There are Oregon Coast camping trips where you pull into your site, unfold a couple of chairs and spend the evening staring at the ocean.
And then there are camping trips where you climb into a boat, drop crab rings into an Oregon bay, haul up dinner and return to shore with a pile of fresh Dungeness crab that someone will actually cook for you.
We know which one sounds more fun.
Tucked along the water in one of the quieter towns on Oregon’s central coast, there’s an RV park and marina where crabbing isn’t just something nearby. It’s practically built into the experience.
You can camp beside the bay, rent a crabbing boat without bringing your own gear, spend three hours hunting for Oregon’s most famous crustacean and, if luck is on your side, finish the adventure eating crab you pulled from the water yourself.
Welcome to McKinley’s RV Park & Marina in Waldport.
And if you’re putting together a bigger coastal road trip, bookmark our full Oregon Coast Guide before you go. This is exactly the kind of place that makes the central coast worth slowing down for.
An Oregon Coast Campground Where The Bay Is Basically Your Backyard
McKinley’s sits right along the beautiful Alsea Bay and the Alsea River.
This isn’t one of those campgrounds where "waterfront" means you can technically glimpse some blue between three motorhomes and a hedge.
Many of the sites actually face the water.
According to McKinley’s RV Park & Marina, its full-hookup RV sites include level concrete pads, large patios, water, sewer, 20/30/50-amp electrical service, cable TV and WiFi.
Some sites even have hookups on both sides, allowing RV-ers to pull in nose-first or back in depending on which direction gives them the view they want.
That is a wonderfully specific Oregon Coast luxury.
Coffee tastes better when you're looking at Alsea Bay instead of your neighbor's sewer hose.
For travelers who don't need hookups, McKinley’s also offers grassy dry-camping and tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings, including waterfront options.
The park has restrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a convenience store, propane, firewood and family recreation areas with volleyball, tetherball, basketball, horseshoes and a sandbox.
But all of that is basically the opening act.
The crabbing is why this place gets interesting.
You Don't Even Need To Own A Boat
Here’s where McKinley’s separates itself from the average Oregon Coast RV park.
They rent crab boats.
And you don't even have to be staying at the campground to rent one.
The McKinley’s marina currently rents crabbing boats for $120 for three hours, with rentals available seven days a week depending on the tides.
Each rental includes:
- Three crab rings
- Bait for all three rings
- A crab measuring tool
- Adult and child life jackets
- Basic instruction on operating the boat, setting and retrieving the rings and identifying legal crab
The boats accommodate up to four adults, subject to the marina's weight limits, and reservations are required.
In other words, you don't need a fishing boat sitting in your driveway.
You don't need to haul crab rings halfway across Oregon.
And you don't necessarily need to know what you're doing before you arrive.
They'll help get you started.
For someone who's always wanted to try crabbing but has been intimidated by the logistics, that's a pretty appealing setup.
Then Comes The Best Part: Pulling Up The Rings
There's something uniquely addictive about Oregon Coast crabbing.
You drop a baited ring into water where you can't see a thing, give it some time and eventually start hauling the line back up.
For several seconds, you have absolutely no idea what's underneath you.
Then the ring breaks the surface.
Sometimes you get disappointment.
Sometimes you get chaos.
And when several big Dungeness crabs come scrambling into view at once, suddenly everyone in the boat is very interested in what is happening.
Alsea Bay is a known Dungeness crab fishery, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife specifically identifies Alsea Bay as a prime place to pull up some of the state's finest.
Timing matters.
ODFW says slack water around high or low tide is generally one of the better times to crab because stronger tidal currents make it harder for crabs to move around and harder for your gear to stay where you want it.
That's also why McKinley's schedules its rental boats around the tides rather than simply handing you the keys whenever you wander into the office.
And this time of year can be especially tempting.
ODFW notes that fall is typically one of the best periods for Oregon crabbing, with crab generally filling out with more meat beginning around September.
Suddenly that gray September weekend on the coast doesn't sound so bad.
Yes, They'll Even Cook Your Crab
Now imagine you've spent several hours on Alsea Bay.
You're cold.
You're hungry.
Your hands smell vaguely like bait.
And sitting in front of you is the freshest Dungeness crab you're ever going to eat.
This is the part we love.
McKinley's has a crab-cleaning station available, and according to the park's current FAQ, they'll cook your crab for $1 each, with a $10 minimum charge.
