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Set between the ocean and the bay, Nehalem Bay Campground is situated on a 4 mile-long sand spit. The campground setting is in shore pines bordered by rolling dunes. Walk over the dunes and you’re at the beach building sand castles, flying a kite or relaxing to the sound of the ocean. A forested 1.8 mile long bike path provides a breathtaking view of the bay. You may see deer and elk grazing and a variety of birds. Kayaking, crabbing, fishing and clamming are popular activities.
Park features include a 2,400 foot airstrip that includes a fly-in camp. A hiker-biker camp offers sites for those -walking and riding bikes. Yurts are available as an alternative camping experience. Primitive horse campsites offer horse enthusiasts camping with several miles of trails and beach to explore.
Camping and other facilities:
-265 electrical sites with water
-18 yurts (nine pet friendly; see our Pets in Parks FAQ for more info)
-Hot showers and flush toilets
-Horse camp with 17 primitive sites
-Hiker/biker camp
-Airport camp with primitive fly-in sites
-RV dump station
-Meeting hall
Directions to Nehalem Bay State Park Turn off US 101 at the Shell station between Manzanita and Nehalem. Travel 1 1/2 miles to the park. Follow signs to the campground 1/2 mile inside park entrance.
My boyfriend and I stayed here for one night and it was probably one of the best State parks we stayed in. We left Cannon Beach and drove here as the campgrounds were either over priced or closed for the season.
We arrived at this State Park at 6:30pm and the front desk was still open. We were allocated A20 which was a great site as we could hook up to the electricity and water. Also, for those interested, there are several yurts on site which looked great.
The showers and washrooms are in the centre. No tokens and no limits on how long you can use the showers. It was busy during our stay which meant we could hear several dogs barking early in the morning.
I would definitely come back here and recommend staying here.
When an absolutely wonderful place to go, I have my state park pass for day use and come here often. I like this state park because they have amazing camping. They have equestrian camping. And they have yurts. You can drive in and see lots of elk. They have a great boat launch. Plenty of parking and restrooms. What a beautiful site it is I happen to live across the bay in the town called Wheeler which is very beautiful to see from the state park, there’s lots of walking trails and beachfront. Breathtaking.
Stayed early July 2023. Weather was clear but windy; with a very cool wind. We were given the heads up to bring warm clothing with us and glad we did. Unfortunately, the wind (which was consistently strong for days on end) we experienced really impeded our ability to enjoy the oceanfront, other than a few short trips to the beach.
The campground is filled with kids on bikes and there’s a really nice 2 mile loop through the forest for bikes or by foot. The shower and restroom facilities are looking pretty tired and really need some attention. There were only 3 of the 4 showers operable on the women's side for our entire (D) loop. They also need more attention on a daily basis to keep them clean. There also appears to be no limit as to the number of campers that can be on one site, so some of them were packed with multiple tents and lots of peeps. So be prepared you may have some noisy neighbours, but these seem to be few thankfully. Some of the sites are pretty close together with not a ton of green space in between and there’s not a ton of privacy.
The little town nearby has a pretty good grocery store, but I’d recommend doing your major shopping before you get here.
It’s a gorgeous area to visit; just be prepared for some cooler evenings and wind depending on the time of year you’re travelling.
