Oregon Coast Camping Road Trip – Part 1!

It never ceases to amaze me that Oregon’s home to such a majestic mountain, but just about three hours away lies the ocean. There aren’t many places that you can ski or snowboard and surf all in the same day! Shortly after moving to the Pacific Northwest we started planning our first trip to Oregon’s famous rocky coastline. Our Oregon Coast camping road trip was all we had dreamed of — and more!

We spent 10 days exploring striking cliffs, a shipwreck, sleepy beach towns, and marinas. Beginning in Astoria we meandered along the 101 in our small camper until we were about half-way down the coast in Newport. We knew we’d need to break up our Oregon Coast camping road trip into multiple segments — there’s a lot to see! — and planned to pick up in Otter Rock the following year.

My advice: Oregon’s coast is unlike any other beach I’ve visited — the weather is unpredictable and can be equally scenic on a gloomy, rainy day as on your traditional bluebird day. Even in August, it is cold, so pack layers and wind-proof clothing, be prepared for chilly nights if you’re camping, and definitely invest in a wet suit to surf. Also book campgrounds many months ahead of time, especially if they’re near/on the beach. Many of the scenic spots require a small hike, but just driving the 101 you’ll find many overlooks to pull off as well. And of course, keep your eyes peeled for elk! We’ve seen them every time we’ve visited the coast.

Since our first trip to the coast we’ve often returned to many of these spots on day trips, specifically Short Sands Beach and Ecola State Park, as they’re fun to show visiting family or just escape to for a staycation.

ASTORIA

Astoria has a small-city feel and an interesting and easily walkable downtown to explore. We spent time browsing shops and boutiques and there are a lot of bars and restaurants as well. Our first evening staying at Fort Stevens State Park Campground in nearby Warrenton we backtracked to catch dinner at the Rogue Pier 39 Public House, which is inside the old Bumble Bee tuna cannery on the Columbia River. To get there you have to drive or walk the wooden pier to get to the building. This location has great views and we ate outside to take full advantage. I really enjoyed the soy curls sandwich, which sadly is no longer on the menu. They also have a menu for dogs!

FORT STEVENS STATE PARK CAMPGROUND

We stayed here for multiple nights but couldn’t get the same site the entire time (I booked too late!) so we did have to move our camper. We had L04 and N58 and the sites were both good and had enough space for us. This is a large campground so you do need to drive to visit the beach access and attractions. The most exciting part of the campground for us was to see the Wreck of the Peter Iredale, but we also enjoyed the other beach access points and driving by the Battery Russell. We used this campground as our base to explore nearby towns Seaside and Cannon Beach, but we did have to do a lot of backtracking and driving.

SEASIDE

This is definitely a popular spot on the coast and there are a lot of chains and fast food here. We ate at the bar at Angelina’s Pizzeria and Cafe as it was packed and it took a long time to get our food. They were able to use vegan cheese on the pizza. We also found that Del Rey Beach State Recreational Site was a great place to watch the sunset after dinner.

CANNON BEACH

Our Oregon Coast camping road trip wouldn’t have been complete without seeing the most iconic image from this area — Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. Although it was impressive, I found that I enjoyed other areas and coastal rock formations more. Cannon Beach is picturesque and reminds me of Martha’s Vineyard or Cape Cod with the shingled beach homes and hydrangeas, but it is very expensive and touristy. Parking is limited so factor in time to find a spot! Mi Corazón was a good find for tasty vegan options, but it was pricey and the portions were small.

Cannon Beach is home to Ecola State Park however, which is one of my favorite spots along the entire coast. The drive into the park is windy and narrow, so use caution, and you’ll probably see plenty of elk along the way. The road splits and to the left is the main parking area and viewpoint and to the right is Indian Beach. The main viewpoint is nearly accessible from the parking lot and it doesn’t disappoint. I spent an hour sitting on a picnic table just taking it in! Indian Beach is also definitely worth a visit and may look familiar as it was used during filming of Twilight — La Push, baby!

Just south of Cannon Beach is Oswald West State Park, home to Short Sands Beach, technically in Arch Cape, Oregon. This is another one of my most favorite spots. There’s about a 10-minute walk to the beach through an amazing old-growth forest trail and once you get there it’s pretty spectacular. We set up hammocks and spent several hours exploring here. There’s even a waterfall cascading into the beach.

TILLAMOOK

After spending several days in what I think of as the Northern Coast, we drove on for a few hours to Tillamook. This town is famous because of the cheese factory, but honestly there’s not a whole lot else to do. It’s also inland so there aren’t any beach accesses or viewpoints here. However, the Blue Heron French Creamery is extremely generous and offers a field for RV parking, provided you register with them inside at their shop and only stay a limited time. This was a great stopping point for us and they do have a nice market and cafe. Nearby is the Rockaway Beach Old Growth Big Cedar Forest Trail, which is home to a massive tree that is estimated to be 800-1200 years old! The short hike to see it crosses a well-maintained boardwalk and is well worth the stop.

PACIFIC CITY

At the beach access near the Headland’s Lodge (looks like a great place for a drink on their patio) there are some very tall sand dunes and people sliding down them or attempting to sand board. We brought an older snowboard and my husband tried it — his take was that it’s very slow, so make sure not to add any turns that would slow you down and definitely add a lot of wax. I think an actual sandboard might give you more speed. I got some veggie tacos from Ben & Jeff’s Burgers & Tacos, but can’t recommend them. The grilled veggies made for a really watery filling and the taco shells immediately fell apart. There are some fun stores to peruse here too and surf shops if you need any wax or other gear.

LINCOLN CITY

Lincoln City isn’t as posh as Pacific City, but also has some nice beach accesses and places to stay. We really enjoyed parking at Chinook Winds Casino — the parking lot is the highest point so you do get a nice ocean view! There are nice bathrooms and a restaurant that offered a Beyond Burger. We each gambled $20 and my husband won about $50 or enough to pay for our dinner. It was a fun evening and we really appreciated the free parking. There were other RVs parked there and some using generators, but plenty of space so we were able to find a quiet spot, although there are bright lights in the parking lot so make sure you have a way to block out light. Chinook Winds has a nice beach access and there were a lot of tide pools to check out! After a few nights we wanted access to hookups and power so we booked a night at Lincoln City Premier RV Resort. The manager will meet you when you check in and help you set up.

DEPOE BAY

Although we just drove through here, it’s the spot for whale watching. There are several viewpoints specific for spotting whales and it’s also a great place to catch the King Tides in the winter. We got the best photos and videos of the water spouts splashing over the highway barriers here — be prepared to get drenched if you’re too close!

NEWPORT

Newport is another fishing-centric town, similar to Astoria. Walking along the historic Bayfront you’ll definitely smell seafood. There are several shops, bars and restaurants along the main strip, as well as a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! We ate at Rogue Brewing again, although this location had a different menu than in Astoria. We also saw a ton of sea lions on the docks as we walked the pier — they are loud! On a subsequent trip back we ate at Ultralife Cafe (very cute with vegan options and cocktails).

One of my favorite stops is just before Newport, Yaquina Head Lighthouse. This scenic area has a black-pebble beach, amazing views and even a few sea lions lounging in the sun. This is my favorite lighthouse on the Oregon Coast and I highly recommend it!

Newport was a great half-way stopping point for us and the drive back to the Portland-area was easy and fairly direct. We couldn’t wait to continue exploring our great Oregon Coast camping road trip the following summer and began planning which towns and campgrounds we wanted to visit. Check out our favorite spots and attractions from Newport on to Brookings and even across the border in Crescent City, CA, here.