Oregon coast trip itinerary recommendations and camping

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JakeR

JakeR

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Hello all!  We are planning a trip in 2019 to drive from Colorado to the Redwoods and up the Oregon Coast into Olympic NP and then into Canada and eventually loop back. I was wondering if anyone had itineraries with recommended camping along the way especially along the Oregon coast.  We have not had the pleasure of visiting there yet.  Many thanks!
 
I did a trip last year, the opposite direction coming down from the Olympic Peninsula. Didn't spend anywhere near the time I would like in Oregon. A few places come to mind:

  • The Dungeness Recreation Area (Olympic Peninsula) is very nice (dry camping). Heavily wooded campground, amazing trails out to the beach where you can for walk miles out to a lighthouse
  • Ft. Stevens (OR) State Park. Very pretty, but mosquitoes were terrible in late June and left early
  • Cape Perpetua (OR) small, very pretty campground, easy walk to the coast plus trails through the trees. Dry camping
  • Harbor Vista Park in Winchester Bay, OR. Nice county park, water/elec plus places to dump gray water, and a dump station. Close to Florence, OR. Don't miss Old Town Florence (very cute shops/restaurants and be sure and get the fresh dungeness crab off the dock)
  • Stayed at Ancient Redwoods RV Park near Eureka. Nice place, right on the Redwood Highway.
 
North to south is preferable along the coast, views are much better. A lot of the viewpoints are not accessible from the north bound lane. We loved Beverly Beach SP near Newport, sites are shaded and its an easy walk to the spectacular beach. It is also very central for day trips north and south. Go for a dune buggy ride at Florence, it's a blast.
 
What months will you be traveling? 

You may want to start looking into getting reservations. Especially in Florence. 

The sand dunes are very popular and on weekends there are a ton of RVs everywhere.
 
In Washington,just across the river from Oregon,Cape Disappointment State Park is large,and very nice.Quite a selection of sites both close to the beach and a good walk from the beach.
In Oregon, any of the state parks on the coast are nice.
Fort Stevens is the furthest north in Oregon and the largest, but quite a distance to the beach.There is a resident herd of elk that lives within the park.
Cape Lookout is secluded,protected from the wind,with a short walk to the beach.
Beverly Beach is nice,walking distance to the beach,very wooded.
Beachside has a few sites right on the beach,as well as sites a short walking distance.

There are numerous RV parks along the way, but I personally prefer state parks.

Any time I'm on the Oregon Coast, I have to stop and eat at a Mo's restaraunt. My favorite is the one at Cannon Beach.

There are many whale watching places in the spring and fall.
As said above,the coast is better traveled north to south, but can be done the other way.

Reservations are recommended,and should be made early.

https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=visit.dsp_find

http://parks.state.wa.us/223/Reservations
 
JakeR said:
Hello all!  We are planning a trip in 2019 to drive from Colorado to the Redwoods and up the Oregon Coast into Olympic NP and then into Canada and eventually loop back. I was wondering if anyone had itineraries with recommended camping along the way especially along the Oregon coast.  We have not had the pleasure of visiting there yet.  Many thanks!
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How long a trip are you planning?  3 weeks or 3 months?  3-4 months is much better.

Will you dry camp, or do you require elect and/or full hookups?  Dry camping/boondocking is by far the best option and offers the best selection of scenic camping spots.  In many places you can park your RV with great views from your door, or at least within 20-100 feet of your RV.

The state parks in Oregon are great.  If you will be traveling in late June to after Labor Day, be sure to check the reservation system and make your reservations the first day the reservation will allow you to.  Even after Labor Day, if it is a weekend, many places are booked on the weekend. 

As you are planning your trip make use Google Earth, or Google Maps, or Bing Maps and select the satellite view to see what the CG's look like. 

Make sure you bring leveling boards as many campsites are not totally level.

These places will all be dry camping, generally with water and dump facilities near by:

-- Olympic NP:  Hoh rain forest CG.  Several of the campsites are right on the Hoh river.  South Beach CG has great open ocean views on a bluff over the beach.  Kind of a dummpy CG for a NP CG, but views and beach access is fantastic. First come, first serve campsites.  Kalaloch CG is very wooded, but a few of the campsites are right on the edge of the bluff with fantastic views.  I am not sure about beach access.  I don't think is is as good as South Beach. 

