1. Nehalem Bay State Park

    1. Nehalem Bay State Park

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    Nehalem, OR

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    Nehalem Bay State Park

    4.1 (80 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 7:00 pm

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    Stephanie S.

    This is one of my all time favorite camping state parks. Close walk to the ocean to catch the sunset. We were lucky enough to catch the Northern lights while camping here, so this place will always hold a place in my heart for that experience alone. Our annual Mothers Day trip was a blast so hubby and I came back to enjoy the park again with our new puppy. We love how close it is to town and make our way out for a nice dinner or to grab an ice cream cone and walk through some cute local shops. We love the quaint little towns surrounding the well kept state park. We got to see a bunch of Elk around and it was a cool experience.

    Cold and cloudy but still gorgeous
    Gaby B.

    One of our favorite campgrounds. Super sad that is going to be closed for a while to renovate the bathrooms but I'm sure that will only make it better. Spacious campsites with beach access. Super close to the town of Manzanita & Nehalem. There is also a day use area with a boat launch, hiker biker camp & horse camp.

    East ride to manzanita from camp
    Jessy M.

    It's a state park! I loved that we could ride our bikes into Manzanita. I was not stoked that our campsite was used like a walkway for other campers to get to the playground and bathrooms when there were walkways to the left and right of our campsite, people are just rude and lazy! Even laid down our paddle boards to deter people and they would walk over them or around them and still go through our site! Not the campground fault, but people really suck! Don't be a jerk and walk through peoples sites! Other than that it's a decent campsite. Just beware A08 you prob will have lazy people walking right through your site instead of using the paved walkway on the side of the site. It's nice bathrooms and showers are included. $5 for a bundle of firewood.

    Nehalem Bay Beach
    Abby A.

    Nehalem Bay State Park is beautiful! When you are driving in from the cliffside you can see the coastline from above, and realize the park sits in the middle of a sandy peninsula. So, the beach is very windy, and sand blows in your face constantly. But the campground sits behind the dunes to spare you from the wind, although it is a hike to the beach from your site. The sites: There are MANY to choose from. We chose a car/tent site as we knew our 5th wheel would not fit in 90% of the sites. The sites are clean and level, but VERY close to your neighbors on both sides. You would have difficulties even putting out your slides in many spots. We camp a lot, but I have never seen a campground with this many people packed into one place at a time. Even the tent sites were overcrowded with people setting up multiple tents/canopies/cooking areas/social areas into every square inch of grass they could. Our neighbors had six tents set up, with a loud social area that had them drinking and talking all night long, well after curfew. And, no the rangers did not patrol the campground. The restrooms: They were dirty, crowded, no hot water, and half of them were closed completely. When you have three sinks/toilets for hundreds of people it does not end well. Pets: We take our dogs with us, and we are mindful that they behave, and are leashed at all times, even on the beach. There were many dogs here due to the number of people camping, and many were not well behaved nor on a leash. Then there are the ones staked out on "leads" that allow them to charge right up to the sidewalk-then our dogs got spooked. It was not an enjoyable weekend. And definitely not relaxing, which is the whole reason we go camping, to get away and relax.

    Jennifer S.

    If you want a beautiful camping experience, this is it. The campground sits below the dunes to the ocean...so you don't have wind. The outer loop spaces are big, great fire pits and a lot of them have trails off the back. Most impressive are the hot free showers. The restroom facilities are updated and very clean. Rangers patrol the area and keep the noise low after 10. Great place for bikes or horses. If you bring your horses they have a nice corral assigned to your reservable camp site.

    This is where I went for the clams.  Short walk past horse stables.  Small path down to beach.
    John C.

    Love this park. Sites a pretty close, so not much hiding between trees and bushes. Very kid friendly and definitely lots to do. We were here for the 4th of July weekend. Lots of groups, and all polite. Restrooms are fine, showers closed because of Covid. Couple beach access points to get over the sand dunes. Very nice beach. Flat, sandy, very few rocks, and wide. I did a little surf fishing, just did ok. There was a very low tide so I went out clamming. There are so many out there. I attached a pic of where I went. To get the purple varnish clams, dig a hole and then get down on all fours. Just keep digging with your hands. Maybe a foot down and then keep expanding outwards. You can't miss. I got 36 in about 45 minutes. I didn't need any more or I would have kept going. Limit on purple varnish is 72. There were also people digging just south of the boat dock. I was maybe 1/4 mile down. Crabbing is always fun in Nehalem. I brought a small boat this time, but we have gone to Kelly's marina and rented a boat with three crab rings. It's less than $100 and they will cook and clean what you catch. There was a yelp checking offer if you go. Try it. If you have bikes, ride on over to Manzanita. Cool little town. We found a good coffee shop there. My only negative was the firewood they sold. It was still pretty wet and did not burn well. We ended up buying from somewhere else and it was fine. So check the wood before you stock up for the week. Have fun.

