Oregon Coast Camping Road Trip – Part 2!

Our first summer after moving to Oregon we couldn’t wait to visit the famed rocky coastline. For our first 10-day Oregon Coast camping beach trip we began in Astoria and traveled about halfway down the coast to Newport. This amazing trip left us eager to explore the rest of Oregon’s border with the sea, so the following summer we started in Otter Rock and made our way to Brookings, Oregon, before crossing over the California border to Crescent City and returning by way of Crater Lake!

Oregon’s coast is unlike any other beach I’ve visited — the weather is unpredictable and can be equally scenic on a moody, rainy day as on your traditional sunny 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. 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, even on day trips. 

Read on to find out where we hiked, ate, and camped, and what our favorite spots were! 

OTTER ROCK

On our previous Oregon Coast camping trip we weren’t really able to stop in Otter Rock because we were towing a trailer and the parking is really limited. This time we car camped — so we backtracked a little to begin our trip taking in the Devil’s Punch Bowl. There is a small parking lot for this area that overlooks the ocean and a steep staircase down to the beach, which is popular for surfing. You can watch the waves churn around in the natural rock “bowl” and there are a few shops and restaurants, but it’s pretty limited. 

 

BEVERLY BEACH STATE PARK 

This was our favorite campground near that beach. Our campsite was A01, and it was a very close walk to the beach access. You cross under a bridge from the campsite area, and you’re there. The campsites were pretty quiet, we didn’t have any issues with bugs, and the bathrooms were clean and nearby. We drove south to Newport for dinner at Gyro Guys (overpriced, okay but not great food) and again for breakfast at Cafe Stephanie (not super vegan-friendly but they accommodated as much as possible, felt like a local’s spot). 

YACHATS & FLORENCE

Our next stop was Thor’s Well, which lives up to the hype. It’s a sinkhole-like feature in the ocean (apparently a collapsed sea cave) and the ocean churns and splashes around it. You’ll want to go around high tide (which was 11am I believe) to see the best displays. For around 30 minutes the ocean doused the rocks (and any people standing close enough), making for really dramatic photos. It’s an easy stop off the main road with plenty of parking.

Continuing south you’ll find Heceta Head Lighthouse, which now operates as a bed and breakfast. To get to the lighthouse required a fairly easy hike, although it is uphill. There’s a shop selling refreshments part-way up and we enjoyed sipping a beer for the rest of the walk. This is an adorable lighthouse and it was a nice viewpoint, but my favorite lighthouse is still Yaquina Head in Newport. 

TILLICUM BEACH STATE PARK

This Waldport campground is really popular so you’ll want to book especially early. We managed to get a nice campsite (site 36), but we didn’t have a beach view like some of the spots. There are nice restrooms here, but no showers in the bathhouses. This beach access was right at the edge of the campground and the closest-to-the-beach campground we’ve been to. For dinner we cooked out at our campsite, but there were some nice options in town like the Drift Inn or Adobe Resort. For breakfast we went to a cute coffee drive-in called Beachside Buzz. They had unique latte flavors, vegan sausage and cream cheese for bagels. 

FLORENCE

On my list to check out was Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, but the map wanted to take me out of the way so we decided to skip it. As we drove toward Coos Bay we did pass several dunes access points marked on the road, so it was easy to pull off and check it out. We saw several people racing 4x4s and there is a small sand boarding park as well. 

 

COOS BAY AND BANDON

Sadly this was a pretty rainy part of our trip, but the viewpoints were still majestic and during breaks in the storms we enjoyed exploring local gardens and taking in the beautiful sunset from our hammock. Two of our favorite spots in Coos Bay were easily accessible on the same road as our campground, Sunset Bay State Park. If you continue past the campground, you’ll come to Shore Acres State Park and then Cape Arago. Shore Acres was lovely to walk around and home to a beautiful botanic garden that was in full bloom in August. The park caretakers were very kind and offered us suggestions for the area as well. At the end of the scenic drive was Cape Arago, which is a great viewpoint and quick stop. We happened to be in Coos Bay for the Blackberry Festival, which was fun to check out, but not too much bigger than a farmers market. 

