Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Chinook, WA

I'm going to say we had a great time here for our 10-day stay... partially because of the space we got... read on...

Let's just say... on your way in there may be quite the squabble when parking. The spaces are very tight at 90 degree angles to the road. This requires backing skill level 10! The north side and middle give little room for it, and the south side has an area that at least gives some wiggle room. Check there first if you're not sure of your skill. While doing this everyone seemed very friendly and accommodating. They had to do it too.

The next thing to look for... EVEN NUMBERED SPOTS! The odd numbered spots all have the sewer on the wrong side requiring a very long sewer hose extension that the hardware store nearby does have. Denis's Ace Hardware! I will say though... good luck finding an even numbered space. This place is busy, they're probably all already taken. It does seem like laziness of the park owners to not do some simple trenching and piping to fix this issue. Either way, get here at check in. The later you come the more likely you'll get the last space available.

We got lucky and parked at the end by the dog park in an odd spot. The gentleman behind us was in an even spot and had us pull into it when he left the following morning. We barely had to do any backing at all as we just drove through our old spot into his. My opinion on spots... that even numbered one across from the dog park (space 90) is the best and has a good amount of private room due to the tree there.

Now that setup is complete... the rest of the review...

The park is a little cramped but in a fantastic location! Just a quick 5 minute walk to the beach. The sunsets are beautiful! The staff were all super friendly as were every single person we met at this park. We met quite a few full timers with great information! I can't describe the facilities much as we didn't use them. Everything looked well kept though. The little dog park was a great place for our Husky and Corgi to be off leash for a bit. Plenty of state parks around and Long Beach and Astoria are cute nearby towns.

Loved this State Park! The trails around it were fun and led from the camp right up to the beach by the old ship wreck. My kids ages 2-14 always had something to do and we brought our bikes. The camping sites and RV sites are cheap compared to Utah, Washington and Idaho rates, but they were also very nice! A little close together but nice. You have to book your site months in advance at this place because it fills up fast. So much to do in this area! Close to seaside, the fort Stevens retired military site was free and interesting-with a scavenger hunt and prize at the end for the kids who complete it. Also, close to Astoria which also has many things to do! Loved that it was close enough to drive over the Columbia River to get to Washington to see the light houses!

Campground info

174 full-hookup sites (36 pull-through) 302 electrical sites with water (11 pull-through) Six tent sites with water nearby 15 yurts (7 pet-friendly) 11 deluxe cabins (5 pet-friendly) Hiker/biker camp Flush toilets and hot showers RV dump station Adult and Youth Bike Rentals 9-hole Columbia Shore Disc Golf Course

I was really excited about our visit to this part of Washington and the coast but the sad part is that once again there's a lot of families and kids and the beach had people who like to drive trucks on the sand doing donuts nearby.

There were great huckleberry bushes, but beware of the people who don't pick up after their pets--there was huge piles of dog doo along the shoulder where you walk to the beach trail and by the restroom where people tie dogs up and use the facilities.

The campsites are often used by people who book several sites at once for huge family gatherings so the bordering bushes that supposedly create some sense of privacy have huge holes in them--so your neighbors can hang out with you whether you want that or not.

The rangers who man the place are very young and I don't think they excel at cleaning and keeping guests inline with park rules. They dump trash, check people in, check people out, clean fire pits, change the TP and not much more. Their ranger station is so nice, maybe they would rather just stay in there.

The campground is mostly set back from the beach although the sound of the sea is still heard and that's great if you don't have a noisy loop. The walk to the trail is on a paved road, then the actual walk to the beach is long long long long. Lots of dunes, lots of soft sand and long flat little waves to walk through. You can walk a long the beach for a long time, but once again, weirdos in trucks speed by randomly and this spoils the sense of vastness we came here for.

I would not go back here again, although the folks who had sites right on the beach and in the yurts looked happy.

I have only stayed in the tent sites here, the first time was over father's day weekend and it was the first campground that had an available site and showers. The second time was a few weeks later and I made a reservation to get one of the few tent sites with an electrical hook-up (and water too!). Check-in is easy and prices are competitive with state campgrounds. I love that check-out isn't until 1:30 pm (check-in is 3:30 pm, but they don't seem to mind early check-ins) which is great since I hate to rush to get things packed up in the morning. I have seen some pretty long lines at check-in though so I recommend getting in before 2 pm or after 4 pm to avoid waiting. This campground is right on Barview Jetty near Rockaway and Garibaldi. There is a large climbable dune just inside the park that is great for exploring and seems to be popular with kids. There are at least two access points to the jetty/beach area that are quick walks, but are also drive-able. There are hundreds of sites, most seem to be camper/RV sites (even a few right by the jetty), but there are a lot of tent sites as well, for how large it is it is a fairly quiet campground and most sites have the standard amount of privacy.

Some of my favorite things: If you like to fish, crab, or clam all three are available either at the campground or within 30 minutes. Tidepools are about .5 mi away, close enough to walk. They have wifi available, but I have yet to try it out. I noticed a fish cleaning station near the entrance which is super handy for cleaning your fresh fish. The employees seemed pleasant both times and were fairly quick to correct noise issues with other campers (after 10 pm), but otherwise let campers be.

There are a few cons, but they are minor: Showers are available, there are three private unisex showers at each restroom complex, but they are pay-showers. The rates are reasonable starting at $0.50 for 4 minutes and each additional quarter adds 2 minutes, change machines are provided outside each restroom complex as well. Firewood is for sale at check-in and at the mini-mart just outside the campground, but it is $6 per bundle so I recommend buying from one of the many roadside wood sellers (usually $5 per bundle). They charge a pet fee per pet, per night, I think it is a few dollars, but I left my pets at home.