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    South Beach State Park

    3.5 (67 reviews)

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    Where we entered to get to old jetty trail
    John C.

    Such a good campsite to stay at. The outer sites are of course more private. It's a great location with Newport a few miles to the North, and Waldport 14 mules to the South. They keep campsites and restrooms very clean. With heavy rain, some sites will puddle. They do list in notes when reserving sites if they do. It's not a beach front camp, but a nice hike to get there. I really like to hike the old jetty trail to of course, the jetty. It's an easy hike. According to my Apple Watch, it was 2 miles round trip from our site in A loop to the jetty and back. In the fall, the trails are covered with wild mushrooms. If only I knew which were tasty and which would kill you. Cell service is spotty, but I have been able to get online with Verizon. When camp fills up, especially at night, it's a crap shoot if it works. Of course they sell firewood for $5

    Yaquina Head LH
    Andrea B.

    This is a great location to enjoy Newports offerings. The camp hosts were very friendly. We enjoy yurt 8 for its privacy, easy access to disc golf and trails.. Apparently, the wall heater was a dogs urinal. Thankfully, we brought our own heater this trip.

    Nice campground. They have a ranger to check you in between 4 & 6 PM. I did find it a bit windy in the afternoon and evening. In the morning the wind had died down.

    Chris L.

    Stayed a few nights at this campground and had a great time. It's quite large and our kids enjoyed the playground. There are lots of paved paths leading to the beach, which was great for walking and biking. The beach itself is super nice, with huge dunes and nice sand. We noticed a couple mosquitos, and the fog horn sounds every 10 seconds, but not a big deal. Location is handy, just south of Newport. I'd definitely stay here again.

    Dale S.

    We knew we were going to be in this area on a road trip and looked up a few campsites we were interested in. We didn't have enough notice to book ahead so we knew we would be walk ins. On a Friday evening, after trying 3 other full sites, we found South Beach. It was a bit of a wait, but the ranger was nice and we were able to choose from tons of open tent sites. He asked us to drive in and find one and then we could come back and let him know, but after over a 30 minute wait in line, we just let his assign us one. Afterall it was just for the night. When we found our spot, someone had already set uo camp there so we ended up having to go through the whold process again anyway and the wait was even worse the second time around. Still, even with all of that, this site had everything we needed. The bathrooms were flush toilets and they were clean and not overcrowded. There were hardly any people in our area. They had showers and tie ups for pets. The spots were small but they were all we needed. We had a picnic table and a fire pit and a quiet place to rest our heads for under $30 and with no notice. The areas with RV's were really full and all the Yurts were booked up as well. I also dreaded driving through that area because it was a mad house with kids screaming and biking in the road and thrwoeing things. Still I highly recommend this place FOR TENT CAMPING. They had 2 trails to the beach and lots of camp hosts available as well as firewood. Plus, sushi was only a 10 minute drive. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a last minute spot!

    Unice A.

    This RV Park is pretty big and each spot has enough size. Very nice and beautiful trail only thing I give 4 star because if you want to go to beach its about half mile from camp. It's little scare to walk by night.

    Trails everywhere...both paved and unpaved
    Kathy F.

    Very nice campground. When we pulled in we were the only RV beside 2 others in our area but by the 2nd day the area was full. It's very kid friendly with lots of area to ride bikes/scooters. Fire pit at each campsite. Very little TV channels and no internet which was just fine for us. Our site was nice and close to bathrooms but of course with COVID19 the showers were closed. The trails around us were really nice walks. We will book again!

    Sunset in January
    Julia O.

    This beach is so pretty even in the winter months. It's very clean, there is plenty of sand to roam around in, and there are public facilities and picnic areas.

    Dry camp area, no power but common water, *and*... SHOWERS!!!
    Scott K.

    Exceptionally well kept state park. Large tent sites with enough room that you're not hearing your neighbors snore. Bathrooms are nicely centralized with plenty of stalls and showers. Best part is that the showers are *not* coin operated and SUPER CLEAN! Rangers are present in case of trouble but not overbearing. We reserved and paid online so our check in was quick and easy.

    View from beach
    Lucinda B.

