Car Camping along Oregon Coast with pre-teens

We are planning to drive from Eureka, CA to Astoria, OR in late July. Our thought is to car camp along the way, taking about a week, and once arriving in Astoria, then joining other family to visit that area, Portland, Timberline Lodge, etc.

Reading the forums there is so much good information I am overwhelmed with the amazing things we can do in OR. Does this seem like a reasonable itinerary?

Day 1. Drive Eureka to Harris State Beach campground near Brookings. Along the way see Redwood National Park.

Day 2-4 Camp in Harris State Beach (3 nights). Does anyone have a recommendation for which camping loop is quietest (e.g. away from highway) or recommended somehow?

Day 5-6 Drive to Jessie Honeyman campgrounds near Florence. Stay two nights.

Day 7 drive to Cannon Beach or Newport, stay in motel (a requirement from my wife after all that camping)

Day 8 drive to Astoria where we have another 3 days camping.

If you had three kids ranging from 9-14 years old, and were taking a week to travel Eureka to Astoria, would you break it down differently? I haven%26#39;t made any reservations yet because every time I read something I think we need to spend more time there, and I run out of time! :)

Thank you for any thoughts you have!

John

Car Camping along Oregon Coast with pre-teens

First of all, do you want to camp ';at the beach';?

State Parks do not have campsites ';at'; the beach, with the exception of Beachside north of Yachats. And Beachside has a bunch of campsites that are practically on the highway, so you have to be careful picking spaces there.

Harris is up on a high bluff, and it%26#39;s a fair steep, longish walk down to the beach. There is not much to do there, and not much to do in Brookings for pre-teens.

Honeyman is nowhere near the beach, it%26#39;s in the woods.

Newport has a lot to do; it%26#39;s about 3 hours south of Cannon Beach.

You *must* book your campsites ahead ASAP.

I%26#39;m not a fan of Seaside, but the kids might enjoy it there.

Car Camping along Oregon Coast with pre-teens

Ditto what half-Brit said. Have you checked out availability at reserveamerica dot com yet? Depending on where your days fall, you might have trouble booking the state parks.

A good thing to do tomorrow would be to head over to the bookstore and purchase either a good Oregon Coast campsite guide or the Benchmark Atlas of Oregon. The Benchmark Atlas is not only really pretty, but it also has a fair percentage of campgrounds alternative to state parks.

I love how you%26#39;re taking your time up the coast, and I also like how you%26#39;re giving yourself more than one night in certain spots.

You might check out siltcooscabins dot com (or similar places) if a cabin will make a good substitute for a tent. Might lessen the gimme-a-shower factor at the end of the week.

Where are you camping in Astoria, and are those reservations already set?

Dear Half-Brit and Oregone,

Thank you for your replies.

I have looked at the online reservation system and there are still campsites available. I know you are right and I have to make the reservation soon though.

No, I don%26#39;t have to camp on the beach. I am just looking for a good base to see interesting things along the coast for my kids.

We are staying in the KOA campground in Astoria, and those reservations are set.

If you had to choose between three nights in the Brookings area or Florence area, what would you choose?

Any thoughts on a good, cheap place to stay along the northern coast before Astoria?

Can%26#39;t wait to start our trip. Thanks again!

John

The kids might like a dune buggy ride in Florence, so that%26#39;s my vote over Brookings. Although the beach in Brookings is much more easy to access.

Is the suite at Wheeler on The Bay Lodge too expensive?

wheeleronthebay.com/oregon-coast-lodging-roo鈥?/a>

The houseboat in Nehalem thing is always fun:

http://www.ripplerunresort.com/

Or a house in Manzanita:

vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/鈥anzanita

oregone,

Not sure which one is yours, but vrbo#240880 is about 1/2 block from our house!!!

%26gt;%26gt; If you had to choose between three nights in the Brookings area or Florence area, what would you choose? %26lt;%26lt;

Ummm, I%26#39;d choose Newport ;-) Lots more for the young%26#39;uns to do.

Otherwise, my vote would be for Florence as there is more to do in the general area. Take a dune buggy ride there or in Winchester Bay a little farther south. Take them to see the Umpqua lighthouse at night - there are red and white lights that are kinda cool. See the oyster farm; let them try shucking oysters. If you like waterfalls, drive inland from Coos Bay about 10 miles and visit Golden and Silver Falls. Go up to Heceta lighthouse.

Manzanita also has the Sunset Surf motel, on the beach.