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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

National Park Service campground

Staircase Campground

National Park Service campground in Olympic National Park, Mason County, Washington. 22.5 miles from Shelton.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
National Park Service Olympic National Park
Sites
47 47 standard non-electric
Longest rig
36 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Mason County

Overview

The Staircase developed area will reopen on July 8, 2026. The surrounding wilderness areas will need to remain closed as repair and recovery efforts continue.

Important information about booking windows: To better serve visitors, Staircase Campground will be releasing campsites in a series of three staggered block releases by loop. These block releases will be 6 months in advance, two weeks in advance, and 4 days in advance.

Enormous trunks reach for the sky, lacy limbs stretch to the sun, grooved bark is sanctuary to tiny creatures in the vast cathedral of Douglas-firs that dominate the forests on this side of the Olympic Peninsula. Staircase is located in the southeastern corner of Olympic National Park, about a one-hour drive from Olympia, and two hours south of Port Angeles. Staircase Campground has 49 sites, with a number of the sites along the North Fork Skokomish River.

The access road to the Staircase area is unpaved and periodically closes due to unfavorable weather conditions such as snow. This access road, NF-24 is often closed completely from Nov. - May. Make sure to check the status of the road before planning your trip.

Recreation

A variety of hiking trails navigate through the Staircase area along the Skokomish River and the nearby forests. There are several short day-hikes that explore the area. Shady Lane trail is flat, and less than a mile to Lake Cushman. The hike to Flapjack Lakes is for the stronger hikers, gaining over 3,000 feet in elevation. Longer hikes, like the North Fork Skokomish River trail, can be done in a couple of days.

The description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

The land around Staircase Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in. The federal record’s point for it sits at a very different height from the one the agency describes, so the pin may be off: trust the directions above over the map.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated September 10, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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