Oregon is home to beautiful, rugged coastlines, towering mountains, deep forested valleys, dense woodlands, and arid desert-scapes, making it one of the country’s most geographically diverse states. Numerous streams, lakes, rivers, and waterways, with some of the deepest, broadest, brightest, and most spectacular lakes and reservoirs in the country, making for spectacular places to explore and what better way to do this than by camping. Whether you want to escape for a weekend with the family or spend a few days hiking through the magnificent wilderness with friends, here are some of Oregon’s top spots for spending a night or two in the wild.
Beachside State Recreation Site
Beachside State Recreation Site is a seasonal state park located a few miles south of Waldport on the central coast that boasts miles of broad, sandy beach that makes for outstanding beach camping. The campground offers 32 electrical sites with water, 42 tent sites with water nearby, two yurts, one of which is pet-friendly, and modern restrooms with hot showers, sinks, and flushing toilets. The park’s beach is ideal for outdoor activities such as kite-flying, whale-watching, beachcombing, and swimming, and other outdoor activities include hiking, mountain biking, and bird and wildlife watching.
5960 SW Pacific Coast Hwy, Waldport, OR 97394, Phone: 800-551-6949
Beverly Beach State Park
Located five miles north of Newport, Beverly Beach State Park has a lovely forest-sheltered campground just a few steps from the ocean that offers full RV hookup camping, tent camping and has several yurts for those wanting a bit more space and luxury. Strung along the banks of the pebbly Spencer Creek, campsites include 53 full-hookup sites, some of which have cable television, 76 electrical sites with water, 128 tent sites with water nearby, and 21 yurts, 10 of which are pet-friendly. The campground also has three seasonal group tent camping areas and bathrooms with hot showers, sinks, and flushing toilets. Campground amenities include a Visitors Information Center, which sells firewood and souvenirs, a children's playground, and a protected grassy day-use picnic area.
198 NE 123rd St, Newport, OR 97365, Phone: 800-551-6949
Bullards Beach State Park
Bullards Beach State Park is a large, family-oriented state park two miles north of Bandon with a protected campground spread out beneath shore pine trees with easy access to the beach. The park boasts three campsite loops that are equipped with water and electrical hook-ups, as well as 13 yurts, six of which are pet-friendly. The park also features an equestrian camp with eight primitive sites and easy access to the beach and dunes and a refurbished hiker and biker camp with solar-powered USB charging ports and modern restrooms with hot showers, sinks, and flushing toilets. The park is also home to the Coquille River, the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, which has a wide variety of wildlife, and the historic Coquille River Lighthouse.
Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon, OR 97411, Phone: 800-551-6949
Cape Blanco State Park
Located at the state's westernmost tip on the Cape Blanco peninsula with spectacular ocean views, Cape Blanco State Park has a comfortable campground with 52 electrical sites with water, a reservable horse camp with 12 pipe corrals, and four rustic cabins, two of which are pet-friendly. The park features more than eight miles of hiking and horseback riding trails that lead to the beach, great fishing spots along the Sixes River, the historic Cape Blanco Lighthouse, and several viewpoints with spectacular panoramic ocean views. There is also a 150-acre open riding area opposite the horse camp, and the 19th-century Cape Blanco Lighthouse and historic Hughes House are open to the public for guided tours during the week.
Curry County, Oregon, Phone: 541-332-6774
Cape Lookout State Park Campground
Nestled in a dense coastal forest on a sand spit between Netarts Bay and the Pacific Ocean, Cape Lookout State Park is an outdoor lover’s paradise that boasts a harmonious blend of nature and recreation. A popular destination for hikers, campers, beachcombers, and sightseers, Cape Lookout State Park features a large campground with 35 full campsites with water, electricity, and sewerage hookups, as well as restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and a dump station. The campground also has over 170 tent sites with water nearby, one electrical site with water, 13 rustic yurts, six of which are pet-friendly, six deluxe cabins, and two group tent camping areas. Two campsites and one cabin are wheelchair accessible.
