Sutton Campground, located just north of Florence, provides outstanding access to the Oregon Dunes. Here, the shifting sands blend with forested trails, creating a unique coastal landscape for camping and hiking.

Day 1

I spend a lot of time at the Oregon Coast, but I’ve seen very little of the Oregon Dunes so I planned a two night camping trip to explore the area and do a few hikes. We stayed at the Sutton campground north of Florence, which gave us great access to trails in the dunes. The drive from Portland is just over three hours.

Upon arrival, we drove through the mostly empty campground and selected a well-shaded site, featuring a large, flat tent area and an extended driveway. The restrooms were a short walk away and well-maintained by the camp host, and we had easy access to the Sutton Creek trailhead located near the Group A campsite.

Sutton Creek Trail

After setting up camp, we hiked on the Sutton Creek Trail from the campground, following signs toward the beach. The path meandered through dense coastal forest with thick understory vegetation creating a jungle-like atmosphere.

Sutton Creek paralleled much of the trail with deep, fast-moving water after heavy recent rains.

Flooding prevented us from reaching the beach, as the creek had overtaken the trail, so we stopped at the Holman Vista viewing platform to take in the scenery before returning to camp.

Day 2

On our second day, we drove about 10 miles south of Florence to do a longer hike in the dunes. The Oregon Dunes loop hike takes you across rolling sand dunes, through lush tree islands, and onto a secluded beach, showcasing the diverse and untamed beauty of the Oregon coastline.

For a full hike description and photos, see my Oregon Dunes Loop Hike trip report.

Old Town Florence

With time to spare after the hike, we visited Old Town Florence. Strolling past various shops, we stopped at the Siuslaw Bridge Interpretive Center before heading to Mo’s for lunch.

Darlingtonia Wayside

On the way back to camp, we stopped at the Darlingtonia State Wayside near the campground to see a large colony of insect-eating pitcher plants (Darlingtonia Califonica) that are native to northern California and Southern Oregon. Before this trip, I didn’t realize that these fascinating plants existed here.

Day 3

Morning fog obscured viewpoints that I planned to stop at on the drive home, so I only made a few stops, parking at Bob Creek to watch waves crashing at high tide, and another brief stop at Heceta Head for a view of the Cape Creek bridge before driving home.

Overall, I liked the Oregon Dunes much more than I thought I would and I’m already planning a return trip to explore more of this area.