Best Tent Camping near Tillamook State Forest

I love this campground.

Specifically, I love site number 10.

There are 23 sites at this campground, though sites 10-23 are reservable, leaving sites 1-9 ‘first come, first served’. To get to the campground, you’re going to be working on the far left side of the Welcome Center parking lot. They have allotted several parking spots there, as well as a huge parking area for other cars and trailers. Once you park, grab your gear and hike on down that path straight ahead! If you have. A lot of gear they have three carts available to haul everything out in one go.

The trail to the camp is about 1/4 mile, it’s dirt in some places and gravel in others. The trail is very easy, you go down a ways, and then hit a gradual short climb to the few station. If you haven’t paid online (reserved spot), you will need to fill in the information on one of the provided permits, write down your car infix, put the fee in, and drop it in the box. (Right now the sites are $11/night). Place the white top copy on your dashboard (yes, you have to hike back out there. I know, I know.) OR: You can skip all of that, set up camp in your chosen (non-reserved) spot, and go pay at the welcome center drop box. Saves you a trip.

When you’re done with all of that and want to find your spot, there are two trails; one on each side of the fee board. The left goes through sites 23 and up. The right side starts with site 1. It's just one gigantic loop so whichever way you choose will lead you to the right spot.

I was in site 10, and took the left: this ended up being the long yet scenic choice.

There are communal fire rings in the back section (which is great for groups!). There are no trash cans: pack it in, pack it out. There are pit toilets available: aka, outhouses. The doors lock, there's hand sanitizer provided. Going into the pit toilets, and then coming out really makes you appreciate the fresh air of the great outdoors.

The tent pads are a typical woodsy mix of pine straw, leaves, and loose gravel. Sleeping pads are a blessing, but so are nicely stacked lead piles in a pinch. Tent stakes require a little oomph, I just use the ball of my shoe to push it into the ground.

If there's one thing you want to pack, it's bug spray. It's not overly buggy, but the mosquitoes are there, and you don't want them to dampen your experience! Be on the safe side.

There are no food storage lockers, you cannot leave food out on the tables. You are still in the wilderness, and you are in bear/cougar territory. Hang your bags, or go throw your food back in trunk of your car. Best case scenario is you wake up to some trash pandas ransacking your site if you leave food out.

Overall, this has become one of my favorite spur-of-the-moment camping spots and I come back twice a week.

Agreed, the secret’s out. 80% full on the last Friday (9/14) of the season. Was featured on a TV show about 3 years ago and a popular camping book gives it a scenic rating of 10/10, though I wouldn’t go quite that high. The friendly, professional camp host told me not to write a review-“don’t do that, it’s too busy already!” So I told him I’d also write reviews of some other good campgrounds in the area, so look for-Beaver Eddy (recently closed for logging, though didn’t look like a permanent close + one roadside site was open), Cook Creek (designated dispersed sites), Henry Rierson Spruce Run (larger, more open, right off both road and Nehalem River, with good hikes right there) and Morrison Eddy (my favorite). A Tillamook State Forest Recreation Guide will show you the way. But Nehalem Falls would always work because it has the right mix of fantastic tree cover, decent vegetation between spots, a walk-in campsite area, and being right off the small but self-important Nehalem Falls, set in a picturesque curvy rock valley replete with swimming holes. The whole Nehalem River valley is gorgeous, with minimal traffic noise.

This is my new absolutely favorite Oregon campground. Located within the Tillamook State Forest, Elk Creek campground has about a dozen or so sites located on a slight incline heading down to where the sweet, beautiful little Elk creek and the larger Wilson River converge. The sites are decent size though not huge, and are surrounded by beautiful trees, ferns and greenery. Some sites have more privacy, and since it is first come-first served, obviously best to get here early or before the weekend to snag a spot (which are only $10/night). We spent most of our time on the Elk Creek side since we have kiddos and the stream was the perfect size for playing and swimming without the stress of a larger river.

Pros: Beautiful. Fun creek for kids to play in. Great location only 28 miles from Tillamook. Love the sites and price ($10).

Cons: Walk-in only, which is great if you're in a tent, but out-of-luck if you're in a trailer or RV. Elk Creek is also day-use, so people heading to the creek or river will be walking by your site all day (though not too crowded when we were there).

Facilities: Two vault bathrooms (decently clean) but no showers. Fire pits. New picnic tables. Hand-pump water.

Being a new visitor to WA, we wanted to spend our first night in the middle of nowhere and this did it.

A bit of a climb for our truck camper so 4x4 was handy. There were some lower tree branches but easy to (delicately) pull to the side to get by. The road is 1 lane, gravel but nicely maintained. Not many areas to pull over so go slow and prepare to back up if necessary.

