When the darkness descends upon us during winter in the Pacific Northwest, one of my favorite things to do is to plan our fair weather adventures for the new year, and first on my list is booking our Oregon campground for summer.
Oregon has 361 beautiful state parks, and the reservation window for the Oregon State Parks campgrounds (and many others) is six months in advance. The popular ones fill up quickly, and often the moment Reserve America opens for reservations. That means – you guessed it – it’s not too late to book an Oregon campground next summer!
6/21/25 Editor’s note – Since this window has now passed, tools like the newer CampChimp (a mobile app and website for RV and tent camping) might be worth a try, because it helps find campsites in private land, national parks, state parks, and more. I haven’t personally used it yet but it has good reviews so give it a try and let me know if it was helpful. Always make sure to verify details before committing to a booking.
But first! Let me share five of our favorite Oregon campgrounds after 17 years of living and camping throughout Oregon. On this list, four of the five are Oregon State Parks campgrounds, and three are on the Oregon Coast. I also share camping options near two of Oregon’s wonders: Crater Lake National Park and the majestic Wallowa Mountains. And all of these campgrounds are pet-friendly!
Top 5 Family-Friendly Oregon Campgrounds for Next Summer
5. Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park, Oregon State Parks, near Florence on the Oregon Coast
Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park is an ideally situated campground near Florence on the Oregon coast. Campsites are close to the beach with convenient access to popular trails like the Hobbit Trail. It is also only five minutes from the historic Heceta Head Lighthouse and a short drive to quaint downtown Florence.
Availability & booking. Washburne is open year-round and features 50 campsites (with electricity and water) and two yurts (one pet-friendly). Campsites, while formerly “first come first served,” are now available through the six-month reservation window. Book your campsite here.
Fun activities near the campground. Stroll the five miles of sandy beach or explore the vast trails in the Siuslaw National Forest. Visiting the iconic Heceta Head Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States, is always a must. Cape Perpetua, the highest viewpoint accessible by car on the Oregon Coast, is also a worthwhile stop. Stop by the Cape Perpetua Visitors Center where knowledgeable displays and rangers will share natural and cultural history tidbits. Download the “Agents of Discovery” app for your kiddos to help encourage children to adventure outdoors by solving different puzzles. Sweet Creek Falls, located about an hour’s drive away in Mapleton, is a good excursion and an easy (1.9-mile) waterfall hike for families. Lastly, Newport is only about a 45-minute drive, with all the family fun from the Oregon Coast Aquarium to visiting the sea lions at the Historic Bayfront.
Good to know. With yurts on site, this is a great option to save for the rainy season, if you can’t get a summer site. Oregon Coast beach campgrounds can be very windy and weather can vary dramatically. Come prepared for all conditions!
4. Beverly Beach State Park Campground, Oregon State Parks, near Newport on the Oregon Coast
If you’re looking for a fabulous oceanfront campground on the Oregon coast, look no further than Beverly Beach State Park near Newport. It is well maintained, family-friendly, and features creekside sites in the trees right next to miles of Pacific Ocean Beach. There’s a cool “Octopus Tree” right within this lovely campground, and lots of lovely family-friendly trails off the campsites.
Availability and booking. Beverly Beach State Park is open year-round and offers 53 full-hookup sites (27 with cable), 76 electrical sites with water, 128 tent sites, and 21 rustic yurts (including pet-friendly). Sites are available under the six month reservation system. Book your campsite here.
Fun Activities Near the Campground. There’s so much to see and do for families in Newport! Among our favorites are kite flying at Nye Beach, visiting the Oregon Coast Aquarium, tidepooling at the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, and braving the suspension bridge at the popular Drift Creek Falls Trail. Don’t miss the Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area, where just a short walk from the parking lot you can watch the surf churn and swirl like a cauldron’s brew. Hatfield Marine Science Center is another great stop with many interesting displays about sea life and the environment and is an economical alternative to the aquarium. The campus is OSU’s marine lab, and they typically have a resident Giant Pacific octopus on view.
Good to know. With yurts on site, this is a great option to save for the rainy season, if you can’t get a summer site. Also, with so much to do in Newport, this is a great Oregon Coast destination year-round.
3. Union Creek Campground, U.S. Forest Service, near Crater Lake National Park
The beautiful Union Creek Campground boasts spacious campsites within an old-growth forest along the Rogue River and just a thirteen-minute drive from Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake, Oregon’s only National Park, is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the clearest. Lodging options can be limited around this beautiful park, making a campout here ideal, because you’ll have plenty of opportunity to explore and relax during the summer months.
