There are so many wonderful places to travel in Oregon, especially if you love the great outdoors! In this article, we’ll take a look at a loop through Southern Oregon from the Southern Oregon coast to Crater Lake and then Ashland. This camping trip in Southern Oregon needs about 7-10 days and is very doable if, like us, you’re coming from Northern California. Here’s why we loved this Southern Oregon camping trip.
Why plan a Southern Oregon camping trip?
First of all, if you don’t know about Oregon parks, let me fill you in. They are really nice … much nicer than California parks! The Oregon parks we’ve stayed in have hookups (a mix of full and partial hookups), which is a big deal if you’re traveling in an RV like we do.
The campsites are usually well spaced out with hedges separating them; although the campsites are often smaller than sites in California, they feel better maintained. The bathrooms are usually very nice with free hot showers. Many of the state parks are free to enter, so you can spend the day exploring nearby parks at no cost.
And Oregon is just a wonderful place to travel! The roads are excellent, it’s not crowded, the food is good, the weather is (usually) nice, the scenery is amazing, and it is not expensive! The camping is about 50% less than in California, and the gas is a dollar less per gallon.
On this Southern Oregon camping trip, we stayed at Sunset Bay State Park on the Southern Oregon coast, at Joseph H. Stewart Recreation Area in Southern Oregon near Crater Lake National Park, and then at Emigrant Lake in Ashland. You can use this Google Map to help you plan your trip!
Sunset Bay State Park, Southern Oregon coast
(If you’re coming up I-5 from California, you may want to make a stop in the Mt. Shasta/Burney Falls area, where we stayed for a one-night stopover.) It’s a bit far to get over to the coast, but it is so worth it! The cooler weather, dramatic views, non-stop hiking trails, wildlife spotting, and mushroom hunting made this the idea stop on our Southern Oregon camping trip. If you want to make the trip longer, head up the Central Oregon coast for so many beautiful places to stay.
We love Sunset Bay State Park for the Oregon Coast because of the miles of hiking trails that you can access right from the campground. The trails connect three state parks where you can go mushroom hunting, see seals and seal lions, go tide pooling, go SUP or kayaking, and visit the formal gardens of Shore Acres. The main attraction is the stunning views of the coastline with its unusual geology.
You can read all about Sunset Bay in “Oregon Coast Road Trip” and in this YouTube video.
Pros of Sunset Bay SP Campground:
There’s so much to do within walking distance!
The campground is fine with decent campsites
Trails leading off the campground that kids will love exploring
Excellent mushroom hunting on the trail next to sites B17/B19
There are tent sites and RV sites with partial and full hookups
Sunset Bay and volleyball courts and horseshoe pits are an easy walk from the campground
10 minutes to Coos Bay
Yurts available
Cons:
Basic bathrooms with no private bathrooms
If you get partial hookups, there is no dump station, and you’ll need to go to one of the nearby parks.
Limited cell service
If you need full hookups, try to avoid the A-B sites because that part of the campground feels busier.
Campsites at Sunset Bay:
We stayed in site A 36 with partial hookups and found the site quiet and private. Our kids loved the little creek behind it for playing. The second time we stayed in A 10 with full hookups and found the site small and the area crowded.
Joseph H. Stewart Recreation Area: Rogue River & Crater Lake
Joseph H. Stewart Rec Area is a large campground with water and electric hookups and tent sites that’s near the Rogue River and Crater Lake. We loved this campground! It’s the perfect base for a Southern Oregon camping trip.
Pros:
The campground has a nice, shaded walking/biking trail of several miles total.
The Lost Creek Reservoir is pretty and may be good for boating, fishing, or SUP, but we found the day use area to be crowded.
Some of the sites are very spacious!
Large, clean bathrooms
Activities: volleyball, horseshoe pits, playground, off-leash area for dogs
Cons:
Besides the reservoir and trails, there’s not much to do at the campground. We had to drive to find more hiking.
There are very few places to eat or shop nearby.
The campground is big, and if you stay in a more crowded area, it may feel busy.
This area can get hot in the summer.
Campsites at Joseph H. Stewart:
We stayed in site B 34 and thought it was one of the best sites! Lots of space and open area behind it.
What to do near Joseph H. Stewart:
Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint, 10 miles northeast on Mill Creek Drive, features a forested trail to Pearsoney Falls. This is a great hike to do as a family. It’s not too long or difficult, but there’s plenty to see along the way to the falls.
Natural Bridge: this part of the Rogue River has several spots where lava formed tubes, and you can see the river gushing in and out of these tubes. Beautiful and fascinating!
We’re not into fishing, but if you like to fish, both Casey State Recreation Site and Tou Velle State Recreation Site are nearby and are supposed to be “outstanding access points for fishing on the Rogue River.”
Cole Rivers Fish Hatchery, the largest hatchery in Oregon, offers self-guided tours and is just a few miles away.
Day trip from Joseph H. Stewart: Crater Lake
Crater Lake National Park is just 36 miles northeast of Joseph Stewart campground. The lake’s incredibly blue water must be seen in person because words cannot do it justice. The lake was formed about 7700 years ago when a huge eruption caused the collapse of the mountain’s tall peak. And by the way, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S.!
Visiting this national park is an easy day trip to add to your Southern Oregon camping trip. It’s especially easy from the Joseph Stewart campground. Because the park is relatively small and has only one major sight, it’s manageable with just a few hours.
We spent a couple of hours walking around the rim and taking in the views, had lunch at the nearby Visitors Center, drove a bit farther up the crater and got out for more views, and then did a dog-friendly hike closer to the entrance.
Note that there can be snow in the summer and that the park is only open in the warm months. Also, it’s a good idea to check the webcams to be sure that the lake is visible before visiting.
Ashland & Emigrant Lake
We liked this little campground for a quick stop over; the lake is surrounded by hills and is a good choice for laid-back water sports, and the town of Ashland is just a few minutes away. The sites are fairly small but somehow still feel kind of private because they’re angled away from each other, and they have a view of the water.
Let me know in the comments below if you have questions about this Southern Oregon camping trip.
Just east of Sunset Bay is a small golf course, that was mentioned in a publication recently and noted that it was a wonderful, inexpensive but challenging course.
It’s located near Charleston OR.
Thank you for adding this tip!
I loved reading about your experience in Southern Oregon. Your descriptions really made it come alive for me. Happy travels!