    James D. H.

    This is another great Campground on the OR. Coast. It's like a small city. From a Gas Station at the Turn off from the Highway, to Bags of Ice from the little Store inside the campground. You can also get A Newspaper, A Soda, Coffee or some snacks from the little store. Oh wait. The Ice and Firewood Bundles are NOT at the Store. You get that over by the Recycling Area. Firewood is $5.00 a bundle. The Campgrounds has all the camping setups you need. They have sites for: Campers / RV's. Yurts. Tiny Portable Cabins. Primitive Tent Sites and Tent Sites with Electricity and A Water Hookup for Tent and R.V. setups. We just had a couple tents on our site. The bathrooms are all fairly decent. The showers are free and there is Beach Access. Warning The walk to the beach is a bit of a walk and then a not too big sandy hill and then (in this area, the beach is massive.) add a little bit more walking to the actual point of being able to touch the ocean. This old man did it a couple times. I took a breather at the top of the hill both ways each time. We saw the beach at low tide. The beach seemed to stretch out into the ocean for a mile. The surf is mellow here. My niece loves the ocean. We've literally had to carry her freezing little body out of the cold water. She would rather freeze than stop playing in the ocean. I totally get it. My Wife and I also love the ocean. I proposed to her at the ocean and we were married on the beach. Nehalem Bay State Park is awesome. The only part that was bad was the psychotic old man that followed my sister into the Campgrounds all the way to her campsite to swear vulgarities at her while her daughter is in the car. He felt it was ok to swear at her because she didn't use turn signals in the Campgrounds. She being my new Hero said, I'm sorry your having a bad day. And rolled up her window. What kind of crazy does that to a mother with a small child? Cray Cray. That's what kind! Despite some crazy old fart. We had a great time talking and watching the firepit. We will be back.

    Walking through the dunes to the beach
    Naomi S.

    My family absolutely loves camping here. We've stayed in an RV and most recently, a Yurt. This is one of my favorite campgrounds to visit in the entire Northwest. I love how close the beach is to the campground. The restrooms are clean and spaced out pretty well throughout the campground. We really enjoyed our stay in a Yurt on this last trip. It is surprisingly spacious inside with a bunk bed, fold out bed/couch and table with 2 chairs. It did smell a little musty at first but was fine after letting the door stay open for a little bit. There aren't any windows so the only way to let fresh air in is through the door. There is a heater which kept us warm at night. Our first night there, we experienced a pretty significant rain storm but we stayed dry and my husband lived the sound of the rain. I enjoyed the next night more when I could hear the sound from the ocean all night. We definitely plan to make staying in a yurt here a yearly occurrence and am already planning on booking another visit soon.

    I can't take it!
    Leah S.

    If you want to be woken up by a crapload of screaming kids, this is the place for you! Literally 6:45 am. And it never ends. The campground feels more like a trailer park, squished in like sardines. NO privacy, or relaxation. They just keep screaming and biking through our site! Pluses.....clean bathrooms and nice showers, and easy beach access.

    Lucinda B.

    To find this park follow the signs off Hwy 101 for about 3 miles. First you will come to the RV Dump Station. Use this first if you need to for the spots do not have sewer connections. Next you will come to the garbage and recycle center. There is a centrally located pay booth. No rangers here at the entrance either. If you have reservations you can go right to your spot. They did have a couple loops to first come first serve. It was very wet here off and on and the spot we were in for 2 nights really flooded. Beautiful campground! Tons of hiking, biking, beachcombing! They also have amazing horse camping here and if you have a plane there is a campground you can fly into. I could have easily stayed a week and explored. No view of the ocean here. The hike to the dunes was pretty steep. I did not see any paved trails. The beach was amazing here. You could walk forever!

