Winchester Bay - Oregon

Best laid plans right?  So our week exploring Southern Oregon has now turned into our week on the Oregon Coast thanks to a heat wave that hit the valley this week.  We decided that 4 more days with near 100 temps might just be our sign to head west.  Don't get me wrong, I of all people LOVE the heat, and if we were near a pool I would be all over it...but we aren't.  Luck dropped us at Winchester Bay in what may be one of the best sites at the campground overlooking the marina with a HUGE private grassy area just outside our door.

View out of our front window

Looking out the left side of the window

 There are three main camping areas here at Winchester Bay. (1) Dry camping on the marina $14, (2) Overnight camping with full hookups at Windy Cove A or Windy Cove B for $23, and (3) Larger sites at the Winchester Bay RV Resort with all amenities including cable and the best views of the Bay and ocean inlet for $42 a night.  The marina dry camping sites are on a first come basis, but all have nice marina views and could be a very good option for a couple of nights.  The Windy Cove campground is well...just not our type of place...full of ATV riders, flooded with kids, fires burning everywhere, and loads of random crap piled on everyone's lot.  Of course, if you are into that scene every seat has a......  Winchester Bay is a major recreational gateway to the sand dunes as well as a fishing and crabbing community.  Tourism clearly represents a large portion of the economy.  This is one of our favorite parks on the coast for just relaxing and enjoying the scenery.  We will be here for two nights and then will be heading north towards Pacific Shores in Newport where we will be spending the 4th with friends and enjoying the cooler, but still sunny weather.

View from our site #109 - nobody to the right

Another ocean view lot

Windy Cove Campground B - Popular ATV spot

View of bay from end of dry camping area

Dry Camping Area - Great views!

Ocean facing lot at Winchester Bay RV Resort

Dry Camping spot facing marina

View from Ocean facing lot

First Campground Video Posted - 7 Feathers

Be gentle...our first campground review video is now posted on our video review page.  Clearly this is a learning process as I did not realize that I needed to hold our Ipad horizontally to get a full screen video that properly loads.  Good news is that we will be filming our next video here at Pacific Shores in Newport, Oregon and I will make sure we do it properly.  I would love to have your feedback on what other things interest you in a video review, what should be excluded, etc.  Be harsh...I can take it AND want to improve....

7 Feathers RV Resort Video Review

RV Campground Reviews - Our grading scale

Everyone has things that are important to them when it comes to an RV campground.  I think it is important to disclose those biases up front so when you read our campground reviews you understand what we focus on most closely.

For us, the following amenities are important:
 - SETTING: Is the campground in a nice setting? Are the grounds well cared for? If there are long term renters, do they maintain their sites? Is the campground quiet and relaxing or noisy and obnoxious? Is the road/train/other noise at a minimum or is sleep difficult?
- AMENITIES: Are all hookups present? Are they conveniently located? Are the WIFI strong? Are the cable channels complete? Is there a workout room or pool? Is garbage/recycling conveniently located? Are there bathrooms and laundry facilities?
- ACCESSIBILITY: Is the campground easy to find?  Are the roads leading to the campground in good shape?  Is the campground manueverable? Are sites easily accessed? Are the toad unhooking options reasonable?
- FRIENDLINESS:  Are the campground hosts/office staff warm and inviting? Are people in the campground friendly and approachable? Do people make a point of saying hi?

We will rate these items on a 1-5 scale and give an Overall score which MAY not be the average of the subscores.  If something is hideous enough at a park to detract from other areas we will certainly point that out.  Again, biases are important.  We like quiet, friendly parks in nice settings with good amenities....that pretty much sums it up!  We hope you enjoy the reviews......