Campgrounds and RV parks near Maplewood, WA

Saltwater shoreline is the headline draw. Dash Point State Park has 3,301 feet of Puget Sound beach and roughly 11 miles of hiking trails plus about 8 miles of mountain-biking trails through the forest behind it, with skimboarding popular on the sand at low tide. Manchester State Park adds historic interest, with a 1901 brick torpedo warehouse, a former gun battery, and a mining casemate that once supported a defensive minefield in Rich Passage. Illahee State Park has a fishing pier on Port Orchard Bay, good for salmon, cutthroat trout, and steelhead, plus a stand of old-growth forest with some of the largest yew trees in the country. Crabbing, clamming, and oyster harvesting are seasonal options at several of the parks with a Washington recreational shellfish license. Playgrounds, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and tide-pool exploration round out the family-friendly options.

Summer is the prime RV window. July and August are dry and mild, sites fill quickly at every park in the area, and Dash Point runs amphitheater programs and guided walks on summer weekends from June through August. Reservations should be made well in advance for this stretch, and weekday arrivals see noticeably fewer crowds than weekends. Spring and fall are quieter but wetter. Many Puget Sound state parks historically used a seasonal reservation window from May 15 through September 15, although Washington State Parks now allows reservations year-round at most parks, up to nine months ahead of arrival. Outside the peak window, some loops or amenities may close and shoulder-season campers should expect more first-come, first-served sites. Winter camping is possible at the parks that stay open year-round, including Dash Point and Illahee, but expect cold rain, short daylight, and limited services. Fire restrictions can apply in late summer during dry spells, with some parks limiting cooking to gas or propane only.

Expect dense second-growth forest, paved or gravel pads that may need leveling blocks, and limited satellite reception under tall conifers. State-park sites generally include a picnic table, fire ring, and grill. Hookups vary by park: Manchester has 35 standard sites and 15 utility sites with water and electric, Illahee runs 23 standard sites and one full-hookup site, and Dash Point offers 27 utility sites alongside 114 standard sites. Maximum site length runs about 32 feet at Dash Point, around 40 feet at Illahee, and up to 60 feet at Manchester, with limited availability for longer rigs at each. Restrooms with flush toilets and coin-operated showers are standard, and dump stations are available at each of the state parks listed. Quiet hours are enforced, the gate closes at Dash Point in the evening, and pets must be leashed throughout.