Best Tent Camping near Gardiner, OR

Umpqua Lighthouse Campground is on top of a hill, which would make sense since there is a lighthouse there. If you are hiking and biking you may not want to make the effort choosing to stay at the bottom of the hill at the crappy RV/Tent camp in the wind or just keep going in either direction to a campground on more level ground, but that would be a mistake. Make it up to the top, and you'll be rewarded with an out of the way, minimally populated camp tucked into the trees just past the lighthouse, and with trails, wildlife and brand new bathrooms and showers.

The Hiker/Biker Camp is just past the entry to the camp, down the trail towards Lake Marie. It has three different areas leveled off with shared storage boxes, fire pits and picnic tables. Each little clear is open to itself but nicely private to the other clearings so if you're traveling with a small group you can take over a whole area if you choose. Unlike most of the other Oregon State Park campgrounds there were not REI branded charging stations or bike tools, but the camp hosts let us plug into their outlets as needed.

They were just finishing the building of brand new bathroom/shower facilities while I was there, but even the portable set up they had was one of the nicest ones I've seen in a campground. Deer were wandering about, and there was plenty of bird watching. 

The main campground area was divided into a loop and straight line stretch. Sites varied from open with privacy trees to entirely shaded. Despite it being a weekend during the summer the camp wasn't full, and it was easy for travelers to pull in and grab a spot.

Walk down the hill to the Lake Marie Trail for a quiet trip around the small lake. A few benches were found along the lake making great opportunities for relaxed reflection or a glass of wine. Shooting off from the LMT were trails out to the Umpqua Bay and the ocean side beaches.

Amenities include:

• New Bathrooms & Showers
• Fire pits & Picnic Tables
• Trails
• Storage Boxes
• Firewood for sale.

Oregon State Park Hiker/Biker sites cost $7-8 

*Pro-Tip: There is a really windy, less cool campground at the bottom of the hill near the entry to Umpqua Lighthouse State Park. Go up the hill. It will be worth it. Even if you've been hiking or riding all day. It is better.

Ranger Review: Eclipse Sun Protection at Tillicum Beach Campground

Campground Review:

The Tillicum Beach Campground in Yachats, Oregon is a part of the Siuslaw National Forest. It has amazing spots overlooking the ocean and unbeatable beach access. Some of the spots closest to the ocean even have cool tree canopy covered picnic and tent areas with openings like windows (see photo). Rates are between $23-$30 per night. The campsites along the waterfront go quickly so, I recommend booking when spots are released (rolling 6mos).

None of the waterfront sites have hookups and only a handful of the inland sites have hookups. There are restrooms and water but no showers. Each site has a fire ring and most have picnic tables. The vast beach makes it perfect for walking/running, building sand castles, fishing, and whale watching.

Top reasons I love this campground:

1. Awesome tree covered nooks overlooking the ocean.
2. Easy access to the beach.
3. Great for whale watching.
4. Fishing.
5. Nice size campground - not too large.

…………….

Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Eclipse Equinox Hoodie Cover Up. I love the idea of having a portable and compact piece of UPF 50+ clothing that I can put in my backpack or purse instead of a having to lather up with sunscreen. The sides open for ventilation and the front pocket becomes a self-storage pouch. It’s lightweight, quick drying, soft, and the special fabric doesn’t have chemicals!!  There’s even a hidden pocket designed for your phone or keys. It features a finger loop so even the top of your hands stay protected.

The stowage carry pouch is great for traveling! It's small, lightweight, and portable. The carabiner makes it easily attach it to anything! Clip it to your backpack or put it in your purse.

My 6-year-old daughter liked wearing the kids sun poncho and I enjoyed knowing that she was protected from the sun without having to slather her body in sunscreen!

Pros:

• Unbeatable sun protection (blocks 98% of UVA and UVB rays wet or dry).
• Lightweight
• No chemicals
• Quick drying
• Soft
• Portable

Cons:

• I found both the adult and youth hoods a bit short. The kids sun poncho (for kids 4-7) was too short for my 6-year-old.
• Could be a bit more stylish.

Overall, I give the sun protective clothing 4 stars and think its a fabulous alternative to chemical filled sunscreen

I liked how this campsite was set up, the sites along the inner hill have parking spaces down below, with a short walk into the pads and fire rings. This makes for a little more privacy and you don't hear people getting into their cars all the time. It wasn't overly populated either, so in the morning and at night, when the hwy traffic died down, it was very peaceful and you could hear just the slightest ocean sound in the distance. My main complaint was the 'nature trail' that was just off the campground, it was nice until it took you out on the dunes. The signage said there was beach access, but I never got close enough to get out on it. At one point the trail was washed out. Also the trail itself was not well marked, as I realized miles into a hunting trail that had obviously not been used a lot. I made it back to camp okay, after having to turn back. A 6 mile loop turned into a 9 mile adventure up and down the dunes. Very beautiful scenery and lots of wildlife to watch along the way though, overall a decent experience. No onsite sales of wood and no showers, but fairly clean flush toilet bathrooms.

