Camping at Sunset Bay Campground on the Southern Oregon Coast

Looking for more great things to do in and around Sunset Bay State Park?
Take a glorious hike from Sunset Bay to Shore Acres. For more ideas come rain or shine, check out my guide to Coos Bay on a Rainy Day: Restaurants, Museums & Beautiful Beaches.

AMENITIES

• Flush toilets
• Drinkable water
• Free hot showers — the best ones are in the D loop
• Picnic tables and campfire rings at every campsite
• Firewood for sale from host
• Interpretive Center with kids’ programs in summer
• Amphitheater with ranger programs in summer
• Beach access
• Firewood for sale
• Electrical, water, and sewer hook-ups available at some sites
• No/very poor cell service, but we found that both Verizon and T-Mobile had decent service in Charleston and Coos Bay

ABOUT THE SITES

• Sunset Bay Campground offers 139 campsites and is open year round. Some loops may be closed during the winter season.
• There are 65 tent sites, 35 sites with electrical and water hookups, and 39 with full hookups.
• Eight yurts are also available in Loop D.
• Standard (dry) campsites cost $19 per night and up. Price varies by season.
• Utility sites cost $28 per night and up. Again, price varies by season. Special note: Non-Oregon residents must pay a 25% upcharge for RV sites.
• Yurts cost $45 per night and up. The yurts at Sunset Bay are spacious and include beds, seating, and a heater, but no indoor water access. No cooking is allowed inside the yurts, but all sites include a picnic table and campfire ring.
• One extra vehicle per site is allowed. There is an additional nightly charge of $7.
• Utility sites are located in loop A and along the main road through the campground. Sites in the B, C, and D loops are primarily dry sites.

• Most sites at Sunset Bay Campground get a mix of shade and sun. Loop A is the most exposed.
• Many campsites are fairly small. Check the description when reserving online. Generally speaking, campsites on the outside of the loops are more spacious, although this isn’t always the case. Hedges create a clear border between most (but not all) sites.
• We stayed at campsite #A22. The driveway is close to the neighboring site, #A21. This worked well for us since our friends were camping there. A tall hedge created a good barrier with the other neighboring site, #A24. Bonus: a secret hillside path behind our site led to a hidden fort in the woods!
• Pets on leash are allowed at Sunset Bay Campground. One of the yurts is also pet-friendly.

FUN STUFF

• Play on the beach. The beach at Sunset Bay is not to be missed! While it occasionally sees big waves (and surfers), this protected spot is typically calm. It’s also one of the best spots for swimming along the Oregon Coast on a warm summer day.
• Go tide pooling. Sunset Bay’s extensive tide pools are an incredible place to explore. Check the tide tables ahead of time to determine the best time to explore the local marine life.
• Enjoy a picnic. Picnic tables are available in the day use area near the beach, and there’s even an enclosed picnic shelter available for rainy days.

• Take a hike. You can hike to nearby Shore Acres State Park directly from the campground. I highly recommend this gorgeous trail, which extends all the way to Cape Arago State Park.
• Visit the interpretive center. Open throughout the summer, this hands-on mini-museum often offers kids’ programs.
• Sit in on a ranger presentation. Also offered only during the summer, evening ranger talks feature a wide range of topics. On our visit, I noticed the amphitheater is looking a little worse for the wear, so hopefully there’s money in the parks budget for an upgrade in the near future.

NEARBY & NOTABLE

• Shore Acres and Cape Arago State Parks are right next door to Sunset Bay Campground. Shore Acres is famed for both its beautiful formal gardens as well as the crashing waves that frequently pound its shores. Cape Arago is a great place to spot wildlife, including offshore seals and sea lions, and provides access to two gorgeous beaches. All three parks are connected by hiking trails.
• Bastendorff Beach is a mere 10-minute drive from Sunset Bay Campground. In addition to the beach, Bastendorff has a great kids’ playground and campground.
• The Charleston Marine Life Center, just ten minutes away in the tiny town of Charleston, is a wonderful place to visit on a rainy day. Or any day, for that matter. With aquariums to explore and lots of hands on exhibits, it’s both educational and entertaining. Admission for adults is $5, while kids and students get in free.
• Coos Bay is the largest town on the southern Oregon Coast. Forgot anything? You can find it here. For a nice meal out, try 7 Devils Brewing, or head to The Boat for delicious fish ‘n chips. Looking to explore beyond the beach? Check out the Coos Art Museum, Coos History Museum, or the Oregon Coast Historical Railway.
• The Holiday Lights at Shore Acres are a true highlight when visiting the parks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. This stunning light display is free to visit, but in 2022 a new reservation system was implemented to better control the traffic flow. Believe me, those reservations booked up fast, so plan accordingly! Reservations were free for campers staying at Sunset Bay Campground, or $5 for most other visitors.

