Driving north on US 101, the campground is located on the south shore of the Umpqua river along the US 101 highway, seven miles north of Lakeside, Oregon and about twenty miles north of North Bend, Oregon.

Driving south on uS 101, the campground is located six miles from Reedsport, Oregon and about one mile from Salmon Harbor Marina on Winchester Bay.

The water is barely hot enough for me with only the hot water turned on, but the wheel chair shower is not at all hot, not even nicely warm and I could not take a shower there but had to move to one of the regular showers.

So, because of how both the regular and wheel chair showers are not hot showers, I am leaving the current rating of a Medium Hot shower water for Umpqua campground and it will not get the coveted Steamy Hot shower rating.

The Umpqua River lighthouse which has been in operation from 1857 to the present is one of nine currently standing along the Oregon coast.

The lighthouse has a 65 foot tower which is situated on a hill 100 feet above the ocean on the south side of Winchester Bay. The lens emits distinctive red and white flashes and is the only colored signal on the Oregon coast.

The campground and day use sites are centered around the freshwater Lake Marie which has a small sandy beach for swimming or just relaxing.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area to the north.

Umpqua Lighthouse campground is open year round.

All Oregon State Parks charge Out of State Campers a 25% Added Fee

12 Full Hookup Site: $31.00

8 Electrical Site: $29.00

23 Tent Only Site: $19.00

Hiker-biker Sites: $5.00

Cabin and Yurts: $43.00

Delux Yurt: $82.00

Each campsite has a water spigot, picnic table, fire ring and paved parking area.

The campground has one bath house with hot showers and flush toilets, which was newly built just before the 2019 summer season. Very nicely done with all tile floors, stainless fixtures and except for the wheel chair shower, all showers have separate hot and cold water valves.

Arrived yesterday afternoon when the sun was out the day was warm and I was outside much of it cleaning up the jammer. Today, however, is much different

Awake, turn up the heater, turn on my computer and pound keys while waiting for the light of day to show itself, which slowly comes on while the rain continues coming down lightly. Later, I dress in my fall blues and rain breaker, step outside and begin boiling water for my morning meal. When I am done making breakfast, I put away my cookpot, climb into the back of the jammer and sit down at my desk where I continue pounding keys while eating my morning meal.

Overcast and dreary this day abides and the temperature never rises above fifty-three degrees. Too, the entire camp is very quite as most here remain within their abode, what ever it be. Later, near to about eleven this morning, I begin to see several campers, all covered in rain gear, showing themselves on the asphalt circle about the campground. They must have the same desire to get out into the day but the rain and dreary refrains most movement here just south of the Umpqua river in central Oregon.

There seems to be an Arctic jet stream pushing down into the Rockies and with it has turned the pineapple express down into the Washington and Oregon, which will account for all of the rain here where I a camping. Too, it looks like we are done with the main rain storm and may get some clear weather for the next several days but there is another line of the pineapple express that should arrive before the end of the month.

I leave out of North Bend on US 101 heading north looking for a campsite and stop at the first campsite but they are full, so is the second and the third and I begin to pray that I might find one so that I can plug in and work on my computer to catch up on my journal writing. Just as I am getting about twenty miles away from North Bend, I come upon Umpqua River lighthouse and campground and despite there being a No Vacancy sign, I decide to go in and take a hot shower. I drive into the circle, stop at the overflow parking, park, the jammer, grab my shower bag and walk into the shower house to get under the hot water.

Upon coming out, I walk over to a Yurt where the volunteers and hosts are siting in the shade and talking, and I greet them and strike up a conversation. After a short time, I tell them that I am a photo journalist traveling up the Oregon coast and I am hoping to find a campsite at a state park because I have a disabled veterans pass. The woman, whose name is Gipsy, then says, Actually, we have a couple campsites that have come available, one even for three nights. I tell her that I will take the one for three nights. She tells me that the one available for three nights is campsite # 2.

I thank her and tell her that this is an answer to a prayer.

Up to a very cold and wet morning, the cold more intense due to the extreme dampness. I unplug the extension cord, pack it away and drive to the shower house for a hot shower. Afterwards, I register for another night in the same campsite, then, I drive out of the park and head to North Bend to stop at a w-mart for coffee, com and computer.

Upon arriving in town, the sun begins to make a show and I stop on a deserted street, get out and take a photo. (See Day 850 above)

After having left Lava Beds to travel north out of California, I then head west to cross the mountains in Oregon, and after one failed attempt, try a second time on SR 42 and arrive in Coos Bay by five this evening.

I turn north on US 101 and stop briefly at a w-mart in North Bend to finish my journal entry and then upload it to the web site. Afterwards, I head north on US 101 to the first state campsite, Umpqua Lighthouse state park and check for an opening which I find there are several with electric still open, in fact the campsite is only sparsely filled with plenty of tent spaces, several electric and even a few full hookups.

I park in space 39, get out, plug in, and then move the table to the back of the jammer so that I can cook out the tailgate. I boil water, insert sprouted grains and in about twenty minutes have a hot meal. During the last few minutes of cooking, I add chopped green onions and after draining, add some grated cheese and chipotle hot sauce. The drained liquid is in my sierra cup and sip on it with my meal. This meal is a repeat from last night only I used sesame oil instead of the hot sauce, but both recipes are perfect.

It is nine this evening when I finish my meal and after cleaning up, get right into the horizontal to read more of the book of Job.