Quote:
.jpg)
Best Things Nearby:
Oregon coastline and beaches, Nehalem Bay, towns of Wheeler, Nehalem, Rockaway Beach, and Garibaldi. Tillamook (think cheese) is 22 miles south on Highway 101.
Best Things About the Resort:
The views! Right on Nehalem Bay, tiered RV sites and rental units have unsurpassed views of the bay, boating, birds and wildlife. The RV sites on the other side of Highway 101 on the hill are more secluded, forested, but without bay views. Marina with boat rentals. Fishing, clamming and crabbing, with cleaning and cooking facilities on-site.
Resort Experience:
Paradise Cove currently belongs to
Advance Resorts of America, Inc. (ARA), which also operates two other waterfront resorts in Washington State. It was not our first choice because the RV park in Garibaldi was closer to Tillamook, but our motor home was too long for them (34 foot limit). Good thing too, because when we happened to stop by there, they’d closed down due to bankruptcy. In any case, our stay at Paradise Cove was highlighted by the million-dollar view from the big front windshield of our motor home. Couldn’t get much done what little time we spent indoors while here, because our eyes kept inevitably being drawn to that view of
Nehalem Bay, tide in, tide out, sun, clouds, birds, boats, ever-changing, compelling. According to our neighbor, an old-time Oregonian who comes here often, elk habitate the grassy flats on the island across from Paradise Cove. We didn’t see any, which only means we probably didn’t look long or hard enough.
ARA memberships can sell for between $1500-2000 or more, but we stayed here for $8 a night, thanks to our Resort Parks International (RPI) membership, with whom ARA is affiliated. RPI sites are restricted to middle level on the bay side of the highway. (The resort straddles Highway 101.) This was just fine with us. Though the hookups were set up for backing in, most of the motor homes pulled in for the view and made do with longer cords and hoses.
Two swimming pools are up the hill across the highway. The climb is a bit steep if you’re not in shape, but parking is available for driving over. A building next to the pools contains showers, a kitchen, and rooms for special events. Just beyond in a woodsy area of spruce and cedar, more RV spaces and rental units. The kids’ pool, though attractive-looking, was unheated and unused. Both adults and kids were using the overheated adults’ pool, which felt more like a hot tub, far from refreshing. Perhaps management was trying to atone for the non-working Jacuzzi, beautifully covered with a knotty pine gazebo, but itself cracked and empty of water. Blame the waterlogged, shifting Oregon coastal soils. The manager told us they were working on getting it fixed…
A big white barn-like building near the entrance holds laundromat, soda machine, recreation room with ping pong and pool tables, and half a basketball court where kids can shoot hoops. You can buy bait, tackle, and some groceries at the waterfront country store. The adjacent clubhouse, with continuous bayside picture windows, serves weekend breakfasts, and has an exchange library and puzzles for those so inclined. Though not actually gated, the security kiosk is manned 24 hours, and all visitors are required to stop for a pass.
- Campground Type: Private
- Campsite Type: RV
- Price Range: $0 - $10
- Cleanliness: Very Good
- Campground Facilities: Satisfactory
- Recreational Facilities: Very Good
- Campsite Satisfaction: Excellent
- Family Friendliness: Very Good
- Service: Very Good
From journals
Tillamook to Nehalem, Oregon Coast