While the monolithic Haystack Rock draws all sorts to Oregon’s coast, the wide and lengthy shoreline of Cannon Beach seduces campers and travelers into staying by providing enough wind to fly a kite, enough traction to ride a fat bike and enough space to play fetch with your favorite four-legged friend.
The popular beach offers respite and opportunity for all other typical beach activities, like building sand castles, surfing, sunbathing (in late summer when the temperature rises) and picnicking. For any camper who likes a multi-faceted vacation, Cannon Beach camping delivers.
Paired with the beach itself, the quaint, coastal town of Cannon Beach offers more to explore, in the form of ice cream shops, a distillery, salt water taffy and enough restaurants for a few week’s worth of exploration. Nearby Ecola State Park, with various winding trails, rises above the ocean for sweeping coastal views for hikers of all abilities.
Here you can take a deep water fishing charter one day and an inland 8-mile hike the next. You can eat freshly caught seafood and indulge in crepes or chocolate just down the street immediately after. With these five rated campgrounds from our campers, there’s sure to be the perfect place to stay in and around Cannon Beach no matter what you want to do.
The 5 Best Cannon Beach Camping Spots
Cannon Beach, like many other Oregon coastal towns, receives an influx of visitors during the summer months, so plan ahead and reserve your campsite to make sure your vacation goes smoothly. Since Cannon Beach itself and the neighboring natural habitat Ecola State Park are protected, camping directly on the beach is prohibited. The Cannon Beach camping options on this list are some of the best camping in Oregon, and are generally further than a walk from the town, but less than a thirty-minute drive for convenience.
1. Sea Ranch Resort
Image from The Dyrt camper Ashley B.
Distance to Cannon Beach: 1 mile
Sea Ranch Resort takes the Cannon Beach camping experience up a notch. Not only are the sites well-manicured and scenic, the Sundance station offers amenities few other resorts can, including an on-site massage parlor, acupuncture, aromatherapy, a coffee and tea shop and a general store.
As one of the three campgrounds in the Cannon Beach township, Sea Ranch offers immediate access to the town for a quick bite to eat or beach access. Ecola Creek runs through the campground for added ambiance, and multiple camp options provide an experience for each type of camper, from fifth-wheels to cabin renters.
“For a place right in Cannon Beach, this place is great. Clean and green. Beautiful landscape and you could easily walk or ride a bike to the beach a few blocks away.” — The Dyrt camper Alicia F.
The Easy Way to Find Last-Minute Campsites
Did you know some campers have:
- Pre-saved lists of hand-picked free camping across the US
- Text messages for last-minute openings
- Scans set up for National Park site openings
This is the easiest, most surefire way to find last-minute campsites every time, and it’s all included in the #1 camping membership called The Dyrt PRO. It costs just $35.99 per year and is an easy way to make sure you have better camping trips every time — and that you can actually find a spot last minute.
You can check it out for free today, you can even use it for free for 7 days to make sure you like it. After the trial it is $35.99 for a full year — most campers find it pays for itself after a night or two. If you camp more than 2 times per year, it may be perfect for you.
2. Wright’s For Camping
Image from The Dyrt camper Lori B.
Distance to Cannon Beach: 0.5 miles
Wright’s For Camping is a rare find: there are no hookups, and the entire campground serves as a dedicated space for tent campers to enjoy coastal camping on Cannon Beach. Of the 22 sites, all are shaded and offer a rainforested respite after a long day strolling the beach and building sand castles.
If you were surfing or wakeboarding, there’s an area at Wright’s for washing sand off boogie boards, wetsuits and anything else that’s been inundated with sand. Firewood is sold on site for an affordable $5 a bundle, and campers can access town within a five-minute walk.
“Campsites are groomed and clean. Set in an old forest growth area with beautiful trees and foliage. Walking distance to the beach.”— The Dyrt camper Lorie B.
3. Cannon Beach RV Resort
Image from The Dyrt camper Alicia F.
Distance to Cannon Beach: 0.7 miles
Ninety-nine hook-up sites sprawl across the Cannon Beach RV Resort campus, which feels like a quiet and needed getaway from the long line of cars queueing up to park on busy Cannon Beach days. Entering the resort can make you forget you’re camping, with its manicured lawns and flower gardens, but the camp hosts and other RVers will make you feel right at home.
Cannon Beach RV Resort offers a jungle gym for the kids, basketball courts and an indoor pool and hot tub to relax after a long day of sightseeing or playing on the beach. When you’re rested up and ready to eat, simply walk into town or grab your car from the overflow parking lot and dine at one of the local favorites, Toms Fish & Chips or Driftwood Restaurant.
“This is a really nice RV Resort right in the middle of Cannon Beach. You almost don’t feel like you’re camping.” — The Dyrt camper Alicia F.
4. Circle Creek RV Park & Campground
Image from The Dyrt camper Alicia F.
Distance to Cannon Beach: 6 miles
Located in nearby Seaside, Oregon, Circle Creek RV Park & Campground sits on an 11.5-acre plot with 44 grassy, picturesque campsites. Each of the sites can accommodate RVs with full hookups and Wi-Fi. Campers will love the proximity to the coast, as well as the proximity to the town of Cannon Beach itself.
What’s more than the location is the surrounding scenery; the campground is encircled by the Necanicum River and surrounded by a 350-acre land conservancy where campers can spot both elk and deer on a regular basis. For campers who want to stay a while, there’s onsite laundry, a movie room and hot showers to keep you clean and well-rested.
“Oregon really doesn’t have bad campgrounds…I really like the spots towards the back that back up to the trees and the Necanicum River.” — The Dyrt camper Alicia F.
5. Saddle Mountain State Park
Image from The Dyrt camper Evan B.
Distance to Cannon Beach: 21 miles
As the campground farthest from town, Saddle Mountain just barely makes the list for Cannon Beach camping. However, it’s prime location in the coastal rainforest provides a different type of experience worth mentioning.
For anyone looking for a primitive camping experience, Saddle Mountain is the place to find it. All 10 tent sites offer privacy and are set far enough back from the road to feel like you’re truly in the woods. Because of their seclusion, each site is technically walk-in, though the trek from the car isn’t far.
All of the sites are equipped with a picnic table and a fire ring, and the campground has immediate access to the Saddle Mountain trailhead. If you’re so inclined, the trail clocks in at 4.5 miles with a hearty 1,791-foot elevation gain. It’s strenuous, but the views, which stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascades on a clear day, are well worth it.
As for facilities, there’s one vault toilet at the campground. This campground a great place for tent campers who want a primitive experience with relatively easy access to Cannon Beach.
“Something that I really liked is that the sites are very well secluded from one another. Each primitive site is tucked away and surrounded by trees and bushes, so you can’t see the other campers. Which is the No. 1 goal of camping.”–The Dyrt camper Evan B.
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Related Campgrounds:
- Cape Lookout Campground, Tillamook, OR
- Nehalem Bay State Park Campground, Tillamook County, OR
- Cape Lookout State Park Camping, Tillamook, OR
- Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, OR
- Bandon Wayside Motel, Bandon, OR
