Where
Campground on the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Views of Vancouver island in northern Washington
Salt Creek Campground
3506 Camp Hayden Road
Port Angeles, WA, US 98363
When
7/24/15 – 7/26/15 (Friday through Sunday)
Who
Camping = Anyone
Divers = Intermediate to advanced due to difficult entry, kelp, and current
Cost & Reservation
$56 for tent camp site (for two nights), $66 for RV site (for two nights).
Website home: http://clallam.net/Parks/SaltCreek.html
To reserve a spot: https://apm.activecommunities.com/clallamcountyparks/Reserve_Options (link also on home page)
What you need to know
- Book the campsites online (new for 2015).
- Best sites for tent camping and access to scuba entry 52 through 90 (campsites 69 through 90 are first come/first serve)
- Best sites for RV with hookups 1 through 39
- Try and share a site with a group (more fun and save some money!). For most sites 6 people are allowed per site (extra fee for multiple cars).
- Reservations may be made for one-half of the campsites. Campsites #16 through 39, 50 through 68, 71, and 72 may be reserved (#25 and 73 are camp host sites). The remaining sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Book early because sites go fast! But don’t worry, you can always split a site with others or take one of the first come/first serve sites).
Dive Site:
This may be Washington's best shore dive site for beauty and sea life. It is comprised of a rugged rocky reef and the thick bull kelp forest that grows from summer to early fall. This is no ordinary kelp bed, it is thick, dynamic and exciting to navigate through and houses lots of rockfish. The bottom contour mimics the rocky shore, and comprises shelves, channels, overhangs and large boulders all covered in colorful invertebrates such as huge beds of sea urchins, sponges, starfish, chitons, hydrocoral, etc. Even though this is a marine sanctuary, the sea life here usually isn’t huge but it is colorfully arrayed and very diverse. Expect to see great quantities of black rockfish, kelp greenling, lingcod, all varieties of sculpin, etc. If you are brave enough to get really close to the rocky shore ledges where the surge washes over the surf grass covered rocks you might see a Rock Greenling which is a rare but beautiful find.
Source: http://www.theperfectdive.com/DEF-Site.asp?sID=33
General Information from website:
Salt Creek Recreation Area County Park has national park aesthetics, with County Park amenities. The 196-acre Park includes upland forests, rocky bluffs, rocky tide pools, sand beach, Salt Creek access, campsites, and panoramic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Crescent Bay, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Salt Creek is a regional park that draws visitors from all areas of the northwest and is another one of Clallam County's premier parks. Many colleges and schools from all over the United States visit the Park to study and observe the marine life.
The Park has something for almost anyone. For the kids and young-at-heart, play equipment, basketball court, horseshoe courts, softball field, and volleyball court provide the base to expend that extra energy. Passive leisure pursuits include tide pooling at the Tongue Point Marine Sanctuary, kite flying, sun bathing, watching shipping lanes, and exploring the remnants of WWII-era Camp Hayden. Many thrive on the nature driven activities of surfing, kayaking, scuba diving, and bird watching. At night, spread a blanket to stargaze or prepare somores by the campfire or behold the lights of Victoria B.C. or oooh and ahhh at the brightly lit cruise ships, as they pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The area was purchased from the Federal General Services Administration after being surplussed at the end of World War II. The site was used during World War II as a harbor defense military base called Camp Hayden. The remnants of World War II Camp Hayden are preserved on the site - two concrete bunkers which housed 16" cannons and several smaller bunkers.