SP Campground Review – Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

Hanging out on lovely Beverly Beach

A decent campground in a great location on the Central Coast of Oregon.

Link to campground here: Beverly Beach State Park, OR
Link to map location here:  Beverly Beach State Park, OR

1. Site Quality = 3.5/5
   The campground here is ~1/2 tents, 1/2 RV sites. RV sites are fairly decent with a few dings. All are asphalt pads with picnic table/fire-pit and selection of full hook-up (some with cable TV) or electric/water (30Amp only). My main ding is that the campground is somewhat older/overgrown so access and site sizes can be a tad mixed. I would group the RV sites into 3 main areas:
   -> B-loop - This is the fullhook-up (50 Amp/water/sewer) loop closest to the beach and sits separately to the left/west of the entrance. Sites are moderately wooded, but several (esp. sites B14, B12, B11) have beach-views under the bridge. Cable TV available here too. Some road noise, but easy access and definitely our #1 choice for view if you can get it.
   -> C->F loops - These sites all sit on the main campground road to the right/east so they see 2-way traffic and are more noisy than the other choices. They are very heavily wooded (=can get dark) esp. towards the beginning. Separation and access is decent and most are full hook-up (30 Amp/water/sewer) although a few are rather uneven.
   -> G/H Loops - These are in the very back of the campground (furthest east from the beach) and are more quiet, making them our #2 choice if you can’t get into B-loop. Most are electric/water only. Wooding is more open here and some sites (esp. G-loop pull-throughs) are fairly open with a decent chance of satellite. H14/17/20/24 have the most spacious “sitting areas”.
2.  Facilities = 3/5
   Facilities are decent. Toilets are spacious and kept nicely clean. Showers are large with separate clothing area and individual hot/cold taps, however they never seem to get properly warm. On-site playground, nature-trail (to the beach) and dump station.
3. Location = 5/5
   This park is across the road from windy, but pretty Beverly Beach and within a short drive to the lovely natural areas of Yaquina Head on one side and Otter Rock to the other. Only ~6 miles to Newport for all shopping/dining too.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Another great park for pooch. Miles of easily accessible paw-friendly beach just under the bridge (across the road). Small nature-trail on-site too. Poo bags provided.

Overall Rating = 4.1
BONUS ALERT = Camp within steps of Beverly Beach and Yaquina Head!

Summary: The main draw here is location. This campground is nicely located next to Beverly Beach just north of Newport and beautiful Yaquina Head. The beach is spacious and totally paw-friendly, but can get very windy (it’s a popular kite-flying spot). The campground itself is east of the beach (across Hwy 101) and more shielded from the winds, but a tad on the older side and this shows in the sites. Some are rather overgrown esp. in the middle-section, but there are a few with beach-views (B-loop) as well as some quiet spots in the back. All are asphalt pads with a selection from water/electic (30Amp) to full hook-up (a few even offer cable TV) and fairly decent access throughout. Only a small nature trail on-site, but lots of adjacent beauty to keep you busy. Overall we found the campground OK, but thoroughly enjoyed the location and would come back if we were in the area.

 Extra Info:  Verizon signal flirted between 1X and 3G here. We were able to get a stable internet signal with our external antenna/amp. 53 full hookup and 75 electrical. Sites cost $26/night in summer season, $22 in off-season, all reservable. On-site dump station.

View down B-loop towards the beach (far back under the bridge). Site B16 on left, B14 behind.

View from beach walkway into B-loop. Site B12 in front with B14 behind. These have beach views through the bridge.

View into front of heavily wooded C-section. Site C8 on left, C10 behind.

Typical back-in in forested middle section of campground (site E7 shown)

View down more open G section.Site G21 on left, G22 behind.

View into top corner of G section. Site G2 on right, G6 behind it.

View into top corner of H section. Site H26 on left, H27 on right.

Fishing And Lighthouses – Newport, OR

Hiking the trails at Yaquina Head

We meandered our way south along Hwy 101 on a gusty, but gorgeous morning, our goal the fishing port of Newport and Beverly Beach State Park. The highway south from Astoria is curvy, but easily drivable and overall quite lovely passing through endless cute inlets and towns, cheese (you can park the RV for both a tour and taste at Tillamook), a veritable slew of drive-through expresso stops (a few of which we deemed “beast-doable”) and stunning coastline.

View of the frothy bay from Yaquina Lighthouse

But our real goal, although we didn’t know it yet was to see the “Outstanding Natural Area” of Yaquina Head. Now, the reason I knew this to be true was because the sign informed me of this very helpful tip (quite literally in fact). This was clearly not an opportunity to be missed and the comforting knowledge of a fabulous experience put it top of the list on arrival. So we piled pooch in the car and headed off.

