Umpqua Lighthouse State Park

This was a letdown. I was so excited about this lighthouse and the view, but it was truly anticlimatic. The park itself seemed all right, but we came out to check out the lighthouse primarily, and it wasn’t much to look at.

Would have been potentially cooler if it was open the day we decided to stop by. :(

We had a great time here with the kids. The tour was interesting. And we learned some cool Coast Guard history. We actually visited on the Coast Guard’s Birthday and the hubby happens to be a Coastie, so the tour guide had fun with him. The kids really liked the museum too. And the gift shop has a lot of nice items. We will be back. Plus if you Geocache, there is one here!

Take the lighthouse tour. So worth it. Our guide was amazing and even the teenagers loved this. Really a lovely park and a nice gift store. Don’t miss a walk around Lake Marie too. Small little lake, but refreshingly beautiful. Just relax, let go, and visit here. You won’t be sorry. Never stayed the night, so can’t review that aspect. But the lighthouse tour was worth the rather minor fee, and pics you can take and look back on make this a really special memory for your entire family. Kind of a walk back in history. Enjoy!

Take this from a non-​camper (yes…I was born and raised in Oregon, but I love beds, toilets, running water and sleeping inside) so let me tell you how «happy» I was when my much loved in-​laws booked us all in «yurt» in Southern Oregon— in January. I pictured, cold, damp linens, pouring down rain.
First…a yurt sounds like a disease. Blame MY lack of knowledge on lack of research.
Second…Oregon is wet in January.
Third…EVERYTHING is damp in Oregon from October-​May.
So imagine my pleasant surprise upon discovering an airtight living space, bunk beds and sleeping pads, a covered patio, a crazy nice gas BBQ, a fridge, heat, running water and we had the deluxe yurt… so a TOILET and a SHOWER.
I had the time of my life.
We walked for MILES on the beach that was a mere mile away, walked the river loop (out our back door), had fires every night, ate crazy good seafood and BBQ’d meals, slept like babies in our heated yurt, met fun people at local «hot spots» (Double D’s on the Rocks!), watched sunsets that boggled our minds… this non-​camper was SOLD.
I saw children biking the park, the lighthouse is around the corner, camp host was helpful… ALL good!
Things to know: the raccoons are feisty. Bring coolers in at night!
We went in January so many local fish shops/​restaurants were closed. I was SO looking forward to fresh seafood!
No oven, but a WONDERFUL bbq.
Turn the heat down at night LOW… it gets TOASTY in there! Don’t be fooled by «no walls»!
You DO hear ATV/​dune buggy noise quite often. Bring earplugs or a noise machine if you are a light sleeper and you like to sleep past 9:00am.
The best coffee we could find in Reedsport was Back to the Best. Research… there could be better, but they were nice and it was good coffee. McKay’s…not so much.

Best camping ever! Swimming lake; wooded forest next to dunes and walking distance to lighthouse with rose colored lens and view of ocean. Make sure to book early, it is a very small campground.

Stayed in a rustic yurt #16 pet friendly. It is the closest one to the parking lot which means you hear everybody parking and whatnot, but also means its less far to drag your stuff. Pretty nice digs. The beds are hard, but not the worst. You certainly can double up a mattress if you need to make one more squish if only a couple in there. The heater keeps the place warm and having the bathroom/​shower is great. Same with having a fridge & sink/​microwave.
I’d like to come back again in the winter. I don’t think I’d want to come in the summer as the yurts are extremely close together and I would imagine VERY noisy during the summer with kids playing outside. They don’t offer much privacy so be prepared to listen to your neighbors guitar playing and kids running about.
There didn’t seem like there was a whole lot to do in the area. Needed to make a quick drive to Reedsport or Florence. Very pleasant otherwise and staff seemed nice.

Well, now that I’ve finally seen this place after 2 years of being 6 miles away, it’s my new mission to be able to bike there. I lived two blocks from the ocean for 8 years, but there is something special about this little spot. So clean (from where we were), such views, such fragrant cool breezes. And no hassles. As far as a quick visit, there were no parking meters, no cards to stamp for parking, nothing that made a quick stop for a visit a big pain in the word I don’t know if Unilocal allows.
Nice to see bluer water! I forgot the Pacific isn’t always brown or red-​brown!

This is perhaps… no it is… I’m sure of it… the most beautiful site outside of my children that I have ever seen. Not only is it lovely to behold during the daytime, where you are permitted to climb up in the lens for heaven’s sakes (Stop doing that before someone hurts it PLEASE!) it is MOST spectacular when you take a blanket, sit across from it and watch it at NIGHT. The red and white beams shine over you like a comforting umbrella of safety… Don’t miss this… support the upkeep as well through donations at the museum there!