Availability & booking. Update: The website states there is “uncertainty around opening dates and amenities.” Typically offering 74 spacious sites (three have full RV hookups) for individuals, groups, and families. Bathroom facilities here are vault toilets. Individual sites at this campground are reservable on a six-month rolling basis. Click here for availability and options. In the meantime, check out Thielsen View Campground as an alternative, but BE AWARE there can be unbearable mosquitos here depending on the timing.
Fun activities near the campground. The main draw is being right next to Crater Lake National Park and going as many times as you wish. Hikers might enjoy the Rogue Gorge Trail System, and experienced hikers can summit challenging Mt. Bailey. Paddleboarders will enjoy peaceful Diamond Lake. A stop at Cones & Co. for local Umpqua Dairy ice cream at Union Creek Resort is also a must (and there are groceries, hot dogs, and more.)
Good to know. July, August, and September are peak months to visit Crater Lake National Park, but those months can also be peak fire season so keep an eye on the weather and fire conditions.
4. Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon State Parks, near Astoria on the Oregon Coast
Fort Stevens State Park, one of the biggest state park campgrounds in the entire county as well as the home of the Peter Iredale shipwreck, has something for everyone. Spanning a whopping 4,300 acres, it has beautiful beaches, a freshwater lake, miles of trails (and nice paved bike paths too), and did I mention the shipwreck?
Availability & booking. Fort Stevens is open from Sept. 1 – Nov, 27. There are 174 full hookup sites at this expansive campground as well as 15 yurts (7 pet-friendly) and 11 deluxe cabins. We stayed in a pet-friendly yurt here one October, and it was a wonderful economical option for experiencing all that the North Coast has to offer. Book your campsite here.
Fun activities near the campground. There’s so much to do in this campground that you may not want to leave, but it also happens to be close to all Astoria’s attractions (only a 16-minute drive). A few highlights for us in Astoria included the Fort Clatsop Visitor’s Center, Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Astoria Column, and the Cathedral Tree Trail. And then, you are only a 30-minute drive from iconic Haystack Rock and all of the must-see sights of Cannon Beach. A few highlights for us in Cannon Beach over the years have included exploring the old stagecoach road, waterfall, and caves at Hug Point State Recreation Site, taking the Short Sands Beach Trail through the rainforest down to the little boogie boarding beach at Oswald West State Park, marveling at the panoramic views at Ecola State Park, and exploring the quaint downtown Cannon Beach’s shops and restaurants.
Good to know. This is one of the most sought-after destinations on the Oregon coast, and summers and weekends can be crowded! We’ve enjoyed our off-season trips the most – whether over spring break or in early fall – making the Fort Steven’s State Park yurts a great economical choice.
1. Wallowa Lake State Park, Oregon State Parks, near Joseph in the Wallowa Mountains
While Wallowa Lake State Park campground wasn’t the prettiest OR the best campsite we’ve stayed in by itself (there wasn’t a lot of privacy in our particular site), the overall campground was to die for, thanks to its location in the breathtaking Wallowa Mountains and right on beautiful glacial Wallowa Lake. (There were better sites than the one we got, so review the map ahead of time and try to pick one along the mountain’s edge, they looked much more private.) We were impressed with how clean, quiet, and family-friendly the campground was. Also, by staying here you have direct access to the lake, including boat rentals down at the marina. There were also family-friendly programs like a dark sky stargazing evening we enjoyed.
Availability & booking. This campground is open year-round with 121 full hookup sites (88 tent sites with water nearby) and two yurts (reservable all year) available on the on the six-month reservation window. Book your campsite here.
Fun activities near the campground. The Wallowa Mountains are known as the “Alps of Oregon.” The jagged peaks are breathtakingly beautiful with many challenging hikes to enjoy. Check out my blog post for 4 Amazing Family-Friendly Hikes in the Wallowa Mountains here. We also loved the “Old West” town of Joseph, with its shops and galleries (one of them even had the shopkeeper’s horse tied up to a hitching post outside), and make sure to stop and appreciate all of the free street art and sculptures outside. There are many fun things to do for people not on a budget, too, like the Joseph Branch Railriders, Wallowa Lake Tramway, and Wallowa Lake Clear Kayak Night Tour.
Good to know. This campground may be a trek from the Northwest cities, but it is worth the drive to experience one of Oregon’s most beautiful (and less overrun) destinations.
I hope this post inspired you to book a campsite at one of Oregon’s wonderful state park or other car camping sites this summer. As always, I welcome your comments below, especially thoughts on whether you’ve enjoyed any of these campgrounds!
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