    Francesco L.

    By far the nicest camp ground I have ever been to ! :) bathrooms are clean, the area is well run and the staff are great! Nice atmosphere would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a place to camp anywhere on the west Coast of Washington and Oregon that this is the best spot hopefully will be back soon !

    Richie D.

    This is a nice beachside park with a great coastline. However, the level of privacy is virtually zero and there are basically no hikes in regards to this park. If your looking for a night stay with a day at the ocean this is great, and if you want to stay longer than a day I would suggest to keep looking. Would I come back? Maybe Would I recommend? Maybe

    Tents in camp
    Angelique L.

    So much to love about this campground but a few things I didn't love. The best features are that it's behind a big sand dune so campsites are sheltered from the weather of the beach and are nestled in wooded areas, so you get the best of the coast. The weather was very nice when we were there. Cloudy in the morning but it burned off by noon and was pretty hot but there was plenty of shade. At night it was chilly but not windy because of that big sand dune protecting the park. It's walking and easy driving distance to a boat ramp at the bay and a beach along the bay. So you can walk on the beach at the ocean or the bay. Both are very nice! Lots of people crabbing and fishing here from boats. We stayed at the horse camp so if you have horses and want to ride on the beach, this is a great place to stay! There's also a two-mile long bike/pedestrian loop through the woods that's really nice and not very crowded. The town of Manzanita is super quaint and also has a number of walking trails so this is a great place for a relaxed trip with lots of walking opportunities. What I didn't love: The horse camp doesn't have real bathrooms, only port-a-potties. You can walk to restrooms with showers in 5-10 minutes or to the restrooms at the boat put-in. The non-horse campground is very crowded in the summertime (though the weekdays were considerably less) and you have to drive all the way through it to get out of the park. There are kids running around everywhere across the road and on bikes. I would not want to camp in that crowded chaos but if you have kids and want company, this would be a lot of fun. But my biggest complaint is that the park is full of invasive plants! Himalayan blackberries, Scotch broom, and tansy wort are crowding out huckleberry, red huckleberry, Douglas spirea and other native plants. I've not seen a State Park so badly overrun though they may not have the funding to take care of it. If I lived closer, I'd organize a volunteer cleanup. Despite that, however, the park is well-staffed and the showers were always cleaned, the garbage emptied, etc. There's good signage, on-site camp residents to sell ice and wood and other things. Pretty good wildlife viewing too. I saw deer, squirrel, weasel and seal.

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    3 years ago

    Nice park-- we had fantastic weather. Very quiet when we were there and fun to see the elk. Beach is perfect.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Well kept campground with hookups. Short walk to beautiful beach. And cute Manzanita town close by with a nice bike path.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Nehalem Bay State Park

    How easy will it be for a 34' 5th wheel to get in and park?

    I believe you can do so although I do not know how easy it will be. We saw a large RV back into the space across from us. Do not know if there are any pull through spots but the website usually indicates if there are.

    Can you see the beach from the campground?

    No, it is over the dune. Mountain lions haven't been a problem for a couple of weeks

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Nehalem Bay State Park

    I only stayed one night, but what's not to love about camping (well, yurt-ing) so close to the beach.

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    Ecola State Park

    Ecola State Park

    4.8
    (197 reviews)
    15.7 mi

    Amazing views! The drive into Ecola was just beautiful, dense forest all around. Currently love in…read morethe desert, so all the green was a treat. We only did the Ecola Point viewpoint which has some short trails from the parking lot. You can see the lighthouse a little bit from some of the views, but probably not as well as grub the lighthouse view trail. Still amazing views tho down into Cannon Beach, haystack rock, etc. If you're going to visit a lot of state parks, I recommend getting the state park pass. Worth the price!

