Best Cabin Camping near Neskowin, OR

We headed to the Pacific City in search of fresh air in mid September when much of Oregon was consumed by wildfire smoke. The friendly staff at Cape Kiwanda RV Resort were very welcoming and we opted to stay in one of their cute cabins as rain was forecasted. Cabin N was comfortable and had electric heat, a TV, dorm fridge, microwave, porch swing, outdoor water, BBQ grill, picnic table and outdoor firepit.  The campground had cute wild bunnies hoping around, and amenities such as a playground, full market, and pool.  It's located a quick walk from a beautiful sandy beach, brew pub, coffee shop and other convenient options are nearby.

When we Stayed: Early December, Wednesday-Friday

Overall Experience: secluded cabins made for a private, relaxing trip.

Cabins: there is a group of cabins away from the main campground so they're quiet and private. We had a shower, toilet and kitchenette. The parking lot is a bit of a walk from the cabins but they provide wheelbarrows to haul your stuff up to the cabin.

Location: a quick walk down to the beach and easy hiking trails in the woods. The cabins were up on a bluff in the woods so you could just barely see the ocean through the trees.

I camped twice at Cape Lookout this season - in June in a yurt, and in July at the campsite right behind the dune.  

In June, it was freezing, rainy and windy, and the yurt was fantastic. The most amazing feature of the yurt was the heater. It really kept the place warm, and the yurt was spacious. We were 3 adults, and could easily have slept another one or two. Each yurt has a small patio as well as a fire ring- and inside was electricity and a power outlet. Best of all, you were still just steps away from the sunset on the beach.

For camping, there are so many different kinds of sites at Cape Lookout - Sites closer to the entrance are very woodsy, the sites closest to the beach frontage (behind the dune) are very very open, and sites along the furthest perimeter are a little more spacious and some have trees (important to note if you want to hand a line or a hammock!)

We camped at the site right behind the dune where the beach access is. It was a little noisy since everyone passed our site on the way to the beach, but very lovely to be just steps away. Each of the tent sites has a fire ring and picnic table. In both June and July when I visited there was no fire ban.

Hiking is great in the area. You're also close to Pacific City, Jacobson's Salt, the tunnel at the Oceanside Beach, and Tillamook if you're staying here longer and want to take day trips outside of the State Park.

Recommend booking early for summer campsites. The yurt I booked in June was available for booking same day.

The South Beach State Park Campground is at the mouth of the Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. The first thing you'll notice is the wind on the way in. Generally, north to south in the summers, the wind is strong, always strong, like 30 mph or more pretty much all the times according to the locals. It felt like it was raining, but it was just water being blown off the ocean. However, once you're in the campground you don't notice it at all since it is well protected by surrounding dunes and tree line.

There is a Tim Burton-esque trail system surrounding the camp leading out in all directions to the beach and bay. Some trails are blacktopped, some sand, and some horse accessible. Google maps struggled to get me to the correct entrance so pay a little more attention when arriving.

My visit was during Oregon Parks day so camping was free. The Hiker/Biker area is just inside the camp entrance across from the hospitality yurt where you can get hot tea, coffee, ice cream, wood bundles, stickers and Oregon Parks merchandise. The camping (all of it) area itself is pretty open with minimal privacy or separation from your neighbors, but everything is very clean and organized. 

The campground was packed, and the RV/Tent area was essentially a parking lot. It seemed like a lot of families to come to the same place, the same weekend every year. However, it was a well regulated, and well behaved campground. The nice thing about this campground is the location. There are hiking trails, beach access, and it is close to all the amenities of Newport. Once you left the camp on a trail you could wander the trees without seeing anyone for awhile if you needed to get away.

Hiker/biker area had faux fencing built up to separate sites and wood platforms to get tents off the ground which I haven't seen in any other hiker/biker camps. The fences were a bit weird but made it easy to lock up a bike, hang some laundry and would a good stop if I were traveling with a hammock.

Amenities include:

• Camp Store
• Storage box with usb charging station
• Raised wood platforms for tents
• Flush toilets
• Hot free showers
• Access to beach & trails
• Walking distance to Rogue Brewery, Yaquina Bay State Park, South Beach State Park, 
• Bike Stand and tools
• Fire pit and picnic tables

Pro-Tip: In Newport, just across Yaquina Bay, is the Newport Bike Shop. It is one of the few bike repair shops along the coastal Oregon Route. If you get a $35 bike tune up you can take a break in their upstairs lounge with tv, wifi, fridge with beverages, and washer/dryer.