Just north of the California and Oregon border, the seaside community of Brookings, Oregon, sits between the Pacific Ocean and the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, offering ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. For those who enjoy the modesty of tent camping and the more direct contact with nature it affords, campgrounds near Brookings offer ocean camping, lakeside camping, as well as forest camping.
Harris Beach State Park
For seaside camping, head to Harris Beach State Park on the north side of town. The park is home to a cozy beach dotted with those sleeping giant sea stacks for which the Oregon coast is so well known. Harris Beach is home to Bird Island, a sanctuary for wild and rare bird breeding. Visitors can also enjoy marine fauna, such as seals, sea lions and migrating gray whales. Harris Beach features over 60 tent sites, making this locale a convenient stop-off point for cross-country hikers and cyclists.
Alfred A. Loeb State Park
Eight miles inland from Brookings, Alfred A. Loeb State Park is situated within a pastoral grove of myrtle wood trees near the Chetco River. The park features approximately 50 camp sites, all supplied with water as well as campfire pits. For those who enjoy fishing, the Chetco River is a prime location for salmon and steelhead trout. Nearby hiking trails access the northern part of the Pacific redwood forest.
Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest
The Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest has several campgrounds with tent sites, including the Winchuck, Cave Creek, Grayback, Bolan Lake, Big Pine and Sam Brown campgrounds. Winchuck, Cave Creek, Bolan Lake and Big Pine are modest sized campgrounds with under 20 tent sites available--many of which are combined tent and RV sites. The Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges surround the forest, and the dramatic Rogue River draws river runners for up to Class IV whitewater rafting trips in the wild and scenic section of the river.
Gold Beach
The Gold Beach area is about 25 miles north of Brookings, traveling along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway. In this area, tent camping is offered at the Honeybear Campground and RV Resort. Visit Honeybear in the springtime to have a tent site surrounded with blooming flowers. The coastline is accessible and there are several private fishing ponds stocked with rainbow trout, which can be fried at your tent site. Hikers can enjoy the Mountain Wells and Grassy Knob Trails. On site there is a casual restaurant, shower facilities and a laundromat. This area receives a lot of rain in fall and winter, so tent campers may want to avoid these seasons.
Lower Rogue River Valley
Not far upstream from Gold Beach in the lower Rogue River Valley is the Circle "L" Campground. In this area campers can enjoy salmon fishing, windsurfing and white water rafting, wild mushroom hunting and hiking--all within an old-growth forest. Twenty-four sites at Circle "L" can accommodate tents, as well as RVs, and tepees are available for rent. All tent sites have a campfire pit, picnic table and view of the river.
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