Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Siuslaw National Forest, Waldport, Oregon is the perfect location to explore the unspoiled Oregon coast on Highway 101. Break up your journey into bite-size drives by settling in for a night or two at Beachside State Recreational Site located right on the Pacific Coast Highway. You'll find full hookup sites with up to 50-amp service set in the shadows of old growth pines or overlooking the scenic Alsea Bay, Waldport's Historic Bridge and the majestic Pacific Ocean .
What makes this recreation site so much fun is that it provides a chance to spend the day or night camping right by the beach with the water just a few feet in front of you. Beachside State Recreational Site is a magnet for those buccaneers who like to watch storms and sunsets up-close. Imagine waking up and peering out of your RV camps, to witness the sun rising above the water line offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. This is one of the reasons why photographers love this vacation spot just as much.
While the beach is the rallying point of Beachside State Recreation Site, there are all kinds of versatile fun activities within 30 miles of the beach to keep vacationers hooked. Walk in either direction of the beach and you’ll find yourselves nearing the visiting center, hiking trails, crabbing, clamming, driving tours, lighthouses, aquariums, science centers, and many more exciting diversions.
Beachside State Recreation Site is located 3 miles south of Waldport. Those coming from Yachats need to drive 5 miles north on the west side of Highway 101.
People coming from farther away can get to Eugene and from there head west to Oregon Highway 126, towards Florence. After driving for approximately 59 miles, take the turn into the US highway 101 north to reach Yachats and the Waldport area. Enter the Beachside entrance and you’ll find yourself at the day-use parking. The roads are wide and can easily accommodate big rigs, motorhomes, and RVs.
Beachside State Recreation Site has one campground with 34 RV sites that offer water and electric hookups, with some sites even offering sewer hookups for a more luxurious and comfortable camping holiday. 42 tent sites are also available for those that crave a more primitive camping experience.
Two of the RV campsites are ADA accessible and all campsites are spacious and able to accommodate RVs and big rigs easily. The campground is close to flush toilets and hot showers and campers can also find firewood for sale within the campgrounds. Those campsites that do not have water hookups have a drinking water facility nearby.
Campers need to make their reservations online or through the call center at least one day before their arrival. The reservations can be made for up to 9 months in advance.
All of the RV sites are back-in, pet-friendly, and allow a maximum number of 8 campers. The maximum RV length on accepted on site is 40 ft. and guests can stay for up to 14 days at a stretch.
Many species of clams reside in the Alsea Bay, including the famous gapers and cockles. Campers at Beachside State Recreation Site with shellfish licenses can enjoy catching Dungeness and Rock crabs at the nearby piers, or they can take rent a boat from the bay.
The Alsea River is also home to steelhead, Chinook salmon, and cutthroat whereas the Yachats River which is five miles south of the campground offers some great trout and blueback fishing making it a sought after destination for anglers.
The Junior Ranger Program is a popular and fun activity offered to little adventurers at Beachside State Recreation Site. Junior Rangers receive a passport on enrolling in the program and get it stamped after they complete each activity which includes various types of challenges.
After the challenges are completed, the kids are rewarded with much cooler stuff such as ranger badges, greeting, and a special certificate in addition to the finished passport.
A three quarter mile segment of the 804 trail runs parallel to the scenic shoreline four miles south of Beachside State Recreation Site. This trail area is perfect for fishing, beachcombing and spotting whales surfacing to the water for a breath of air. Walking further south campers will find an ADA-accessible viewing platform from which to gaze out at the vast open waters. Walking on the beach during sunrise and sunset is truly a great experience as you soak in all the wonder that lies before you.
The gray whales that swim along the Oregon coastline are a wondrous sight that brings in people from all over the world who visit the area to witness these great ocean giants as they migrate south in the winters. The shores of the Beachside State Recreation Site provide a clear view of the gray whales and has some of the best spots to capture some truly amazing photographs. The whales frequent the shores throughout the year, however, some seasons offer better chances of spotting them than others. Winters bring over 20,000 gray whales to the shores as they travel towards the south towards the warm lagoons of Baja Mexico and this underwater migration is truly a sight to behold.
The Beachside State Recreation Site has a well-maintained day-use area near the shoreline. The area has restrooms scattered over the vast beach area for easy access to picnickers who came to enjoy a beachside picnic during the weekend. The picnic area is situated very close to the coast so that picnickers can enjoy their sandwiches as well as the view before them. If they are lucky, they might even catch sight of some of the famous gray whales that patrol these waters. The picnic area has picnic tables for picnickers’ comfort as well as a fire pit area.
There’s an interpretive center at the Alsea Bay Bridge located four miles north of Beachside State Recreation Site. This center touches on the history of the area, especially the rich history of Oregon itself along with the historic bayfront of Newport. The interpretive center has numerous displays and activities to keep visitors intrigued and entertained.