    As we cruised up the Oregon Coast South Beach was a lifesaver because they had several loops in the back that were first come first serve! This was great for people such as ourselves that don't always plan ahead! We had a beautiful spot tucked away in the trees. This is a Huge St Park! It was almost full with probably 300 spots! Beach access is a good half mile walk or more each way. Absolutely awesome trails here. I hiked several of them and had a wonderful time exploring. Also at night we could hear the seals barking all the way from Newport. Too fun! Park host here were very friendly and a lot of them. We bought wood here for 5 dollars a bundle. Wood was very wet and not seasoned. My only bad about this park was because of no rangers both nights we stayed here late into the night we had people who were living out of their cars come in and not pay and leave in the morning. There seemed to be quite a bit of this going on. Also because the showers were closed there was a lot of bathing at the sinks in the public restrooms. So maybe instead of getting a nice private spot you might want to reserve here.

    James D. H.

    Sweet campgrounds. We reserved two Group Sites. #1 & #2. There was more than enough space for all our tents. We kinda made 3 little hang out spots. So everyone just went from spot to spot hanging out and laughing. The kids running around playing and climbing trees. The Group Sites themselves are spacious. The Parking lot is more than accommodating. The Bathrooms for our sites were Porta Potties. Ya. Nasty. We did find the Yurts and The Two New Bathrooms. (Built 3-27-2017. Had a sticker. lol.) So my wife and I would go for walks to the new building and running water. Also nearby. Showers..... Free Showers ...... They have all kinds of stuff at the Ranger Store. Crappy Coffee. Newspaper. Wood for sale. Ice for sale. We also found out that we could have up to 50 people at our sites but only 12 vehicles. We had 13 vehicles and a Pop Up Trailer taking up 5 spots and we still didn't even use 1/4 of the whole lot. They want another $6.00 a vehicle after 6 per site. I was stunned and upset when I heard this. A friend said, They don't do it to be mean. It's because they're greedy! Ding. Ding. Ding. Ah. I get it now. My bad. Carry on. We had easy access to the beach. It was a little walk and a sandy hill climb but worth every breath as you crest the top. Out of breath. Thirsty. Then you see Gods glory. The ocean is a place I never get tired of. My Wife is more crazy for the beach than me. We can never get to the beach enough. The beach is clean and beautiful. Low tide makes for an enormous beach. Everyone had a great time in the chilly water. I can't wait for our camping trip next year. And for all the people who hated SB because of the mosquitos. Yes your in the forest. Yes. There are mosquitos. There are also..... Flies. Bees. Birds. Squirrels. Chipmunks. And many other creatures God made. Prepare accordingly. That is all.

    Jeanne Z.

    I was driving up hwy 101 from Reedsport up to Pacific City. And, I used this State Park as a rest area/as well as a spot to let my dog stretch his legs. We walked around the beach, and yes there was a lot of people there, but it was spread out enough, we had plenty of space to ourselves. It didn't feel overly crowded. Since I was heading north and had to take a left, to turn west. And, then yet another Left when I was leaving to continue North. BUt, I felt that it was safe and well protected. ANd, there was a middle turn lane, so that was nice. Another thing I liked about this place, is that I could make a lot of LeBron James jokes, with sayings like, "I'm going to take my talents to *South Beach*"

    Mikhail H.

    We did not camp here - we were just passing through and did day use. It was such a lovely area. We were very lucky that it was not crowded at all and such gorgeous weather!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - South Beach State Park

    Do the showers have hot water?

    Yes, and showers are FREE!!

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    Review Highlights - South Beach State Park

    Located just south of town, bike riders can take an easy ride to the Aquarium or Brewery or jetty.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Gull posing at Boiler Bay  May 25, 2023

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

    4.6(41 reviews)
    6.3 km

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is just amazing. But I will admit that I am heavily biased in…read moremy opinion as I love Newport, Oregon and could easily see myself having a second home here. Perhaps even a primary home as well but I do like living in a large metro area because of the various services and entertainment options at your disposal. I have been to this Natural Area twice now and it's just so beautiful! The first time I really took advantage of taking pictures of the lighthouse here as well as the view. The second time was a repeat of that particular activity but in addition to that we went down to the tide pools and were immediately entranced with all of the aquatic life in those pools. We took pictures of that and were just so revitalized immersing ourselves in the nature there. I t was beautiful and simply amazing. Really nothing else needs to be said other than if you are touring along the Oregon Coast and are hitting the lighthouses this is a must stop... well they all are actually but this one really is. There is another lighthouse on the south end of town so Newport has scenic and at another time more practical advantage of having two lighthouses in the same town all within very close proximity. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is truly a beautiful place!

