After our big push to complete the remaining Nifty Ninety peaks on our list (we are still shy of two that are currently inaccessible), we’ve been laying low and taking a break, especially with the on again, off again heat waves. However, we recently came back from a camping trip to the southern Oregon coast, where the temperatures were a cool mid-60s, and downright cold at night. It was great!
We met up with our friends at Eel Creek Campground. Managed by the US Forest Service, it sits right on the edge of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, and some sites look almost like a sandbox. Sandwiched between Highway 101 and the dunes, it was the perfect place to relax for a few days.
Our site, #4, was nestled among the trees, which provided great shade during the day. It was adjacent to our friends’ site so we had a “living area” that we shared to hang out and share meals. While the sites were near the entrance, the location was actually perfect because we were away from the main area and had no one across from us. Less noise and more privacy.
A trail from the campground leads right to the dunes. I didn’t realize the dunes were right there, so on our first day, after setting up camp, we did a quick hike to check it out and wow, was it an unexpected find! The initial part of the trail is through some dense woods, but as it climbs up, it suddenly opens up onto this wide expanse of sand and dune.
After our friends arrived, we spent part of the next afternoon exploring the area, climbing up some dunes, walking along the ridges and almost getting blown off our feet. It’s otherworldly seeing so much sand in all directions.
One of the other super fun things we did was to rent side-by-sides. None of us had ever driven one before, and after discussing whether to take our personal vehicles (we have a Defender, they have a Ford truck) out to the dunes, we decided it would be wiser to take machines purpose built for such adventures. Two hours flew by!
It was a short trip, but worth the drive to spend time with friends, explore a new area, and experience the thrill of a side-by-side on the dunes.