It's first come, first serve with no hookups or trash service but there is a bathroom. There's a couple spots for a bigger truck camper like ours and a handful of secluded tent sites you can walk to from the parking area. The tent sites we saw had a fire ring (fire ban in place right now) and a picnic table all nestled in the trees and ferns. There's 1 main place to fish from and several little nooks as well. There's a LOT of old, picturesque trees/ stumps in the lake, hence the name. A gentleman we met said the lake is stocked and our son caught some rainbow trout (approx 8 inches) so we put them back to get bigger for the next person.

There's also paths to enjoy a walk through the trees.

As far as cell service, we had great Verizon signal and there's a cell tower over the top of the trees so that explains that. 🙂

You need a Discovery Pass to camp here but it's either $10 a night at various campgrounds around WA (so I read) or $30 for the annual pass.

Enjoy and please pack it in, pack it out. It was a really nice campsite so let's keep it that way. Thanks!

Snag Lake Campground (360) 577-2025 https://maps.app.goo.gl/VmQbRypN42ciJemCA

Campground Review: Brooke Creek Hike-in Camp

Brooke Creek Hike-in Camp is one of 3 campgrounds within Stub Stewart State Park, and the only one that really feels like you’re actually camping out in the woods – because you are.

The tent only hike in camp isn’t a long haul from the parking area at the welcome center – it’s about ¼ mile and the trail into the campground is mostly gravel. There are carts available for hike in campers to use at the campground trailhead if needed. Note that if you’re using a cart, that the walk in is uphill.

The campground area is wooded and each site has a picnic table. There are pit toilets and a water point. There are not fire pits in the sites—the fire pit areas are shared in central places in the campground. Some of the sites have a lot more privacy than others. I was camping in an unusually warm mid-week in May so the campground was mostly empty.

I chose Site 1 because it had a good place for my hammock. If the campground had been full, I’d have picked a site a lot further in since the first few sites are right along the single trail that all campers/hikers would be using.  Some of the sites can be reserved in advance, and some are always open for walk ups.

The self-registration is at the campground, NOT at the trailhead, so you’ll have to hike in, register, and then return your camping receipt to your car. If you’re paying with cash, bring your money on the first hike in. You can also pay with your credit card number.

There are lots of trails directly accessible from the campground including the Banks-Vernonia Bike Trail as well as other hiking, biking and equestrian trails. I had a nice run on the Bumping Knots Loop.

Product Review: The PRIMUS LITE+ Backpacking Stove

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get to test and evaluate quality products from amazing sponsors. On this camping trip, I tested out the Primus LITE+ backpacking stove. https://primus.us/products/eta-lite-7?variant=38436885010

I’ve been in the market for a backpacking stove for awhile, looking for a lightweight and simple to setup option, so I was excited to get to test out the Primus LITE+. I opted for the .5L pot because I often camp solo (there is also a PRIMUS LITE XL version with a 1L pot available), Also, you can purchase the XL pot separately as an accessory which will give me more options when camping with a partner.

Here are my opinions on the PRIMUS LITE+ after using it for one camping trip to make dinner and breakfast:

PROS:

Boils Fast: The PRIMUS LITE+ stove is incredible at the most basic things it needs to be good for: boiling water fast! In under 2 minutes start to finish you can assemble the stove and bring your water to a boil. Plus, fast boiling means you aren’t using a lot of fuel.

Size/Weight: The whole stove system packs into itself and is about the size of a large mug including the fuel canister. I can fit the entire thing into the side pocket of my backpack. With the canister it weighs about a pound.

Pot Versatility: The pot that comes with the PRIMUS LITE+ locks to the stove giving it a good wind shield, and allowing you to hang the pot to boil if you don’t have even terrain. The XL pot which is sold separately also attached to the same setup.  If you aren’t backpacking and want to use another pan or pot, there are small pegs which screw into the stove top to allow you to use any cooking set up. The pegs are stored in the handle of the stove so you don’t lose them.

Accessories: I haven’t gotten it yet, but the LITE+ has a coffee press attachment so you can brew a cup straight in the pot. Always a bonus when a simple attachment means one less thing to carry for your perfect camping setup.

CONS:

Fuel Canister:  The smaller canisters needed if you want to pack your fuel into the kit  aren’t as readily available at places like Target or Walmart where I can more easily pick up my camping fuel when I’m on the road to camp. If I want to pack it all in to the pot, I’ll need to shop in advance at REI or a specialty outdoor store that carries the smaller canisters.

Insulation: The insulated sleeve on the pot makes it easy to hold and to drink from, but after just a couple of uses it was already getting pretty dirty with coffee and soup debris. It isn’t as easy to keep clean, and since the handle is actually part of the insulation sleeve, you can’t effectively use the pot without it.

It’s Small: Being small is one of the benefits of the stove, but the .5L mug/pot is smaller than I anticipated. While it’s perfect for a solo trip, you’ll want the 1L pot if you’re cooking for more than one.

