SP Campground Review – Carl G.Washburne State Park, Florence, OR
A gorgeous and relaxed first-come-first-serve State Park on the Central Coast of Oregon.
Link to campground here: Carl G.Washburne State Park, OR
Link to map location here: Carl G. Washburne State Park, OR
- Site Quality = 4.5/5
Overall very nice sites here. They are all paved back-in with good separation, spacious “sitting areas” with picnic table/fire-pit and full hookups (50Amp/water/sewer. 3 sites electric only). Most are fairly wooded, although the sites in the entrance and in front of the back facilities do get some sun depending on time of day. Good size selection with choices up to 57-feet.
-> Sites towards front entrance (9-15) are very flat with super-easy access from central 2-way road.
-> Towards the back (34-55) the sites are on a smaller single-land road and more heavily wooded, but they are still nicely flat with a good size selection (biggest sites are even numbers 36-43). In this section the “inner” back-ins are almost at 90-degrees to the road (odd numbers) and harder to access, but “outer” sites (even numbers) are nicely slanted and better suited for big-rigs.
-> The only sites somewhat “tight” and more unlevel are around the small back hill (22-27). These are better suited for smaller rigs. - Facilities = 3/5
Facilities are decent. Toilets are spacious and kept nicely clean. Showers are large with separate clothing area. Only ding is they have those annoying timer-buttons and spray-heads. Plenty of surrounding hiking trails. On-site dump station (across the road). - Location = 5/5
A simply fabulous natural location! This park is within a short walk of lovely Washburne Beach and just a few miles north of gorgeous Haceta Head Lighthouse. Only ~14 miles to Florence for all shopping/dining needs. - Pet Friendliness = 5/5
Another perfect pooch park. Miles of easily accessible paw-friendly beach on a lovely trail from the campground. Lots of additional hiking on-site including the trail to Haceta Head. Poo bags provided.
Overall Rating = 4.4
BONUS ALERT = Camp and relax in rugged natural beauty by gorgeous Washburne Beach and Haceta Head Lighthouse!
Summary: This is our favorite state park on the coast thus far and it’s all thanks to ambiance. Set beautifully in one of the most rugged sections of the Oregon Coast with access to a lovely (and mostly deserted) beach and direct hiking to one of the prettiest lighthouses on the coast. It feels wonderfully remote and quiet, yet is only ~14 miles north of Florence. The campground itself is one of the few first-come-first-serve parks on the coast. Located just across the road/east of Hwy 101 it’s nonetheless very quiet and sites are paved and nicely flat, full hookup (50Amp), with good separation and nice “sitting areas”. Good selection of sizes and easy access especially in the front (2-way) section of the campground. The beach is easily accessible via a lovely 1/2-mile trail from the campground (goes under the road), and perfectly gorgeous. Good selection of other trails in the area too. This is exactly the kind of pretty and relaxing spot where we could spend 2 weeks hanging out and still want more. No doubt a place to come back to!
Extra Info: NO connectivity in campground with either Verizon cellphone or datacard. There IS a cellphone signal from the beach and we were able to get a very slow (but just usable) internet signal in camp with our external antenna/amp. 55 full hookup and 3 electrical (all 50Amp). Sites cost $26/night in summer season, $22 in off-season, all first-come-first-serve (no reservations). On-site dump station.
Extra, Extra Info – BOONDOCKING: There are a few boondocking sites around the Florence area. A quiet location for smaller rigs (~24-foot max) is ~10 miles north of Florence on Forest Service road #58 (warning=steep!), 3.5 miles to a horse camp marked Horse Creek Trailhead. For bigger rigs Three Rivers Casino in town offers free RV parking. The Suislaw Forest also advertizes dispersed camping in the Sitcoos Area in the dunes, but no info on rig size or access (do tell me if you go!).
Absolutely my favourite kind of campground, even with a few minor “dings”. I first encountered the “spray as you pay” type of shower arrangement in “Vogelensang“, on the west coast of (North) Holland, when my brother, his wife and I camped there in their VW camper, Easter weekend of 1979. Great little camper, even though ever so slightly cramped. (hey, we were all much younger) Just a bit of a challenge to drive on the Autobahn in Germany though, since it was a bit of a gutless wonder.
Fixed the link. I’d love to RV Europe at some point, but gotta be in something about 1/2 our current size.
Cheers for the link…it’s always fun to see how the other side camps 🙂
Nina