Cape Lookout is located on a sand spit between Netarts Bay and the ocean, giving you a terrific view of the ocean with easy access to the beach. Beachcombing is popular here, and the park is reputedly a good place to find glass floats. More than eight miles of hiking and walking trails wind through a lush old-growth forest. The Cape Lookout trail follows the headland for more than 2 miles. A bench is located at the end of the trail. Enjoy the view! You might see a whale or two along with other wildlife.

Two walking trails — a nature trail and the Jackson Creek trail — are perfect for a shorter jaunt. The nature trail gives you a close-up view of native trees and other plants. Numbered markers are keyed to a trail guide. The Jackson Creek trail starts with an interpretive panel describing the local salmon restoration project.

Be sure to look up when you visit this park … hang gliders and paragliders fill the air with colorful wings as they catch thermals and rise to dizzying heights. Along with Cape Kiwanda and Cape Meares, Lookout is part of the Three Capes Scenic Route.

State Parks Web Site

NAME: Cape Lookout State Park-
Where: Tillamook, OR
Admission: $3 day use – $$-$25 camping
Camping: 38 full hookup, 1 electric, 173 tent (maximum site 60 feet); 13 yurts; group tent (2 areas); hiker/biker camp; 3 deluxe cabins (with bathrooms, kitchen, tv/vcr), hiker/biker camp.
URL: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_186.php
Month/Year visited: Summer 1999
Comments: For information only, call (503)842-4981 or (800) 551-6949. To make reservations, call 1-800-452-5687.

I have been camping for many years, using tents, campers, travel trailers, Class C, 5th wheel, and hybrid.  I have posted here some of my adventures and mis-adventures. I make a distinct difference between “camping” and “RVing”.  its not based on the type vehicle, but how and where you go. You can “camp” in an RV.  Camping is going to the out of the way places, without RV pads, or full hookups, and leaving a lot of your electronic toys behind.  RVing is taking it all with you, to a park with RV pads, 50 amp hookups, cable, water and sewer. With my 17 foot hybrid, I could “camp” or RV, depending on how much I wanted to rough it.  In my 32 foot 5th wheel, it was mostly RVing, most camping areas were too small to accomdate it. You get the point…

I will post more detail about each RV and the adventures with those camping experiences in other articles.  This is just a summary.

I tent camped for many years, even when the family was young.  My oldest son was a mosquito magnet so we knew to continue camping we needed something better than a tent.  Plus with 26 years of military life, I know canvass. So in 1972, I bought my first RV, a 1968 Chevrolet 3/4 ton pickup with a cab-over camper. It was great and we used it often.  Then in 1974, I got orders to transfer to Alaska, the wife didn’t want to travel that far with the kids riding inthe camper, so I sold that and purchased a 23 foot Terry Travel Trailer and a 1974 Chrsyler Town and Country Station Wagon for the trip to Alaska. That was an experience, me, the wife and 3 kids lived and travelled in that for almost 60 days getting to Alaska, including an ALCAN drive of 1500 miles of gravel road.

Next came the Class C, a 23 foot Free Spirit by Holiday Rambler.  Flew out of Alaska to Arkansas, purchased the Class C and drove it back. Used it for a couple of years, then sold it prior to leaving Alaska. Then we took a break for awhile and purchased a 1990 Oddessy Micro Motor Home on a Toyota chassis.  We used this for a few years and finally upgraded to 1995 Alpenlite 5th Wheel, 32 feet, with dual slide outs.  We used this setup for over 7 years and loved it. Then after buying a home in Arizona, we sold it.  Of course, our grandchildren kept pestering us to go camping, which to them meant going out in grandma and grandpa’s RV, we purchased a Jayco Kiwi 17A hybrid. Great little trailer for getting into some of the remote campgrounds in the Nationall Forsest and small state parks, but just a little too small for the wife to truly enjoy, and to prevent us from bumping into each other, we sold that and upgraded to a 2008 Trail Cruiser 23SB, with a slide out rear queen bed.