If you’ve been on the fence about introducing your little one to camping, let me make the case for starting at Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria. We love camping in the summer, and this our family’s first time staying in a yurt — and we loved it! My toddler got a kick out of sleeping in a circular structure, and my husband and I loved that we didn’t have to set up and break down our tent. Even better, there’s plenty to do within walking or a short driving distance from the campground.
Where We Stayed: Fort Stevens Campground
Fort Stevens is one of the largest public campgrounds in the entire country, and once you arrive, you understand why families keep coming back. The 4,300-acre park not only offers camping (there are tent and RV sites, plus yurt and cabin rentals), paved bike trails, scenic hiking trails that offer birdwatching, a scenic lake, and a historic shipwreck right on the beach.
But back to the yurt. Fort Stevens offers 15 yurts, seven of which are pet-friendly, and staying in one was hands-down one of the nicest camping experiences our family has ever had. Pro tip: Booking a campsite in the summer, especially a cabin or a yurt can get competitive. What worked for us was going the weekend after the long Memorial Day weekend.
The yurts are cozy, well-maintained, and take the guesswork out of camping with a little one. Each yurt has electricity, including heaters for those chillier nights on the coast. Our family of three, plus our dog, fit comfortably — we had lots of space to set up my son’s pack ‘n play. There were enough cot-like beds for five people (each yurt has a futon that folds down). Pro tip: Bring your own bedding!
The campground’s amenities are equally impressive and a big reason why this ranks among the very best places we’ve camped. Flush toilets — and hot showers! — are available on-site, a genuine luxury for parents like me who are in the thick of the potty-training process. The campground also has a playground that kept our toddler happily occupied between adventures, and every campsite comes equipped with a picnic table and fire pit (you can buy firewood for $7 a bundle; cash only).
What to Do Nearby
Explore the Fort Stevens Historic Military Site
I’ll admit, I’m not a military buff. That said, I enjoyed walking around the Fort Stevens Historic Military Site, which sits right within the park. For all those who want the details: The original earthen fort was completed in 1865 to protect the mouth of the Columbia River from the British Navy and Confederate gunboats during the Civil War, and the post continued to serve through the Spanish-American War and World War II. Even more remarkably, Fort Stevens was attacked by a Japanese submarine during World War II, making it the only military installation in the continental United States to come under enemy fire since the War of 1812.
The best part? It’s completely free to walk around, and it’s dog-friendly — our dog trotted happily alongside us the entire time. You can wander through Battery Russell, the site of the Japanese submarine attack, and explore the remnants of gun batteries, bunkers and other fortifications. We loved learning about the area’s layered history together as a family, and even our toddler was fascinated by the big concrete structures. A military museum and information center is also on-site. Pro tip: For those who want to dig deeper, and underground tours of a gun battery that served as a World War II command center are available during the summer. Right next door to the military site is a disc golf course; it was probably the most beautiful disc golf area I’ve seen — you can’t beat those Columbia River views. We even saw elk munching on the grass during our visit!
Walk the Beach and See the Peter Iredale Shipwreck
No trip to Fort Stevens is complete without a walk to the Peter Iredale shipwreck, and it is as cool as it sounds. The Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel ship that ran ashore in 1906 and is now considered one of the most accessible shipwrecks on the West Coast, having slowly decayed on the shore for more than a century. A short trail from the parking lot leads directly to it, which made it an easy outing with our toddler. He walked right up to it and underneath it! The rugged Oregon coast backdrop makes the whole scene feel like something out of a storybook.
Between the historic military site, the shipwreck, and one of the coziest yurts we’ve ever slept in, Fort Stevens delivered one of our all-time favorite family camping trips. We’ll absolutely be back.
Go here for even more family-friendly camping!