Dosewallips: All Content
Park overview:
Dosewallips State Park is a 425-acre, year-round camping park with 5,500 feet of saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal and 5,400 feet of freshwater shoreline on either side of the Dosewallips River. The park is unique in that it offers both freshwater and saltwater activities. All camp areas are grassy and located in scenic, rustic settings.Pleasant Harbor State Park is located two miles south of Brinnon, off Highway 101. Pleasant Harbor is an overnight moorage facility only. It features 120 feet of moorage dock, and boaters may stay up to three consecutive nights. Moorage is on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors may enjoy fishing, rafting, motor boating and scuba diving. There are no services or potable water at the park.
Want to support Washington State Parks? Get involved by joining a friends' group. For more information, visit the Friends' Group web page.
Park hours/updates:
Summer: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Winter: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reservations are accepted year round.
Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Current alerts:
Agency information:
Don't move firewood: Please protect the Pacific Northwest from invasive species by obtaining or purchasing your firewood at or near your camping destination (within 50 miles). Firewood can carry insects and diseases that threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by buying and burning your firewood locally. For more information, visit online at www.dontmovefirewood.org or the Washington Invasive Species Council website.
The Discover Pass now can be used on either of two vehicles!Annual pass: $30
One-day pass: $10
(Transaction and dealer fees may apply)
A Discover Pass is required for motor-vehicle access to state parks and recreation lands managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Exemptions: Your purchase of the Discover Pass supports recreation on state lands. However, the Discover Pass is not required if you are camping or renting overnight accommodations, for the duration of your stay at that state park. For additional exemptions and more information, please visit the Discover Pass website.
Campsite Information:
The camp has 70 tent spaces, 55 utility sites, three platform tents, three cabins, one bunkhouse, one dump station, three restrooms (one ADA) and two showers (one ADA). Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability). Campsites 1 through 10 are partial utility sites (water/electricity). To make a reservation, visit online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.Group Accommodations:
Meadow Group Camp 1 accommodates up to 80 visitors who can pitch tents or park RVs on a large grass field. There is a large campfire pit, a covered eating area, several picnic tables and a barbeque. There is water and primitive toilets available. A trailhead and the Dosewallips River are easily accessible.River Group Camp 2 accommodates up to 20 visitors. Pitch your tents in a clearing surrounded by woods and a few steps from the river. There are several campfire pits and picnic tables available.
To make a reservation, visit online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
2013 camping fees:
Please note that the following general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not all fees will apply to all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations).May 15 – Sept. 15 (peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $23 non-premium site, $26 premium site
Partial-utility campsite*: $30 non-premium site, $35 premium site
Full-utility campsite*: $32 non-premium site, $37 premium site
*Please note: Camping fees during the 2013 peak season are $28 for partial-utility sites and $29 for full-utility sites at Beacon Rock, Brooks Memorial, Columbia Hills, Conconully, Lewis & Clark and Schafer state parks. These parks are first come, first served.
Jan. 1 – May 14 and Sept. 16 – Dec. 31 (off-peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $22 for non-premium and premium sites
Partial-utility campsite: $28 for non-premium and premium sites
Full-utility campsite: $29 for non-premium and premium sites
Maximum eight people per campsite.
Second vehicle: $10 per night is charged for a second vehicle unless it is towed by a recreational vehicle. Extra vehicles must be parked in designated campsite or extra vehicle parking spaces.
Dump stations (if available): Year-round dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
More about park hours
Check-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Length of stay: You may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park from April 1 through Sept. 30; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.
Driving Directions
Located on the shore of Hood Canal on the state's western side in Jefferson County.From Shelton:
Drive north on Hwy. 101 for 40 miles. Follow signs.
From Hwy. 104:
Exit onto Hwy. 101, and drive south 20 miles to signed park entrance.
Park Maps
To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the reservation system and campsite maps.
Dosewallips downloadable pdf map #1List of all downloadable Washington State Park PDF maps.
Park Features
The park offers several breath-taking views of Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains. There are freshwater and saltwater activities in the park, and mushrooming can be enjoyed by visitors. The Rustic Ranger Bunkhouse and three cabins are reservable at the park.
History
Formerly called "Dose Meadows," the flat fields of this park were old homestead sites prior to their existence as a park. Old rail beds are still in place where logs were hauled from the mountains down to the water prior to being floated to their destinations (ships and mills around Puget Sound).Interpretive opportunities
In summer months, campfire programs and Junior Ranger programs are conducted on most weekends.Services/Supplies
| Available in the park | Available in the area |
| • Camping • Fire wood | • Auto repair • Camping • Diesel • Fishing/hunting • Gasoline • Gifts • Groceries • Hardware • Overnight Accommodations • Pay phone • Postal service • Propane • White gas • Wood |
There is firewood for sale in the park. All other services are available within a few miles of the park.
Activities
| Trails | Water Activities | Other |
| • 5 mi. Hiking Trails | • Boating (freshwater) • Fishing (freshwater) • Swimming (freshwater) • Boating (saltwater) • 1 boat ramp (saltwater) • Diving • Fishing (saltwater) • Clamming • Crabbing • Oysters | • 1 Amphitheater • Beach Exploration • Bird Watching • 2 Horseshoe pits • Interpretive Activities • Wildlife Viewing |
There is a wildlife viewing platform, and vast areas are open for field sports. Freshwater activities are nearby on the banks of the Dosewallips River, and saltwater activities can be found on nearby Hood Canal. A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website. | ||
Events
The 2013 State Parks free days are as follows:
Jan. 21 – In honor of Martin Luther King Day
March 30 – In honor of Washington State Parks' 100th birthday on March 19
April 27 and 28 – National Parks Week
June 1 – National Trails Day
June 8 and 9 – National Get Outdoors Day and Department of Fish and Wildlife Free Fishing weekend
Aug. 4 – Peak season free day
Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 9 through 11 – Veteran's Day weekend
Please note: A Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife during State Parks free days. For more information, please visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
Find other events at Washington State Parks
Boating Features
The park does not have a formal swimming area, but park visitors may enjoy swimming in the river. Please note the river can be swift and not suitable for young children.There is a watercraft launch seven miles south of the park at Triton Cove State Park.
A daily watercraft launching permit for $7 and a trailer dumping permit for $5 is available at the park.
Annual permits also may be purchased at State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at region offices, online, and at parks when staff is available.
Picnic and Day-use Facilities
The park provides one kitchen shelter without electricity and six sheltered picnic tables. There are braziers, a play area, and restrooms. Picnic shelters are reservable by visiting online or calling (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.Wildlife
| Mammals | Birds | Fish & Sea Life |
| • Bears • Bobcats • Chipmunks • Coyotes • Deer or Elk • Foxes • Marten • Minks • Muskrats • Otters • Rabbits • Raccoons • Skunks • Squirrels • Weasels | • Crows or Ravens • Doves or Pigeons • Ducks • Eagles • Geese • Grouse • Gulls • Hawks • Herons • Hummingbirds • Jays • Ospreys • Owls • Snipes • Swans • Woodpeckers • Wrens | • Clams • Crabs • Mussels • Octopuses • Oysters • Scallops • Sea Birds • Sea Cucumbers • Seals • Shellfish • Shrimp • Squid • Starfish • Whales • Bass • Cod • Perch • Red Snapper • Salmon • Shark • Steelhead • Trout |
Environmental Features
| Physical Features | Plant Life | ||
| • Cedar • Douglas Fir • Hemlock • Spruce • Alder • Maple • Daisy • Foxglove • Rhododendron • Berries • Eel Grass • Ferns • Moss or Lichens • Seaweed • Thistle |
Park photo gallery
