#167 We stayed two nights at Gold beach at Huntley Park operated by the county. Boondock.

We stayed at a place called Gold Beach or at least a few miles north of that right on the Rogue River. I found it on free camp.net. It's called Huntley Park and it's operated by the city Gold Beach Oregon.

Like many places that I have been the area, it's a little bit pitiful. The town has died sort of. I'm sure it used to be a logging-dependent area. I see what looks like abandoned factory-type things, probably sawmills. That doesn't mean it's not still a pretty river but I don't think the jobs are here anymore. Now it's more just touristy but that only employs about 20 people.

I guess that would describe gold beach as a small town and there's a place to go fishing if you want to. Nobody seems too much mind and there's a big bridge going across the Rogue River as it ends into the pacific.

The whole family kayaked down but I took the truck down about 3 miles or so and parked somewhere like on a bunch of pebbles. Then I rode my bike back up the hill which was pretty steep. This way we could take the kayaks down the river and have the truck waiting.

The three of us paddled down the river and we were having a fine time.

It was certainly a fast-flowing river but not everything more than a category 1.

India and Savannah were behind me a little ways and I saw that there was a rather intense eddy coming up. I paddled around it but I knew it could be a problem for India. I waved my arms to say go away, you're going right towards the eddy. For reasons we'll never know she was taking that as come towards me, come towards the eddy.

She was at the point of no return and the eddy spun her kayak around and around and she capsized.

My first reaction was I guess frustration or anger that I was trying so hard to prevent it's in it the exact thing I was trying to prevent happened anyway.

I paddled over towards her and held her hand to keep her above water. All we really could do was she grabs my kayak and I grabbed her kayak and we worked our way towards the shore.

She wasn't thrilled about any of it but nobody got hurt. and I think it's all we really learned about this was that maybe in the future she would be more comfortable in a two-person kayak. This was also the day we would wear life jackets from now on because that could have gone the wrong way.

Just as a reminder we were just north of some of the most incredible redwood trees and were right on the Pacific Ocean. There’s a river that holds salmon at some point during the year and yeah it was kind of chilly.

It's kind of one of those places that and July it's 64° on the oceanfront.

I was talking to one of the guys that worked there and he was saying it's a good place to live. It's a little cool here but if you drive 10 or15 minutes east and it'll be 80 degrees.

It a half an hour more and it's 90°. You can pick whatever temperature you want.

At about where we were, I said yeah but I bet it gets really hot in the summer. He said it's about 80 and I said well then, I guess it's cold in the winter. He said it's about 50 in the winter.

Considering all of the amenities of the area and that kind of climate I'm beginning to think this might be my Utopia we'll have to see.

Huntley Park

This is a PAY campground. ($12 or less) The price is $12/night

Address

Jerry Flat Road Gold Beach, Oregon GPS: 42.480162, -124.3273 Elevation: 56' Get Directions

Management

Public - City Park 541-247-9377

Huntley Park is open all year. The maximum RV length at Huntley Park is 40 feet.