PROS:

• walk-in sites
• Not busy
• Close to services

CONS:

• No beach access
• Poorly marked trail
• No wood sales

========== Cape Perpetua ===========

Cape Perpetua is quintessential Oregon coast camping. Essentially just across the street from The People's Coast, beaches, and popular attractions like Devil's Churn, you still get to enjoy the unique forests of sitka spruce and alder that make the Pacific Northwest so special.

The campground at Cape Perpetua shows this off to its best advantage. This campground runs back from Highway 101 to the start of the Spruce Trail that winds further up the headlands. The campground itself is quite level and next to a charming stream, with spacious sites punctuated regularly by clean, well-kept bathrooms.

I appreciated several qualities that set Cape Perpetua apart.

1. The campground hosts were excellent. You could see they are very attentive to the bathrooms, trash, etc, but were never intrusive, just available. You do need exact cash to pay for your site, but if you're a few bucks short like we were after attempting to stay at another campground further south, they'll direct you to a convenient ATM at the general store in Yachats.

2. I love the beach and beach camping, but I'm also a little paranoid about the big Cascadia earthquake we're overdue for. If you're also leery of sleeping in the tsunami zone when you aren't super familiar with evacuation directions for the area, you can rest easy knowing that this campground is outside the tsunami evacuation zone.

3. We had no problem fitting three two-man car camping tents in our site, plus a minivan, with room for camp chairs around the fire pit and all our things over the picnic table. The tent sites have "floors" of soft grass and clover, and many are shaded, or recessed into little alcoves that are very private with low "walls" of ferns and moss. The other sites looked similarly roomy, and even if they're close together you don't feel on top of your neighbors.

4. It's just a few minutes to Yachats proper, where you can enjoy the brewery, ice cream shop, cute boutiques, the general store, etc.

========== Gregory Jade 63 Liter Backpack ===========

As a Dyrt Ranger, I get to review products from time to time. On my trip to Cape Perpetua, I brought my new Gregory Jade 63 Liter Backpack in Mayan Teal along for a test drive. Packing at home, I was already impressed with the attention to detail paid by the design team. Little touches, like the zipper pulls having slight corners that make it easy for your fingers to grip, the shape of the back padding and robust hip belt made with the female body in mind, and the color-coded alligator clips that make it clear how every strap is meant to pair all add up to a great user experience.

The 63 liter pack is robust, with more than enough room for a two-man car camping tent, sleeping bag, ground pad, Primus camp stove kit, first aid kit, water bottle, and odds and ends. It was ideal for this car camping trip, but could easily serve on a backpacking trip, too. Despite the roomy interior, though, it never felt too big or disproportionate for my 5'6, 170 pound frame. On the contrary, it was far more comfortable and intuitive to pack than my old NorthFace pack.

Like many backpacking packs, the Gregory Jade 63 Liter has a bottom compartment that's partitioned off from the main, cavernous interior. That's topped with a "brain" that is accessed by zipper and snaps down with alligator clips. There's a big mesh pocket on the front and two side mesh pockets. Gregory smartly doesn't reinvent the wheel on a basic backpack structure that works, but the beauty is in how well it executes this familiar style. The mesh pockets are breathable, yet slightly opaque, and the fabric is plenty tough and stretchy. The zipper pulls are really easy to manipulate, as I noted above, big enough for your fingers to find them in the dark or even get a finger slotted in there to pull, but not so large they're obnoxious or catch on things.

The back panel is my very favorite. As a Southern girl used to very sweaty summer hikes, I appreciate the way the mesh and the curved back of the pack are separate, offering lots of airflow, without sacrificing support. The hip pads on the Gregory Jade 63 have a lot more structure than I've seen on other packs, and have the same breathable construction, so I know they'll reduce the kind of rubbing Cheryl Strayed wrote about in "Wild" on her hip bones and sacrum and that I've had to put up with in the past, too. You can tell this pack is meant for long treks because the hip belt is far more robust than on Gregory's day packs.

Overall, I'm very happy with my new pack and am confident it will hold up as well as the smaller Gregory Juno 30 liter I use for my daily commuter and weekend bag. A year later it still looks brand new, so I look forward to still sporting this beautiful backpacking pack years down the road and many (comfortable!) adventures later.

The weekend we spent at Sunset Bay was busy with limited availability. In our group was my mother-in-law who requires ADA facilities, and a potty training toddler. All of the designated ADA sites were full. Standard sites require an extensive, uneven, walk to the restroom, a problem for those needing ADA facilities, potty trainers, and middle of the night restroom users. The only play area is across the street (there is a path that crosses under the road) it provides only horseshoe toss pits, beach volleyball nets, and a basketball hoop. We stayed in A loop which is along the road and adjacent to the ranger station/entrance. There were limited barriers resulting in loud road noise, car lights at all hours, and a lot of wind. Tent sites, yurts, motor home sites, and dedicated hiker/biker sites are available, though tent sites are not level. Included in the cost of the camping fee is entrance to the botanical gardens with your vehicle permit, guided hikes to the tide pools, and educational events, such as animal lectures, in the amphitheater.