The gorgeous 1873 lighthouse at Yaquina Head

Yaquina Head is the remnant of a 14-million year old lava flow, a stunning Basalt toe that reaches into the Pacific ocean just north of Newport, OR. Managed by the BLM it’s got a historic lighthouse (from 1873 -> with free tours to the top), several cute trails and panoramic views in all directions. During the right season (Late Dec/early Jan) it’s also one of the best whale watching spots along the entire Oregon coast. In this case the sign does not lie and it’s well worth the $7 to get in, see the sights and soak in the view. Pooch, by the way, is welcome everywhere except the short trail around and into the lighthouse.

Fishing fleets in the bay at Newport, OR

From Yaquina Head we headed on south to Newport. A city with it’s heart in the sea it’s home to one of the largest commercial fishing fleets on the Oregon coast. One of the big draws is the Historic Bay Front, a rather kitschy, but nonetheless cute eating/walking area near the fleets. The walk by the bay was fun (especially the murals) but the rest of the city is…well…a little too suburbia for my taste. There are definitely some nice touches such as Nye Beach, the big Aquarium and some sweeeet long-board surfing spots, but the vibe we got was a tad overdeveloped and not as relaxed as the other Coastal towns we’ve seen.

One of many fishmarkets in Newport

Still, the area is most certainly worth a stop. Outside of Newport there are a ton of other interesting activities such as the trip to Cape Foulweather (worth it just for the name), a tour of Depoe Bay (home of the world’s smallest navigable harbor and another whale watching hot-spot) and of course long and relaxing walks on the beach and in the nearby State Parks. Most definitely an Outstanding Natural Area

P.S. Although we didn’t get to eat out, one of my blog commenters (Jeff) gave me this great little tip which I wanted to pass along ”for dining with a view, try either The Inn At Spanish Head in Lincon City or Otter Crest a few miles north of Newport”.

Another gorgeous view from Yaquina Head

Posing by a mural at The Historic Bay Front

Strolling the Historic Bay Front w/ Polly

Strong winds whip up both sand and clouds at Beverly Beach

Chance of Precipitation: 100% -> Musings On The OR Coast Weather

The forecast was not looking good. There was the melodic pitter, patter of rain combined with stimulating gusts of 50+ mph winds, friendly warnings of high surf and the cozy guarantee of fog. The cherry on top was the encouraging statistic of 100% chance of precipitation, leaving not much on the positive percentage side for good weather. They don’t call this the wet side of Oregon for nothing, you know.

But this is not just Oregon. This is the Coast of Oregon and anything can happen.

Anything can happen on the Coast. A gorgeous sunset after a crazy, rainy day.

Having spent close to 3 weeks out here I’m already well versed in the fact that the weather forecasts are…well…pretty much useless. It may rain like a monsoon madness in the morning, blow over with fog by noon and then spring out in summer-worthy sun just a few hours later.

You just never know….

Nonetheless my curiosity was piqued. IS there a perfect time to visit the wild and moody Oregon coast? DOES there exist the idyllic panacea of perfect weather window for the enterprising traveller? These philosophical questions demanded an answer and so I did a little research:

1/ The Oregon Coast Is Wet

Now, there’s really no disputing this. Much like the Eskimo’s have over 100 words for snow, local Oregonites are very liberal and forgiving in their description of rain. Having lived for 3 years in England I totally understand this phenomenon. A “light dusting of pleasant drops” would simply be described as a great, bloody rain-cloud anywhere else. It rains here and..well..it rains alot.  But there ARE what you would call drier seasons. As it turns out July is consistently the driest month in Oregon and the description holds (more or less) through September. Winter is consistently the wettest month.

Coastal Data 1971-2000, from oregon.com

Then again, this was the news on weatherundergound as of this morning:

“A record rainfall of 1.18 inch(es) was set at Astoria or yesterday. This breaks the old record of 0.82 set in 1948″

Which leads me back to the original conclusion of you just never know…

2/ The Oregon Coast is Foggy

A misty afternoon on the coast

So, let’s say you’ve scrutinized the numbers and finally decided to come visit the coast in summer. Ahhh, but you see you’ve forgotten to take into account the altitude of the inversion boundary layer combined with the multitude of  hygroscopic particles over the coast. In other words you forgot to think about the bleedin’ fog. To put this into perspective you need only remember those famous words popularly attributed to Mark Twain (altho’ there’s some controversy on that point) that ”the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco“.

He was talking about the fog and the point is it can get reaaly foggy on the coast, especially during summer when the hotter inland temperatures essentially “suck in” the humidity on the coast (called advection fog). Generally fog is less likely to form in winter and spring when temperature gradients are more moderate, suggesting late spring or early fall as the best options, but I’ve seen other reports saying you can get fog just about anytime out here. Case-in-point, Cape Dissapointment (just North of Astoria) is well known as one of the foggiest points on the coast. Once again we land back at the wise original statement of you just never know….

