SP Campground Review – Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, OR
Another lovely Oregon State Park set on a cliff above a beach on the very SW tip of the state in Brookings, OR
NOTE/ Review updated as of last stay April, 2016
Link to campground here: Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, OR
Link to map location here: Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, OR
- Site Quality =3.5/5
There is a big mix of site quality here from very (very nice) to not so nice depending on where you end up. Sites are generally paved back-ins with picnic table and fire-pit. A few sites have yurt + hookups for those that want both. We loved the A-loop sites, but really wouldn’t want to stay in any other the other loops.
A – Loop: This is by far the nicest loop in the park. Sites are large, well-separated, flat, spacious and nicely private (most have trimmed hedges). All are 30Amp/water and most have cable TV too! Sites facing the ocean (A10, A12, A18, A20-A25) are super-prime and have fabulous (full!) ocean views out the front, but all are very nice. You really can’t go wrong in this loop.
B-loop: This is a mixed loop with some small tent sites and also a series of full hookup (30Amp/water/sewer) RV sites (B1-B8 and B11-B30 odd numbers). Although the full hookups are a nice touch I found these sites to be smaller, more uneven, darker and closer than I’d liked. The nicest of the full hookups are B2-B8 (even numbers).
C, D-loop: These are mostly smaller sites. There are a few larger sites near the ocean (C1-C4) which would fit us, but the remainder is a smaller-sized selection of full hookups and very (very) variable non-hookup sites which are really only suitable for tenters or very small rigs. Many sites were very uneven here too. - Facilities = 5/5
Very nice facilities here. Large, warm, excellent showers (no timer buttons!) and nicely clean toilets. The park also has a playground and lots of areas to picnic around the park and beach. On-site dump station with easy access. - Location = 5/5
Great location for hanging by the beach and seeing town. The campground is on a cliff above the rock-lined beach with only ~10 minute walk to sand. You are also right next to Brookings with shopping only minutes away (Fred Meyers & Rays are less than a mile), plus a bike-path into town. Just north of the park is lovely Samuel H.Boardman State Park and just 25 miles south is Crescent City which has redwoods and a lovely lighthouse. Everything within easy reach! - Pet Friendliness = 5/5
Great location for doggie. There is good space in camp and lots of beach to run & play. Several nice trails around the campground for hiking too.
Overall Rating = 4.6
BONUS ALERT = Camp with a view of the Ocean!
Summary: This campground is a huge favorite for everyone who comes here and I have to agree it’s most lovely. It’s set very picturesquely on a cliff above a pretty rock-lined beach and has all the facilities you’d want (great showers, playground, dump station etc.). It’s in a great location just minutes from town and the Brookings Marina, a few miles from Samuel H.Boardman State Park and just 25 miles from Crescent City which has redwoods and a lovely lighthouse. All around excellent stuff. The only place it gets weird is the site quality. The park has a selection of full hook-up or water/electric (30 Amp only) and non-hookup, some of which are outstanding (e.g. the front A-loop sites) and even have ocean views (A10, A12, A18, A20-A25) whereas others are extremely small or very uneven (e.g. C/D loops). In practice this means there are way less usable big-rig sites than most of the other OR State Parks we’ve been to making the fewer sites that fit very desirable and very difficult to get. We were extremely happy with our A-loop site (A15) which had huge sitting area and slice of ocean view, but would not really have wanted to stay in any of the other loops. A superb state park and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, but book ahead if you want to come (or be ready to play musical chairs in the off-season).
Extra Info: Mostly decent cell signal -> 2 bars Verizon LTE signal (although our MiFi flipped to 3G every now and then), 2 bars ATT LTE. 145 total sites of which 35 are full hookup ( 30Amp/water/sewer, $30/night), 50 sites are 30Amp/water ($28/night) and 60 are tent only (= definitely not big-rig friendly, $20/night). Cable TV is an extra $1/night. Some sites have yurts+hookups. All sites reservable in summer season. On-site dump station and water.
Video Overview: Want to see & hear it on film? Check out our ~6 minute video overview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jECz01_9i4Y
P.S. You can see a shot of each and every campsite in this State Park on campsitephotos.com
Very nice campground photos, provide a better perspective than CampsitePhotos.com Appreciate tips on specific sites.
Wanted to correct your Brookings to Crescent City mileage, it’s more like 25-26 miles. Travelers should also know there’s an agricultural inspection station at the CA border where they’ll ask about fruits and vegetables onboard.
In the fall and winter Elk congregate along Hwy. 101 around Smith River. I’ve seen them on the shoulder of the highway!
Thanks for that. I caught my mistake and updated the post. Cheers!
Nina
Thanks for all the info on Harris Beach, S.P. W e will definitely spend some time there, when in Oregon. We are settled in Marin, and loving it. Mediteranian weather. How good can it get. Wishing you both HAPPY Travels. Hope to meet up with you in the desert. Else and Kim.
You guys would love this park! Glad you are well settled in Marin. Enjoy your winter there!
Nina
Nina,
Do you use your iphone to post on wordpress? If so, how do you put photos within your post? Mine always just go to the top and I can’t place them between my post. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Shawna
Sent from my iPhone
Nope, I use my computer. I would imagine you can move pictures around on a phone post by manually editing the HTML code (if you have that option), but otherwise I have no clue.
Nina
P.S. I don’t own an iPhone either…
Yet again, inspired by your blog! Just booked A12 for August (2 nights), so excited!!!!
There’s just something magical about our Southern Oregon Coast and Crescent City. Go there every chance I get. Love your posts..Jan from Klamath Falls.
Loved your video and the explanation with the map are a great help. I hope you make more of this type of video in the future.
Pam
We’re working on it. We’ve already got 4 campground reviews our the YouTube channel and plan to keep doing them as we move along. Plus I’m hoping to do a few other videos. We’ll see..
Nina
Great job guys,
Excellent information, very good cameraman.
Look forward to the next post. 🙂
Very kind of you! Our videos are very amateur stuff, but we’re enjoying it so far.
Nina
Awesome review. They have added sewer to most of the A loop now, but have gotten rid of the cable tv.
Just wanted to call out that Site A24 has, by far, the best view – so book this site if you can.
We also stayed in C-4 and this is one of the best sites without ocean views. It has a huge yard and is very private. We loved this park and this spot. Great for big rig.
Thanks for all your hard work. I don’t go anywhere without first checking to see if you’ve reviewed it 🙂
Excellent! Thank you very much for reporting back!!
Nina
The family and I stayed here in March of 2019. We mistakenly chose a site that backed up to the play ground. HUGE mistake. Kids were out there at dawn, and they ventured into our site often. So much for sleeping in and a relaxing vacation. The wind was terrible, we couldn’t use the awning on our trailer the whole trip. And it rained probably 90% of our trip. Which we ended up cutting short as we were just miserable in the pounding rain. Our first day at camp was beautiful with no rain, and we trekked down to the beach and toured around. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! And the town being close was nice. Not too far away from civilization. Aside from the weather, the place is beautiful and we would come back. Just not in a site backed up to the play ground.