OCEANSIDE RV PARK, CHARLESTON, OREGON

Our Opinion:  Recommend.  If you want a beautiful beach location with good hiking nearby, this is for you.

Date of Stay: September 14-17, 2009 (Our third stay here.)

Weather During Stay: Cool, some sun, some showers, some fog.  Usual coastal summer weather.

Site Description:  We were in site 21A, a long level back-in.  Sites are slightly larger than typical commercial park standards (in other words, you have room for slides, awnings, the provided picnic table, your towed or tow vehicle - and room for your chairs, too!).  All sites have FHU, with 30/50 amps.  Cable TV is provided, with 14 channels. 

This park has 67 FHU sites, most of them back-ins around the perimeter of the park.  The condition of the utilities varies from one visit to the next, but is generally fine.  Sites are level, and all have a picnic table and a bit of grass.  The 17 pull-throughs are quite long.

Rate: $30.30 per night for RV sites.  Fantastic tent sites in the dunes are available for $21.21.

Phone/radio/TV: Verizon cells phones and the aircard work well here.  We didn’t check local TV stations on the antenna since basic cable TV was included.  No obstacles for satellite TV in most spaces (those just north of the bluff might have a problem).  Local NPR is available on 88.5. WiFi is available, but we didn’t try it.  Propane is available for sale on-site.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain:  This small park is at sea level, with a small width of sand dunes separating the park from the beach.  Views are of neighbors, a tree-covered bluff, and the short dunes.  You DO NOT see the ocean from your site (not a problem for us) because of the grassy dunes between the park and the beach.

Lighting/Noise: Night lighting is unobtrusive.  Very quiet at night.  Road noise is not a problem even in those spaces that are close to the road.

Favorite Sites: The back-in sites around the perimeter offer a little more privacy than the pull-throughs.

Hiking/Walking: Walk a short distance through the dunes to a beautiful beach, at least a mile long.  Beautiful Sunset Bay State Park is one mile away, with a few miles of hiking trails along the coastal bluffs.

Comments: If this park was in a more mundane location, we wouldn’t stay, but this location makes it special.  Wander out to the beach, explore the tide pools on the rocks to the south, or drive the short distance to the state park to hike the bluffs or visit the gardens at Shore Acres.  The scenic fishing town of Charleston is nearby, and major shopping is not far away, in Coos Bay.  Reservations recommended.