Eel Creek Campground, Oregon

October 1-2, 2010

On what might be the last warm weekend of the year, Kate and I went camping with friends, Anita and Hilary. We chose a campground on the coast, near Lakeside (about 10 miles south of Reedsport).

The campground was nearly deserted and other than the first night (when we were serenaded past midnight by folk musicians next door), extremely quiet. The sites are very private, and ours was completely hidden from the road. The campground backs onto John Dellenback Dunes, which is one of the few dunes in the area forbidden to ATVs.

We arrived late Friday afternoon under thick cloud cover, but Saturday morning, clouds quickly gave way to blue. We took the canoe over to Tugman State Park, just across Highway 101, where we could paddle around Eel Lake. It was a bit windy and cool, but the sun shone bright. Back and the campground, Kate and Hilary settled in around the campfire while Anita and I took a hike up into the dunes to watch the sunset. It was a gorgeous view, with the ocean in the distance.

On Sunday, after breaking camp, Kate and I ventured south a bit to explore Sunset Bay before heading home.