Oregon coast

[bsmoke]

I'm going nuts planning for our trip after pickup of our 19 on June 2nd. I'm not sure how often Ill make it back to the Oregon coast so I'm looking for a little help in my final plans. We've got 3 nights planned in Washington and 4 nights in different redwood parks in Cali already reserved. I left 3 nights along the Oregon coast for camping. I want to keep it to the state park system unless there is an extraordinary opportunity on the private side. We are longtime campers and are up for most anything but are hoping for a beautiful camping site location. Ive looked at most of them online but just looking for some experienced advice for our first Escape experiences along the coast. Thanks.

[Mary F]

Fort Stephens State Park is great! The camping area is away from the beach, but you can easily drive or bike to it - and it's near the mouth of the Columbia River, which is also interesting and gorgeous. Warrenton has some good shopping for provisioning your new trailer (which you may have already done by the time you get there). We spent 6 days at the Fall NOG of 2015 at this campground (stayed an extra night because we really liked it!)

The other campground we spent time in was between Yachats and Florence. I think it was Washburne, which has camping in some dense woods (that were beautiful).

And then, there is also Silver Falls...

[Donna D.]

Spring NOG will be at Beverly Beach State Park which is just about 6 miles north of Newport, OR. Newport has the Mark Hatfield Marine Center and is home to the Rogue Brewery! Lots to do in Newport.

But I also second Fort Stephens State Park. Astoria is a town rich in history. Fort Clatsop - Lewis & Clark National Historical Park

[BCnomad]

My two cents is to come at it from the perspective of I want to travel x miles per day and then see where that spot is on the map.

I don't think there's a stinker in the state park system or practically any park in Oregon.

[davescape]

The whole Oregon coast is gorgeous but its tough to see all of it if time is limited. The last time we went to California from our home in Surrey (close to Chilliwack) we took I-5 just past Portland and stopped at Champoeg State Park before we headed west to the coast. I-5 is faster than traveling the coast but you also miss Fort Stevens, Seaside, Cannon Beach, etc. Champoeg is a beautiful area about 6 hours south of Chilliwack. We haven't found a lot of good camping along I-5 so Champoeg is a gem. There's a few private sites with locations under the overpasses Would probably need reservations for Champoeg depending on the time of year. All of the parks on the Oregon coast have been awesome.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Spring NOG will be at Beverly Beach State Park which is just about 6 miles north of Newport, OR. Newport has the Mark Hatfield Marine Center and is home to the Rogue Brewery! Lots to do in Newport.
Fort Clatsop - Lewis & Clark National Historical Park

I was lucky enough to get a reservation in Beverly Beach State park for the Aug 21st Eclipse. This was 15 minutes after midnight on Nov 17th. 5 minutes later all of the Oregon sites within the path of totality were gone! Looking forward to exploring Newport for the 5 days we are there. (The Eclipse is less than 3 minutes of that time!)

[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

My two cents is to come at it from the perspective of I want to travel x miles per day and then see where that spot is on the map.

I don't think there's a stinker in the state park system or practically any park in Oregon.

We totally agree on the Oregon State Park system. Not a stinker in the group. If you want a treat, Sea Perch is a private park, right at beach level, and spectacular. Pricey at $75 a night, but worth it!

[Steve Clark]

Thanks Donna or Jim!

[drpaddle]

We stayed at six different Oregon State Parks (all coastal) on a long trip last summer. We took some pix, had some comments, and captured them in blog posts starting with this one.

These posts may or may not be helpful. But they could be! Or not.

[Mucram]

Beachside between waldport & yachats is lovely as well as right on the beach.

[holo]

Ditto on Beachside, especially if you can snag a beachside site. We also like Nehalem Bay SP near Manzanita.

[Conuma]

We did the Oregon Coast in 2013 - fabulous! We stayed at: Nehalem Bay State (Manzanita, OR)Park, Beverly Beach State Park (Newport, OR), and Jessie B Honeyman State Park (Florence, OR). All fabulous. We did 5 nights in each site and then toured each area. I keep a journal so fun going through it after you mentioned the trip.

[bsmoke]

Thanks everyone for the input. We will be camping 16 nights on our trip to pick up our 19. We will be leaving Wisconsin on Sunday May 31 and returning on June 18th. Orientation on June 2nd at 8am then 2 nights at Camp Deception Pass, Wa. We'll then head to Nehalem State Park in Oregon then down to Tillicum SP, Oregon and on to the Redwood Parks in Cali before turning back east. The two of us will be looking forward to the maiden voyage with probably a little nervousness that will set in.

[BCnomad]

Have a great time.

Beachside does look nice.

[fudge_brownie]

I have done the trip you are proposing, even the start from Wisconsin. I agree the state parks of Oregon are without comparison. However, after camping in Olympic National Park I found a different experience at Kalaloch Campground. Oregon beaches tend to be open and sandy, Kalaloch's are rocky and full of sea stacks. The campground always post a tide chart because low tide is the time to explore. It is a very different experience than Oregon, some may not be interested, I point it out as something to look into. It is 150 miles from Astoria.

[bsmoke]

Tillicum SP is very small which intrigued me and the beach side location. Praying for good weather.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by bsmoke

Tillicum SP is very small which intrigued me and the beach side location. Praying for good weather.

Oh my, I love seeing a good storm come in off the coast. Huge waves crashing on shore. Good, strong winds. Beach combing afterwards. Nothing like it! Love it. I look forward to some storms when I'm on the coast.

However, don't get anywhere near the beach when the big storms come through. From time to time, people get washed out due to getting caught by a big wave. Watch 'em come in from a distance or from way high up.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by bsmoke

...Orientation on June 2nd at 8am then 2 nights at Camp Deception Pass, Wa.

Deception Pass is a beautiful park with a major flaw. It is under the flight path for Whidby Island Naval Air Station. If the Navy is practicing their "touch & go" drills, you will experience a trailer shaking roar from the after burners of the Howler Jets. If you don't mind the "sound of freedom" as the locals call it, you will be fine. Just brace yourself or find a different camp ground while you can. Perhaps Fort Casey further down Whidby Island.

[bsmoke]

I haven't experienced that. I'm in.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by bsmoke

I haven't experienced that. I'm in.

They are amazing to watch ... for the first hour. You may want good ear plugs for hours 2-5.

Seriously, the lower loop sites 75-145, 226-230 face the naval station with the hill behind so get the most noise. Same with forest loop but not as bad.

Sites 146 - 225 are on the other side of the ridge so don't get as much noise. However they are dry camping with no hookups either. Quarry Pond is the quietest but is on the other side of the hiway. Bowman Bay is also nice but again no hookups.

So now you have all the lowdown. One of my favorite things to do at Deception Pass is to take a couple of chairs over to the North Beach at mid-tide (half way between high and low tide) when the current is the strongest and watch the power boats try to gun it against the current through the gap. (Sail boats need to wait for slack tide.)

Enjoy your stay!!!