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Nehalem Bay State Park RV & Campground Guide

Oregon

Oregon's Nehalem Bay State Park is a nearly 900-acre site on a sand spit between Nehalem Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The large campground is surrounded by shore pines and sand dunes, and the trails provide beautiful views of the beaches and the bay. You may see deer, elk, and birds as you hike, or you may spend your time kayaking or horseback riding. Crabbing, clamming, and fishing are also popular with visitors, and you may even catch sight of small planes flying overhead. The park has its own small airstrip for fly-in campers.

Nearby Cities:

  • Manzanita, OR

  • Portland, OR

  • Tillamook, OR

  • Seaside, OR

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Weather
Spring 38-61 F
Summer 47-69 F
Fall 39-68 F
Winter 36-53 F
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RV Resorts & Campsites in Nehalem Bay State Park

Campground Accommodations

Nehalem Bay State Park Campground

  • Water hookup: Yes

  • Electrical hookup: Yes

  • Sewer hookup: No

  • Wi-Fi: Yes

  • Pet-friendly: Yes

  • Max RV length: N/A

  • Other amenities: ADA access, picnic tables, trash receptacles, drinking water available, firewood available, showers, toilets, dump station, playgrounds

Nehalem Bay State Park Campground

With 259 sites, the Nehalem Bay State Park Campground almost always has spaces available. If you’re coming on a holiday weekend, it’s a good idea to book in advance. Each site comes with electric hookups and water, and there are flush toilets on-site. When your RV tanks are full, the campground’s dump station is a great perk. All of the park’s activities are close by, including the beaches, day-use areas, and playgrounds. Nightly rates start at $35.

• Water hookup: Yes 

• Electrical hookup: Yes 

• Sewer hookup: No

• Wi-Fi: No 

• Pet-friendly: Yes 

• Other amenities: Dump station, kayaking, horse trails

Nehalem Shores RV Park

If you’re searching for campsites with full hookups, Nehalem Shores RV Park is a great option. It’s located just five miles northeast of the park, so you can get to the beach in just a few minutes. RV sites and cabins offer easy water access. You can walk right from your site down to the river for boating and fishing. Rates start at $45 per night with basic overflow spots starting at $36.

• Water hookup: Yes 

• Electrical hookup: Yes 

• Sewer hookup: Yes 

• Other amenities: Fishing, river views

Paradise Cove RV Resort & Marina

Paradise Cove RV Resort & Marina sits across the bay from Nehalem Bay State Park. Here, you’ll find all of the comforts of home, and then some. The campground offers a pool, a hot tub, and a clubhouse. The restrooms and hot showers are a welcome treat after a day on the water, and the laundry room makes it easy to stay clean. Want to post photos on social media? The free Wi-Fi has you covered. Elsewhere in the resort, you’ll find basketball, billiards, a boat launch, and a space to cook crabs. Sites with 30-amp power start at $34 per night, and sites with 50-amp service go for $43.

• Water hookup: Yes 

• Electrical hookup: Yes 

• Sewer hookup: Yes 

• Wi-Fi: Yes

• Other amenities: Pool, hot tub, basketball, billiards

Rockaway Beach RV Park

A few miles south of the park, Rockaway Beach RV Park offers everything you need for a luxurious stay. Each site comes with full hookups and free Wi-Fi. The beach is just two blocks away, so you can get to the water quickly. On-site, you’ll find bathrooms, showers, and laundry facilities. This family-owned park has strict quiet hours, so you can rest assured that you’ll get a good night’s sleep. Rates start at $40 per night with additional fees for more than two guests.

• Water hookup: Yes 

• Electrical hookup: Yes 

• Sewer hookup: Yes 

• Wi-Fi: Yes

• Other amenities: Showers, laundry facilities

RV Rentals Near Nehalem Bay State Park

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What to Do at
Nehalem Bay State Park

Nehalem Bay State Park offers hiking and biking trails, an estuary, a beautiful beach, and a lovely bay that gives you plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature. You can hike, bike, kayak, or take a horseback ride and experience gorgeous ocean views before returning to rest at your campsite. Windsurfing and kitesurfing are also popular with visitors.

Nehalem Bay State Park is a serene destination that offers you wonderful views of the bay and the ocean and plenty of outdoor activities.

Inside Nehalem Bay State Park

The ocean and the bay are the primary attractions at Nehalem Bay State Park. Start your day with a misty morning beach walk, and explore the bay by kayak or paddleboard. Hike or cycle the bike path, or try your hand at crabbing and clamming. If you’re up for an adventure, book a tour of the Bay with the park’s partner vendor, Kayak Tillamook. Or take a sunset ride down the beach with Oregon Beach Rides, which also operates out of the park.

Fishing Fishing

Nehalem Bay State Park is a popular place to fish for salmon, dig for clams, and catch crabs. You can fish from shore or in a seaworthy boat. Chinook salmon travel to Nehalem Bay in small numbers, beginning in the first week of July and peaking in early August. The fall Chinook run begins in early September and peaks in early October, and the fish are easiest to catch at daybreak. You can also fish for Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, black rockfish, sturgeon, lingcod, and many kinds of perch at the park.