Unbelievable park. The lighthouse is awe inspiring. The docent was kind and very informative. We drove through the park and everyone waves. We stayed at the RV park back near the marina but plan on coming back here again when we move to Oregon.

Really great views

We stayed here in September 2012 at a basic tent site. This is one of the smaller Oregon State Park campgrounds, offering basic tent sites, full hookup sites, electric sites, cabins, rustic yurts, and the coveted deluxe yurts.
The campground is situated near a small lake with easy access to Umpqua lighthouse, Winchester bay, the dunes, and the beach. From this one campground, one can experience clamming, crabbing, fishing, hiking, beachcombing… the list of outdoor activities is endless. Our site had a blackberry bush that was dripping with ripe blackberries.
The campground and restrooms were quite clean during the busy weekend we were there. The camp hosts and ranger were friendly and helpful. This is a family-​oriented campground and most people were settled down by 10pm. Our neighbors in the site to our right were drunk at night and woke us up a few times, but it wasn’t bad enough to alert the hosts.
Access to the lake can be found by walking through the yurt area, then it’s a short walk down. There’s an easy walking loop around the lake; definitely worth checking out just as the sun is going down.
We took advantage of the free-​access crab dock on Winchester Bay. Didn’t catch much, but it was a neat place to see seals, gulls, and there was even a guy on the other side of the bay who was blowing huge bubbles that floated across the water. If you go crabbing on the dock, bring a chair to sit on as you can’t leave your crab pot unattended and the dock is covered with gull droppings. Also consider bringing rope to keep your kid tethered to a pole, as my kiddo kept bouncing around and we got to a point where if he didn’t fall in the water on his own, I was going to throw him in myself.
As with many Oregon parks, my main complaint was that the sites were somewhat on the small side without a whole lot of privacy. The overall small size of the campground made up for it, though. I would suggest staying in basic site 32, electric sties 55, 54, and 14 (this is a huge site) and yurt 19 as it is secluded and close to the lake. The hike-​in camp was beautiful and we’ll probably stay there next time. And of course, the deluxe yurts are amazing!
It’s important to remember that this campground is uphill from the Oregon Dunes recreation area, so the racket from the ATVs does bubble up from time to time. It wasn’t too bad during our stay, but I could see how it might be a bit annoying during the height of the busy season. The campground seemed to be occupied by an eclectic bunch of folks, including crabbers, hipsters, ATV-​ers, and families.
Due to its small size, cleanliness, friendly staff, and access to so many family-​friendly activities, I highly recommend camping here. Try driving in via the Umpqua River Scenic Byway (from the 5 freeway, take highway 138 to 38) to take in the gorgeous views of the Umpqua river, elk, and picturesque small towns, and be sure to check out Reedsport and the Umpqua Discovery Center while you’re there.

An amazing place! I highly recommend staying in a rustic cabin, as they look over the lake and are primo camp spots in the park. Lots of chances to see wildlife, we had a raccoon visitor just after the sun went down, and lots of Steller Jay visitors. If you are coming from Portland, HWY 38 will give you an awesome drive full of elk sightings! A walk around the lake is great for learning about various native plants, and just a bit further walk from that will lead you to the lighthouse. You MUST see this at night, it’s surreal and amazing! The ocean views during the day from the lighthouse can’t be beat. If you’re looking for a peaceful place to sit, I recommend the grass just in front of the lighthouse. It overlooks the dunes and jetty, and on a sunny, breezy day it’s just about perfect. The museum is free and worth a look. The camp hosts were incredibly nice and helped make our visit pleasant. Basically, I went for a weekend with my boyfriend to «get away from it all» and it was a wonderful, peaceful trip. The campground was nearly empty when we went so I cant speak for what it is like on a busy weekend. I recommend Umpqua Lighthouse State park to anyone!

The campsites in the small campground are overlooking, or next to, a little lake with a swimming area walking distance. AND the umpaqua lighthouse itself is walking distance-​the only lighthouse in the US with a red and white lens-​amazingly beautiful! Take a tour and you get to look INSIDE the lens! The lighthouse has views of the ocean and dunes. The campsites that do not overlook the lake have lots of moss and tress. There is a group of 8? deluxe yurts which were booked for a family reunion the weekend we were there, great idea! The host told us the yurts are booked the entire summer so be warned.

Gorgeous campgrounds that are well maintained and optimally located for whale watching and ocean go’ers. Camp hosts are super friendly and interested in keeping this wonderful destination a special place to return to. It is an escape from the brutal world that most of us city dwellers know too well. Please leave your stress behind if you visit! Camp out or splurge on a deluxe yert… $ 65 and it’s cheaper than a hotel room and smells much better! Enjoy the olfactorgasms of pine, campfires and ocean air.
Attractions include a lovely lighthouse, woods, whales, water, harbor, fishermen, lovely locals that smile constantly. People are genuinely happy to live here. It is easy to understand why!