that even take in a World War II era bunker. (The property used to be a military installation called Camp Hayden.)

If you’re a surfer or paddler, Crescent Bay to the west is a popular destination. The Strait often has swells that turn into respectable surfing breaks on this section of coast, and during our visit we saw dozens of surfers, kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders happily shredding.

Next door to Salt Creek is Crescent Beach RV Park starting at $50 a night for a full hookup. Crescent Beach features private access to a beautiful half-mile sandy shoreline. If you’re staying at Salt Creek and want to access Crescent Beach, you can buy a day pass for $8.

Grand old Flagler

If you do make the trip out to Salt Creek, consider also staying at Fort Flagler State Park near Port Townsend either coming or going.

Flagler, part of the “triangle of fire” forts that once guarded Puget Sound, sits in a beautiful spot overlooking Admiralty Inlet. The others in the triangle are Fort Worden State Park to the north and Fort Casey State Park to the east on Whidbey Island.

While it’s often difficult to get a spot at either Fort Worden or Fort Casey, Flagler usually has hookup sites. We pulled in after three days at Salt Creek and enjoyed some excellent beach and bluff hiking in the perfect 75-degree Puget Sound summer weather.

For more recent photos from Fort Flagler and Salt Creek, check us out online at spokesman.com/blogs/going-mobile.

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