Camping on Oregon beaches is generally not a safe choice

We weren't planning to camp ON the beach, but the spot we wanted to get to didn't pan out. I generally don't consider camping on Oregon beaches to be safe and would never camp like this without the input of an experienced lifelong local. We analyzed and discussed this site thoroughly before concluding we would be safe on this particular night. Seasonal changes in sand levels, tide height, storms and sneaker waves are all dangerous variables that must be considered, as well as potential tsunami escape routes.
On the Oregon coast, I would recommend always camping on or behind the beach dune that is always present on sandy beaches. Only drive on stretches of beach that have been designated as legal roads, and note that many legally drivable beaches have additional seasonal restrictions to protect nesting shorebirds. Be sure you're camped on public lands where camping is not prohibited.
Watch Jason's ‪@vancamping‬ video of our adventure:
• Van Camping - Winter B...
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Jimmy on Instagram:
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Some of the gear I use:
Topo Toppers Mesa wedge camper:
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Alldogs Offroad/Koni 2" lift kit:
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Alldogs Offroad wheels for Frontier/Xterra:
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ASFIR 4x4 skid plates:
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Recovery gear from Yankum Ropes:
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(use code SOFTROADINGTHEWEST for a discount off your purchase)
MAXTRAX MKII recovery boards:
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Viair 300p compressor:
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Stanley French press/insulated cup
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12V heated blanket
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Similar 750W/1500W electric heater:
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Expedition Research Ultra-light Kettle:
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#beachcamping #wintercamping #beachdriving
Beach camping adventure: (0:00)
Outtakes!: (18:31)

[@softroadingthewest]

If you know where this is, then you also know what a rare gem this spot is on the Oregon coast, and maybe you also know how increasingly problematic this access road has become. I originally found this on my own years ago; please let others make their own discoveries as well. It's certainly only a matter of time before access gets shuts down, please don't hasten it by publicizing this location. It's public land, and anyone willing to do a bit of work can find and enjoy it as well. Thanks.

[@pbsalfen]

Pretty much feel that way about ANY place in Oregon! Thanks for posting this PSA!

[@morewaves2309]

People who want to protect “spots” don’t show landmarks in photos or videos. 😉🤙

[@softroadingthewest]

@@morewaves2309 Anyone willing to do the work to scrutinize landmarks and study maps to figure a spot out is someone who is going to value their discovery and likely to treat it with respect & discretion. I'm not here to be a secretive gatekeeper, these are public lands for all to enjoy, and all my videos includes clues for those who want to go to the effort of sleuthing it out. I have found many cool spots myself that way, by puzzling things together from bits and pieces seen in some other KZbinr's video. I just don't like to see indiscriminate handing out of coordinates. 🙂

[@nederlander9321]

I know exactly where you are and I'm keeping my mouth shut.

[@morewaves2309]

@@softroadingthewest sleuth it out that’s funny, you made it obvious 🤘😂🤙

[@jeffreypreiss8191]

Another great video. You managed to make a cloudy, windy, almost gloomy day look beautiful. The seals in the water reminded me of prairie dogs popping up on the plains. Enjoyed the blooper reel. Your blooper reel is more representative of my actual camping trips. 😊 Thanks again for sharing. Look forward to next time.

[@MarkMeadows44]

The outtakes definitely make my day a lot better after a couple of weeks of high stress at work. I'm looking forward to many more of them in the near future!

[@davider3568]

Another great upload, thank you Donald and always nice to have Jason along for the adventure.

[@softroadingthewest]

You say "always nice," I say, "usually tolerable." 🤣

[@russellzauner]

The entire Oregon Coast is public property. There is public access required by law at periodic intervals; you legally cannot be blocked from the beach for the entire length from WA to CA. The *only* cases where this is untrue is where: - protected habitat (for example, snowy plover nesting areas) - dangerous environment (for example, unstable areas of coastline or places where there is large rockfall) - ecological management activity (sudden crab die off, red tide, other scientific endeavors) and in the last one you won't see a fence, you'll just have to *know* there is a red tide and to not eat anything as well as stay out of the ocean. As a third generation Oregonian (family settled a LOT of Silverton/Lower Willamette Valley), we just take dirt bikes and backpacks - just make sure to keep your speed up in squishy areas and you're fine!