    You can't miss this place! It does cost a few dollars to drive in, I believe it is free for bikers…read moreand walkers. They direct all traffic through the visitor's center where you can ask the knowledgeable staff about anything and grab brochures and maps if needed. We went up to the lighthouse, down to cobble beach and the tide pools, and everywhere in between, it was so much fun. It was sunny and started raining after we arrived, it's fantastic either way. We were here close to low tide, so that helped improve our tide pool experience, but you can't go wrong fitting this into your schedule while on the coast!

    Photos
    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Yaquina Head - side action while we were watching the seals

    Yaquina Head - side action while we were watching the seals

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area - Siletz Bay at low tide, 
 5-24-2023

    Siletz Bay at low tide, 5-24-2023

    Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

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    Cobble Beach

    Cobble Beach

    4.5(2 reviews)
    6.0 km

    My fiancé and I went to escape the heat in pdx this weekend, and I found this scenic retreat just…read morenorth of Newport, and we fell in LOVE!! We got up to the entera de and paid $7 to park and walk around a whole preserved Oregon park! It was so worth it because there were very few people there (compared to any other beach we've been to north of Tillamook). We drove around, parked, and walked on some of the trails to start out. We went over to the lighthouse that's kind of stunning because it's been kept up so well. Once we got over there, I realized MY FAMILY BROUGHT ME HERE GROWING UP UNTIL I WAS OLDER!!! I got emotional and my fiancé was just so excited to be apart of where I used to travel to in the summers. The steps to get down to Cobble Beach are kind of steep - but not too bad. Probably around 200 steps to get all the way down to the charcoal stones that line the beach. If you want sand, don't come to this part of the peninsula; this cobble stone coastline is meant for people who just want to be with the sounds of nature; by that I mean sit on some of the smoothed over rocks and just LISTEN!! The stones cascade together creating an amazing sound that just humbled us. We sat on the bottom of the stairs (there's a small ledge that's right at the base kind of hidden) and just watched the waves and listened to the cobble stone clatter. There were a few seals hunting at that time right were we were sitting and they kept checking out the few people that were down on the beach. We were here for around 2 hours, and I wish we didn't have to rush up to tillamook because I would've stayed here probably until sunset. Hands down beautiful, and we are going to be back within the next month or so

    Cute little beach that's part of the lighthouse park ($7 entry). Cool park to bring the littles…read morewith tide pools & historic info on the area

    Photos
    Cobble Beach
    Cobble Beach - View from above

    View from above

    Cobble Beach

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    Nye Beach

    Nye Beach

    4.4(19 reviews)
    5.9 km

    Nye Beach is another place to visit while visiting Newport, Oregon. A town that I have very fond of…read moreand always look forward going to. My last visit here was when we had some in-laws come visit us. They are from the landlocked Midwest so naturally going to a beach let alone this one was a real lure for them and a must stop. We wondered around on the beach itself which is beautiful and so very sandy... something that is not always a guarantee up where I live in Washington where there are often pebbly beaches which are beautiful and fun in their own way. But here you can really dig your toes into the beach here and let the water rush onto them. The water is still pretty cold even if it is the summer. You have to go quite a ways to Southern California before the water gets warmer... something to consider. Still it's very refreshing on a hot day. The view is perfect as you can see a lighthouse, the one to north of town as well as out towards the ocean itself. I was born and raised from a landlocked state too and while I have lived on the west coast for over ten years the ocean still remains very enchanting to me. I think it would for most people and going to the Oregon Coast and going to beaches like Nye Beach here will keep that allure going nice and strong.

