Westport Lighthouse Campground and RV Park (Military Campground)

Westport Lighthouse Campground and RV Park is located on the grounds of Gray's Harbor Lighthouse and is run by the United States Coast Guard. You  must have a valid military ID to utilize this campground.  The reservation process was a bit complicated - but was well worth the effort.  The sites have water and electricity. There is a rustic bathroom and shower. Nothing fancy - but not scary to use.  The sites cost only $15 a night.

This is RVing as one dares to imagine it. We were the only ones in the campground, we were under a LIGHTHOUSE, walking distance to the beach, it was quiet and peaceful and wonderful. The campground IS rustic. This was the hardest spot for Michael to get our 31 foot trailer into. Our space was narrow and uneven, and the road was muddy.  However, once we were in - we LOVED it.  We had a lot of space around the "RV dirt pad," a fire ring, two tables and lots of trees around us.

 

 

 

The lighthouse is operational and the keeper gives a GREAT tour. The tour is free to military ID card holders.

 

We barely scratched the surface of things to do in the Westport area, but we had a blast and this little campground is a perfect place to launch for adventures.

The review on this site has contact info and directions. For more campground reviews click "campground" in the category section in the side bar.

Toutle River RV Resort

Toutle River RV Resort is the campground we WANTED to LOVE.  It's also the park that taught me to check Google Earth as well as various RV Park site reviews.

 There is much to love here.  The Tents for Troops program originated with this Resort. They gave us two free nights of camping - we stayed four. Their fees are not posted on the website - but from what we were charged I would guess $45 - $47 a night. This was a great deal for us at $23 a night average. Toutle River RV Resort is located directly off I-5 in Castle Rock, WA. It is one exit away from the exit for Mount Saint Helens. We expected road noise.

 We had trouble trying to make a reservation on the phone, but decided to just drop in. There were LOTS of spaces available and the lady in the gift shop was the friendliest with which we've done business.

This location is loaded with amenities and the facilities were the nicest we've seen. This is a very family friendly resort, right along a river. We met families who come here often on weekends. We could tell how well-organized and maintained this location was as we drove in.

There is much to show from this spot - here are some photos showing some of the amenities.

Private Saunas

Dog wash

Volleyball

Covered Picnic Areas

 

Basketball

Disc Golf

Fun playground

Soccer and "Big Foot" Croquet

RV Wash?

Huge covered area - and covered badmitton, Ping-Pong, basketball

Free to use smoke house

 

Sites

Great fire pits at sites and around resort

Free G rated movies and popcorn for kids

Horseshoes

Hot tub



Pool

The one thing we did not realize is that a train travels behind the Resort every 20 - 30 minutes. Our spot was about mid-way in the park between I 5 and the Train.  Even being a ways from the tracks, we did shake, rattle and yell every 20 - 30 min. The monthly residents say you get used to it. Quite a few have their trailers parked permanently against the fence which runs along the tracks, so I assume they are right.

 We enjoyed our stay here. The kids were happy to have the pool. I was happy to have the hot tub and laundry. The river trail was a great bike ride. We didn't get to use all the free amenities offered as we were busy exploring Mount Saint Helens each day. Some of our kids actually say this is their favorite spot - and judging by the families we met, they are not alone in their assessment.

I'm not sure if we would choose to stay here again. I think if one is driving through  and needs a quick spot to stop, do laundry and let the kids run - Toutle River RV Resort is for you. If one is looking for a destination spot - lots of fun things to do without leaving the location and doesn't mind the train noise - Toutle River RV Resort is a great option.  If one is looking for a bit of quiet - there are other parks which appear to be quieter on the way to Mount Saint Helens: the Mount Saint Helens KOA park (not the other by that name), Silver Cove Resort, Kid Valley Campground to name a few.

  

We loved this park and we hated the train noise....still not sure how to rate the experience.

For more campground reviews click "campground" in the category section in the side bar.

Heceta Head Lighthouse & More

The Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouses (in Oregon? The county? The West Coast? America? The World? They didn't qualify).  It was originally opened on 30 March 1894 and was automated in 1963. It is 13 miles north of Florence and 13 miles south of Yachats, Oregon on Hwy 101.

The lighthouse is only 55 feet tall (approx - 17 m) but stands on a mountain making it 250 feet above sea level. We parked in the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint. A $5 fee per vehicle is required for the day use area; this is waived if you are staying in the State Park.
 

Assistant Keeper's home from parking lot

 It's a nice .5 mile hike to the lighthouse. The Keeper's house is on the way up. There are 7 miles of trails to hike if desired. We went up the trail enough to get a good vantage point for photos.

College seems to have taken away Arielle's hiking ability

Check out the retro selfie stick

 We stopped and read each info board. Doesn't my baby girl Arielle, look thrilled to be home and in the midst of a homeschooling expedition once again? ::snort::

 

The views are stunning from this vantage point.

 

The tour guide was eating lunch, so we toured a few exhibits at the top and grabbed some photos....and waited for our free tour.
 

 

The tour was interesting. It was fun for those of us who had recently toured the Grays Harbor Lighthouse to compare notes. Grays Harbor is taller and operated by the Coast Guard. Heceta Head has a bigger lens - first order Fresnel lens and is run by the state parks - no longer an official lighthouse. Grays Harbor's beam can be seen for 6 miles; Heceta Head's for 21 miles.

She insists it was interesting and she paid attention

 

I was intrigued by the Keeper's Library. Big wooden boxes were filled with 40 books and swapped amongst the various lighthouses on a quarterly basis. This allowed entertainment in isolated places. Library boxes continued to services lighthouses until radio arrived.

 Yes, we used the "retro selfie stick," for some family photos. We don't really trust strangers with Michael's camera and I'd left mine at the Caboose. ::gasp::

 



F - De'Etta, Krista, Arielle, Stacia
B - Michael, Alex, Nolan

 

 This is a beautiful lighthouse.

 

 The assistant Lighthouse keeper's home is now a bed and breakfast.  We think we could happily have lived as lighthouse keepers.

Our next stop was Old Town Florence.  A trip to Florence must ALWAYS include a trip to Mo's. We had a window table and enjoyed visiting while we watched harbor seals.

 

We walked along the harbor...this boat caught my fancy....

 

This one caught Michael's. It was a good size....bedrooms et al. I finally told Michael I would not be o.k. moving onto a boat...not with my stomach.  ::grin::

 

We rounded out the day with naps, sand dunes and roaring campfires.