Bogachiel State Park

Bogachiel State Park: Rainforest Camping on the River Near Forks

Bogachiel State Park is a 123 acre patch of thick rainforest on the banks of the Bogachiel River, just south of Forks on Highway 101. The park gets 140 to 160 inches of rain a year, and it shows: moss on every branch, ferns to your knees and a campground that stays green even in August. It is small and simple, with hookup and tent sites, hot showers and a river trail, and it sits within about an hour of the Hoh Rain Forest, Rialto Beach and Ruby Beach, which makes it one of the handiest base camps on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula.

Bogachiel State Park is one of many. Browse the full Washington camping guide by region

Bogachiel State Park Fast Facts

Park Overview

The name comes from a Quileute word usually translated as muddy water, and the river can still run high and murky after a big storm. The park sits in the lowland rainforest that surrounds Olympic National Park on its west side, where the heavy rain feeds the giant spruce, hemlock and maple that crowd the campground. Highway 101 runs along the north edge of the park and the river along the south, with the campground, day use area and trails in between.

Bogachiel is not a destination park so much as a very good place to sleep. Travelers use it as a base for the Hoh, the beaches at La Push and Kalaloch, and the town of Forks, then come back in the evening to a riverside campsite under the trees.

Activities & Recreation

The Bogachiel is a well known steelhead and salmon river, and anglers work the water near the park through the seasons. Rules on wild and hatchery fish change often, so check the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations before you fish. Metal detecting is allowed only in the two designated areas marked on the park’s metal detecting map, one of about 3.5 acres and one of about 4 acres, both around the camp loops.

Facilities & Amenities

The upper day use area has picnic tables available first come, first served. The lower day use area has a kitchen shelter with electricity, lighting and a large grill, also first come, first served. The park has modern restrooms with hot showers, a trailer dump station, trash service and a park office. The group camp adds a covered shelter with two sheltered and two unsheltered picnic tables.

Camping & Accommodations

The campground map (revised October 2024) shows six hookup sites with power and water, sites 6 and 14 to 18, which take RVs and combinations up to 40 feet. Tent sites are numbered 1 to 5, 7 to 13 and 19 to 40, and sites 3 and 4 are set aside for hikers and bicyclists. The main loop sits at the west end near registration, with a smaller loop of sites 37 to 40 at the east end. The group camp is for tents only and holds up to 20 people.

Reservations are taken at washington.goingtocamp.com or by calling 888 CAMPOUT. Check in is 2:30 p.m. and check out is 1 p.m. Each site allows one camping party of up to eight people, and an extra vehicle costs $10 a night. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., and generators may run only from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Planning Your Visit

The park is open 8 a.m. to dusk year round, and a Discover Pass is required for day use parking. Forks is a few minutes north for groceries, gas and restaurants. The Hoh Rain Forest, Rialto Beach and Ruby Beach are each within about an hour’s drive, so plan one destination per day and leave time for weather. Elk wander through the park; they have the right of way, so stay at least 100 feet back and never feed them. Current alerts, including burn bans, are posted on this page.

What to Bring & Know

• Real rain gear and a tarp for your site; this is one of the wettest corners of the lower 48
• A fishing license and a copy of the current WDFW rules if you plan to fish the Bogachiel
• A metal detector, if you like, and a way to fill in every hole you dig in the designated areas
• Firewood bought outside the park, since gathering wood in state parks is prohibited
• Binoculars and patience for elk, which have the right of way; stay at least 100 feet back

The park’s own brochure names two other state parks in the area: Sequim Bay and Pacific Beach. For more, see our Washington state parks guide, or plan the rest of the trip with our Forks guide.

Final Word

Bogachiel State Park is the quiet, dripping green campsite you come back to after a day at the Hoh or on the coast: a river at the edge of camp, a hot shower, and the rain on the trees overnight.