Nehalem Bay State Park

No full hook up sites and poor pathes to the beach

This is hands down the best campground in the Oregon coast! We love staying here. The walk to the beach is pretty close compared to other campgrounds we have been to. It's so paved throughout the campground, so kiddos can easily ride their scooters or bikes around the property. There are always a ton of kids and respectful campers here. There are playgrounds, and the facilities are always super clean.

Absolutely beautiful and a great spot to look for mushrooms. There’s dozens of trails to wander down, you can easily spend all day foraging. There’s also lots of Elk and deer activity in the area, so it’s likely you’ll see some. There’s also a very cool abandoned (I think) airstrip that’s a great spot to take some photos.

We car camped here for a couple of nights. Great campground hosts! The place is clean.nnIt's a short walk through the dunes to get to the beach. The surf can be heard from the other side of the dunes providing a soothing noise blanket that may minimize perception of the noises other campers make.nnYou can buy ice and wood there, meaning you can stay put if you like. Each site is made for a level parking situation, and has water and electric, so it's ideal for RVs. There is always a picnic table too.nnThe campground is nestled among scrub pines, providing shade, and the surrounding scrubby growths provide lots of shelter for wildlife. The Raccoons are bold and apparently aggressive toward coolers, so put that stuff and any food stuffs away at night.nnThe price tag of $35 seems like a lot, but that also seems to be what the State parks are charging for coastal camping. This high cost for camping seems to explain why the RVs all seem so upscale.nnIt was the extra $7 per night for parking that came as a surprise. And that's for EVERY car associated with your site, including the first one.nnThere does seem to be camping for walk-ins, and one assumes it would be cheaper, but it was closed in October.

What a fantastic place this is!nnDistance-wise easily done as a day trip from the Portland Metro area.nnDepending on the weather and day there can be a lot of traffic which we encountered.nnBut Google Maps gave us some great route suggestions in real-time along the way. And this certainly shaved time off of the trip.nnWhat’s especially great is that there is large area of ample parking.nnOnce there you encounter a moderate hill in soft sand that leads to the beach, something to keep in mind for little ones or someone with limitations.nnDogs are welcome!nAs are horses!nnAnd the bathrooms are incredibly clean.