Nehalem Bay State Park

oregon state parks are the best!!

pros: nice bathrooms & showers, water & electric at sites, good sized sites, within walking distance to the beach with GREAT views

cons: it was busy even during the week so not secluded or peaceful depending on your neighbors, it was super windy when I was there & the trees are all so low that my roof top tent was rocking all over the place

October – Our 3rd time to Nehalem Bay State Park. The entrance to the park is still very rough and bumpy until you actually reach the park entrance. The roads inside the park are very good, smooth and wide. Our spot B-37 was very nice except the fact of the rain for 2 days that created a pool next to the asphalt our trailer was setting on by the back of the trailer. We used the bathrooms and found the stalls were very tight to close the stall door. You had to stand directly beside the toilet to shut the door. But the bathrooms and showers where very clean and well kept. For that matter the whole park was clean and well kept.

We bought take out lunch 2 times at the Riverside Fish & Chips in Nehalem. The fish and fries were cooked to perfection. The outside of the fries were crispy and the inside was very soft, plus the coating on the outside of the fries were excellent. The fish was not greasy, well cooked and juicy on the inside.

10 minute walk to miles of fabulous Oregon beach. 15 min drive to great hiking at Oswald West State Park. 25 minute drive to the shops and restaurants in Cannon Beach. Verizon and AT&T cell service excellent!

This is great beach camping. The sites are typical size and spacing for an Oregon state park but both inner and outer rings are pretty nice. Not secluded but pretty comfortable.

The beach is fabulous for humans and dogs alike. And the view north to Falcon Cape is really nice. We’ll be coming back.

Upside: Atmosphere. Can hear sea nearby. Nice shore pines. Flat easy to level. Back in sites are well kept.
Downsides: why do rangers/hosts allow big rigs to overload their spots with trucks and boats so their rec vehicles stick out into through road to get to your spot? Bizarre people are so selfishly doing this so other people have to drive near trees over rough land to go around. This ought to be forbidden. Used to be a common sense thing. Needs to be a rule. Many spots close together some shade some not. Some spots super spacious. Pick well.

Van camped here for one night while traveling up the oregon coast. It stays almost fully booked even during the weekdays in the summer but we were able to book the last spot the day before. It’s mostly an RV park with potable water, electrical hookups, a fire pit, and a picnic table at every site. There were a handful of people car camping with tents. The sites are only about 10’ apart so there’s not a lot of privacy and it can be noisy since it seems to be mostly families with children. We bought firewood at the ranger station. Can check in anytime from 1pm to 9pm. There is a set of bathrooms and showers for every two loops of campsites. Bring shower shoes.

Horse camping is also available but fortunately is a separate section so you don’t smell or hear the horses.

The Oregon State Parks all seem nice and this one was no exception. All the sites are paved and flat. The shower and toilet facilities were clean and well maintained. There are playgrounds for kids. Easy stroll out of the campground over large sand dunes to access the beach. All the sites have tables and fire pits. Good shade in the majority of spots. The trees and dunes on the west side protect the campground from the relentless sea breeze. The nearby town of Manzanita is a great little tourist town.