Best Cabin Camping near Grays River, WA

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

My visit here was unplanned. I'm very glad I camped here. The main trails are paved and perferect for biking down to the beach! There is a very old shup wreck on the beach and the sunsets seen through it are perfect.

At the camp sites there are places to park your rv, camp tent, yerts, small cabins, and many more camping options! The staff is very friendly! There is running water for a nice shower and clean bathrooms! They even deliver wood to your camping spot for a small fee! Beautifully forested area makes this place an ideal camp ground. If you forgot something don't worry they have a convenient shoping spot in the center of the camp grounds.

The campground is split up into two sides. The north side and the south side. The north side has the getaway cabins, and cottages. It also has the pool/hot tub, cafe, group fire pit, kids play ground, and overflow parking. Pickleball/tennis courts. The north side is also the only side that has 50A power. The south side is all 30A. The tent sites are also on the north side. It gives access to all the amenities here. They took out the propane site, cause they didn’t have anyone to take care of it. We come down here to get away from the heat, inland, area. It’s usually 20-30 degrees cooler, than inland. So when the heat hits the valley, everyone runs to the coastline. So it can get crowded. You have to be careful with your kids. People don’t drive the speed limit. It’s 5mph. They drive like they are in the raceway. The Clatsop county beaches, have the best razor clam digging, in Oregon. On every minus tide, in the winter and spring, you have some of the best razor clams, this far south of Alaska. Usually from he first of October, to July 15th, all minus tides will expose the clam beds enough to walk out and get a delicious meal. Plus the Columbia River estuary is just 10 miles away. Which is the place of the world class Buoy #10 Salmon fishery, every August - October. Both Large Chinook Salmon, and the feisty smaller, Coho (silver) salmon. You also have fresh crabbing available in town, and behind the old high school, or drop a few pots while out salmon fishing, for a great fresh seafood meal.

The Peter Iredale Shipwreck was the main selling point for deciding to stay at Fort Stevens State Park in northern Oregon. I am a photographer, and as part of our road trip from Southern California to Vancouver Island, BC, I wanted to make a pit stop to see the shipwreck. Given our route and timeline, it worked out to spend the night at Fort Stevens State Park.

The campsites were small, but nice. I always look at campsite photos before choosing a site, and I found one that was pretty secluded with shrubbery and trees, for privacy. We arrived so late we didn’t bother cooking, and just at chips and salsa with some margaritas - however, there was a fire ring and a picnic table.

The campground had wonderful hot PRIVATE showers, all in their own little individual, lockable space. The showers were nice and clean, and no coins were needed!!!

The Peter Iredale shipwreck is certainly a tourist magnet, but still very cool to see. The fort itself was very interesting to roam around and explore - great for adventures and history lovers alike!

There were a lot of mosquitos, but that’s just mother nature doing her thing.

Overall - good experience!

CAMPSITE SPECS

Fees: $22/night

Plumbed Toilets: Yes

Water: Yes

Showers: Yes (no coins needed)

Picnic Table: Yes

Firepit: Yes

Cooking Grates: Yes

Shade: Yes

Cell Service: Limited

Animal Bins: No

I am not normally super spontaneous but on Friday afternoon I looked at the weather in Cannon Beach and decided yep, we’re going camping. I have both of my kids this weekend so it was a great opportunity for a family trip. As much as I wanted to throw my hammock and a couple tents in the jeep and head out on an adventure, I needed to accommodate the vast requirements of 2 teenagers. One who does not particularly like camping, especially if it’s in a tent so I wanted to find a cabin. With such a late booking I knew not to get my hopes up.

I headed over to The Dyrt and started my search. Looking up "Cannon Beach" with the cabin filter on I was able to see a few campgrounds there, I saved them to my list and started making calls to find an opening. I lucked into“Sea Ranch” and although I must have driven by this location dozens of times, It is kind of in a hidden spot right when you get into Cannon Beach’s north end. The manager who answered the phone was straight to the point but friendly. I booked 2 nights. She let me know check-in was at 7pm but if we were running late to just call and we’d be fine. She also went over a covid symptoms check and let me know the park rules. I rushed to pack all of our stuff and get on the road to make it in time to check in!

After a mildly congested drive out to Cannon Beach, we pulled off the 101 into town. Sure enough, we were late. I called and it was no issue. The map only showed the address so we had a couple turnarounds to find the entrance. It’s tucked away behind a park and a bridge and easy to miss off the road. We pulled up to the building and got our key as well as a portable heater which was a surprise(with such a warm weekend we didn’t end up using it). The campground is fairly small and the sites follow suit setting close together and not overly private. I am not sure this would be my first choice for tent camping. Although some of the sites towards the back of the campground are a bit more spacious and wooded and have nice trees for hammocks, if that’s your thing. I was relieved to see the cabin we were staying in was off the beaten path. Parking was a breeze and we parked right next to our weekend shelter.

The cabin was small, cozy, and clean. The kitchen area had plenty of cabinets to store stuff and decent counter space. A microwave and small refrigerator were also helpful. The small bathroom housed a mid size shower(with enough hot water for 1 shower) and full size toilet. The beds were pretty comfortable and the futon was in good enough shape. A large patio and fire pit outside gave us plenty of room outside. Lot’s of trees around gave nice shade and lot’s of small animals were around, chipmunks, bunny rabbits and various birds.

The campground also looks like it has some nice features that weren’t available due to COVID. A large general store, a horse ranch, ice and firewood. Still open was a building that housed bathrooms and showers, RV features including a sanitary dump and water. It also looked like there was a big sink area to clean dishes and whatnot. A large dumpster was also near this building for dumping trash. All in all this is a gem located a couple blocks from the beach and downtown Cannon Beach.

I would 100% stay here again and have added it to my saved campsites list.