Fort Stevens State Park: Our First Oregon Coast Camping Trip in a Very Much Not-Finished Travel Trailer
There are trips you take because you've planned them perfectly.
And then there are trips where somebody gives you an old travel trailer that needs a ridiculous amount of work, your husband looks at it like you've officially lost your mind, and naturally you decide the appropriate next step is to drag the thing to the Oregon Coast.
Welcome to our family.
We recently spent two nights at Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria, Oregon, and somewhere between sandy dogs, campfire food, kids running around, and realizing there was way more to see than we had time for, I came home with one very clear conclusion:
Which is saying something, because this was basically the maiden voyage of our gifted fixer-upper travel trailer.
And "fixer-upper" might even be generous.
First, About the Trailer...
We didn't exactly go shopping for another project.
This trailer was gifted to us, and when it came into our lives, Brian was understandably less than thrilled.
We already have projects.
Lots of projects.
Our California house is finally getting close to finished, we live in a fifth wheel, I make soap in the house, we homeschool, there are animals everywhere, and apparently I looked at all of that and thought:
You know what this family needs? An old travel trailer.
Perfect.
She needs a lot of love.
But I kept thinking that if we could get the California house wrapped up, maybe — maybe — we could squeeze this one in.
And then something funny happened.
We actually used it.
Suddenly, all of those imperfections became one of my favorite things about it.
Dogs came in with dirty paws?
Whatever.
Kids left crumbs?
Fine.
There may or may not have been sticky s'more evidence smeared somewhere it shouldn't have been.
Also fine.
Nobody was tiptoeing around trying to keep everything pristine.
We could just camp.
Camping at Fort Stevens State Park
Fort Stevens is on the northern Oregon Coast near Astoria and Warrenton, and this place is huge.
Not "cute little campground with a couple trails" huge.
Actually huge.
There are campsites, biking trails, a lake, beaches, historic military sites, playgrounds, wildlife, and the famous Peter Iredale shipwreck right on the beach.
We stayed for two nights, and that was absolutely not enough time if you want to actually explore the area instead of racing around checking things off a list.
Which we don't.
At least we're trying not to.
One of the things I'm learning as we do more of these family adventures is that I don't want every trip to feel like we're trying to win some imaginary vacation competition.
See all the things.
Photograph all the things.
Rush to the next thing.
No thanks.
I'd rather leave saying, "We didn't get to everything. We'll have to come back."
The Kids Had Plenty to Do
Fort Stevens was a really good choice with kids.
There's a lake area, playgrounds, places to ride bikes, and plenty of room to explore.
There's also a ropes/adventure area and rentals available in the park area, so you could very easily build a longer stay without spending every day loading everyone into the truck and driving somewhere else.
That matters to me.
Because getting an entire family — plus dogs — loaded up to go anywhere is basically an event by itself.
Sometimes the best campground is the one where you can park the truck and let everybody just be for a while.
And Then There's the Beach
The Oregon Coast is one of those places that still gets me.
It's not tropical-beach pretty.
Cold wind. Huge stretches of sand. Driftwood. Gray skies mixed with sudden patches of blue. Kids running toward the water like they haven't been specifically told it's freezing.
And dogs absolutely living their best lives.
This trip wasn't about laying in the sun with a fruity drink.
It was sweatshirts, sandy feet, messy hair, and wandering around without much of an agenda.
Peter Iredale Was Worth the Stop
One of Fort Stevens' best-known landmarks is the wreck of the Peter Iredale, a sailing ship that ran aground in 1906.
Parts of the steel hull are still sticking out of the sand today.
The kids can walk right up to it at low tide, which makes it way more interesting than reading a little historical plaque somewhere and pretending everyone is fascinated.
There's something pretty damn cool about standing next to the remains of a ship that's been sitting on that beach for more than a century.
And yes, it also makes a great photo.
I'm still practical.
Wildlife Apparently Didn't Get the Photo Memo
We also saw elk.
Naturally, I don't have a great picture of them.
Because sometimes you're actually experiencing your life instead of documenting every second of it.
They were near one of the parking areas, and it was one of those unexpected little moments that made the trip better.
Those are usually the things I remember anyway.
Not whatever perfectly planned attraction was supposed to be the highlight.
What I Would Do Differently Next Time
Easy.
Two nights technically works, especially if you're passing through, but it felt rushed for us.
If we went back, I'd want one day where we barely left the campground.
Let the kids explore.
Take the dogs out.
Sit around longer.
Make food.
Maybe do absolutely nothing productive.
Revolutionary concept, I know.
Then we'd use another day for the beach, Peter Iredale, historic areas, Astoria, or whatever else we felt like doing.
There's also a KOA right across from Fort Stevens, so there are other camping options in the immediate area if the state park is booked.
But we really liked staying inside the park.
Would We Go Back?
Absolutely.
Fort Stevens isn't the kind of place where I feel like we "did it" and can cross it off the Oregon list.
We barely scratched the surface.
And honestly, that's becoming my favorite kind of trip.
The trailer isn't finished.
Our life isn't organized.
Half the time somebody has sand, dog hair, food, or something unidentifiable stuck to them.
That might actually be the point of all of this.
Not waiting until we have the perfect camper.
The perfect schedule.
The perfect amount of money.
The perfect family photo.
Just taking the trip with what we've got.
Because the kids aren't going to remember whether the trailer cabinets matched.
They're going to remember the beach.
The campfire.
The dogs running through the sand.
The shipwreck.
Seeing elk unexpectedly.
And probably whatever ridiculous thing happened that I was too busy dealing with to photograph.
Fort Stevens State Park: The Quick Version
If you're considering a family camping trip to Fort Stevens State Park, here's our take:
Would we recommend it?
Yep.
Good for kids?
Definitely.
Good with dogs?
It worked great for us.
Enough to do for several days?
Absolutely.
Would two nights be enough?
Technically.
Would I book three next time?
Without hesitation.
Did our old fixer-upper trailer survive its first coast trip?
She did.
And now I'm even more convinced we should keep her.
Our Adventures Are Becoming Part of the Story
Suds & Buds started with handmade products, but somewhere along the way I've realized this little business is becoming about something bigger.
Connection.
Family.
Doing things together.
Taking the trip.
Giving the gift.
Showing up.
Making ordinary days feel a little less ordinary.
So you're going to see more of these adventures mixed in around here — camping trips, Oregon exploring, family chaos, places we love, places we probably wouldn't do again, and everything we learn along the way.
We're not becoming a travel blog.
We're just letting you into a little more of our life.
A little crunch, sorta country, and a lotta chaos.
Sounds about right.
I'm really glad you're here.