    Home is where the heart is. This area was my stomping…read more grounds for many moons! I use to go to Ecola state park, regularly growing up. Go on hikes,look for rocks shells,surf, get lost in nature, just sit in the grass and watch the ocean. Here is what you can do at Ecola State Park: Hiking & Walking: Explore trails ranging from easy strolls to challenging hikes through Sitka spruce forests. The Clatsop Loop Trail follows the path of1806 explorers, while the Oregon Coast Trail offers longer, scenic treks. Indian Beach: A popular, secluded cove for surfing, sunbathing, and tide-pooling to see sea stars and anemones. Viewpoints: Take in spectacular vistas from Ecola Point, including views of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse ("Terrible Tilly") and distant Haystack Rock. Wildlife Viewing: The park is known for herds of elk grazing in the meadows, as well as sightings of bald eagles and migrating gray whales. Picnicking: Enjoy lunch at the picnic areas located on the grassy bluffs with ocean views. Photography: The dramatic, moody coastline provides excellent opportunities for photography. Oregon State

    Photos
    Wilson's Warbler ready for takeoff!
    Wilson's Warbler ready for takeoff!
    This is either an immature Pine Siskin or immature female House Finch. Based on the beak, I'm leaning towards Siskin
    This is either an immature Pine Siskin or immature female House Finch. Based on the beak, I'm leaning towards Siskin
    Adorable Wilson's Warbler - they were everywhere here!! One of my absolute faves!

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    Adorable Wilson's Warbler - they were everywhere here!! One of my absolute faves!
    Cape Lookout State Park

    Cape Lookout State Park

    4.2
    (131 reviews)
    22.3 mi

    One of our family favorites. We like all the options for camping. It's clean. Kid friendly and the…read moreocean is close enough that even the little ones can make the journey. I found it gets the zoomies out of them and that makes for a quiet night, most times. Sometimes you have a small group of littles and they somehow are fueled by the laughter of other kids and seem to possess unlimited energy. We camp closest to the beach. There is no shade there. We bring our own but at night, the stars are like street lights. It's beautiful. The moon at times feels like you could grab it. The ocean will put you to sleep like a Dr.s prescription. It's amazing. All the bathrooms get used a lot because of the amount of people who stay here but they are constantly being cleaned. The showers are a little strange to me but good. Don't try to park an extra vehicle on your spot even if only unloading. The parking is terrible BUT way down the road, on the "Day Use Area" is plenty of parking. Ya, we all hate parking in the D.U.A. They hold cultural events in the D.U.A. We've seen some awesome Native American dancers. They looked super cool. The beach access is at either end of the dune. The beach is clean and the waves aren't that vicious. The shore is nice and shallow. Low tide brings a whole different look to the area with smooth rock surfaces and cobblestones. Of course the ocean is always awesome.

    Truly a treasure, whether you are visiting for the day or to camp. Plenty of paid parking upon…read morearrival. There were park workers cleaning up the landscaping while we were there, as well as some volunteers. Almost completely direct access from the parking lot to the beach. There are many access points, restrooms onsite, and trails to walk. The beach itself is pretty spacious and so while there may be a lot of people, they aren't too close together. Many folks were using the bbq's to grill with charcoal and so it smelled additionally fantastic.

    Photos
    Site B28
    Site B28
    Cape Trail -  the end!
    Cape Trail - the end!
    Trees along Cape Lookout trail.

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    Trees along Cape Lookout trail.
    Skamokawa Vista Park

    Skamokawa Vista Park

    4.2
    (18 reviews)
    46.4 mi

    2 years later and we went back and guess what? It's still fun? I actually think it is one of my…read morefavorite places to visit. I really like the beach area. Unfortunately, it rained the majority of the time we were there, but since we had a travel trailer, we just played games inside all day. The great part was that we knew the rain was coming so on day one, we went to the beach and enjoyed every minute in the warm water. The water is seems clean, the waves are great. Even though it's a river, I did not worry about floating away. I still enjoy watching the ships. One of my nieghbors showed me an app that gives you info on the ships that pass. I still recommend this place. Unlike lasdt time, no barking dogs nor car alarms. Even my neighbor had dogs and they were so well behaved. Great time! Definitely visit if you have a chance. This time we parked down by the restrooms (near tents). Okay, little kids don't know better and kept running through our spot, but when their parents saw them, they corrected them.

    I. own the 503-acre tree farm bordering the park. The park is underutilized which is ok lol but it…read morehas really nice beach which you can enjoy often with no or litlte company. There are tennis courts - campsites. Its really undiscovered as is SW Washington. In a couple of years I will have to sell my farm but meanwhile its a great place to go. Photo is from my land overlooking the river. The area is perfect- not totally empty but not full of tourists either. I

    Photos
    Overlooking the park
    Overlooking the park
    2025
    2025
    2023

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    2023

    Nehalem Bay State Park - campgrounds - Updated July 2026

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