Campground review

This is the earliest in the season that I have camped here. I was surprised not to find a lot of families and kids around. On the other hand since this is the season that they open another entrance to the dunes, there was quite a bit more OHV noise.

The site I stayed in was the best yet! (259) It was nice and somewhat private, nestled against the hill, with few neighbors and the dune access trail just twenty feet away. The bathrooms were a little further away than the other sites I stayed, but were different. They were smaller and the showers were private offering 3 all gender and one ADA. The facilities were a bit aged but maintained well, considering the season.

While I was there I tried to find activities that I had yet to experience. I found there was another trail just off of the ADA paved trail, to Woahink lake. It was a fairly easy 2 mi. hike that would be just fine for healthy adventurous kids and had many nice views of the lake.

Product review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the privilege to tryout gear from time to time.

This is my review of the new Mountain House "Turkey dinner casserole"

https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/product/homestyle-turkey-dinner-casserole.html

As with all Mountain House meals one of the best features is making and eating the food right in its pouch, eliminating the need for cleanup. While these dinners are lightweight, they are also delicious and this meal doesn't disappoint.

The turkey had good mouth feel and you could taste the ingredients separately, but they come together nicely as a casserole. If you are one that likes to have your sides separate this might not be the meal for you. The flavor was better than expected! I say its as good as your friends mothers turkey dinner. This is another good meal from Mountain house and I highly recommend.

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

This campground is always a safe bet any time of the year. Pets, children and groups are very welcome at this campground with nearby lakes, sand and ocean access. Rent kayaks and canoes at the lake. Visit the rustic and historic log cabin store with a southern exposure and bask in the afternoon sun. Kids can swim in a shallow roped off area out in front of the store with ample outdoor seating. Located near the ocean, this campground is protected from the heavy winds often experienced in other coastal campgrounds. Honeyman has access and a wonderful walking trail to Cleawox lake, where the dunes literally slope right into the lake. Sandboarding is popular on the hillside of the dunes adjacent to the lake. Fishing, non-motorized boating and protection from winds are the plusses at this nearby lake to the campground. Back at the campground, there are many loops for different kids of campers. Those with ATV's, Yurt camping, RV camping and tent camping. The hiker/biker campground is very quiet and private.

The quaint town of Florence is just a few miles north with historic downtown shopping located on riverfront. Locally owned coffee shop, Siuslaw Coffee Roasters offers comfy fireside seating with a view of the river and the historic and recently restored Siuslaw Bridge, designed and engineered by the famous Conde M. McCullough. Downtown Florence offers many specialty gift shops, eateries and fine dining as well as family pizza and locally owned BJ's Ice Cream Parlor with a huge variety of salt water taffy.

Across Highway 101 from Honeyman is Wohink Lake, where motorized boats are often seen pulling water-skiers. A great place to spend the day if you have a large group or have your own motor boat. Lots of sun, swimming areas and parking make this a convenient place to spend a day.

I have found this campground to be completely reserved 6 months in advance. They always seem to have sites available if you arrive early enough. I've never been turned away if I've arrived early.

Ranger review: LEDlenser MH2 headlamp at Jesse M. Honeyman State park, Or.

Honeyman State park is located approximately 5 miles south of Florence off Hwy 101.

Campground review

This state park is a giant campground with around 400 sites. It has a good layout, although some of the spots are right on top of each other not allowing for much privacy. I suggest finding a spot on the outer circle. They are usually more private and have more character.

Honeyman is super family friendly with lots of kids running around having fun and taking advantage of the bicycle rentals. It is located on Cleewox lake so they also offer canoe, kayak and pedal boat rentals. It is also a short 1 mile paved ADA certified trail to Woahink lake and day use area. Good for fishing and scuba diving.

I have stayed at this park numerous times and it does fill up quickly. Expect all kinds of campers from party campers, to family campers to the avid. Their facilities are newer and usually cleaned twice daily. They have hot showers and flush toilets, as well as water bibs and dish water troughs.

This is also a popular spot for dune buggys, so expect some motor noise and gearheads whooping it up. Lots to do and plenty of places to just hangout or swim by the lake.

Product Review

As a ranger for the DYRT I get to test products in the field from time to time. This is my review of the @LEDlenser MH2 headlamp.

http://www.ledlenserusa.com/mh2-505.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz_TMBRD0ARIsADfk7hRw8e813xqMj0d_AswPPTIEg2K6AKMDtvPYQxD49xOUpDXZdxva3KsaAt_QEALw_wcB#start=7

I received this product nicely packaged with the AAA batteries included! Out of the box it is very easy to use, with one button operation. It also has a swivel bezel for zooming the light in and back out for a wider view. The bezel also easily tilts up and down for more control.

