The best camping near
Gold Beach, OREGON

I absolutely love this campground! Everyone here was so kind to us during our stay. The lots are well kept and plenty of space available for big rigs. Check weather conditions before coming here if its raining it gets really muddy. Also had to cut our trip short due to coronavirus shutdowns in the county all parks had to close down.

The photos listed here are NOT ACCURATE this is not big pine campground in southern Oregon

When visiting the Redwoods, numerous camping options abound, however many of them can quickly see the prices soaring well into the$30-$50 range. I wasn’t wanting to spend quite that much and was relieved when I found the Panther Flat Campground just a short distance from the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park area. 

Unlike the state park, the fee to stay here was only$15 a night(single site) or$30 for double occupancy, which was more than worth the investment as the amenities compared to that of the state park itself. There are several reservable sites which can be accessed online, but most sites are first come first serve, available at the self pay kiosk at the entry. 

Unlike other forest areas which have limited benefits to your stay, this campground has a host of amenities which will leave you feeling more than pleased with water spigots located throughout camp, flush toilets, trash services and showers. 

The showers were potentially one of the biggest surprises for a forest campground I had seen in the area. Most camps of this price point offer very limited and sparse offerings but hot showers after a long day in the sometimes gloomy and drizzly Redwoods was a great asset. 

Overall the size of the individual sites was nice and many were separated by dense forest. I found that the pull in was perfect for my smaller car and there were some sites which were designed for larger groups with multiple vehicles. 

Standard site amenities included picnic tables and fire rings. This coupled with a light layer of pine needles for padding made for a very comfortable stay at the campground. 

The campground runs alongside a portion of the Smith River, where during the warmer months many campers find recreation. For those wanting to escape the crowds a bit hiking along the river is accessible from this location as well and can take you well into the Smith River National Recreation Area.

The Recreation Area is most well known for fishing, something you can do from the banks of the campground access, but also is a great area for hiking, horseback riding and nature viewing. Although you will not be able to embark upon horseback or equestrian activities from this campground itself. 

TIPS: 

• If you are visiting this campground you will be able to get basic supplies within a 5 mile drive of the camp or more complete supplies and novelty items within a 20 minute drive. 
• If you will be fishing while staying at this location make sure you have proper fishing permits as this area is patrolled by authorities upon occasion. 
• Senior Interagency passes are accepted and discounts are applied for those providing display of these passes.

When I found this campground it was a last moment find.    Originally I had intended on staying a little further up the road, but as the evening set in and signal was sparse I had discovered another camper pulling in at this location.     

Unlike other campers which have reported on this campsite about a pay station, there was not one in tact when I entered.   Upon further review of the site I also noted it is listed as a free campsite on other campsite services, so I am not entirely sure about the payment for the camp itself.

Sites were simply pull offs from the main gravel road, this area is frequented by those wanting to fish in the creek and campers who enjoy larger sites for rigs to be off grid.    I spoke to a neighbor after arriving they mentioned it was a personal favorite for weekends to avoid the larger crowds which frequent the state campgrounds along the same stretch of highway.

Nothing to significant about the sites themselves.   Many were primitive with only fire rings constructed by others of rock.   I wasn't fortunate enough to find a location near a vault toilet, so being self sufficient I would say is a must when it comes to staying here.

The views themself were pretty spectacular when I woke in the morning to a light fog and overcast sky which seemed to waft down the side of the forest covered mountainous regions beside me.     I was very excited by how, despite not having any frills whatsoever it was a very nice place to stay for an evening.

When I awoke the next morning I took a drive through the entire roadside camp and noticed the location seemed to continue to go on for quite some distance with some pull outs offering options for several camps at once and others being more allocated for single camps.    The road was a bit bumpy in some places in a smaller car but with slow driving and smart driving you can make it with ease.

Good location above the rogue river. Good views. Has alot of full and electrical hookups. However pretty busy road very close and has alot of vehicle noise.

Good spot has almost everything. From cabins, yurts, teepees and camps spots. Only slight problem is no pets allowed in cabins, yurts, or teepees

Very clean facilities and well maintained. Walking distance to the beach. No WiFi. 2 bars Verizon LTE with signal booster and weak AT&T service.

Peaceful. Love watching the water birds. Lots of trees. Even nice in the winter. Clean bathrooms and good hiking.

We traveled in off season (Oct) so several sections of this campground were closed.  But even with that it was super easy to find a great site.

Tons of shade and privacy.  It didn't feel as if you were stacked upon the people next to you.

Flush toilets and pay showers.  Well maintained and super clean.

The camp host kept an eye out for those coming into the campground and did a great job.

A very easy walk to the river for a bit of fishing.

Managed to find this great campground despite the location being incorrect on the map. We first headed down Airport Road which was a dead end… the actual turnoff to the state park is a couple of miles south of that, which the map doesn’t show.

The campground is about 50 spots - road and sites are paved with power and water. We paid $24 for a site tho we didn’t need either power or water. Well treed, and short walk to beautiful views. Highly recommend it!