13000 Whiskey CR RD W, Tillamook, OR 97141, Phone: 503-842-4981
Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park
The Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park is a state park near Newport and Waldport in Lincoln County that boasts a wide white sandy beach that offers a variety of activities ranging from hiking, camping, beachcombing, kite-flying, and whale-watching. The park has a beachside campground with 41 full-hookup sites with water, electricity and sewerage hookups, 14 electrical sites with water, seven seasonal walk-in tent sites, and two yurts, one of which is pet-friendly. Campground facilities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station in the day-use area, and several hiking trails in the park leading from the campsites to the beach, forests, and wildlife viewing areas.
Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park, Florence, OR 97439, Phone: 541-547-3416
Cascadia State Park
Set along the banks of the South Santiam River near Sweet Home at Cascadia, the Cascadia State Park is a tranquil, forested park that is home to the 150-foot Lower Soda Creek Falls and features a day-use area, various campsites, and several hiking trails. The large park has 22 tent sites with water nearby, two group camping areas, two group picnic areas with covered kitchen shelters and electricity, and a large open-play meadow. Two hiking trails are ideal for exploring the area, one of which leads to the spectacular Soda Creek Falls, while the other wanders through ancient Douglas-fir trees along the South Santiam River. The river is a good spot for swimming and fishing during the summer.
Cascadia State Park, Cascadia, OR 97329, Phone: 800-551-6949
Champoeg State Heritage Area
Situated on the south bank of the picturesque Willamette River, Champoeg State Heritage Area is a state park that boasts a unique combination of history, nature, and recreation. Named after a pioneer town that once stood on the site, the park is home to acres of dense forests, rolling fields, and lush wetlands, as well as several historic sites like the landmark 1863 Butteville Store, a museum and a visitor center. Champoeg has a campground with eight full-hookup sites with water, electricity and sewerage, 67 electric sites with water, six walk-in tent sites, six rustic cabins, and six yurts. There are also three large group tent camping areas and an RV group camping loop with a meeting hall where events can be hosted. Campground facilities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station.
8239 Champoeg Rd NE, St Paul, OR 97137, Phone: 503-678-1251
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Established in 2013 and encompassing 8,000 acres on the lower John Day River, the Cottonwood Canyon State Park is the second largest state park in Oregon and has beautiful landscapes featuring towering cliffs carved by the John Day River, deep canyons, and arid grasslands. The park has a large campground with 35 primitive sites for tents and self-contained RVs, four rustic cabins, two of which are pet-friendly, a day-use area, picnic shelters, and a group camping area with potable water and vault toilets. The park has several hiking trails that are open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders, including the Pinnacles Trail, the Lost Corral Trail, and the Hard Stone Trail.
99989 OR-206, Wasco, OR 97065, Phone: 541-394-0002
Crater Lake National Park
Resting on the crest of the Cascade Range in southern Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the country with a depth of 1,942 feet. Created over 7,500 years ago when the top of Mount Mazama collapsed, Crater Lake is renowned for its clear, deep blue water, which can be viewed from one of several hiking trails around the park. The centerpiece of Crater Lake National Park has two islands within the lake that can be visited and explored on sightseeing boat tours during the summer between June and September. Visitors to the lake can enjoy swimming, scuba diving, and fishing on the lake, as well as camping, hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife viewing in the surrounding Crater Lake National Park.
Crater Lake National Park
Deschutes River State Recreation Area
Situated at the confluence of the Deschutes and Columbia rivers a few miles east of The Dalles, the Deschutes River State Recreation Area is a 35.1-acre park that offers a wealth of recreational opportunities including camping, mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. Several tree-shaded, overnight campsites are dotted about the park and offer 34 electrical sites with water for RV or tent camping, 29 primitive RV and tent sites, bathrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers, paved parking pads, and vault toilets and potable water near the natural tent sites. The Deschutes River offers an array of family-friendly activities like swimming, whitewater rafting, kayaking, inner-tubing, and fishing for steelhead and trout.
Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Wasco, OR 97065, Phone: 800-551-6949
Detroit Lake State Recreation Area
Conveniently located in Oregon's Willamette Valley tourism region, Detroit Lake is a 1,400-hectare freshwater reservoir that stores water for the cities of Detroit and Salem and offers an array of excellent recreational activities, which include boating, camping, kayaking, and swimming. Constructed in 1953 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by damming of the North Santiam River, Detroit Lake has a maximum depth of 440 feet, which fluctuates as much as 25 feet per day, and the lake has specially constructed boat ramps to cater for this fluctuation. Detroit Lake has two state lakes resting on the north side of the reservoir, the Detroit Lake State Park and the Mongold State Park, as well as seven different campgrounds dotted around the perimeter.
