Washington gives RV travelers saltwater islands, rain forest, glaciated volcanoes and a dry, sunny side east of the Cascades, often within a day's drive of each other. RVRents does not deliver, set up or service RVs in Washington yet. This guide covers where people base RV trips, how state and national park camping works, and the ferry, toll and mountain pass rules that catch visitors off guard. The box on this page links to RVs listed by owners on Outdoorsy, and you can join the waitlist for RVRents service in Washington.
How Washington breaks down for RV travel
Think of the state in five pieces. Puget Sound and the islands cover Seattle, Whidbey Island and the San Juan Islands, where ferries are part of the route. The Olympic Peninsula loops around Olympic National Park, with ocean beaches and the Hoh Rain Forest. The Cascades include Mount Rainier and the North Cascades, where roads and campgrounds are seasonal. East of the Cascades, towns like Leavenworth sit on the drier side of the mountains. The southwest coast runs down the Long Beach Peninsula to the mouth of the Columbia River.
| Region | Best months for most RV trips | Good base | Nearby park campground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound and islands | Late spring through early fall | Oak Harbor or Orcas Island | Deception Pass State Park, Moran State Park |
| Olympic Peninsula | Summer for reservations; open year-round at some campgrounds | Kalaloch or the Hoh | Kalaloch, Hoh Rain Forest (Olympic National Park) |
| Cascades | Late May through September | Mount Rainier or Newhalem | Cougar Rock (Mount Rainier), Newhalem Creek (North Cascades) |
| East of the Cascades | Summer and early fall | Leavenworth | Lake Wenatchee State Park |
| Southwest coast | Summer | Ilwaco | Cape Disappointment State Park |
Top places to base an RV trip in Washington
Seattle and the south Sound
Camping outside the city lets you visit Seattle and Tacoma without parking an RV downtown. Dash Point State Park in Federal Way has standard and utility sites and accommodates RVs and combinations of 32 feet or less.
Whidbey Island and Deception Pass
Deception Pass spans Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands on State Route 20, so you can reach it by road from the north without a ferry. Deception Pass State Park has campgrounds including Cranberry Lake, with showers and a trailer dump. Trailers, motorhomes and other vehicles over 25 feet are not allowed in the West Beach parking area, and Bowman Bay has restrictions for trailers over 25 feet too.
San Juan Islands
The islands are a ferry trip from Anacortes, and an RV adds planning because vehicles 22 feet and longer pay by length and the route takes vehicle reservations. On Orcas Island, Moran State Park has four campgrounds with a 45-foot maximum site length in limited numbers, and no electrical hookup sites. Mount Constitution Road is not accessible to large trailers or motor homes.
Olympic Peninsula
Olympic National Park lets you camp by the Pacific one night and in the rain forest the next. Kalaloch Campground is open year-round, takes reservations in summer on Recreation.gov, and has sites for 21 feet with a few for 35 feet. The Hoh Rain Forest Campground has similar site sizes and no dump station. Heart O' the Hills near Port Angeles is first-come, first-served.
Mount Rainier
Rainier's campgrounds are the base for summer hiking on the mountain's lower slopes. Cougar Rock Campground typically runs from late May to late September and takes RVs up to 35 feet and trailers up to 27 feet. The park says there are no electrical, water or gray water hookups in any of its campgrounds, so plan to run on your RV's own tanks and battery.
North Cascades
The North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) is a summer drive over Rainy Pass and Washington Pass. Newhalem Creek Campground is one of the campgrounds along the highway, reservable on Recreation.gov from mid-May to early September. The park says its 2027 season opens on May 17, 2027.
Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee
Leavenworth is a base for the east slope of the Cascades. Lake Wenatchee State Park has a North Campground with partial water and electric hookups and a trailer dump. RVs longer than 20 feet are not permitted in the South Campground, and the park says the campgrounds close once the snow arrives.
Long Beach Peninsula
The southwest corner offers long beaches and Columbia River history. Cape Disappointment State Park near Ilwaco accommodates RVs and combinations of 45 feet or less, with standard, partial hookup and full hookup sites. The North Head, Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Beards Hollow parking lots do not accommodate RVs.
Campgrounds, reservations and passes
Washington State Parks takes reservations at washington.goingtocamp.com or (888) 226-7688, and campsites can be reserved up to nine months before the first night of your trip. Some parks switch to first-come, first-served in the off season, so check the park page for your dates.
Registered overnight campers do not need a Discover Pass in the park where they are camping, because the camping fee covers day-use parking there. You still need a Discover Pass to park at other state parks and state-managed lands during the trip. National parks such as Olympic, Mount Rainier and North Cascades book campgrounds through Recreation.gov.
Driving an RV in Washington
- Speed limit when towing: Under RCW 46.61.410, the maximum speed for vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross weight and vehicles in combination is 60 mph, and the word "trucks" on WSDOT speed signs includes all vehicles in combination. A motorhome towing a car or a pickup pulling a trailer is a vehicle in combination.
- Ferries: Washington State Ferries charges vehicles 22 feet and longer by length and height, including anything being towed, and treats vehicles over 7 feet 6 inches as over height. Vehicle reservations are offered only on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes.
- Propane on ferries: WSF limits portable propane to 100 pounds total, tanks included. Propane tanks permanently installed on a vehicle's frame or chassis are not counted toward that limit. Call WSF at 206-464-6400 if your setup is unusual.
- Low tides: WSF asks drivers of longer vehicles or vehicles with low clearance or long rear overhangs to avoid the Vashon Island routes during extreme low tides, when loading ramps get steep.
- Mountain passes: Check the WSDOT mountain pass report before crossing the Cascades. WSDOT rules for vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight require carrying chains from November 1 to April 1 on routes where chain rules apply, and drivers who do not chain up when required risk a fine from the State Patrol.
- Tolls: The SR 520 bridge, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the SR 99 tunnel in Seattle are tolled. Without a Good To Go account, a bill is mailed to the vehicle's registered owner, so ask an RV owner how they handle tolls before you drive these routes.
Worth knowing: State Route 20 over the North Cascades closes every winter because of avalanche risk. In 2025, WSDOT closed it on December 4 between the Ross Dam trailhead and the Silver Star gate. If your route depends on SR 20 in late fall or spring, check WSDOT before you commit to campsites on both sides.
Seasons and weather
Summer is the main RV season across most of the state. Mount Rainier's campgrounds typically open in late May or late June and close in late September, and North Cascades campgrounds run from the Monday before Memorial Day into September. The Olympic coast and Hoh Rain Forest have year-round campgrounds, but expect long stretches of rain outside summer. East of the Cascades is drier and warmer in summer, and Lake Wenatchee's campgrounds close when snow comes.
Late summer can bring wildfire smoke to both sides of the mountains. Check weather.gov for forecasts and alerts, and WSDOT for pass conditions, before each long drive.
If, then
- If you want the San Juan Islands, reserve the Anacortes ferry for your vehicle before you book a campsite on the islands.
- If your RV is over 35 feet, focus on parks with posted space for it, such as Cape Disappointment.
- If you are towing, plan drive times at 60 mph on the interstates.
- If you are camping at Mount Rainier, plan to camp without hookups.
- If you are traveling in October or May, check the SR 20 status before planning a North Cascades loop.
How RVRents fits a Washington trip today
RVRents does not deliver, set up or service RVs in Washington yet. You can use this guide to plan, rent today from RV owners listed on Outdoorsy through the link on this page, and join the waitlist to hear when RVRents service starts in Washington.