3/ The Oregon Coast Can Surprise You

A perfectly calm, blue day in Sept on the Coast

No matter what you read or how you interpret the data it seems that, anytime of year the Oregon Coast can surprise you. The weather here is such a complex dance of interacting factors, compounded by outside events such as El Niño/La Niña that you really can’t tell. September, from everything I’ve seen, seems to be one of the best months -> it’s relatively dry, less foggy and more moderate than most other, but I’ve also heard of great moments in Spring and even days of warmth in Winter. 

The bottom line is if you’re coming to the coast you better expect a bit of everything. There will almost certainly be rain, most likely fog, undoubtedly some wind, but also bursts of beautiful and stunning weather. In truth…you just never know…

SP Campground Review – Fort Stevens State Park, Astoria, OR

The wonderful beach at Fort Stevens State Park

A huge park with miles of beach, forts and bike trails on the very NW tip of Oregon Coast.

Link to campground here: Fort Stevens State Park, OR
Link to map location here: Fort Stevens State Park, OR

1. Site Quality = 4/5
   Given the enormous amount of sites in this park (almost 500!!) it’s really hard to give an overall site review, so I’ll just mention some general trends. Overall sites are very decent. They are concrete back-in/pull-through with decent separation, a selection of electric/water (50Amp) to full hook-up and fire-pit/picnic table. Good access throughout. Most loops are very similar, but there are some notable differences:
   -> Loops C->H – These are located on the right-hand (North) side of the entrance road and are (in general) very heavily forested especially towards the back of the loops (it can get quite dark here). Sites backing up to the main/central road tend to be more open, but also have some road-noise. Good separation, but some sites tend to be quite uneven and size of “sitting areas” are variable. Pull-throughs seem some of the flattest in this section. Loops D, J, and H have no showers. Loops H, I have full hookups.
   -> Loops L/M – These are full hookup loops on the left side (South) of the entrance road. Overall forested/shaded sites. “Inner” sites are all pull-throughs and very easy access although they seem (in general) to have smaller “sitting areas” than outer back-in sites. All sites are nicely flat here.
   -> Loops N/O – These are the furthest left-loops near the lake and are the most “open” in the campground, making these our favorite by far. Several sites are fully open/sunny esp. towards left-hand (e.g. even numbers O8-O24. These also have the best chance of satellite reception.). Sites are perhaps not as private as the other loops, but have more consistent “sitting areas”. All are nicely flat, but most inner sites (i.e. those backing towards middle of the loops) are almost at 90-degree angles to the road. For big-rigs I definitely recommend the outer sites which are nicely slanted.
2.  Facilities = 3/5
   Fairly good facilities here. There are several toilet/shower areas around the campground. Showers are large stalls with separate clothing area, but have those annoying spray-heads and ”instant” buttons (I did find you could cheat them with a “wiggle” to lock them to one side). Main ding is sand and mud all around which sometimes gets the facilities dirtier than I like. LOTS of other facilities all around the campground incl. day-use areas, picnic areas, biking trails etc. Large multi-lane on-site dump station, but entrance is rather tight.
3. Location = 5/5
   This is a fabulous location. You’re only ~1 mile from endless beach, surrounded by masses of hiking/biking trails, a wonderful (large) lake, as well as on-site museum and forts. Nearby shopping at Costco just around the corner, plus Astoria is only ~10 miles away. LOTS of other activities all-around.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Another fabulous doggie park. There are literally miles of beach-area that are completely paw-friendly and (practically) empty most of the time. Lots of additional on-site trails, plus access to the lake for more swimming/activities. For those who need it there’s a nice fenced-in dog-park just a few miles outside the campground. Poo bags provided.

Overall Rating = 4.25
BONUS ALERT = Explore miles of beach, history, lakes and trails all in one spot!

Summary: So this is one of those campgrounds that people seem to either love or hate. I have to admit we’re on the love side. It’s one of the very largest State campgrounds in the West with close to 500(!!) sites and for that reason alone I’ve heard it called a “zoo”. In the middle of summer when it’s fully booked with kids and families I could imagine it might get a little rowdy, but in the off-season it’s perfectly fabulous and there’s space enough that (personally) I never felt crowded even in the booked-out week-ends. Sites are very decent with concrete, good separation and a selection from electric/water to full hookup as well as fully shaded (most of right-hand loops C->H) to more open (esp. loops N/O -> these were our favorite). The big attraction is there is simply MASSES to do. There is a large lake, miles of hiking/biking trails and even historical interest in the on-site museum and forts. It’s ~1 mile to the beach from your campsite, but WHAT a great beach. You could easily spend a whole afternoon walking with pooch in the sand and (likely) not meet more than 10 people. Add to that nearby Astoria, plus all the other local attractions and it simply doesn’t get much better. Definitely a spot we would visit again.

