U.S. Forest Service · Olympic National Forest · Quilcene, WA

Brown Creek Campground

Brown Creek Campground iis located along the shore of the South Fork Skokomish River at the confluence with Brown Creek. Evergreen conifers and hardwoods provide lots of shade at this campground.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served20 sitesFrom $14 per nightPets ok

Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.

More like this: first-come in Washington · pets allowed in Washington

Brown Creek PondBrown Creek pond loop trailBrown Creek Campground
Photos courtesy of Olympic National Forest, U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region (Public domain) · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Quinault Pile Rx (prescribed burn) · 34 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups20
No reservations, so arrive before checkout on a weekday, usually 11 a.m. to noon, and take what is open. In season, weekends fill by Thursday. The first-come playbook

Site map

Campground map of Brown Creek Campground
Campground map published by U.S. Forest Service on Recreation.gov, credited to Olympic National Forest. Open the image for full size.

Amenities & rules

PetsAllowed
FeesRegular $14.00 camping fee covers two licensed passenger vehicles and a maximum of eight people. (50% reduced fee with Golden Age/Access and Interagency Senior/Access passes.).

There are 20 campsites in Brown Creek Campground: twelve will accommodate trailers and RVs (No Hookups available) and eight of the sites are suitable for tents. There is one ADA accessible campsite. The campground has potable water. There are 3 double vault toilets.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMid-May to 09/11
ForestOlympic National Forest
Fees$14/Night for single unit. (50% reduced fee with Golden Age/Access & Interagency Senior/Access passes.). $5/Extra passenger vehicles (over 2). Boat and recreation trailers are not considered passenger vehicles.
RulesMaximum stay is 14 days. Pets must be leashed. No more than 8 people per campsite. Trailers and RVs 21' max.

Olympic National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Brown Creek Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 15.48 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowFebruary: 9.20 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowMarch: 9.89 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowApril: 6.13 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 3.03 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 1.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.87 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.40 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.02 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 9.10 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 15.72 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowDecember: 16.21 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 40.5°F averageFebruary: 41.6°F averageMarch: 44.9°F averageApril: 48.9°F averageMay: 55.5°F averageJune: 59.9°F averageJuly: 64.8°F averageAugust: 64.8°F averageSeptember: 59.6°F averageOctober: 51.2°F averageNovember: 44.1°F averageDecember: 39.7°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cushman Powerhouse #2, 8 miles from the campground at 21 feet, station USC00451939 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 92 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 4 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Shelton,WA take US Highway 101 for 6 miles north. Then turn west onto the Skokomish Valley Road. Follow Skokomish Valley Road for about 8 miles to the forest boundary. Continue on Forest Road 23 for about another 5 miles to Forest Service Road 2353. Turn right and drive approximately ¾ mile to the South Fork Skokomish River Bridge.

Nearest townQuilcene, Washington
Coordinates47.4133° N, 123.3188° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Quinault Pile Rx

    34 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗8.3 mi
Outdoor gearPickering Marine ↗21.4 mi
RV sales & serviceAwesome RV Olympia ↗32.3 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Brown Creek Campground Olympic National Park // Lower South Fork Skokomish River Trail.

Worth a stop

Many trails are accessible in the area. Visitors frequent the High Steel Bridge. Olympic National Park can be accessed through the Upper South Fork Skokomish Trail.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Brown Creek
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Lower Sf Skokomish -Lebar Crk
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.8 mi
    Lower So. Fk. Skokomish ↗
    10.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.8 mi
    Lower Sf Skokomish 120 Access
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.9 mi
    Dry Creek Extension
    4.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.6 mi
    High Steel Bridge
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Wonder Mountain Wilderness begins about 7.4 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The South Fork Skokomish River and Brown Creek border the campground. Brown Creek Pond is also adjacent.

Recreation

Brown Creek Nature Loop Trail: a 0.8 mile loop around a beaver pond and is a great wildlife viewing area. The trail has an easy grade along the south half, leaving from the Interpretive Trailhead. There are steeper grades along the north half. This trail is accessible directly from the campground. Lower South Fork Skokomish Trail: Trail leads through old growth forest paralleling the South Fork Skokomish River. Good trail for mountain bikes, horses, and fishing in the nearby river. Points of interest include the old LeBar Claim and Church Creek Shelter. This trail is gradual to moderate and travels 10.3 miles. This trail is located 1 mile north of the campground. Spider Lake Trail: Hike through old growth forest around serene Spider Lake. This 1.9 mile loop trail is a level grade and gets yearly mainenance. Enter trail from either the North or South end of lake. The trail and lake might not be signed, look for Spider Lake below Forest Service Road #23 on the east side of the road. This trail is located 8 miles west of the campground on FS23 road.

Guidebooks for Washington

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Washington
    Ellie Kozlowski, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Washington camping
    Tom Stienstra, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Waterfalls in Washington
    Sawyer Scheer, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Brown Creek Campground?

No. Brown Creek Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Brown Creek Campground?

Regular $14.00 camping fee covers two licensed passenger vehicles and a maximum of eight people. (50% reduced fee with Golden Age/Access and Interagency Senior/Access passes.).

Source: Forest Service

Is Brown Creek Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Mid-May to 09/11.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Brown Creek Campground have?

20 sites, including 20 standard sites without power.

Source: Forest Service

Are pets allowed at Brown Creek Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Brown Creek Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Forest Service

What is there to do at Brown Creek Campground?

Brown Creek Nature Loop Trail: a 0.8 mile loop around a beaver pond and is a great wildlife viewing area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Brown Creek Campground?

Quilcene, Washington. Many trails are accessible in the area.

Source: Getting there

What if Brown Creek Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Lebar Horse Camp (1 mi, first-come), Staircase Campground (7.1 mi), and Big Creek Campground (7.5 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby