The Oregon Coast's Forested State Park Has Camping, Miles Of Trails, And A Beach With Whale Watching

The California coast may get all the attention, but there's way more to the West Coast than Venice Beach and Big Sur — and those looking for a back-to-nature coastal retreat would do well to head north to Oregon. Case in point: Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park. With miles of trails, views your Instagram feed will love, and a prime location for spying migrating gray whales, this park makes for an excellent choice for a quiet but invigorating weekend in nature. Campers, wildlife-watchers, and hikers alike would do well to take note. 

The park is located just off the famous U.S. Highway 101 between the towns of Florence and Yachats, a gem of the Oregon coast. Here, you aren't even limited to short day trips — the park offers year-round camping with sites for RVs and tents, as well as two yurts available for rent. With easy beach access and private sites, the campground is rated 4.5 stars on the camping site The Dyrt, where many reviewers commented they wish they could've stayed longer. If those options for a serene but convenient retreat into nature don't quite sell you on a visit, the park's beautiful hikes and wildlife viewing potential just might. 

The Oregon Coast isn't just packed with picturesque small towns, though that's certainly true. Its natural beauty is just as impressive as anything you'll find down south, and the scenery at Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park is as varied as it is stunning. Forested promontories jut above the sea, and not far from the sandy shores of the park's outskirts, you'll be able to hike to dense coastal forest trails — some of which form part of the Oregon Coast Trail. So it's no surprise that hiking is one of its star attractions, with two trails in particular, Heceta Head Trail and Hobbit Trail, coming highly recommended by hikers on platforms like AllTrails. 

The Heceta Head Trail begins outside of the park and makes its way up the coast to Heceta Head Lighthouse, a charming coastal landmark where you can stay overnight, before continuing down into the state park to end at Hobbit Beach (which is the endpoint of both of these hikes). It's a particularly good choice if your idea of a fabulous hike involves a vantage point with a sweeping view, which you'll get at the midpoint of the hike when you reach Heceta Head Lighthouse. 

The equally beautiful Hobbit Trail is a quicker option at 1.3 miles, winding through the forest to Hobbit Beach. If you're in the mood for a longer hike, it can easily be combined with the China Creek Loop for a 3.9-mile round trip with mountain and forest views that led one AllTrails user to declare it "one of the best hikes in Oregon," while another recommended timing your hike to be on the beach at low tide to see the tide pools.

Winter and spring are whale season as roughly 18,000 gray whales make their way up and down the coast between their winter birthing grounds in Baja California and their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic. This 12,000-mile migration is visible from many parts of the West Coast, including Washburne State Park, which is notable because visitors can often see whales from the park's 5-mile expanse of beach without having to set foot on a boat. And if you're planning on hiking the Heceta Head Trail during your time in the park, Heceta Head Lighthouse, with its higher vantage point, is another prime whale watching hotspot.

Both of these outlooks make Washburn an ideal place to scan the horizon for a whale spout, but the season of your visit makes all the difference in the sightings you'll get. Although there are resident gray whales year-round on the Oregon Coast, your chances of spotting one from the park's beaches are best during migration seasons: December and January, when whales are traveling south from Alaska, and April to June, when whales are northbound. So if you plan to visit during those months, bring a pair of binoculars to the beach and keep your eyes peeled for a whale spout.