 Extra Info:  VERY erratic Verizon signal here -> Anything from absolutely zip to 1X to decent 3G depending on the weather (or so it seemed). We were able to get a decently stable internet signal using our external antenna/amp. Sites cost $27 in summer, $23 in off-season all reservable (174 full hookup, 302 electrical). On-site dump station.

Typical back-in site view. Site O54 shown with O53 behind.

Another look down "O" loop. This is more sunny side. Site O24 shown with O22 behind it.

Another view down the more "open" section of "O" loop. we're in O12 on left with O14/O16 behind.

View down full-hookup loop "M". Pull-through site M5 on right with M7 behind it.

Another view down "M" loop. Site #M13 on left with M11 behind.

View down corner of full hookup "L" loop. Site #L18 on left with L19 behind it. Pull-through L17 on right.

View into heavily forested "G" loop. Site 282 on right.

View into back of "H" loop. Site #20 on right with #18 behind it.

View of sites backing into main road on "J" loop. Site 181 shown with 180 to left.

View towards back-side of "C" loop. Site #59 on left with #57 behind it.

Picnic table and fire-pit at each site

View of facilities (this is from "O" loop)

Biking one of the (many) trails at Fort Stevens

Hanging out by the Lake at Fort Stevens

Sun, Sky, Surf & Friends. Adieu Astoria, OR

An eerie day with a kiss of sun. Ain't it just beautiful?

So we’ve come to the end of a FABULOUS 2-week stay at Fort Stevens State Park. Despite a few days of hard rain and another few of fog I have to say I’ve simply LOVED it here. The NW Coast has a wild personality and, much like an indulgent friend, you’ve got to give it time to speak to you before you can appreciate it’s true and inner beauty. On foggy days the coast longs for a long, lonely walk with bare feet in the sand, on rainy days it asks you to reach your face to the sky, and when you’ve talked patiently through each it’ll reward you will the burst of a glorious smile of sun and surf that flows in perfect lines of endless blue. Each moment is different and beautiful, a new melody in the language of the sea and I…love…it…all!

Alex provides a lovely silhouette on a day of perfect-weather beach

But I’ve also had some darn good company and that’s made the whole experience even better. A chance meeting almost 4 weeks ago in Eugene, OR led to a blossoming friendship and a month of good times with our now very good buddies Alex and Ellen. We followed them and they followed us and the whole thing led to a blast of a time together. Our impromptu friendship is a perfect example of the sense of community that springs up on the road. I never thought it possible before fulltiming, but there’s really a firm connection amongst RVers that creates fabulous meetings and re-meetings. All it takes is a “hello” and an open mind, and before you know it you’ve got company that feels like old family. We’ve already made plans to meet again.

A lovely PM run on Cannon Beach. The famous Haystack Rock is off in the background.

But before I get all carried away and soppy, let’s say a few words to Fort Stevens and wonderful Astoria. This little area has been a true gem of a find. Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies and the furthest NW in Oregon, a mere bridge spitting distance across the dangerous Columbia River Bar to Washington. A cute town with a spattering of cafe’s and small shops, a lovely Sunday Farmers’ Market  and a near-perfect setting of mountains, beach, surf and sky it offers something for everyone. Amongst its many charms it has:

• Miles of unlimited beach on the coast -> ALL pet-friendly of course
• A gorgeous backdrop of rolling mountains -> I highly recommend the panoramic hike up to the 3,283-foot summit of Saddle Mountain.
• Cute Coastal towns -> Seaside and Canon Beach are both just a few miles away and great draws. Cannon Beach is especially famous for it’s off-shore rock formations.
• A selection of old Forts -> Fort Stevens State Park is the perfect spot for the military history buff.
• Some wonderful museums -> The Maritime Museum is a “must do”, but there’s a bunch of other great draws too.
• A good showing of lighthouses -> Take the short trip to Cape Disappointment for a few of the best
• An A-to-Z of Lewis and Clark -> There’s several spots dedicated to the two explorers
• And so, so much more…. 

Yours truly at the summit of Saddle Mountain

In 2 weeks we’ve barely scratched the surface of all this place has to offer, but we’ve managed to stay long enough to realize it’d be easy to spend a month and never be bored.

But sadly it’s our time to move on. From here we work our way further south on the Coast. This morning the sky has greeted us with a wonderful burst of blue, we’ve communed happily with the beach and are looking forward to a cozy drive to our next destination. We leave good friends behind and most uncertain weather ahead, but we know adventure will bring us all back together in the sun again before long.

Looking towards the sunset. Just another great day at the beach!

Thick forest on the coastal range. A hike in the mountains provides a whole, new perspective.

A panoramic seat welcomes you at the "saddle" on Saddle Mountain

View towards the coastal range from the Fort Stevens jetty

Polly ponders life and the view

Ahhhhhh...it's a glorious life!