[@dreman5547]

Hey Donald, if you want to make your zippers on your tent more water resistant just put some snow seal on front & back and it will even help them slide smoother.

[@daneboro6847]

Great video as always Donald thanks for bringing us along 👍

[@NorthwestBronco]

Looks like a great trip. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us!

[@marcericdavis]

@Donald, My version of overlanding is flyout camping. We should meetup at the Alvord or in the Ochoco's some time. There are a few back country airstrips that you can also drive into.

[@robertpompa9981]

I dont know how to explain it. Its just the way you film and tell a story throughout it, but I just want to say this is by far my favorite over landing channel.

[@jenb.6440]

Beautiful work Donald! We really enjoy your adventures; thank you for sharing!

[@dave_in_az]

Fantastic video, thanks. Great mix of scenic footage, well done drone shots, driving, camp life, and your truck camper. Just a superb mix today, and yhe outtakes were enjoyable too ;)

[@radiodave9130]

Those were some amazing shots, Donald. Thank you for sharing.

[@chillaxorz]

loved the video Donald. those outtakes were awesome as well. stay safe, see you soon brother!

[@BlueCrawler-SubaruAmbassador]

Watching the two of you is a blast. Truly looks like a great friendship.

[@johnwessinger2395]

I enjoyed the out takes immensely Donald thanks!

[@lloydmarche7263]

I grew up next to the ocean . I miss the sound of the waves hitting the shore . If it was a calm day or raging storm it was calming to me. When I visit my folks I go for a walk along the beach every day rain , snow or sunny day. The first time I took my wife there she didn’t want to leave lol. She found the same calming peace as I do.

[@softroadingthewest]

As much as I love exploring the mountains, deserts & canyons, the coast remains my favorite part of Oregon. Being along the ocean, regardless of weather has a soothing, healing effect unlike any other place I've been.

[@wanderantics2898]

Great video. Solid and serene main content and LOL outtakes - glad I am not the only goofball while having an adventure 😁 I don't even know why but I've been away from watching yours' and Jasons content for some time and OMG Jasons hair - when did it grew so massive 😮🤣

[@baron1c]

Such a cool experience. And great camera/editing too

[@MegaRetr]

Another great upload, thank you Donald

[@dalecurrier5631]

Awesome love the Oregon coast , we are blessed, thanks Donald.

[@PrimalOutdoors]

Great job on that. The outtakes are always the best🤣

[@cowelk]

Great job on this video as usual. Great photography and interesting scenery and wildlife. You may be soft roading the west but you Oregonians are hard core camp in the rain guys.

[@909lilac]

Great video Donald. Keep'em coming.

[@Vernon1xx]

Donald, one of your best videos yet!! Very nice!!

[@jcblackmon]

Awesome video..great outtakes..more please!!!

[@BirdPhish]

Hi Donald...nice video! Used to beach camp with a tent a lot on Pismo Beach when I had my quadracer...the big fear there is getting run over in your tent in the night by a drunk 4 wheeler 😦...thanks for sharing!

[@scottfranson4215]

Nice Pic & Sound. A lot of good info , comments Good to read . The fishing boat going out reminds me of home .

[@tommydyess3994]

Love the drone footage - adds greatly to the visual reality.

[@barnetts9812]

Good morning ☕️ The scene is so "mist"ical, love it. I have no topper experience, just thinking, try waxing your window zippers to prevent saturation ??

[@scottminshall6420]

Another great video Donald! Please tell me you all wash the hell out of your rigs when you get home. That salt is brutal on vehicles, when i lived in San Diego i had to wash my truck at least once a week.

[@messnabout]

Great job making the spot feel "magical" in the way you do. The road is rough, but was a lot of fun in February. Definitely need some clearance. Lanolin or a silicon lubricant will probably solve your zipper issue. I use it on my drysuit.

