From Aberdeen take U.S. 101 and drive about 90 miles. Exit between Mileposts 178 and 179. At Hoh Rain Forest Road/Upper Hoh Valley Road, turn east and drive 4.5 miles to the campground on the left. A Department of Natural Resources Campground, Olympic Region, 360/374-6131.

Minnie Peterson campground sits at the edge of the Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic Experimental State Forest. It is just outside the boundary of the Olympic National Park. While several books say the sites are on the river this campground is actually across the road. At first this seemed discouraging and we almost wrote it off with barely a glance. However, we decided to check it out one more time before we left the area and are we glad we did. It is a little sweetheart of a campground with a group campfire site and a little wooden bridge over a creek. The eight sites are nicely spaced with various visual treats like huge stumps and nursery logs and forested with Sitka spruce and gorgeous western hemlocks. Some of the sites are wheel chair accessible with asphalt trails to the vault toilets. Bring your own water.

This campground is a good alternative to the Hoh National Park and close enough that is is a good base for hiking the National Forest trails.