Sunset Bay State Park

Loved this campground! We stayed in a 'tent' site as all the hook up sites were filled, and it turned out to be just perfect for us. We drive a Class B, total 19.5 ft in length, and had no trouble whatsoever getting into and out of our campsite. I guess the hook up sites are kind of small for big rigs, but there was plenty of space for us in our tent site, and plenty of privacy, too. There were clean heads with showers in each loop, and our showers were hot every time and every day. It's a short walk out to the small beach, and there are lots of trails that lead up to the bluffs overlooking the ocean. The interpretive staff runs programs for kids and offers short talks/walks on geology and the local botany.Shore Acres State Park with its beautiful botanic gardens is a mile up the road.

Our biggest issue was getting enough sunlight on our solar panels through the beautiful forest, so one day we just drove over to the beach parking lot and hung out there while we charged up completely. Another issue for some folks might be the lack of cell reception - closest place we could get a signal was over in Coos Bay. The campground is slightly off the beaten path, about 10 miles from the freeway, but that was an easy drive.

Overall, we thought this was a great place to spend a few days.

A little crowded - campsites were very close together, and there were giant holes in the median greenery, allowing one to look directly into other campsites. The parking spaces were paved and level. Water spigots and electrical hook ups were available in the campsite. 5- 6 toilets and 6 showers available in each loop of the campground. Generator noise hours was strictly enforced. We woke up in the middle of the night and the campground was silent, except the calls of the seals in the ocean. Very clean, but a little too busy for us.

Small, crowded, not much privacy per site, and absolutely no dump station at all. A few sites have sewer hookups but not many and the rest of us are left to drive 22 miles to the next state park to dump (that’s literally the advice the rangers give). And while the showers looked good, there was no hot water 1 of the 2 times I tried to use them.

The beach is small here, especially compared to the parks up the coast. If you like beach walking, go find the county park/beach up the road 2 miles (back towards Charleston). It's also the closest place to pull in any AT&T signal (I had "no service" the entire time I stayed at Sunset, despite a cell phone booster setup in my rig).

The big attraction isn’t the park, it’s the botanical gardens just south of it, better known as Shore Acres State Park (day-use only). It’s an amazing place, from the ragged cliffs showing the underlying geology of the place to the extensive gardens and pond.

The small town of Charleston has a few stores (selling mostly seafood, oysters, and deli-style items). A bit further of a drive is North Bend, where you’ll find a Walmart, multiple gas stations, and a good laundry a few blocks west of Walmart on the same street.

I agree with other posters who said this place was tough to get into - the sites are either the wrong angle or they're at a 90 degree angle with obstacles on the other side of the road, making it super tough to get into these spots, and we're towing a small 18ft trailer.

That said, the sites themselves are great. Large camp area with lots of privacy because of all of the trees and shrubbery. The walk down to the beach is nice and well-marked. I thought the bathrooms were clean and well-maintained. The staff working here is SO NICE and very helpful. The location of this campground makes it a great "central" location if you want to go to Bandon and explore the town, check out the lighthouse south of Bullards Beach or go into Coos Bay and enjoy the 7 Devils Brewery.

If you stay here, don't miss the botanical garden at Shore Acres State Park or watching the sea lions from the cliffs, just a short drive up the road.

There was no cell service here for us (AT&T).

We stayed two nights at Sunset Bay in late March 2015. It's on a dead-end road about 20 minutes south of Coos Bay. Good location if you're headed out to Cape Arago, but no view as such from the campground. Campground was full (spring break) but portions of the C and D loops were blocked off and not available at all.

We tow a pop-up tent camper with a Subaru Forrester and even so, it was difficult to park it as many of the slots are angled in the wrong direction or with very challenging trees or obstacles in the way. Some rigs pulling 20 foot trailers took 45 minutes to get into a spot which was at least entertaining to watch (but not so much to listen to or smell the diesel fumes). People will full size RVs should explore other options!

The restrooms were okay. No hot water in the restroom sinks. Most of the other Oregon State Parks have been much nicer. Cold showers on the women's side, hot on the men's side. There are two other shower areas but we didn't check them out.

There's a slow moving creek that goes right through the whole park, so in the summer I'd expect there to be a LOT of bugs.

There is NO cell phone reception at all, so make the trip back to Coos Bay for great beer and pub food at 7 Devil's Brewing. Or head 5 miles south to the end of the road at Cape Arago, hike down to the south beach and check your email there!