Best Glamping near Gardiner, OR

The website was not kidding about not following the directions through Google Maps. The last 9 miles to the resort was really trying - the roads were narrow, twisty and winding. If you are probe to car-sickness, go slow. I took extra precaution and dabbed essential oils on myself and my children.

Our pull-through site was in the Upper Marina, #22. If you have an extra canopy for camping, I'd suggest you bring it. It got really HOT when we were there. The good news is once the sun sets behind the trees, around 6pm, it makes eating dinner at the picnic table so comfortable and cooling.

My husband and children perused the bathroom/shower facilities which was just across from our campsite. He said it was spacious - a shower + private bathroom + sink setup and wide enough for a family.

Access to the swimming beach/boat launch is just a short 3 minutes walk. You just have to exercise caution because you will be crossing a main road (cars and big logging trucks rumble along often enough during the week).

The swimming (sandy) beach is cosy (read: tiny). There are no lifeguards on duty but enough trees offering shade for parents/families to sit back and keep watch.

You would have to drive back 5 minutes down the road to visit the Lodge for supplies or ice. The Lodge also provides some light refreshments* (deli sandwiches and ice-cream).

Our site offered full hook-ups including cable (limited channels). WIFI* was a disappointment though - we had to create an account for a complimentary hour of WIFI usage every day. Together with the zero cell reception, it renders us completely off the grid. It's great really to totally relax your mind and body but it is worrisome for that what-if's scenarios.

*Ice-cream was very pricey for the single not-generous scoop in a plastic cup that we bought for each of us. Because of the steep prices and WIFI availability (you have to pay if you want to get connected), I could only give a rating of 3.5/5 stars.

Otherwise, we had a great time at the RV resort. The sites are appealing for huge family reunion (we witnessed such a reunion during our trip). We will be back! 😊

We are a family of 4 (2 young boys with no pets). We traveled with a travel trailer.

-Close to lots of hiking in the area -Working with camp hosts was easy. Money drop box or can use card with host (just call ahead) -Tent spots have room for car next to your area. Extra cars are an extra fee. Sites have a fire pit with grate and a picnic table. -Trash / recycling on site. -Close to town-campground sells firewood -It is what you would expect from a county park camping ground in terms of layout. You will feel safe here, shower/bathroom amenities, and kind hosts. Short walk to the bay and about mile down road / or walk along the bay to the open ocean !

I camped here twice this year. Once in June in the Hiker/Biker area, and again in July in a regular site. The experiences couldn't have been more different.

Hiker/Biker is fairly segregated from the rest of camp. The access point is actually before the entry to the main campground itself. My first visit left me surprised at the beauty of the camp. It feels like it is in the wilderness despite being less than a few miles from Florence's cool Old Towne.

The trees here are big, and the ground cover lush with ferns. The trails are canopied by Rhododendrons. Nature paths lead off to Cleawox and Woahink lakes. Sand dunes abut the west side of camp. They seem endless, and otherworldly. At Cleawox Lake day use area there are paddleboats, boards and water toys for rent by the day or hour. Sand boards are available from a temporary space set up in the day use parking area. 

On my first visit the entry Ranger station was closed but the Welcome Yurt was open. Maps, advice, firewood, a lending library was available. 

Honeyman Camp is huge. When I was there in early June it made for a lovely exploration, and seemingly great spaces between campers. In late July the vibe had completely changed. Each of the several hundred spaces was occupied by a seemingly large family with 5 kids to every adult, or 25 belligerently drunk RV campers who felt the need to blast Fleetwood Mac. 

That second visit, in the main campground, made it very clear that your experience here will depend on the quality of people choosing to stay in the same park. All the amenities were the same, but despite it's size, a campsite with stereo speakers set to full boar are hard to ignore even when you're on the other side of camp. Now multiply that by several campsites per loop.

One thing of note: Each campsite is issued a set of rules, including "Quiet Hours". Unlike some other sites in which hosts ignored those rules in an attempt to avoid confrontation the hosts here were on top of it. For as obnoxious as the camp was at 9:45pm, by 10:15 it was silent, and we were able to enjoy the remains of a campfire and view of the stars in the slight clearing between trees.

Amenities include: 

• Flush Toilets

• Hot Showers (free and some without having to keep pushing a button!)

• Picnic tables & Fire pits

• Welcome yurt

• Kids playground

• Access to lakes and dunes (Bear sitings on the path to Woahink Lake in July)

• Nature Trail

*Pro-Tip: Stop in Old Towne Florence and buy some fresh fish or get a coffee at the local roaster.

Bullards Beach State Park, just north of Bandon, OR, is another massive RV parking lot. And if that is the kind of camping you do, you'll love it. If you tent camp, probably not so much.

But...a pod of Orca Whales lives year round in the Bandon Bay which is walkable out of the camp which makes the reality of the park irrelevant. A POD OF ORCAS!

There are actually three known pods but two of them migrate for a big part of the year. However, the third has learned that the bay is a great place to feed. The odds aren't always in your favor to see them so close  in the bay (one local told me he hadn't seen them in four years), but sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you get into a staring contest with a California Grey Seal while sitting near the lighthouse on a melancholy afternoon, and when he or she decided the game is up you turn around and see five of the biggest fins you've ever seen. You may think to yourself, "Wow, those are some big f@#king dolphins!" before you realize what you are seeing.

The campground has all the amenities. Hiker/Biker sites have REI sponsored storage boxes with USB charging station. There are hot showers, and a Welcome Yurt with donation based hot coffee and tea until 8pm.

Wildlife is abundant. Despite it's location near town there are regular bear sightings. Birds flit about, and some of those birds may be gnats and mosquitos that have just taken steroids. There are also red ants, which considering how sandy the ground is are good to look for before pitching camp.

The Hiker/Biker area has shared fire pits and picnic tables, shade cover and no established sites. The main campground area is big, and some loops are literally just fields. Stick to the outside of a loop if you want a tree in your site.

The campground is fine. It's fine. It will be fine. And none of that matters because you could see a whale. The opportunity to see a whale takes this from a three star to a 4 star. Plus nearby Bandon has a great coffeeshop, some cool art, and the beginning of the glorious Oregon Coast starts getting even bigger, and even beautiful-er.

Amenities include: 

• Hot Showers & Flush Toilets.
• Welcome Station with hot coffee/tea
• Storage Boxes & USB charging stations (Hiker/Biker)
• Bike Racks
• Kids playground, Adults playground with "bags" or "cornhole" depending on your region.
• Active ranger programming with a nightly class, Saturday/Sunday group bike rides and organized hikes.

*Pro-Tip 1: Bandon Coffee has good coffee, and a great staff who will make you feel at home.

**Pro-Tip 2: There is a lighthouse out by the beach/dunes. It looks like a lighthouse.

***Pro-Tip 3: Plan to spend some time wandering the coast on the Bandon side of the bay. That first three miles of coastline is beautiful and has numerous spots to have a picnic lunch.