This unit has a high beam, low beam and s.o.s. functions. Both in standard white and red light. The toggle between the modes is easy and very user friendly.

If I had to pick one thing I don't like, is it is super bright. That would be very helpful in the deep woods when backpacking, but is a bit much for family campouts.

A great product all in all and I highly recommend.

http://www.ledlenserusa.com/mh2-505.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz_TMBRD0ARIsADfk7hRw8e813xqMj0d_AswPPTIEg2K6AKMDtvPYQxD49xOUpDXZdxva3KsaAt_QEALw_wcB#start=7

https://youtu.be/PtOH5ZbQXiE

https://youtu.be/mWuYMtphyDg

Jessie Honeyman State Park which is about a little over half way down the state coastline. Arriving after dark, we were pleasantly surprised to have water and electric hookups which were few and far between. We squeezed into our spot once again and sat by the campfire for a bit before hitting our pillows for the night. I believe that we were only on our site for 12 hours before it was time to go again. The cool thing about Jessie Honeyman State Park was that you had the Pacific Ocean and all of the glorious rock cliffs, drift wood, tide pools, etc. then these huge sand dune areas emerge right next to it for ATVs, motorcycles and even sand boards (like a snowboard). We let the kids swim in the lake nearby which seemed to be a very popular spot for youth camps and day use. Just what they needed before a long ride in the RV We definitely missed out by not staying longer here. There were trails and many more activities in sand dunes and the lakes that we didn't take advantage of. Gotta go back one day!

Spent the first weekend in June here with a bunch of parents and kids. We had a site near the end of F loop right near a playground that was great for younger kids and had a sandy patch for ball games for the older ones. It was right up against the dunes with a trail to get out onto them, very steep in some parts of course. An easy walk to the lake for fishing, swimming, boat rental and sandboard rental if needed. Nice trails throughout if you want to go for a run and a natural loop through the campground for skateboarding and biking for kids of all ages. All in all a great family campground especially if you're coming from Eugene, which is about an hour and twenty minutes away. The ocean is a pretty long hike through the dunes, but the South Jetty area is a short drive away if you want to spend some time at the beach. Honeyman is typically packed in the summer, so not the place for peace and quiet, but my only real significant criticism is the fact that there are no lifeguards in the swimming area and it's just too busy and crowded to not have that, especially with a raft that is quite a ways from shore and can be tempting for inadequate swimmers. I personally observed three young kids almost get into trouble heading out there, turning around when they realized it was too far, and almost not making it back. The State Park system is courting disaster, but just make sure you closely supervise young kids and poor swimmers and you'll have a great time.

Jessie M. Honeyman is an Oregon State Park just a few miles south of Florence, Or.

We traveled in on a Wednesday at the beginning of June with friends, kids, and a canoe. We stayed through Saturday night and moved on up the coast to another site just outside of Newport. The park has a lot going for it -- especially if you have kids -- but it also has some deal-breaker drawbacks. As with a lot of other busy state parks, your experience will depend a lot on when you go, what site you book, and who happens to show up as your neighbors.

Pros: • Very close proximity to Lake Cleawox and the boat house / facilities there. You don't leave the park to go from the camp sites to the lake. At the boat house, you can rent paddle boats ($7 / 30 mins, $10 / hr), canoes, or kayaks. You can also rent sandboards and zoom down the dunes on the far side of the rental facility. The setup is awesome and looks like an idyllic version of everyone's summer camp - real or imagined. • Woahnik Lake, a much larger lake than Cleawox, is right across the street and offers a lot of options for more swimming, boating, and paddling. We saw two large groups of scuba divers while canoeing around the lake. • Sand dune access. You can literally ride an ATV or quad from your camping site to the dunes, because the camp is adjacent to the Oregon sand dunes. • Hot showers. • Super friendly rangers and staff. • Large play structure in the sand for kids. Same thing you'd find in a city, but it's a nice option. • Yurts. We stayed in #316. Staying in the yurts is a great all-weather option.

Cons: • Campsites - tents, yurts, RVs - are crammed in. Some areas don't have good tree coverage (the closer you get to the dunes), and are wide open. You can see and hear your neighbors, so good luck. • ATVs and quads. Because the site backs up to the dunes, it's ground zero for ATVs and quads. You hear them running at peak times on the weekend. The site attracts a lot of giant diesel trucks that idle through the camp site hauling their trailers, so it feels like you've set up camp right next to a trucker super highway.

Given how popular the spot is, the wildlife are very used to people, and you'll be marauded by cunning squirrels and chipmunks. Don't leave food out for a hot minute.

Don't stay in any site off the main branch to all the camping loops. Accessible yurt #404 is probably the best site in the entire campground.