Oregon Road Trip, Overnight Tent Camping? (Bend, Albany: hotels, buying, beach)

[chito]

Hi everyone.
Taking the family up to visit Southern Oregon and the Willamette Valley...We were thinking since the weather is nice instead of overnighting in hotels/motels, maybe we'd do some overnight tent camping along the way...any recommendations from the California border to the Albany area? We'd like to take our time and really soak in the environment (plus the kids love it when daddy cooks outdoors).

thanks....

[seashelly]

Come up Hwy 101 - lots. Humbug around Port Orford, Bullards Beach around Bandon, Horsfall Beach around North Bend/Coos Bay area, Tugman around Lakeside, Honeyman near Florence. There's a few for you. Have fun!

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by chito

Hi everyone.
Taking the family up to visit Southern Oregon and the Willamette Valley...We were thinking since the weather is nice instead of overnighting in hotels/motels, maybe we'd do some overnight tent camping along the way...any recommendations from the California border to the Albany area? We'd like to take our time and really soak in the environment (plus the kids love it when daddy cooks outdoors).

thanks....

There are dozens of campgrounds that never get used. County parks, forest service campgrounds, BLM campgrounds, etc. Some of them are in absolutely gorgeous settings. I just stopped at a Benton County park along the Alsea today to let the dogs stretch their legs. There were tent sites with water and fire rings, the Alsea River, and on a Monday afternoon there was nobody in the place.

If you want showers, stick to state parks. Did you know that any large truck stop has showers? Municipal swimming pools also have showers, and the kids can swim for an hour or so, real cheap.

Check the individual county web sites for county parks. From the California border to Albany you go through Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Lane, Benton and Linn counties. Your local BLM office should have info on BLM camps. Check the maps for national forests you may be close to. It depends on your route. The Siuslaw National Forest goes all the way to the coast, and has lots of campgrounds. There are also dozens of state parks, so check the Oregon State Parks web site.

[gjay]

I just camped for the first time in Oregon last week. I stayed at an Oregon State Park right outside Cascadia along the Santiam River that was beautiful..small, but clean bathrooms, nice hiking trails, gorgeous ferns..I was by myself and felt perfectly safe. I also camped around Coos Bay...very pretty, but really cold!

[Kathleenh54]

My husband and I are thinking about buying a camper. It might be fun to travel up the coast and visit all the nice towns and get a feel for them. We've never done it before though; many people tell us we're nuts but if it's such a nutty thing to do, how come so many people have campers?

[seashelly]

You're right, Kathleenh54. Do it. Sounds fun. Our Coast Hwy 101 is all about tourists, RVs, and campers. Not a problem. Enjoy your visit. Take lots of pictures.