Overall, Primus LITE+ is a great stove that’s efficient. I’d opt for the bigger size if I were to buy it again, since it would be more versatile with only a little added weight and easier to fit the more readily available fuel cartridge.

The Dairy Creek Campground at Stub Stewart is a two loop campground. The sites are spacious, but there isn't much character.  The East loop is pretty much an open field. The west loop has a few more trees but still not much privacy or space between sites. 

Dairy Creek is clean and well maintained, and has great access to the trails and disc golf around the park. If you're in an RV this is a good set up. If you're camping with kids, there's a play area here.

There are a few "walk in" sites where you don't park your car next to your tent, but rather in the parking lot next to the grassy area where the open tent sites are. If you're looking for a better tent camping experience that actually feels like it's in the woods, you're better off going to the hike in campground in the park.

The loops are big and there is parking near the bathroom. This is great if you don't want to walk a long way, but it's bad if you've got the campsite near the bathroom with all the cars coming and going.

In brief: quieter campground, good for families, small groups, dog owners and hikers.

If you love being lulled to sleep by the sound of waves, this is your spot. The Pacific ocean sang us to sleep each night. 

But enough poetics, this is one of the comfiest beach access campgrounds within an hour-ish of Portland. Large tent sites leave plenty of room for you to bring a buddy or to pop out extra lawn chairs. 

When we were there the only showers available were over in the RV area but they were clean, private and warm - car camping jackpot! We saw the park staff cleaning the restroom at regular intervals and there was always toilet paper. Fire rings have grill bars on top for hotdogs and that perfect baked potato.

There are always lots of dogs here and while the rangers try to get everyone to keep their pups on leash in camp, be prepared for a surprise sniff or two. Plenty of firewood for sale - and the ecological importance of not bringing your own is pretty big unless you live nearby.

In the summer months expect kids to be riding their bikes and scooting through the park loop Dawn to dusk but at least they are outside! 

We've been here in the winter months and it is much quieter, if a cloudy day is your thing then that's a good time for you to go as well.

We always scout out the whole grounds for future trips and take notes on our favorite spots, I'll include some of those below:

D circle

55 and 54 spacious private

42 full shade lots of trees full shade smaller Camp pad

32 Shady Tree filled has a climbing log. Room for multiple tents privacy longer driveway

27 much wider cement pad room for at least three tents 26 right next door both pretty open and connected

67 has hammock trees and room from multiple tents.

Backside of D loop will be great for summer heat

Great spot to go if everything else is full which it was, first time we've ever headed to the coast with no reservations in an act of "spontaneity" or "adventure". I advise against doing that in the summer, lol.

Key Points:

• Bring Cash. Cash only.
• First come first serve.
• We got conflicting rate info from another source, it is $25 a night.
• Firewood is $5 a bundle but it is much more than you normally get for $5 at other campgrounds; it's a plastic tub that you just stuff with wood.
• Ice available $2/bag.
• Hot showers are 50 cents for three minutes. Shower area is kept clean and fresh smelling, restrooms are gender specific and each have two toilets and a shower stall.
• There was no check out time as long as we didn't stay another full night.
• Traffic noise is moderate, you are near the hospital so you may hear sirens which then trigger the coyotes to get in a yelling match with each other.
• Dog friendly, lots of dogs, on-leash only but lots of 'em.
• Mixture of sites with shade and full sun, not level but you're not sleeping on slope either.
• Close to town so getting extra marshmallows is easy.

For an RV oriented place, the campgrounds are pretty okay. There aren't site numbers or designators, it's just pretty much anywhere on the grass that has a picnic table. There were at least a dozen sites that we could see and we got the impression that you could really pitch a tent anywhere as long as you didn't try to move the fire rings or disturb the RV folks, we were literally instructed "just stay on the grass".

There is definitely a mixture of long-time residents and short term weekend warriors in the RVs themselves which I always find interesting. In one site we had a family in a rental RV rolling in from Cali and in another site, there was a shirtless old man playing with bubbles and blasting Spanish opera music. If you use the expression "variety is the spice of life" then you might enjoy it here. If camping alongside folks who live in their older RVs 24/7/365 makes you uncomfortable, then this won't be the place for you. There is a Harley riding resident who seems to make a lot of motorcycle trips in the day but not late into the night and not early AM, everything was peaceful and quiet by 10pm.

Additionally, if you are a camper that doesn't want nature too much in their face, this may not be the place for you either, there are a butt-ton of coyotes in the area and we had some stubborn garter snakes in the site that didn't seem fazed by us at all.

This fella did a great drone video of the grounds, you can get an idea of all the options for water play options with the river:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTkGoLyQv_g

Lots of fishing access though we didn't get a chance to try it, we could see 'em swimming which is always promising.

We will probably come back here if we have plans to kayak as it is easy, gentle access to the river and we know we'll have a basecamp and a hot shower (albeit a paid one) to paddle back to. Other than that, we'll probably only come here if Cannon is full.

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.