[@GhostOfSnuffles]

The thing with Oregon is you're a 1 hour drive from a completely different biome and a 20 minute wait for completely different weather no matter where you are in the state.

[@paultompkins7392]

Another wonderful video!!

[@ryanb2182]

The outtakes are a fun end to the video! Keep adding them in please. You can always do a year in review of just outtakes. They add an additional level of humor to your video.

[@wildernessrecon]

Just got around to watching this , nice job on capturing the serenity of the camp environment 😂

[@softroadingthewest]

Yes...serenity 🤣

[@onerider808]

Sand flies, bone-chilling cold, rare sunshine, sandblasted in the winds; it’s a virtual paradise!

[@nofear2trek]

I recognized those potholes easily. I may get back over there since the COE has the entire North Spit BLM and COE land restricted until 2025 while they work on making repairs to the north jetty. You guys passed me a couple of times when the North Spit was open, just a quick wave like ships passing during the nite. Fair Winds.

[@mrwes100]

11:36 Come Donald, such a great set up and you drink instant coffee? 😂 Such a great spot there on the beach, thanks for sharing with us.

[@softroadingthewest]

Look again. 12:16 It's a French press. I was simply scooping in ground coffee like any other coffeemaker. 🙂 I'll crack open a can of Red Bull sooner than resorting to instant coffee. 🤢😄

[@mrwes100]

@@softroadingthewest Oh man, my bad. I didn’t see that Stanley insert!

[@softroadingthewest]

Haha all good, sometimes when I would make cowboy coffee people would think I was making instant also. :-)

[@canuckchris5733]

Great spot man. I use that Stanley press too 👍

[@doneaton6704]

Nice timing for weather. Around Fort Stevens is a lot of beach access and you can drive a long ways along the surf.

[@danielcarroll5667]

Beautiful , thank you , what river is that ? Fearsome inlet...

[@garretlewis4103]

Beach camping is right up Christine’s alley. You are correct. You have to read the tide charts and know how far up the beach high tide is. On our last beach camping trip to Cape Lookout, some people on the return ferry trip were talking how high tide had “invaded” their camp.

[@tyzndattic]

Great video and out takes

[@utahjohnnymontana3373]

Pretty sweet spot. All that beach driving reminded me of the Aussie channels (but with PNW rain).

[@bobgiddings0]

Ah, the beach dune. The seaward side of that thing is a real trap. Going down you have momentum, but if you are going to get stuck at the beach it is going to be while getting back up. There's always this little jeep-sized pocket of deep loose sand at the base. I took a Wrangler pulling a teardrop trailer from Texas to somewhere (I think) around Reedsport once, unhooked in the bushes above the dune, and drove the Jeep alone pretty far down the beach. You see, I had heard it was a legal road. Coming back at twilight, I immediately buried both axles at the base of the dune. I finally gave up in the dark, walked back to the trailer, and went to sleep. Next morning I was trying to dig out around the tires and frame, and managed to talk somebody into pulling me out on a towline. I was completely blocking the "road". He took one look down at my Jeep and said "You got stuck in that?!?" Yep.

[@johnwalker3263]

I’ve been there once but I’m not educated enough about the ocean to spend much time driving the beach. We just turned the jeep around after emerging from the brush! Ended up camping up by the lighthouse.

[@jethroniusbronloii3028]

“The sea was angry that day, my friends.”

[@brocio]

Would you mind posting a link to the water jug you’re using? I like the twist knob to control the flow. Thanks! And thanks for another great video 🙂

[@softroadingthewest]

The smaller jug inside the camper is this: amzn.to/3IH8nwo

[@CrazyGreek80]

Miss the Forester but love the new Frontier!

[@gregsutterfield2362]

Hey are you guys coming to Russellville for the eclipse?

[@That_final_frontier_]

Sick Frontier bro

[@marcericdavis]

I wonder is you could soak down the zippers with a water replant. More to get the water to bead up instead of soak in. It might help.

