Introduction:
While we enjoyed our stay at this state park, it was a bit busy and crowded.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 3.9/5
Price per night / Discounts: $32 / None
Campground website: South Beach State Park
Our Site #: F-18
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
3.75/5: Because this was a state park, we had more space than we would have had at a commercial park, however, we still felt pretty close to our neighbors. There was a ton of greenery which helped a lot. We just wish the spaces were a bit bigger. Overall, it was decent.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
5/5: If you want to be on the beach in Oregon, this is as good as it gets. We could walk from our site to the ocean in about 10 minutes. The park is located just over the Yaquina Bridge from the downtown area - all of about a 10 minute drive. The Yaquina Outstanding Natural Area, home to the town's famous lighthouse, is just about 20 minutes away. The park's location for exploring this area is just fantastic.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
3/5: Sites were mostly level, though some were not great. The park only offers water/electric, but there are helpful gray water dump stations throughout the campground, so if you have a plastic bin you can put in your sink, you can collect your dish water and dump it at the stations, saving precious gray tank space. The main dump station is severely lacking in that there is only one dump station for well over 100 campsites. This is simply not enough. We lucked out with just a short 20 minute wait, but we can imagine how bad it would be on a weekend. The roads are reasonable, but tight. Like everything in the campground, they just seem overly busy and compact.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
4/5: We booked our site through Reserve America which was great. Check in was fine, albeit a bit slow. There always seemed to be a line at the front gate. Not a huge thing, but just a noticeable difference from other parks we've visited.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
3.5/5: Our Verizon hot spot worked well, but AT&T was pretty weak. No wifi.
Summary:
Overall, while we liked this park, it wasn't our favorite. It just felt too busy and compact. The neighbors were a bit close, the roads were a bit narrow, the dump station was insufficient, etc. We loved the park's location for exploring the nearby area, and we would certainly stay here again, but when comparing it to other state parks we've visited around the country, it didn't rank particularly high.
