This is our review of Humbug Mountain State Park, Southern Oregon Coast. It is situated near Port Orford on the southern Oregon coast, also known as the Wild Coast, three miles south of Port Orford. We spent a week at this RV park in November. We are posting this review so that you can decide for yourself whether the pros outweigh the cons at this RV park. We are publishing similar reviews for all the parks we visit. We also invite readers to submit their own reviews. Share your knowledge and help us to create a large collection of in-depth reviews to help others in the RV life! Please contact Maggie for more details. For more RV park reviews and videos, please click here.
Video and Maps
Here is a video we made when we were staying at Humbug Mountain State Park. In it, we talk about our experience of camping there, and also show you some of the local attractions you can enjoy while you are there.
Map showing Location of the RV Park
The Humbug Mountain State Park is nestled at the foot of Mount Humbug, with the foothills providing a good deal of protection for the winds blowing off the turbulent ocean. That said, we did experience a quite frightening wind storm while we were there. However, despite 70 miles-per-hour winds, no trees blew over, and all rigs and structures safely endured the storm. The map below shows the location of the park. You can zoom this map in and out, and also change it from map view to satellite view.
Sites at the Humbug Mountain State Park
There are only 100 sites at this park, over two loops. Many sites do not have hook-ups, and none have sewer connections. We had a 50-amp site with water, and there was also an option for 30 and 20 amp connections. The sites are reasonably level, with paved areas to park your RV. Many of the sites are also suitable for tents.
Once again, there was a cyclist camper in the park in November – hard core! Another arrived while we were there, and we had actually seen him on the road that day. An older man, who did not look like an athlete, resolutely pushing his bike and luggage up every hill on the 101. It took him all day to cover about 12 miles. He even made the trip out to Port Blanco lighthouse, which is six miles of steep hills. We had massive respect for him.
Large Sites, Two Loops
The loops are not well treed, but the sites are large. We were in the upper loop, which had a few shrubs near the sites and a big open field in the middle. Not much privacy, but the park was almost empty in November – with a total of about 7 rigs.
The lower loop has a few pull-through sites. Unfortunately, the entire lower loop was closed – we were told this was due to fear of flooding during the storm. The water pressure is adequate. The Park has a dump station near the exit. The turns into it are a little tight for a large rig, but doable.
The Park is very well organized and staffed by both employees and camp hosts. You can also buy wood on site, but not propane.
When we arrived, the two friendly park hosts helped us switch to a more accessible site, and helped us with directions to get into it as well. It was one of our first back-in parkings, so we appreciated the help.
Location and Local Attractions at the Humbug Mountain State Park
Humbug Mountain State Park is directly on the 101. Watch carefully for the camping signs as you wind through the foothills of Mount Humbug. From the 101, it is just a very short, paved distance to the park entrance. It is easy to drive around the wide roads in the park.
Note that when there are major wind storms, the 101 in this area is not safe for driving with a trailer. Especially on the bridge near the park. In fact, when we were there there was a storm with winds gusting at over 70 miles per hour, and all motorists were warned to stay off that part of the 101. That did not stop many people from driving, and even towing, nonetheless.
Humbug Mountain State Park is large and has direct access to a big walkable beach, approximately a mile away. The dogs enjoyed their off-leash runs on the beach sand. The weather was stormy when we were there, so we did not see much wildlife.
Port Orford Restaurants
We visited the nearby town of Port Orford (three miles north), which is quite small. There were a few restaurants: Griffs on the dock (fresh fish well cooked), RedFish at Battle Rock, Wayside Park (more upmarket, lovely food and service), and The Crazy Norwegian (award-winning fish and chips). We ate at Griffs and RedFish and found them to be good and not too expensive. We loved the view at both of these. We did not try The Crazy Norwegian because unfortunately they had no gluten-free options.
Other Local Attractions
The working dock around Griffs was especially interesting. Port Orford is an open port, which means that the boats are hoisted in and out of the water, which is a very interesting process to watch.
The Cape Blanco lighthouse is another lovely spot, well worth a visit. We did a hike there, enjoying the clean, fresh air and the spectacular views.