[@bobgiddings0]

I learned the occasional downside of summer beach camping in Oregon pretty quickly. I parked above the dune one day and carried a book and a lawn chair down to the beach. Slight overcast. Mild ocean breeze. Hypnotic lapping of the waves. Pretty much alone. Everything seemed idyllic enough. But just as I was getting comfortable, I realized that the sand was moving! No wait, not the sand. Just millions of SAND FLEAS! The beach was ALIVE with them.

[@bobgiddings0]

Er.. sand fleas is what someone on the beach called them. They may have actually been sand flies. Definitely not pleasant, whatever they are called.

[@softroadingthewest]

I've always heard them called sand fleas, even though clearly they're not actually fleas. :-)

[@mjl9702]

you guys went pretty far in on the beach. for novice beach campers, would you recommend they stay near the tree line where you came into the beach?

[@softroadingthewest]

Yes, those spots in the trees are back behind the beach dune and I wouldn't hesitate to camp there. This was the type of situation we were _trying_ to get to, into the trees behind the dune near the jetty, but it just ended up no longer being accessible.

[@iamgeoffandthisismystory]

Cool vid for a dull day... Outtakes are a cracker😂

[@pbsalfen]

In years past (may still be a thing) the Oregon State map you could pick up for free at any, open, OR DMV, had a column down the LH side that showed what beaches you could/couldn't drive on, with open/closed dates of same. Local DMV closed, 😡, so I'm not sure if that's still a thing, or not.

[@johndej]

Looks wet but fun! Too bad the weather didn't cooperate for you. Loved the outtakes too. Random question for you. I don't spend enough time prowling the back roads to understand airing down. Is there a good guide to doing that? Thanks!

[@softroadingthewest]

Precise guidelines aren't really possible because there are so many variables in tires and vehicle weights. Might take a little trial and error to find what makes sense for your specific setup. On pavement I run my tires at 44 psi. My general starting point airing down is around 25 psi to soften the ride. If I need more traction I'll take them down to 18, and even lower in sand as you saw here. Jason on the other hand, with those larger tires and his much heavier van, his street pressure is around 60 psi I think. On this day for the sand, I believe he went down to 25 which for my setup isn't much of an air-down, but for his setup, it's quite low, relatively similar in effect to the 13 I went down to. And different tires will respond differently depending on sidewall construction and sidewall height. Just have to start experimenting a bit. :-)

[@johndej]

@@softroadingthewest Thank you!

[@Jordan-vf4up]

LMAO those outtakes were great

[@jeb0020]

Use seem sealer for the leak. It’s the stitching at the end that is leaking.

[@RogueElement]

It actually IS on amazing prime, FYI.

[@softroadingthewest]

Viewers please note, in this video when I mentioned the Amazon Prime shoot, I was mistaken, the series DID eventually end up on Amazon, after multiple delays. Being part of this project was a blast, we had a great time and some unplanned adventures. 🙂 Here it is on Amazon: www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B6FMNXKZ/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

[@Wynne_Ly]

can u review bodega car fridge? we can offer samples.

[@stretch9952]

God, I miss those wonderful edges where ocean meets land.

[@tomas5376]

Have you ever considered getting a rig like Jason’s?

[@softroadingthewest]

Not for the moment, no. I don't live in my rig and don't need that much interior space, at the expense of a huge, heavy rig. My goal was to build something that could comfortably tackle tight forest trails as well as narrow, off-camber rocky terrain in Utah and other SW states. At some point in the future when I no longer feel compelled to explore the most remote, primitive unmaintained trails of the west, I could see myself moving to a van, but probably wouldn't build something as off-roady as Jason's. That's still many years away at this point though...there's a lot of places I still want to explore that my little truck is better suited for. :-)

[@bretthawton]

Seeing Jason & Jimmy mating in the wild was truly magical.