-- In Oregon, Tillicum Beach Campground https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/siuslaw/recarea/?recid=42443 has fantastic views of the ocean from your campsite and easy beach access. Campsites 13-46, the campsites on the ocean side of the campground road are the best.  #17 &  #18 have fantastic views.  Go to the campground reservations site to view map and make reservations:  https://www.recreation.gov/camping/map_of_Tillicum/r/campgroundMap.do?page=map&search=site&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73919 

There are many, many more places to stay.

As others said, going north to south is best for coastal travel.
 
I wanted to apologize to all who replied to my question on Oregon coast trip.  I had surgery and since we are not traveling until Sep/Oct I simply forgot about my posting.  Thank you all for the information.  Will take time to digest it all this week.  We enjoy dry camping with the occasional RV Park for laundry and showers.  Not sure of the length of time but lots of flexibly; probably 4-6 weeks total from Colorado.  Appreciate the tip on driving from North to South.  Again my apology for failing to keep track of my posting.  And a Very Happy 2019 to all!!
 
JakeR said:
I wanted to apologize to all who replied to my question on Oregon coast trip.  I had surgery and since we are not traveling until Sep/Oct I simply forgot about my posting.  Thank you all for the information.  Will take time to digest it all this week.  We enjoy dry camping with the occasional RV Park for laundry and showers.  Not sure of the length of time but lots of flexibly; probably 4-6 weeks total from Colorado.  Appreciate the tip on driving from North to South.  Again my apology for failing to keep track of my posting.  And a Very Happy 2019 to all!!
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In September/October, you will find the coast  a lot less crowded, and campsites easier to find without reservations. The down side is you will find a lot more rainy weather.

I work away from home from May 1 to September 1, and have not seen a summer in Washington or Oregon since 1985. All of my camping is done in the spring and fall and can be quite nice at times, just have to be prepared for rain and the occasional wind storm.
 
JakeR said:
I wanted to apologize to all who replied to my question on Oregon coast trip.  I had surgery and since we are not traveling until Sep/Oct I simply forgot about my posting.  Thank you all for the information.  Will take time to digest it all this week.  We enjoy dry camping with the occasional RV Park for laundry and showers.  Not sure of the length of time but lots of flexibly; probably 4-6 weeks total from Colorado.  Appreciate the tip on driving from North to South.  Again my apology for failing to keep track of my posting.  And a Very Happy 2019 to all!!
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Hope you are feeling better now. I am going to send you some notes I took when we travelled in Oregon. Won't post here as it's quite long. Might give you some ideas....
 
I spent most of 2018 in Oregon and Washington, so you might want to check out my blog for photos of state parks and scenic areas.  I am stationery for a few months, so go back into earlier in the year.  June is a good place to start:  http://grandmajjb.blogspot.com/2018/07/    You also might look at July, 2016 and at September and October, 2017.  One important point is that state parks open 8-9 months in advance in those states, so you really need to get busy making reservations, especially for September.  October will be a little less busy but chillier. 

If you are coming from Colorado, one very nice drive is along the Columbia River.  The eastern end is dry and grassy, but there are several very nice towns and places to see along the way.  The western end is more forested, and Bonneville Dam is a great place to see the workings of the powerhouse and fish ladder, and the hatchery has some really big sturgeons they use for breeding. 



 
I would add Gold Beach as a good stop at Indian Creek Campground about 3/4 of a mile east of US 101 on the Rogue River down OR 595. The Indian Creek Cafe serves whagu beef, local craft beers are good, and salt or fresh water activities are available. 
 
JudyJB said:
I spent most of 2018 in Oregon and Washington, so you might want to check out my blog for photos of state parks and scenic areas.  I am stationery for a few months, so go back into earlier in the year.  June is a good place to start:  http://grandmajjb.blogspot.com/2018/07/    You also might look at July, 2016 and at September and October, 2017.  One important point is that state parks open 8-9 months in advance in those states, so you really need to get busy making reservations, especially for September.  October will be a little less busy but chillier. 

If you are coming from Colorado, one very nice drive is along the Columbia River.  The eastern end is dry and grassy, but there are several very nice towns and places to see along the way.  The western end is more forested, and Bonneville Dam is a great place to see the workings of the powerhouse and fish ladder, and the hatchery has some really big sturgeons they use for breeding.



Yes, and there are many beautiful waterfalls along the Columbia Gorge. Multnomah Falls is one of them. I enjoyed the power dam at Bonneville as well. They have a lock, and a fish ladder, as well as a tour of the power plant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC9j-GjBWNs
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