NEWPORT ELKS LODGE, NEWPORT, OR

Our Opinion: Neutral - but we would not be likely to return.  Private; you must be an Elk to stay here.

Date of Stay: August 16, 17, 18, 2011.

Weather During Stay: Beautiful sunshine, cool temperatures - and WIND at the beach..

Sites:  8 back-in sites on asphalt behind the lodge building. All sites have 30 amp E, water, and cable TV.  Rather narrow sites (no room for your awning if you have neighbors) are sloped to varying degrees; we used boards on the passenger side to level sufficiently.

Rate: $15/night for W/E and cable TV.  No dump station.  Stay limit 7 days.

Phone/radio/TV: Good Verizon phone and aircard signal.  No obstructions to block TV satellite dish, and cable TV is provided.  NPR on 90.5 FM.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain:  This lodge sits on the side of a hill above the marina and old Bayfront area of Newport between a residential neighborhood and a heavily trafficked commercial street.  Most of the RV sites are not level, but we managed to settle in comfortably.  Views are of neighboring rigs, the back of the lodge, and nearby houses.

Lighting/Noise: A major east/west state highway traverses the hillside just above the RV parking.  Lots of daytime traffic noise, and occasional very noisy trucks or motorcycles during the night. If you click on the top photo, you can spot the cab of a truck passing by on the road, just above our motorhome (the one with the white solar screen).

Favorite Sites: None of them are great!  Sites 5 and 6 look reasonably level and longer, but face directly to the back of the lodge.  The photos look a bit nicer than the actual sites.

Hiking/Walking: We walked down the steep hill to the boardwalk along the marina.  Quite a hike back, but there is a bus that heads up the hill.

Comments: We would recommend this Elks parking only if you really want/need to be in Newport and are not willing to pay the high prices commanded by local RV parks - fees above $40/night are not unusual.  An nearby asphalt plant (or similar) puffs out a foul odor a couple of times a day, and there is considerable urban noise.  Next time, we’d stay at the nicer Elks parking in either Florence (south) or Lincoln City (north), or bite the bullet and pay the higher rate at an RV park.  Still, we commend the Newport Elks for making this budget-priced parking available to traveling Elks.  Probably the best deal in town.