After gallivanting through Central Oregon & Seattle, a coastal camping route along the way home (Sacramento, Ca) was sure to balance the 2,500mi road trip!
Having mapped out the trek in considerable advance, and after researching multiple state parks/ private campgrounds, South Beach State Park stood out for its proximity to the beach, surrounding nature trails, & it's shower facilities.
At first glance, using a reservation website with photos, the campsite view didn't impress much... Immediately upon pulling into the grounds, the park was gorgeous- lush green shrubs, subtle salty sea breeze, generous space between campsites, and the friendliest rangers ever encountered! Our site was flat, which is ideal when one's converted a vehicle into a camper (the Millennium Falcon is a Honda Element outfitted with a homemade, tri-folding loft bed platform).
For two road-weary travelers, access to the beach was just a 1/2 mile mellow nature path away. With the option of following a bark path through the campground- which eventually intersects with the multiple paved avenues to the grassy beach dunes- or merely sticking to the paved trail, the relaxing evening stroll was just right for stretching the legs before cooking dinner.
Overall, great firepits, flat tent sites, roomy between campers, excellently maintained facilities, easy access to dish cleaning/ dishwater disposal stations, beautiful park with miles of trails! Also, the hospitality station offers fat-bike rentals for beach riding, disc rentals for disc golf course, and local firewood for surprisingly reasonable prices.
Remember to always buy your wood on-site to deter the spread of invasive insects!