Willamette Valley
Fort Stevens State Park
The Fort Stevens State Park is a 4,300-acre park named after the American military installation that was built near the end of the American Civil War to guard the mouth of the Columbia River. The fort was named for a slain Civil War general, Isaac Stevens, and part of a three-fort, Harbor Defense System at the river along with Forts Canby and Columbia in Washington. Fort Stevens State Park offers a variety of recreation adventures, including camping, hiking, mountain biking, freshwater lake swimming, and wildlife-watching, and visitors can explore the historic fort and a shipwreck. The campground features 174 full sites with water, electricity and sewerage, 302 electrical sites with water, six tent sites with water nearby, 15 yurts, and 11 deluxe cabins, five of which are pet-friendly. Campground facilities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station.
100 Peter Iredale Rd, Hammond, OR 97121, Phone: 800-551-6949
Harris Beach State Park
Harris Beach State Park is an Oregon State Park north of Brookings that is named after Scottish pioneer George Scott Harris who settled in the area in the 1880s. The park is home to the largest island off the Oregon coast known as Bird Island or Goat Island, which is a National Wildlife Sanctuary and breeding site for rare birds. The park offers a wealth of recreational activities, including camping, hiking, mountain biking, and picnicking with a day-use area offering picnic tables and modern restrooms. The park has a year-round campground with 65 full-hookup sites, 25 electrical sites with water, 59 tent sites with water nearby, six yurts, three of which are pet-friendly, and a children’s playground. Campground facilities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station.
U.S. 101, Brookings, OR 97415, Phone: 800-551-6949
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park
The Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park is a beautiful, versatile coastal park three miles south of the city of Florence on the Oregon coast that is home to the second-largest Oregon state park campground and an array of facilities. The large campground has more than 350 campsites featuring 47 full-hookup sites, 121 electrical sites with water, 187 tent sites with water nearby, ten yurts, and six seasonal group tent camping areas. Campground facilities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station, and recreational opportunities in the park include hiking, mountain biking, swimming, canoeing, and pleasure boating.
Florence, OR 97439, Phone: 800-551-6949
Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area Campground
Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area is a state park resting on the banks of the Rogue River in southern Oregon that has a large campground with 201 campsites, restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station. The campground offers 150 electrical sites with water, 50 tent sites with water, and two group tent camping areas, and facilities in the campground include children’s playgrounds, a day-use area with boat ramp, a marina and a store selling essentials, a fenced off-leash pet area, and 11.5 miles of bike and hiking trails that wind through a lush conifer forest with year-round streams.
35251 OR-62, Trail, OR 97541, Phone: 541-560-3334
La Pine State Park
Set along the banks of the Deschutes River and surrounded by a pristine sub-alpine forest, La Pine State Park offers a wealth of outdoor recreational activities ranging from hiking, mountain biking, and fishing to bird-and wildlife watching and camping. The park has a spacious campground offering 82 full sites with water, electricity and sewerage, 47 electrical sites with water, five rustic cabins, and five deluxe, fully-equipped cabins, and a log cabin meeting hall for special events. Campground facilities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station, and there is a fenced, off-leash pet exercise area for visitors and their four-legged friends.
15800 State Recreation Rd, La Pine, OR 97739, Phone: 541-536-2428
Nehalem Bay State Park
Located near the communities of Nehalem and Manzanita on the four-mile-long Nehalem Spit, Nehalem Bay State Park has a lovely campground bordered by rolling dunes and shore pines that is within a short walk from the beach. The campground has 265 electrical sites with water, 18 yurts, nine of which are pet-friendly, an equestrian camp with 17 primitive sites, and a fly-in camp with a 2,400-foot airstrip. The park boasts a forested 1.8-mile-long hiking and biking trail that runs along the coastline offering breathtaking views and offers activities such as kayaking, crabbing, clamming, fishing, and beachcombing. Two day-use areas provide access to the ocean and have modern restrooms and picnic areas with fire rings.