[@softroadingthewest]

🤣

[@janinthe80s]

Awww dang it! Donald, you must’ve edited that part out already! I just saw Jason’s Hot Girl Summer photo shoot! Loved it😂

[@softroadingthewest]

@@janinthe80s He was referring to 20:48 😄

[@georgestark4100]

I live on the coast and know exactly where you are, but I am not familiar with the road you came in on though

[@SkateAndDrum503]

What beach is that? It’s killing me

[@urban-drift]

That's awesome, you guys are just so exciting! Are you interested in discussing collaboration?

[@seantonkin9650]

Bring the Subie back!

[@Stebnalang1]

It died a painful death.

[@AndrewKumler]

I have camped on that beach many times, wonderful area.

[@SkateAndDrum503]

Which beach is that? It look so familiar but it’s killing me

[@IronmanV5]

All that was missing was marshmallows roasting on a fire

[@michaelbyers3094]

Thanks for explaining the title of your video. I follow your adventures and don’t see you as an insane Overlander trying to garner views. Thanks

[@yeoldmetalhead6592]

Going in and out of that beach is what made me decide that I was going to turn in my SR5 4Runner when the lease was up. There was sand crammed way up my undercarriage, way up there. I remember the racist U.S. Forest Service lady giving me a hard time and didn't want to sell me a dune tag. the Oregon Coast

[@gringo3009]

Man, that Jason character and his total dumb luck! LOL.

[@softroadingthewest]

Seriously though...he positioned the van in order to be able to get a shot with the wood stove visible and the ocean in the background...had nothing to do with the wind. 😄 There was no wind when we set up and normally the wind on Oregon's beaches comes from the opposite direction anyway...it truly was dumb luck. Though Jimmy and I had to push and push to get him to even set up his awning so we could be out of both the wind and the rain. 😆

[@janinecarson8380]

That road was terrible 60 years ago and it's terrible still. 😄

[@SkateAndDrum503]

What beach is this??

[@janinecarson8380]

We're not telling, but the clues are there. 😄

[@yeoldmetalhead6592]

Pismo Beach I think.

[@robertgarrett420]

Columbia is beautiful 😂

[@3DGEM3]

Bah, didn't need to air down or shift to all 4. Easy peasy

[@unlimitedj06]

😂😂😂😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@debbied9740]

Take chapstick to zipper. Wax helps

[@eriksalo5550]

Tsunami escape routes? Really?

[@softroadingthewest]

I'm not sure if you're referring to (1) the fact I mentioned it in the description, or (2) the fact that we had no escape route? 1. The PNW sits along a subduction zone fault that has a geological history of unleashing cataclysmic earthquakes every 300-400 years. The last one occurred in 1700 and we are considered geologically due for the next release of tension between the Juan de Fuca plate and the North America plate, likely to be roughly a magnitude 9+ earthquake. "The Big One," as we call it, is expected to have a devastating impact on the PNW, and which - in addition to damaging the huge percentage of structures & infrastructure not built to seismic standards - is expected to generate a massive tsunami within minutes. Knowing your escape route at all times - how you're going to get immediately to high ground if you feel the earth move - is now something everyone must keep in mind at all times on the coast. Here is a brief & simplified explanation of the geology, history, and expectations: www.oregon.gov/oem/hazardsprep/pages/cascadia-subduction-zone.aspx 2. Yes, we were very poorly situated here in terms of tsunami escape. If The Big One would have hit while we were there, we probably would not have survived. There was no high ground we could have got to in time. Another reason to not camp on the beach. :-)

[@metaxaanabeer]

I'm not pointing fingers and if it is legal in your jurisdiction it is legal but there are multiple reasons why driving on or camping on the beach may be something a person may want to ponder on a bit. Geoducks, clams, various limpets, numerous types of worms etc all live below decks on a beach. The compaction from vehicle traffic does them no benefit.

[@44apw44]

And reports estimate 9.3 billion butterflies and 24 billion bees and wasps are killed by vehicles traveling on roadways each year.

[@yaboyqmaga1125]

How many daily activities do you do that has a negative impact on the environment? Just curious…

[@zp1191]

I don't care what anybody says. Driving on a beach like that should be illegal.

[@nederlander9321]

I live in Oregon. I drive on the beach. And I'm glad it's legal to do so in certain areas.