    Such a peaceful spot to take a walk on the beach. When it's low tide you can go look at many…read moredifferent creatures within the rocks. I absolutely love this spot!

    Photos
    Nye Beach
    Nye Beach
    Nye Beach

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    Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

    Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

    4.3(35 reviews)
    6.8 km

    May 2024 visit. We…read morehad to stop by twice to catch them when they were open... and I'm so glad we did. My favorite part was the view, but I also enjoyed exploring the old lighthouse. It's pretty small but the self guided tour was free so we didn't mind. I currently feel more peaceful just thinking about being there.

    I just visited the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse a couple of weeks ago (in the beginning of March) and it…read morewas open for tours. This is the original, smaller, and, in my opinion, the more interesting of the two lighthouses in Newport. This lighthouse is built into an actual three-story house, which you can walk through most of. Although it was not possible to walk to "the top," I'm not aware of any lighthouse that is currently still allowing this in 2026. (Lighthouse lenses are extremely expensive, and, unfortunately, it's not difficult to imagine how one or two bad tourists might have ruined this for the rest of us.) But you can still walk through the first three stories of the house, and I thought that was pretty cool. On the first floor of the house, there was a replica of a fifth order Fresnel lens, which is the smallest standard size lens used in lighthouses. For the lighthouse enthusiast, it's really interesting to compare the size of this lens to the much larger first order lens at Heceta. I also found it interesting to think about the lightkeeper walking through their actual house with hot oil, rather than filtering it in an oil house and then carrying it up to the separate lighthouse. While the rooms were roped off, it was possible to walk right up to the doorway of each one, and see that they were filled with replica furniture similar to what would have been used in the late 1800s. Eventually, this small lighthouse was replaced by the much larger Yaquina Head Lighthouse, which is 4 miles to the north. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse was not open for tours when I visited, but I've seen pictures, and it looks almost exactly like the Heceta Lighthouse, except it's still whitewashed. So, in my opinion, this smaller lighthouse is actually more unique, and maybe even more worth visiting than its replacement. This Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is managed by State Parks. Parking is $10/day or free with an annual pass. The Yaquina Head Lighthouse (the newer, taller one 4 miles to the North) is managed by BLM, which charges the same daily use fee, but is covered by a different (federal) parking pass. So, you can't see both with the same pass. If you absolutely have to choose, in my opinion, Yaquina Bay has the better lighthouse, while Yaquina Head has the better beach, museum, and hiking trails.

    Photos
    Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
    Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
    Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

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    Port Of Newport

    Port Of Newport

    3.2(6 reviews)
    6.2 km

    We love visiting and staying in Newport! Their beautiful bridge gives picturesque views…read more A couple of our favorite restaurants are Clearwater and Local Ocean. There are plenty of activities for families, namely Ripley's Believe it or Not, The Wax Works, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Sea Lion Docks and Yaquina Head Lighthouse. There is plenty of RV Parks for camping and many hotels, motels, B&B's and VRBO rental options. The Historic Bayfront is a great place to walk with shops, museums, restaurants and gorgeous views of the bay and marina. They have plenty of public parking and restrooms available. We've always enjoyed our time here. Would highly recommend.

    My review is based only on the Day Use fee system and not on the RV park or moorage. The Port, a…read morepublic agency, has a recently added Day Use fee system applicable to the entire port property at the south beach marina location. The fee is $7/day and is only sold in day long increments (always expiring at midnight) unless you buy a $75 yearly permit. Since this fee is applied to all of the Public port parking at the south beach facility this means it applies to parking by the fishing pier, the non-motorized boat launch area, or anywhere else that you might park to go out on a boat or simply park for a few minutes to walk around. The fee is payable via app on a smart phone as well as one pay kiosk. But while the area is festooned with signs for smartphone payment, from the company that collects the fees, there is no signage to direct you to that kiosk. It's way over on the north end by the boat ramp, and not apparent or visible from most of the parking areas. I feel this fee is exorbitant, unnecessary, and generally implemented in an unfriendly manner for the visiting citizen or tourist.

    Photos
    Port Of Newport
    Port Of Newport
    Port Of Newport

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    South Beach State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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