34600 Gary St, Nehalem, OR 97131, Phone: 800-551-6949
Nottingham Campground
Nestled on the east side of Mount Hood just below Bluegrass Ridge, the Nottingham Campground is a quiet, seasonal 21-site campground on a tranquil stretch of the East Fork Hood River that offers large and generously spaced basic campsites with vault toilets, picnic tables, fire pits, and grills. The campground does not have RV hookups or potable water. The area is home to several interesting attractions such as the dramatic Tamanawas, Sahalie and Umbrella Falls, Elk Meadows and Gnarl Ridge, and recreational activities in the area include hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, bird- and wildlife watching.
OR-35, Mt Hood, OR 97041, Phone: 503-668-1700
Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park is a 9,000-acre state park near Silverton that is hailed as the ‘crown jewel’ of all Oregon state parks due to its spectacular landscapes and pristine natural beauty. Home to the magnificent 177-foot South Falls, the nationally recognized Trail of Ten Falls hiking trail, and the challenging Canyon Trail, the park also features a large campground, 14 miles of horse trails, and a four-mile bike path. The campground offers a variety of tent sites, RV spots, rustic cabins, group camping, and a separate horse campground area and has restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station. The park also has a day-use area with spacious grassy lawns, picnic shelters with tables and barbecue grills, a children’s playground, horseshoe pits, and off-lead area for dogs.
20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Sublimity, OR 97385, Phone: 503-873-8681
Sunset Bay State Park
Situated in one of the most picturesque areas on the Oregon coast just outside the town of Charleston on Coos Bay, Sunset Bay State Park boasts features towering sea cliffs, protected sandy beaches, pristine coastal forests, and spectacular ocean vistas from atop headlands. The park has a large campground with sites for tent camping and RVs, including 30 full-hookup sites, 35 electrical sites with water, and 65 tent sites with water nearby, as well as eight cozy and comfortable yurts and two group tent camping areas. Day-use and picnic facilities can be found along the bay, and activities include beachcombing, fishing, swimming, and boating. A network of hiking trails runs between Sunset Bay, Shore Acres and Cape Arago State Parks.
Coos Bay, OR 97420, Phone: 800-551-6949
The Cove Palisades State Park
Situated in eastern Jefferson County, the Cove Palisades State Park is a fantastic family-friendly recreational destination. Nestled among the towering cliffs that surround the tranquil Lake Billy Chinook, the Cove Palisades State Park has a large campground with three deluxe self-catering cabins, 166 electrical sites with water, 91 tent sites, and three group tent camping areas. Facilities include restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and an RV dump station, an outdoor amphitheater, a fenced, off-leash pet exercise area, a camp store, 21 boat moorages, and a fish cleaning station. Recreational activities include hiking and mountain biking on over ten miles of trails, swimming, fishing, house boating, and water-skiing.
7300 SW Jordan Rd, Culver, OR 97734, Phone: 800-551-6949
Tillicum Beach Campground
The Tillicum Beach Campground is a charming seaside campground in the Siuslaw National Forest that offers spacious campsites with beachfront views, modern restrooms with flushing toilets, and an array of facilities. The campground boasts 60 single-family campsites, 18 of which have electric and water hookups, and 22 walk-in sites offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, along with picnic tables, fire rings, and grills. Campground facilities include an RV dump station, firewood, and picnic tables, and recreational activities include beachcombing, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, surfing, and wildlife viewing.
8199 Hwy 101 N, Yachats, OR 97498, Phone: 541-547-3679
Wallowa Lake State Park
Resting on the southern shore of Wallowa Lake, near the city of Joseph, Wallowa Lake State Park that offers a campground surrounded by 9,000-foot-tall snow-capped mountains and the 64-mile long Lake Wallowa. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a multi-purpose reservoir for the area, the lake is named after Oregon Senator Charles L. McNary and features no less than 22 recreational areas around the perimeter, which offer boating, camping, fishing, swimming, water skiing, wakeboarding, and seasonal hunting. There are also campgrounds, public boat launching facilities, group picnic areas, and remote beaches to enjoy, as well as the 3,500-acre McNary National Wildlife Refuge, which protects large numbers of resident and migrating waterfowl. The campground features 121 full-hookup sites, 88 tent sites with water nearby, two yurts, and a group camping area with facilities such as flush toilets, hot showers, and an RV dump station.
Lake State Park, Joseph, OR 97846, Phone: 800-551-6949
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