Geocaching Geocaching

Nehalem Bay State Park has a few geocaching opportunities for your enjoyment. The Nehalem Bay Night Cache is a family-friendly cache along a paved trail that takes about a half-hour to complete. This hunt must be done in darkness. Bring a flashlight, then find and follow the reflective trail markers, which will lead you to the ammo can that holds the treasure.

Nature Watching Nature Watching

Nehalem Bay State Park is a wonderful place to experience nature by the bay or at the beach. The park rests on a peninsula at the southern base of Neahkahnie Mountain, where you can look out for wildlife, explore the dunes to the beach, and watch the sunset as you listen to ocean waves. You may spot deer, elk, and coyotes near your campground, and you're also likely to see a variety of birds at the estuary.

Stargazing Stargazing

The campsites at the park are dark enough for stargazing. You'll get a good view of the skies, even as the trees protect you from the strong ocean winds.

Flora and Fauna

Nehalem Bay State Park State features grasses, trees, and Scotch broom that were planted in the 1940s and 1950s to stabilize the sand. Today, you will find a variety of vegetation, like lodgepole pines, spruces, beach strawberries, evergreen huckleberries, Pacific wax myrtles, and European hollies. The park's beautiful wildflowers include purple foxgloves, twinberry honeysuckles, Oregon irises, ghost pipes, and red claws. As you hike along the spit, you may see brush rabbits, mule deer, elk, and coyotes. The bay and the ocean also provide habitats for seals, newts, great-horned owls, sandpipers, red phalaropes, gulls, plovers, and many more seabirds.

Hiking Hiking

Hikers will enjoy the easy to moderately challenging trails and beach walks at Nehalem Bay State Park. The Nehalem Bay Trail Loop is an easy, paved trail. It's open all year and pet-friendly. For a longer stroll, enjoy the 8.6-mile Sunset and Nehalem Beach Walk, which runs along the Manzanita section of the Oregon Coast to Nehalem Bay.

Boating

Nehalem Bay is a popular destination for sailing, canoeing, and kayaking throughout the year, although the main boat dock that provides access to the bay is only open from mid-May through September. The bay waters are fairly calm most of the time. You can bring your own kayak or boat or rent one from the nearby marina. You can also sign up for a paddle boat tour that will take you through the park's grassland estuary.

Horseback Riding Horseback Riding

Nehalem Bay State Park has a horse camp, and over ten miles of beach and trails are available to riders. The main day-use area has a warm-up corral, and you can also reserve a ride at the horse concession during the summer months.

Birding

If you love to bird-watch, you will want to visit the park's east side and the western ocean shore. The beach is a good place to find snowy plovers, shorebirds, and snow buntings. You may also encounter pelicans, sandpipers, cormorants, loons, geese, ducks, kingfishers, egrets, and many more avifauna.

Biking

Many of the trails and roads at Nehalem Bay State Park are bike-friendly. The wide, level Nehalem Jetty Trail follows the narrow peninsula between the beach and Nehalem Bay for about two miles.

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How to Get to
Nehalem Bay State Park

Nehalem Bay State Park is accessible via US-101, also known as the Oregon Coast Highway. To reach the park, turn off US 101 at the Shell gas station between Nehalem and Manzanita, drive about a mile and a half to the park entrance, then follow the signs to the campground.

Entering Nehalem Bay State Park

Parking is available near the park office and in the campground. If you're not staying overnight at the park, there is a $5 day-use fee.

Are you planning to explore the Oregon Coast at Nehalem Bay State Park this year? Whether you’re camping in the park or just going for a day trip, the RVshare team wants to hear all about your visit. If you’re sharing your vacation on Instagram or Facebook, tag RVshare in each post. Have other tips or stories? Send them by email along with your favorite photos to [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions About Nehalem Bay State Park

What is the best time of year to visit Nehalem Bay State Park?

The best time to visit Nehalem Bay State Park is from late May to early September when the weather is pleasant. Summer is also a good time to experience the bay and the ocean.

What kind of wildlife can be found in Nehalem Bay State Park?

A variety of wildlife, including mule deer, elk, raccoons, pelicans, owls, falcons, and many more animals, live in Nehalem Bay State Park.

Are there designated RV camping spots in Nehalem Bay State Park?

Nehalem Bay State Park has 265 designated RV campsites. They have electric and water hookups.

Do you have to reserve a camping spot at Nehalem Bay State Park and what is the cost?

Visitors to the Nehalem Bay State Park Campground may reserve a camping spot by phone, online, or in person. You must also pay a $5 day-use fee. The Nehalem Bay State Park Campground is open all year. Loops A, B, C, and the Horse Camps accept reservations up to 6 months in advance. Loops D, E, and F are first come, first served November 1–April 30. Standard sites are $31 per night, and the reservation fee is $8.

Are pets allowed at Nehalem Bay State Park?

Nehalem Bay State Park is pet-friendly, but dogs are not allowed on all trails. Please remember to clean up after and supervise your pet at all times.