Photo courtesy of Halvor Tweto
Not to be confused with nearby Tahkenitch Landing Campground just across Highway 1, Tahkenitch Campground is settled into Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and enjoys the shade of a mature stand of Douglas firs. The day use area attached to the campground doubles as a trailhead for the Threemile Lake and Tahkenitch Dunes Loop that totals approximately 6 miles.
Tahkenitch Campground is more straightforward than many of the more developed coastal campgrounds; of the 34 sites, none have hookups, and the small sites lend themselves to tents over RVs and trailers. Several sites are arranged as if they are group sites, though they are individually numbered. Flush toilets are the major amenity here, and you will also find potable water and the usual distribution of picnic tables and fire pits. All of this simplicity does translate to a little more solitude, however. When other campgrounds are bustling with RVs and Off-Highway Vehicles, swaying Douglas firs may be the busiest thing about Tahkenitch. And it is a nice alternative to the more exposed Tahkenitch Landing Campground if you are enjoying the fishing, paddling, or boating on Tahkenitch Lake.
Tahkenitch Campground is open from March 15 through September 15, and while it doesn’t receive the traffic that some other more developed sites receive, reservations are still recommended in peak season.