Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Lake Cushman

    3.9 (21 reviews)

    Lake Cushman Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Lake Cushman

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Maria C.

    I could live here. Well, except in winter maybe when all the trees blow down. With my luck I'd be in a tent under the biggest tree to crash. But all summer for sure. Especially after spending all winter virtually picking out a campsite http://www.lakecushman.com/LCWebPages/CC/index_b.htm because they've got pics of each site and we got the site with the most privacy by booking in April for a July trip. Camp Cushman used to be a state park and is now privately run, which means there's more money to keep it nicer than our underfunded state parks. Though they do run out of toilet paper occasionally. There's firewood for sale, pleasant camp hosts, cheap showers (bring quarters) lotsa birds and critters and the lake is a short walk through the woods. There are miles of trails right around the campsite and the Staircase Ranger Station is not far away with the Staircase Rapids trail and trails that will literally lead you all over the Olympics. The trails around the campground are still littered with trees from the winter storms, but it's more like real hiking that way, as opposed to the heavily traveled, more like a pleasant walk in the woods Staircase Rapids trail. Lake Cushman itself is a water lover's paradise. Just the right temperature for swimming, crystal clear and green and blue, little rocky beaches for boats to tie up, plenty of jet skiers out there with enough room to play without bothering the jet ski haters. Camp Cushman has a boat launch, a designated swimming area with a tiny little island you can swim out to (we didn't bother with that area though, way too crowded and the shady spots were taken), plenty of scattered picnic tables, and a small camp store for people like me who forget to bring hot dog buns to go with their hot dogs. What? It isn't a vacation unless you forget to bring something. There are tiny little beaches off the gravel road on the lake on the way to Staircase that looked like insider's secrets. There's an RV Resort before you get to the campground, there's the cute little waterfront town of Hoodsport on Hwy 101 where you turn on to Lake Cushman Road, plenty of places for people who don't want to "rough it". This is one of my favorite spots in the Olympics, which is my favorite Washington destination. There's just everything here an outdoor lover would love. Now if I could just convince my kids that strapping a 60 lb. backpack to their protesting bodies and hiking 7 miles up to Flapjack Lakes and peeing in the woods is fun... Ah well, Camp Cushman will do.

    Lake Cushman
    Planets K.

    Lake Cushman itself is amazingly beautiful. Unfortunately for camping, be prepared to book your shaded/private tent space 3 years in advance (with a nonrefundable extra fee) and be micro charged to death. Parking, campsite, fee per pet, boat launch, etc. Sounds like airline travel...

    Erika M.

    I am visiting from California and let me tell you... This lake is one of the, if not thee best I've ever seen. The scenery was breath taking. My friends and I came on a Monday so it was pretty empty. We layed on the dock which was super relaxing. I cannot rave enough about how much I love the air in Washington. Super pure. We parked our car on one of my friends best friends cabins (private property). And to our surprise a security came to check on who we are. Of course they were concerned about an unknown car parking here all of a sudden. Of course we had permission and they confirmed by calling the parents of the cabin owner. This was so cool to me! Made me feel like a safe area to be in. I would understand why they needed to confirm but that was a good safety check. Very impressed.

    Dream weekend with my sisters, sister in law, and cousin. Lake Cushman was one of many adventures.
    Analie G.

    Fun weekend getaway with the girls. So many hikes to choose from and then we cooled off in the lake. Rented kayaks and brought our own SUP.

    The exposed rocky bottom of the swimming area
    Regina S.

    Lake Cushman was a beautiful spot, with hilly vistas, sparkling clear water and seas of trees. (Not unlike thousands of other similar scenes found in Washington State). We visited the Indian owned beach and picnic area after paying a $7 day use pass. It was a chilly day, so only the brave, in this case, a pack of 10-12 year olds, ventured to go in the water. The lake level was low, so the swimming area was but a speck of what it was marked off to be. Not surprising, the shoreline and bottom of the swim area was rocky, so water shoes or sandals were a must. There were some nice picnic areas with tables dotted throughout, some under the shade of trees. Not far away, was a boat launch with plenty of parking for vehicles with trailers. It is not a large park, so it may get crowded on hot summer days. They may control the amount of folks going in, so that is something to check out if you are making a day of it.

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sheri H.
    367
    3074
    4095

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 16
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Erika M.
    240
    60
    66

    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul C.
    0
    250
    17

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    20 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jacob R.
    183
    57
    119

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gen M.
    44
    124
    7

    12 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Girl O.
    134
    71
    226

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Lake Cushman

    Review Highlights - Lake Cushman

    Theres a nice huge rock before Staircase Rapids Trail where you can do some jumping off and play geronimo!

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Lakes 162 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Lena Lake

    Lena Lake

    4.5
    (6 reviews)
    11.4 mi

    What?! 3-stars? For...nature?…read more Yeah, I did it. If this were a hike in Indiana, or Ohio, or Kansas, it would easily be 5-stars. But, for Washington? Home to THREE National Parks, the largest glaciers in the lower 48, temperate rainforests, and hundreds of miles of coastline? Nah. This is an A-OK hike. It goes to a lake surrounded by forested hills. It looks like many lakes in WA and OR that are surrounded by forested hills. There aren't sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains, there aren't craggy cliffs overhead. There's lots of forest, and a pretty big lake. If you're super into lakes and trees, you'll dig this. But, you can find prettier lakes (Flapjack Lakes) via Staircase: https://www.yelp.com/biz/staircase-area-olympic-national-park-hoodsport And you can find prettier forests via Hoh River Trail: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hoh-rain-forest-visitor-center-forks If you're more into mountains and scenic vistas, Ellinor is much more rewarding and relatively close-by: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mount-ellinor-hoodsport SIDEBAR: this is the trailhead you climb "The Brothers" from. I can't really recommend climbing this mountain. The trail starts to fizzle out past Lena Lake and eventually becomes a full-on bushwhack. Route finding starts to take more time than actually moving. You'll second guess your every move, mutiny will be in the back of the mind for you and your comrades. The route up the mountain is also kind of winding and confusing. In early season, watch out for avalanches! One of our people got swept away by one while on this mountain, luckily she only had a sprung (It's my mission to make this word the past tense of sprang) ankle.

