Cook Creek, near the Oregon coast, is a laid-back campground that invites you to unwind in a beautiful forest setting. With designated sites that offer a bit of privacy, it’s perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The area is known for its stunning scenery, with easy access to a small creek that provides a lovely backdrop for your camping experience. Many visitors have enjoyed the peaceful walks down to the water, and some have even found a tire swing nearby for a bit of fun. Just keep in mind that amenities are minimal—there's no drinking water or restrooms, so come prepared to pack in and pack out everything you need.

Campers have shared that the sites can fill up quickly, especially on weekends, so arriving early is a smart move. While some have noted the presence of trash left behind by others, many have taken it upon themselves to clean up, emphasizing the importance of leaving no trace. As one camper put it, “Great experience would recommend. Please clean up your trash if you are staying in this area.”

If you’re looking for a quiet retreat surrounded by nature, Cook Creek offers a unique opportunity to connect with the outdoors. Just remember to bring your own supplies and enjoy the serenity of this beautiful spot.

Cook Creek

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Tillamook State Forest. Tillamook State Forest is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Discover great camping spots near Tillamook State Forest, reviewed by campers like you.

Tillamook State Forest

The Best Camping Near Tillamook State Forest, Oregon

Designated dispersal camping is a great idea - no loud neighbors within at least a couple wooded blocks between each site. You get large, open circles of bare ground at Cook Creek, each with a fire ring. The 5 sites are a tad bit off the road... good. The trees, hills and water are all luxurious. There are boulders blocking the road after site 5. You can walk around them, though presumably the road is flooded out, making the other sites unreachable. Would be interesting to explore. 

Solitudity

We spent only one night here (approx. 45°41'49.5"N 125°44'18.1"W) in a lovely clearing featuring a metal fire ring. Sites are designated, but free for use up to 14 days. Lots of fishing accessible along Cook Creek. Road is dirt/gravel and currently ends about 3.5 miles in due to "flooding damage" which takes the form of several very large boulders blocking the way. Our intention was to go for another 1.5 miles or so, but we were very happy with the site we found. We will definitely return!

A Night on the Creek

We scored the most beautiful spot last week, designated spot #5. It is very private and there is a short walk (2-3min) down to your very own private part of the river. There was a very clear beautiful pool of water in the center and rapids/rocks on both sides for exploring. Unfortunately, we were so disappointed to see how people have trashed this incredible place. The amount of human waste was absolutely horrifying. We did our best to clean up trash and used buckets of dirt to cover the unmentionables. 😩 We also left our shovel and a note on wood in hopes that future camping at least bury their waste if they aren’t going to pack it out. Looking forward to going back in the off season in hopes of it not being as heavily used by assholes. There was also a quite a bit of traffic on the road but that was to be expected in such a popular location. 

Gorgeous, but unfortunate 

A few miles a long gravel road leads you to a handful of large sites. These had fire pits and pull throughs. No cell service. Kind of creepy late at night until you begin to see the sites. They were all relatively clean. Only one other camper near. We stayed at site 3 which had a trail leading down to the creek. Attached ropes to help you get up/down. Would stay here again for sure. Arrived at sundown and left at sunrise so didn’t have time to explore. About 45 minutes from Cannon Beach.

Isolated

Camped out for a night in designated camp site #3. Lots of room for Cars and a couple spots to pitch a tent. A bit rocky, but we used shovel to dig out a more comfortable spot. Fire pit with grill is provided. 

Lots of trash around, unfortunate to see, seems like the reviews in the past that this is a common theme around here. We did our best to clean up. 

Great experience would recommend. Please clean up your trash if you are staying in this area. 

Happy camping! 

Leave no Trace

Large sites that would could host several tents. Creek is just 100ft away. Really close to main road so can be dusty and not super private

Passing through

Beautiful spot to stay for the week! There are only about 5 spots total and the whole place was full when we pulled in on Saturday night so we slept on a turn out and we were able to find a spot in the morning after some other campers had cleared out. We stayed in spot #4 which was a massive group camping spot, luckily since we were there during the week it was pretty quiet and we had it all to ourselves. Spot had access to a small creek (not the main cook creek) and a tire swing. Lots of flat space to park and set up tents. We parked our bus on top of the hill in a clearing so we had plenty of solar power and internet access with our starlink. There is no cell service and no amenities; be sure to pack in and pack out everything. Overall, great place to stay and definitely fills up fast on the weekends so get there early.

Peaceful forest camping

Late season (September) but still pretty busy. Fire restrictions in place. We lucked out because we got here early in the day. Beautiful, spacious, private, no frills - disappointed to find the fire pit full of trash, but otherwise clean. Sweet hike down to the river - absolutely gorgeous! ❤️ 

Site #5 - very nice! 

Stayed here in 2020 (I think?) late summer. Beautiful walks down to the creek, and beautiful scenery. But not much otherwise as far as trails or things to pass the time nearby. Obviously, there are coastal sites to drive to, but nothing immediate. Maybe I didn't explore it well enough?


Photos of Cook Creek

Real photos from real campers