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Nehalem Bay State Park



Nehalem Bay State Park GO Bond

Nehalem Bay State Park is located on a 4-mile sand spit. The campground sits among shore pines and is just a sand dune away from the beach. Two day-use areas offer access to the bay or the ocean and have restrooms and picnic areas with fire rings. Bayside day-use includes a boat ramp.

Project

  • Upgrade existing utilities within the camp loops
  • Add a new restrooms/shower building to serve C and D Loops.
  • Renovate and add additional accessible campsites
  • Repave and add traffic calming to the park entry road from the Garey Street entrance to the airport intersection.

Visitor impacts

The park will be closed to camping and day use during construction to ensure public safety. The park closure for the utility and road improvements is anticipated to be from November 1, 2024 through June 2025 (the day-use area, boat ramp and airport will remain open through November 30, 2024).

The Nehalem Bay State Airport (Airport) will have temporary limitations while the Nehalem Bay State Park (Park) undergoes construction in the fall of 2024 through the summer of 2025. 

During the Park closure:

  • The Airport will remain open, but prior permission will be required for full-stop landings
  • There will be no drinking water, restrooms, or solid waste facilities available
  • Trails and roads, including beach access will be closed to all traffic
  • Camping will be allowed "under the wing"
    • All refuse must be flown out. If you bring it in, please take it with you on your way out
  • All portions of the Park outside of the Airport will be off limits
  • Touch and go traffic will not require prior permission

Milestones

  • Final wetland delineation report complete and approved. 
  • Cultural resources report complete and approved
  • Cultural resources survey
  • Final design for utility and road improvement project is complete

Next steps

  • Conditional use land use approval for other future projects (boat ramp area improvements, dump station relocation, additional camping loops). (in progress)
  • County Building Permit for Restroom Building (in progress)
  • Bidding and Construction for the utility and road improvements.

The current general bond obligation is $10-12 million.

Last updated Aug. 2024. Additional updates as information becomes available

General Obligation Bonds Overview

The 2021 Oregon Legislature passed SB 5506 that approved general obligation bonds to revitalize parks and campgrounds. The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission approved a preliminary list of projects in November 2021.

The project at Nehalem Bay State Park was one of the projects approved to receive funds from bond sales.

Questions? Send us an email.

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