Unfortunately, Historic Hughes House was closed when we were there, as was the lighthouse. So we could not learn about the history, sadly. We did learn a bit about the lighthouse. Cape Blanco lighthouse is at the western-most point of the entire Oregon coast. While not very tall, it must have saved many lives since it was established in 1870. Cape Blanco lighthouse holds at least four impressive Oregon records:
- it is the oldest continually operating lighthouse in Oregon,
- it is the most westerly lighthouse in Oregon,
- it has the highest focal plane above the sea (256 feet) in Oregon, and
- Oregon’s first woman lighthouse keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton, was appointed in 1903.
Shopping
The local shopping is limited, with only one grocery store and a grocery co-op. There is also one gas station and a laundromat. There are coffee shops, but in November the one we tried had no visible staff, and the Wi-Fi did not work. We were able to get good Internet in the bar area of TJ’s Grill. But not in the restaurant area. Basically the bar in TJ’s was the only place in Port Orford we could find that had any decent Wi-Fi.
As you drive along the 101 anywhere in this area, the beach scenery is unfailingly stunning. Huge rocks dot the ocean, adding drama to the views.
Pet Policy at Humbug Mountain State Park
The park allows any type of pets, with the usual leash rules. No dog off-leash area was provided. Once again, not all the loops were open this time of year, so Joe found that he could let our dogs off leash in one of the empty areas without bothering anyone. There is always the beach as a great off-leash choice. The site hosts are quite strict about the leash rules, but this did not stop some people from ignoring them.
Bike Trails and Hiking at the Humbug Mountain State Park
There is one nature trail in the park which is a climb to the top of Humbug Mountain (elevation 1,765 feet). This is billed as a strenuous climb, and we did not attempt it. However, a fellow camper, Dede, did it alone with her dog, and enjoyed it. We did not notice any cycling trails in the area. Some people cycle along the 101, which is billed as a “cycle route,” but as it is narrow and full of traffic, including speeding truckers, we would definitely not attempt it.
You will need a car to go anywhere in this area, especially if you need to access the internet.
Public Transport near the Humbug Mountain State Park
We did not see any public transit in the area.
Accessibility and Availability
We found it quite easy to drive to this park, as there were many sign posts pointing the way. The roads inside the Park are wide with no speed bumps.
General Atmosphere at the Humbug Mountain State Park
We stayed at this park during November so it was cold at night, but not as cold as Fort Stevens. Everyone we met in the part was very friendly.
Noise Level at the Humbug Mountain State Park
On the weekends the park gets a little busier, but this is not a party place. The noise level was generally low and everyone respected the quiet hours. Although it is very close to the 101 highway, the trees absorb most of the noise and light, so it feels quiet and isolated.
Staff at the Humbug Mountain State Park
The Ranger Station was open when we arrived, and there were two Park Hosts sharing duties. The hosts helped us obtain a bigger site because the one they assigned was too tight for us to park in, and stayed to help us park. They were helpful and friendly with good advice during our stay.
Value for Money
The price is reasonable for sites with water and electric hookups.
Wi-Fi
There is no Wi-Fi at the Park.
Cable TV
There was no cable TV, and our antenna was on the fritz so we are not sure if there is any local television.
Cellular Reception
Cellular coverage was non-existent for Verizon or AT&T unless we walked toward the beach. Closer to the beach, we both got a weak signal. Just barely enough to download podcasts, slowly.
You can also drive from the top loop of the park to the beach, if you want to get there faster. There is parking near the beach access.
Washrooms
The washrooms were always clean, and the free showers had a plentiful supply of hot water with good water pressure. The bathrooms and separate shower rooms were heated, which made them a pleasure to use. The shower room had a separate change area and a small bench to help you dry off. There was also a disabled washroom that was quite luxurious for a state park.
Facilities at the Humbug Mountain State Park
Facilities are good for a State Park, but you will need to go offsite for groceries and laundry. Port Orford is three miles north.
Bottom Line on the Humbug Mountain State Park
The park was well-managed, well-situated, and quiet with spacious sites. The only negatives were the lack of Wi-Fi and the lack of privacy of the campsites. It was a good stop-over for few days while we enjoyed the local attractions, including Port Orford and Cape Blanco. And of course, the stunningly beautiful beaches.
Weigh up these pros and cons, and decide if this is the RV Park for you!
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