That's it.
You can go from pulling dinner out of Alsea Bay to eating it without having to drag a giant stock pot, burner and half your kitchen to the coast.
There's something almost comically satisfying about that.
You didn't order the crab.
You didn't pick it from a seafood counter.
A few hours earlier it was walking around the bottom of Alsea Bay.
That's about as Oregon Coast as dinner gets.
Don't Have An RV? You Can Still Do This
One of the best things about McKinley's setup is that the crabbing experience isn't reserved for campground guests.
The crab boat rentals are open to the public, so you could stay somewhere else in Waldport or make this part of a larger central Oregon Coast trip.
Travelers bringing their own boat can also use the marina's launch, with separate rates for park guests and visitors.
Kayaks and canoes can be launched as well.
That opens up a lot of possibilities for people who love the idea of the experience but aren't exactly shopping for a 38-foot fifth wheel.
Our Waldport travel guide is a good place to start building the rest of the trip.
Waldport has always felt different from some of the larger Oregon Coast destinations. It's quieter and less frantic, with the Alsea Bay Bridge towering over town and easy access to beaches, forest, rivers and some incredible stretches of Highway 101.
You can actually breathe here.
Turn It Into A Central Oregon Coast Weekend
This is where McKinley's location gets even better.
You're positioned between Newport and Yachats, which means an entire section of the central coast is within easy striking distance.
Head south and you can be wandering the rocky shoreline and little shops of Yachats before continuing into the spectacular Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.
Cape Perpetua packs an absurd amount of Oregon scenery into a relatively small area, with old-growth forest, trails, viewpoints and volcanic shoreline features including Devil's Churn and Thor's Well.
Just plan anything near the water around conditions and tides. This stretch of coast is magnificent, but it doesn't care how good your Instagram photo would be.
You could also spend part of the trip exploring the best tide pools along the Oregon Coast, wander the beaches around Seal Rock or head north toward Newport and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
And before choosing your weekend, check our Oregon Events Calendar. We've been building it specifically so you can see festivals, markets, concerts and community events happening around the state and turn a simple overnight trip into an actual weekend.
What Does It Cost To Stay At McKinley's?
As of September 2026, McKinley's lists its summer full-hookup RV rates, which apply through October 31, at:
Waterfront site: $74 per night
Non-water pull-through site: $64 per night
Dry camping currently starts at $30 per night, with waterfront dry-camping sites listed at $40.
Winter full-hookup rates drop to $50 for a waterfront site and $45 for a non-water site.
The three-hour crab boat rental is currently $120, including the three rings and bait.
Rates can change, so definitely check directly with McKinley's before building your trip around a specific price.
A Few Things To Know Before You Go Crabbing
This is still recreational shellfishing, so Oregon's licensing and harvest regulations apply.
Under current ODFW Dungeness crab regulations, recreational crabbers may keep male Dungeness crab measuring at least 5 3/4 inches across the shell. The current daily limit is 12 Dungeness crab per person.
Anyone age 12 or older harvesting shellfish also needs the appropriate Oregon shellfish license.
Bay and estuary crabbing is generally open throughout the year, but conditions and health closures can change.
Before harvesting anything, check the latest ODFW regulations and the Oregon Department of Agriculture shellfish safety information. ODFW specifically recommends checking for biotoxin closures before eating recreationally harvested shellfish.
There's another Alsea Bay-specific reason to pay attention.
Unlike some Oregon bays, Alsea Bay doesn't have protective jetties at its entrance. ODFW warns that strong outgoing tides and ocean swell can make boating near the mouth more dangerous.
Stay where you're supposed to be, follow the marina's instructions and don't treat the mouth of the bay like your personal episode of Deadliest Catch.
This Is The Kind Of Oregon Coast Trip We Love
Some places give you somewhere to sleep.
Others give you a reason to plan the entire trip.
McKinley's falls into the second category.
There's something wonderfully simple about setting up camp beside Alsea Bay, waking up to the water, climbing into a little boat and spending the morning trying to catch lunch.
And if the rings come back loaded?
Even better.
Someone else can cook it.
You just supplied dinner.
Here's All the Info You Need Before You Head to McKinley's RV Park & Marina
Address: 850 OR-34, Waldport, OR 97394
Phone: 541-563-4656
Reservations: mckinleysrvparkandmarina.com/reservations
Web: mckinleysrvparkandmarina.com