For dinner we visited Himalaya Indian and Shark Bites Cafe, which both had vegan options. Himalaya Indian was delicious and had a special vegan plate, complete with dessert. Shark Bites Cafe had vegan tacos which I had with a side salad as their fries and chips are both fried in beef lard. I was disappointed to be upcharged $2 for some lettuce, so I recommend leaving this off and having just the tacos without a side. My husband enjoyed the Dungeness crab sandwich. We also stopped into the eclectic So It Goes Coffeehouse for breakfast. I recommend the vegan breakfast burrito. In the evening make sure to check out the historic Egyptian Theater. We lucked out and were able to see live music there and the decorations are impressive!

In Bandon, we visited a small artisan market at The Warehouse on our way to Face Rock. It’s also home to the Washed Ashore Gallery, featuring many sea creatures created from beach trash. Face Rock and Coquille Point were perfectly dark and moody in the rain and we brought our binoculars to try and spot puffins. We also enjoyed exploring the driftwood at Bullard Beach State Park. Bastendorff Beach was a good surf spot and had high waves during our time there.

SUNSET BAY STATE PARK CAMPGROUND

This campground was across the street from a beach, which is known for amazing sunset views. We lucked out on the last night we were there as the rain cleared and we got to enjoy cotton-candy sky colors from our hammock. There are small trails around the beach access that lead to a higher-elevation viewpoint as well and make for a nice early-morning hike. Our campsite B32 was right across from where the park sells firewood and was quite noisy, so I’d recommend looking for a different spot. Additionally, the park rangers were very helpful and gave good suggestions when we checked in.  

BROOKINGS

After Coos Bay and Bandon, we drove a few hours to Brookings, home of the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor and an adorable beach town. Although the corridor is only a few miles, there are so many scenic stopping points. We were awed by the natural bridges and arch rock. We also saw “secret beach” from a distance at the viewpoint at Thunder Rock Cove, but the hike down to it seemed treacherous and there were warnings about Poison Ivy. The trail to Thunder Rock Cove was pleasant, uncrowded and great for photos. Some locals at the skatepark suggested a pull-off surf spot just past the corridor heading toward town, just be careful as the climb down to it is fairly steep. We loved the all-vegan food truck at Chetco Brewery and also splurged at Pacific Sushi & Grill. Brookings was one of our most favorite stops along the Oregon Coast and we look forward to going back!

HARRIS BEACH STATE PARK

This campground also had a beach access (although it was a little further away and we drove to it), comfortable campsites (we were in B41) and nice showers. The campground is perched up above the coast and you’ll have nice views as you drive in. 

CRESCENT CITY, CA

Just across the border and 30 minutes from Brookings is another not-to-be-missed beach town with the start of the redwoods forest nearby. Our first night we drove on to the only campground that lets you sleep among the Redwoods – Jedidiah Smith. Upon arrival we spent a few hours hiking the Grove of the Titans and Stout Grove. We checked into our campsite and further explored near the river. The next day we went back for a few more hours of hiking — just the drive through the national forest between the trails is incredible and demands several photo stops — and then headed back to Crescent City. Crescent City had several good beach accesses for surfing as well. For dinner we tried Seaquake Brewing and their fried avocado tacos were probably my favorite meal of the entire trip. 

Our second campsite in Crescent City wasn’t anything fancy, site 14 at Panther Flat Campground Smith River. It was an affordable and convenient stop as we continued to Crater Lake and Diamond Lake.

JEDIDIAH SMITH STATE PARK CAMPGROUND

This campsite does book up so I recommend advance planning and lots of bug spray! Our site was 007 and we had several Titans around us and were near a nice trail along the river. However, even with bug spray we were plagued by mosquitoes and gnats. I would recommend some sort of awning with netting if planning to stay here longer than a night. The surroundings were beautiful and it was very convenient to be so close to the major trails though. The campground is a little out of the way so we planned to cookout that night.