SIXES RIVER CAMPGROUNDS

EDSON CREEK PARK (and campground)
Where: Drive six miles north of Port Orford and turn east on Sixes River Road and drive 4.4 miles. Turn left just before the bridge that crosses over Edson Creek. With twenty-seven sites available for $5 overnight, $1 day use, (Golden Age Passport members pay half price), Edson Campground, without electric hookups or a dump station, offers limited amenities for tents and self-contained units. There are handicapped accessible restrooms, garbage cans, picnic tables, fire pits, and water at a central faucet. Firewood is available for sale. Edson Creek is a shallow creek, safe for supervised children. A boat ramp and swimming hole in the Sixes River are just across the main road. There are also four group campsites with plenty of tables and space. Phone camp hosts Linda and Ray Panter for group site reservations and more information about Edson Creek Park at 332-8027.

SIXES RIVER RECREATION SITE (and campground)
Where: Drive miles north of Port Orford, turn east on Sixes River Road and drive 11.4 miles to find nineteen campsites along the Sixes River. Cement tables, fire pits, fresh water from an Artesian well, garbage cans, and a number of centrally located handicapped accessible restrooms are available. Rates are the same as Edson Creek Park (both are managed by Bureau of Land Management - BLM). The camp hosts, Chuck and Maria Yates, will explain the sixteen solar panels and the three information panels that will acquaint you with river otter, bald eagles, Marbled Murrelets (a seabird), and the Silver Coho (a Pacific Ocean salmon) that spawn in the Sixes River. The Sixes River history of gold mining can be experienced by panning for gold (bring your own pan) year long, but from July 15th to October 15th, recreational dredging is allowed on the river. Information available from Linda and Ray Panter at 332-8027.

ELK RIVER CAMPGROUNDS:
Where: Elk River Road is 2.3 miles north of Port Orford off Highway 101. Don’t miss a drive into this scenic area.
The Elk River is the most productive salmon stream outside of Alaska and one of the last undammed rivers in Oregon. The Siskiyou National Forest begins just past the fish hatchery. There are free and isolated campsites, maintained by the Powers’ Ranger Station, along the Elk River that flows through the Siskiyou National Forest. There are narrow sideroads that dip down to the river. Some have picnic tables and fire rings in clearings either near the river or with a fine view of it. The following are designated campsites:

Sunshine Bar Campground
Eighteen miles from Highway 101, look for a road to the left. In the past there has been a sign, but recent vandalism has taken a toll and the sign might not be visible. Recently upgraded, seven free campsites have been added along with two handicapped accessible restrooms. Self-contained campers and tents can be located right on the edge of the river. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There is no running water or showers. Fourteen overnights limit.

Butler Bar Campground
Further up Elk River Road…19.6 miles from Highway 101 on Forest Service Road #5325, are seven campsites with picnic tables and fire rings located in campsites along the Elk River. There are toilets near the dirt road that runs from one end of the campground to the other. No showers or running water. Lots of trails leading to the river’s edge. Fourteen overnights limit.

Laird Lake Campground – The Elk River Road is currently being upgraded and access to this campground is impossible at this time. Check this website page in the future as information will become available when the campground is open and accessible.

Boice-Cope County Park: To get there, travel 17-miles north of Port Orford and turn west on county road 130. In less than a mile, take another left turn on to county road 136. From there follow the signs to “Curry County Parks.” The suddenness and surprising beauty of the remote Floras Lake will delight you. Boice-Cope County Campground is on the edge of the lake and has showers and restrooms (handicapped accessible). Each campsite has an elevated fire pit, picnic table, and a drinking water faucet. Firewood is available for sale. RVs are $16 and tents are $12 a night. Extra vehicles are $5. There is no host currently at the camp so the honor system is in place at the self-service pay station.

Separated from the ocean by sand dunes, Floras Lake has boat ramps and is popular with wind and kite surfers, kayaks, canoes, and swimmers. Equipment can be rented at Floras Lake Windsurfing (541-348-9912). Day-use for the park is $2.