THE VERDICT

When it comes to family camping on the Oregon Coast, it doesn’t get much better than Sunset Bay Campground. The number one draw is gorgeous Sunset Bay itself. This protected cove is only a five to ten minute walk from the campground. Enjoy time in the sand, go at low tide to explore the tide pools, or use it as the starting point for some great hikes. On warm summer days, this is one of the best spots for swimming on the Oregon Coast. And as for sunsets, well, need I say more?

The campground is situated in a beautiful forested creekside ravine. Sites are well kept with concrete parking pads, and the bathrooms were clean throughout our visit (not always an easy feat at beachfront campgrounds). The free hot showers, typical for Oregon State Park campgrounds, were a real plus for us. For the most luxurious camp shower experience, loop D offers individual private shower rooms.

We didn’t encounter many others using the showers, but that’s probably because in November the majority of campers were staying in RVs. I’ll also add that while the showers were hot, the tap water was freezing cold. That’s pretty typical for campgrounds I’ve stayed at, so I wasn’t surprised.

One downside is that many campsites are on the smaller side. This is especially true for sites on the interior of each loop and along the main road through the campground. Check the site descriptions when reserving. Low hedges create a visible boundary between most sites, which is a nice touch. Keep in mind that this is not wilderness camping. Especially in summer, Sunset Bay is a busy place, and the campground feels like a small village.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a beautiful setting with easy beach access and don’t mind the lack of seclusion, Sunset Bay Campground is a great experience. Book a site for yourself and go make some memories!

I admit I was surprised when my friend suggested Sunset Bay Campground for our proposed Thanksgiving week camping trip. Not because I had any objection — I love this special place on the Oregon Coast — but because her family would be driving all the way from Southern California for the trip. Luckily, they were willing to make the drive. Plans were enthusiastically made, and finally, on a sunny Saturday in November, we met in person at our adjoining campsites.

Our first night was spent setting up camp, followed by dinner at 7 Devils in Coos Bay. The next morning, we took it easy around the breakfast table before heading into town for a grocery store run and fish ‘n chips at The Boat. At Sunset Bay Campground, civilization is just around the corner should you need it.

But the real draw is the proximity to Sunset Bay’s incredible shoreline, and late afternoon at low tide was the perfect time to explore. The kids quickly discovered the “ghost forest”, the petrified remains of ancient tree roots that appear at low tide. On either side of the bay, hundreds of tide pools glistened in the late afternoon sun. The next day brought even more discoveries, as we hiked from Sunset Bay Campground to Shore Acres.

By Tuesday night, two more families arrived to join us. Breakfasts now became a group event, with kids and parents gathering around our picnic table at site #A22. A wide ranging buffet of eggs, toast, bacon, fruit, and ramen fueled us up for each day.

Sometimes, the kids would scamper up the hill behind out site and disappear into the woods. Rumors of a secret fort hidden in the forest drifted back to the adults. Evenings evolved into boisterous s’mores parties around the campfire. I admit I felt a sense of relief when all was said and done that no eyes were poked out with a roasting stick!

The first full day with all four families was a rainy one. No, the sun doesn’t always shine on the Oregon Coast, but even in the rain there is no shortage of things to do. We headed into Coos Bay to visit the Coos History Museum, then hit up Face Rock Creamery for enormous ice cream cones. I’ll let you guess which place was the biggest hit with the kids! Back at camp, the kids enjoyed some “inside” time at the yurt of one of our fellow camping families.

Fortunately, the following day was another sunny one, perfect for play time on the beach. Our group stayed on the sand for hours, watching as the waters of Sunset Bay slowly receded over the course of the afternoon. My oldest son took the opportunity to attempt to dig his largest hole in the sand yet. Four hours later, he’d made impressive progress.

The only damper on our experience was when our friends’ car was hit by a deer a few miles outside the park boundary. It was a freak accident, and thankfully no one (other than the poor deer and the car radiator) was injured. Regardless, it was a sobering situation that changed the trajectory of the remainder of the trip. Fortunately, with the help of one of our fellow camping families and a rental U-Haul, both the damaged car and tent trailer were safely towed back home to Southern California.

Once the Californians left, our family found ourselves suddenly on our own on a rainy afternoon. By this time Michael, who missed out on the first part of the trip due to work, had joined us, just in time to say goodbye to the rest of the crew. As the rain dripped onto our canopy, I wondered what to do now. Suddenly, an idea struck. We piled into the car for a quick trip trip to the Charleston Marine Life Center, which kept us well entertained until it was time to head to the Holiday Lights at Shore Acres. Just like that, our groove was back.

Our final morning was a sunny one as we packed up to go. Before we left, however, there was one last thing I needed to see. Just what was this secret fort in the forest? I followed my younger son up a treacherous trail to an unexpected clearing in the woods. Someone had evidently been hard at work repurposing the many logs that lay piled on the ground. I’m not sure who created this hidden fortress (or if its construction was even legal), but I can certainly understand how it captured the kids’ imaginations. At Sunset Bay Campground, you never know what wonders you’ll discover.