Let’s ring in 2021 with this RVing resolution: Make yourself a promise to visit  Kalaloch Campground in Olympic National Park this year.

Kalaloch is a magical place, situated on a scenic stretch of Washington coastline, with picturesque campsites on a bluff overlooking a rugged, driftwood-strewn beach. It’s raw and wild, in its own world.

It’s often stormy, and there’s no better place to watch the power of the roaring Pacific Ocean than at Kalaloch. But if you’re really lucky, as we were during a visit in December, you might catch a rare sunny winter day on the coast — so crisp and beautiful that it feels you’ve won the lottery.

We decided a winter trip to the coast was just what we needed at the end of tulmutuous 2020. We arrived to find this popular campground mostly empty and quickly grabbed our favorite campsite — D35. All of the bluff-side sites at Kalaloch are beautiful, but twice now, we’ve managed to park at the coveted site. We love the sweeping view and plentiful trees and shrubs, offering plenty of privacy.

During the winter, Kalaloch is a first-come, first-served campground, so you’ll have to roll the dice on getting a campsite. During the high season — late spring and summer — Kalaloch switches to a reservation system at recreation.gov. Pro-tip: Book early for any trip during high season.

Like most national park campgrounds, Kalaloch offers no hookups, but the campground does have a dump station. Campsites cost $24 per night, or half that if you have a national parks lifetime senior pass, as we do.

Stop and think about that incredible bargain: Oceanside camping for just $12 per night.

Maybe you’re not the camping type. If so, Kalaloch also has cabins and a lodge with food service, operated by one of Olympic National Park’s concessionaires.

So once you reach Kalaloch, what do you do?

One of the main advantages of staying at Kalaloch is that your days are wide open. No cell service, no internet — it’s just the gorgeous coastline with miles of beach to explore, followed by meals and cozy campfires at night.

Much of the Olympic Peninsula is in logging territory, but Kalaloch is on a pristine stretch of old-growth coastline in the national park. That means the beaches near the campground are wild, looking as they might have looked 200 years ago.

We took a long hike north from the campground and marveled in the solitude and beauty, gazing at eagles overhead and seabirds scattered along the sandy shore. Later, we ventured south along the coast for more views, all done is marvelous isolation.

At night, our beachside camp turned into a gorgeous living room, where our new Outland Firebowl provided the warmth to hang out as waves crashed just yards away. We feasted on shrimp tacos one night and seafood pasta the next, both enjoyed outside. After dinner, we revived our decades-long cribbage match.

Yeah — it was all pretty perfect.

And it reminds us that the RV lifestyle makes it possible to experience these perfect outdoor moments even in the middle of winter.

Let’s all resolve to get out there more in 2021. Happy RVing new year!

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