South Beach State Park

Stayed for a week-ish in January and enjoyed good cell service, beautiful warm weather and a partially closed campground with few people. Bathroom and showers were VERY clean and well taken care of. Loops behind D were closed and made a great place to walk the dog. Greatly enjoyed working our way around Cooper Ridge loop and going to the beach everyday. Newport is an easy bike ride away and there is a decent amount of room between sites. With the amazing weather the weekend was way busier but still a big enough park and very few people on the trails so it was not a bummer.

This was a working trip and we had decent data speeds for hot spotting. 60 down and 5 up on Verizon / 8-12 down and 2 up on T-Mobile. Good enough to work.

This is a really nice RV campground. There are a lot of people, but the place is spacious and never felt crowded. Sites surround grassy common areas that are big enough to huck frisbees on. The farther back in the campground you go, the quieter it gets. We were back on G-Loop, which was super chill. At night we could hear the ocean. (We could also clearly hear the foghorn and sea lions, which we liked, but others may not). Roads and paths are in good paved condition, perfect for bike riding and skateboarding. The area features paved and dirt paths that go for about 1/2 to 1 mile out to several points along a massive beach that is dog friendly, all paths well signed. The campground is also a very easy bike ride to the jetty, harbor, and port town along bike path. Great location for hitting the aquarium, OSU Hatfield Marine Center, Rogue brewery, etc. Cell reception was adequate: only had two bars on T-Mobile but bandwidth was capable enough to get work done all week. A wifi network or stronger cell would be nice. Another small negative is that there are no drains. There are gray water drains every 3rd or 4th site, but you will need to tote a jug to them. No blackwater. Really not a big deal for us, but we did have to do a gray water tote after day 3 b/c we were showering. There are bathrooms and showers a few sites down, though, so you don't have to use your camper water. Another negative is the orientation of the pads relative to the drive ways: site pads are angled weird in many spots, which makes pulling in and out tricky. As long as everyone around you is chill and friendly, though, you can get in and out. Just takes time and care. I'm being picky here, though: overall this is a really nice campground that we would definitely return to.

This is the state recreational-industrial complex at its apex. Chock full of campers, hikers, families, retirees, cyclists with well-marked asphalt trails, hosts galore, Frisbee golf, clean bathrooms, clear rules, even a refuse sorting station. We were at the busy corner of our one-way loop and the main road, with the main trail and the bathroom trail steps from our van. But it was quiet. Clean-enough showers and surprisingly available with so many people about. We didn't hang out, too much to see on the coast and our class B is our transport, so we marked our table with a cloth, though I'm sure the hosts police any site-occupation closely. While we were gone, though, someone stole half our tablecloth clips, imagine that. Or else a crow took them. Reservations had to be made MONTHS in advance. Camping ought to be more peaceful than this, but we liked the 1/4 mile trail to the beach, and our dog really did!

We come here a lot, usually with friends in the summer, or on our own in the fall/winter in our trailer. We always bring bikes because there are lots of great bike trails, and you can easily bike to Rogue or to the Aquarium from the campground, not to mention the beach.

The beach experience is finicky; it can be cold, rainy and windy even in the late summer. So always be prepared with a rain jacket, vest, wool socks. The campground is busy and giant, but it can be fun with friends. Also - the off-season is really nice, because it’s less crowded and those sun breaks are great.

If you’re suffering from 60-degree weather in the middle of summer, check out nearby Lake Ollalla in Toledo. Great for paddling and swimming, it’s usually 10-15 degrees warmer and not as windy.

There is a lot to do here for families or just an old couple looking to relax. Great place to beat the summer heat. Easy access to the beach, or head down to the old waterfront section of Newport just a few miles away. Take a ten mile scenic drive up the coast on Hwy 101 to Depoe Bay, The Devil’s Punchbowl, or visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The coastal breeze and sometimes foggy mist will keep you cool but not freeze you out either. (Summer) The harbor Buoys will serenade you all night long.

The park itself is massive, clean, and busy. No real privacy here between campsites. Great bike trails, playgrounds, and frisbee golf. Showers were clean and never cold but not piping hot either. Lots of typical family noise but still peaceful. Occasionally small airplanes fly low on the way to the airport not far away.

Internet was solid for video streaming.

To add to what is below - this place is enormous. Lots of traffic. The playground was a huge plus for our kids and a bunch of others who had the same idea. Bathrooms are serviceable. Nice paced trail out to the jetty and to the day use area.

Beach access is a bit of a walk from the campground, don't expect to drive or bike to it (half the way is in the forest, the other half is grassy dunes). A benefit is that the beach isn't very busy since it's a little harder to get to. Which is sometimes not the case for other beaches in Newport.

Do note: the foghorn is constant, loud, and very audible from the campground. Granted, we are in a popup so basically a tent. I highly recommend ear plugs and some kind of white noise. I was *almost* used to it after four days but also not really.