Bullards Beach State Park — Attraction in Coos Bay

No having fun while black... We went to Bullards Beach from August 8th through the 11th. The place was clean and well kept. They had great showers and bathrooms and we had 4 nice campgrounds with three of them clumped together. We had a family of 27 in these 4 places. Friday Evening after dinner the 3 young adults ages 20, 22 and 29 and 4 children 8, 9, 10, 11 were playing with a football in the road between campsites from 7:00 to 7:30 when 2 Rangers came by and told them they had multiple noise complaints and told the kids to get back in camp and be quiet. Really? 7 kids having fun and laughing while playing. 5 of these kids were black. 19 of our family there are black. My neice and I walked around our loop to see what was so wrong with this picture. We saw 5 blond haired blue eyed kids from somewhere in Scandanavia riding bikes, scooters and skateboards laughing and screaming with glee as they rode down a little hill. Where were the rangers for this? We also realized we were the only family of color in the whole park. The next morning the Rangers came to ask my (black) cousin if we were leaving (we were there for one more day) and tell us to remove the chalk the kids had colored on the asphalt with. (I brought a hose for this purpose), when right across the road a white cousin was camping in a spot that had chalk all over the driveway WHEN she got there. No one told her to remove the chalk. It was directly across from where the ranger was standing. As a family we had a great time despite the nastiness of the Rangers and people who complained while black kids were having fun. We will NEVER return to this spot. So if you have a family of color beware of rampant problems within the park because of your skin color. If you are white, as I am, I am sure you...

Bullards Beach State Park is a top-notch campground. I've camped here on and off for the past 20+ years. It's quiet, there are multiple camp hosts on site, there are bathrooms AND hot showers, and it is reasonably priced ($38-$41 for a standard site with water, electricity, and sewage). Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table. Yurts are also available.

On my most recent trip, I stayed in a tent and could hear the distant howls of coyotes and the pounding ocean waves. It was such a relaxing, fun, peaceful experience.

The only downside is reservations are required throughout the summer months. You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than pulling in and expecting an available spot from late May to early September with no prior reservation. I often do spontaneous one-night trips, and I feel as if I won the lottery if I discover a cancellation online. To be on the safe side, plan on making reservations two to three months in advance - especially if you plan on staying more than two nights.

Overall, this is THE best campground I have ever stayed at, and I would highly recommend it.

EDITED TO ADD: My ONLY two complaints about Bullard's Beach State Park are that the showers aren't turned on until 7:00 AM sharp (why? I like to leave early and this delays me. At least turn them on by 6:00 AM!) and you are not not allowed to go to the lighthouse until 7:00 AM (as a photographer, this means I can't capture the sunrise at the lighthouse for half of the year). Why not open the road from dawn to...

This campground was very well-maintained and had decent privacy in most of the campsites. Bathrooms we well maintained, clean and definitely have been updated or recently. Handicap restroom and shower were also available in each of the restroom/shower buildings. Some sides appear to have better accessibility with pavement around the fire pit instead of just dirt and grass. There was some boat parking at the front of the campground – probably something that needs to be reserved ahead of time. There were several Yurts that would be great for people who do not want to deal with a tent or camper available also.

A loop was more open with less privacy between the campsites. B Loop and C loop had lots of different good site options. The campground provided different information or educational programs each day. There is a permanent cornhole game that is set up, but you have to bring your own beanbags.

Beach access was not as great as we hoped. It was about a mile to the beach from the campsite. There was good parking if people wanted to drive. We found most of the week the beach was extremely windy the point straight out from the campground. We went across the river to the beach near Bandon and felt like it was more sheltered. The town of Bandon was very fun to visit. Tony’s crab shack had great food and even a pet crab named Walter, who was friendly! Overall, a fun experience, just not a big fan of all the wind, but on the Oregon coast, you kinda have to...