    This hike is perfect for an beginner-intermediate hiker. It's easy to get to & even has a paved…read moreroad up to the trailhead as opposed to the primitive roads often near trailheads. They have vault bathrooms at the beginning of the trailhead near the parking lot. I checked the bulletins and signed the registry and headed up. I instantly noticed a difference from other trails I've been on in that the majority if not all the trail is shaded so even though it was like 85+ degrees when I went, it felt much cooler and there was even a breeze at times so the heat/sun wasn't an annoyance. The trail is a general medium uphill travel. I loved that it was gradual and not just a sharp incline with a huge amount of switchbacks like other trails. It's only about 1200-1300 elevation gain total. This trail allowed me to pace myself and not stop too much to take a breath. I was able to just keep going. I also liked that the trail was wide enough in most places where 2-3 people and pass each other at one time as opposed to having to yield. I also liked that even though I went on a Saturday around 10:45am the trail was practically empty. Such a difference from the trails near Snoqualmie and North Bend. Nobody appears to want to come down toward the Hood Canal to hike. You can hear the water throughout your trek uphill so it's a relaxing hike....is that even possible? I had seen a wooden sign about a mile before the lake that said Lena Lake but what I didn't notice was the word Upper in front of Lena Lake. I actually passed the lake because I didn't see the lookout point to my right and I actually went another 1.5 miles before my intuition told me to stop. Upper Lena lake is about another 7-8 miles past Lower Lena Lake, and I was definitely not ready for that plus the hike down. I will say that the bugs get a lot worse the higher up you go, or at least they did for me. I passed two huge wasp/hornet nests and they just don't leave you alone no matter how much you swat. I also ran into some friendly grouses. No bears or mountain lions this time thankfully. Anyway, on the way back down to the lake I went off the trail a bit toward Lena Creek and there were a lot of campers and people filling up their water. You can also cross a log bridge which I believe takes you to the Brothers trail. FYI: The lake is on your right about 3.5 miles up from the trailhead. Then if you want, you can trek a mile or two down hill to get closer to the ground level of the lake as opposed to peering out over it on the rocks. My hiking app kept telling me the lake is called Olympic National Forest Pond. There were a few rowdy tubers on the lake that were disturbing the peace of the outdoors, but to each his own. Overall though, I will definitely be doing this trail again as it was the perfect length and also has the nice treat of the lake once you get to the end. Definitely take a reasonable amount of water (I took 1.5 Liters) and some food/snacks and even some swimwear. Please take your trash and doggie doo bags out with you. I did notice a few spots where there was dog feces directly on the trail or doo bags throw into the ground cover. Be a responsible dog owner please. Also as of 8/20, there were some downed logs laying across some of the Upper Lena Lake trail so you may need to crawl and climb over wet/muddy areas if you go up further.

    Photos
    Lena Lake
    Lena Lake
    Lena Lake

    See all

    Skokomish Park

    Skokomish Park

    3.5
    (31 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Our family stayed here for two nights in July and loved it! It's a really ideal spot for kids for…read moreso many reasons - beautiful sites close to the water and general store; walking distance to the lake where they have single and double kayak and I think stand-up paddleboard rentals; and a public "beach" at Lake Cushman with seating, picnic tables, tons of shade. The campsite is nicely developed with clean bathrooms and roomy sites. It's a little more per night that your standard state or national park, but site amenities and property location more than make up for that. Outside of the amenities at Skokomish Park, the staffers there are all friendly and over the top helpful. In two days we interacted with multiple staffers and all were beyond helpful and nice, including (1) my daughter dropping her hot chocolate after buying it at the general store and staff insisting she replace it for free and (2) kayak staff being so nice and accommodating despite us obviously being their very last rental of the day (and probably standing between them and the end of the workday). However, the most over the top service we got was when our truck battery died and we went up to the general store to get cell service to call for a tow; when staff heard the issue, they insisted on jumping our truck that day, and when it died again overnight, they again insisted on jumping it rather than us calling AAA. The young couple that helped both times even refused a cash tip, saying they couldn't take it and were happy to help, and made us feel like it was sincerely no big deal for them to assist. Lake Cushman is beautiful and this property was the perfect way to experience it. Highly recommend!

    The location is great on a beautiful lake. Water access for boating, swimming, fishing. We did all…read more3. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Lots of stuff for kids. Clean facilities. But...it is very expensive to camp with what you get (almost $300 for 3 nites). Our campsite was VERY narrow; no privacy. It was not peaceful since they cram so many sites together and no sound barriers. The far back tent sites may be better for privacy. The single bathroom building in the middle of the loop is OLD. The toilet stalls are so small! I could barely squeeze in and out by standing beside the toilet (yuk!). The worst part is there is only ONE shower stall for all the female campers. AND you need quarters! For as much as we paid for camping, that is ridiculous. We won't camp there again. $20 for the day use area is a much better value.

    Photos
    Kayak time!
    Kayak time!
    Double kayak rental
    Double kayak rental
    Skokomish Park

    See all

    Lake Cushman - lakes - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...