- Lakeside
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Reviews
99% Recommend108 ratings · 55 reviews
We had the most wonderful time staying at Mel's mountaintop retreat. Each morning we woke up to songbirds singing and deer grazing just outside the window. Mel was very helpful and recommended places we could eat and get coffee while we were in the area. Knowing there would be a fire pit from the listing, I messaged Mel before we arrived and he had a fire ready for us when we got there. The view from the top was gorgeous and the drive up to the property had stunning views of the lake as well. All in all it was a fantastic adventure and we would stay again in the future. Thank you Mel!
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Conner F.
5 years on Hipcamp
Very cool spot! The location is great with solitude yet easy access to necessities and plenty of recreation opportunities. Mel is an awesome Host; hospitable yet respectful of privacy. The property offers many trails to explore and check out Nature. The cabin is very nice and comfortable with a great view of hills to the south. Also, the southern exposure is nice as there is plenty of Sun to bask in on the large deck. Restroom is clean and private even though one gets to enjoy the open air at the same time. I highly recommend visiting and meeting Mel as I believe it would be a memorable experience.
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Scott G.
3 reviews
Recommends
· October 2020
This place is outstanding. Our expectations were exceeded! Mel was a wonderful host. He made us feel welcome and safe. We arrived at around 8pm (later than we thought we would). This was no problem for Mel. He was there and ready to greet us, he even gifted us 6 fresh farm eggs. Yea Mel!
Highly recommended
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Joseph S.
2 reviews
Recommends
· September 2020
Great location for Oregon coast activities and an awesome host. Mel went above and beyond the call of duty including moving me into the A frame when the rain came. All the camp sites are beautiful and private and easily accessible.. The A frame is a real treat and I was lucky enough to experience it in the rain and then with a clear sky where you can gaze up into the stars from the comfort of the bed.
Adam H.
13 reviews
Great host, very private. You need AWD if it’s wet. Tent site 1 is like the penthouse. Site 2 is like the den in the woods in the dark. I didn’t realize this, so was a bit disappointed to be in the dark under trees, but the privacy and blackberries made up for that a bit.
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Helene T.
5 years on Hipcamp
Really enjoyed staying in the secluded wooded campsite #3 at Mel's. The sites are set well apart from one another, and ours had a nice view across a wooded valley. Mel wasn't there when we arrived but was able to direct us to our site over the phone. The site had a couple of chairs and a picnic table and a fire ring, though there was a burn ban so we did not light a fire. We appreciated that Mel had thoughtfully put up a tarp to keep the tent pad dry. This is a nice base camp for exploring the OR Dunes and south on the coast.
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Felice K.
5 years on Hipcamp
I’m seeing a couple reviews on here complaining about the A Frame being too close to the home, but I don’t think that’s true. There wasn’t much noise at all, and it’s certainly private enough. Mel was respectful, making himself available when needed, and allowing us to enjoy the space on our own.
Beautiful views, secluded, and exciting way to see the Oregon coast. The town is smaller for sure, so come with supplies, but once you’re up in the mountains it’s quiet as can be. We even had a baby buck come say hi.
Connor M.
4 reviews
Recommends
· September 2020
Much needed escape from the city!
Group trip ·
A-Frame Wilderness View Cabin
Had a great time in the A frame and our tent set up. My favorite was the late night hot shower under the stars! ✨
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Karin D.
2 reviews
Recommends
· September 2020
Group trip ·
A-Frame Wilderness View Cabin
I enjoyed this place a lot. I left the side open the whole time even at night. The host building ect is close by but it is about what you are looking for and this worked for me. I enjoyed the view, the wild animals, and the quiet. Very nice stay!!
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Guy P.
5 years on Hipcamp
We stayed in spot 3 which had a nice view and was clean and well kept. There was plenty of room for setting up tents and you could not see any other camp sites although you could hear them faintly. The host was very nice and everything was good.
When I looked up the site I assumed there was water access but that is not the case. The road going to the water was private and you are not able to use it. Luckily there are great spots less than a mile up the highway including lakes, huge dunes and beautiful hikes.
Overall I would recommend this spot for a great place to sleep/eat but there isn't anything you can do without driving.
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Ryan M.
6 reviews
My whole group all agreed that this was the best camp site that we had stayed at ever. We loved the privacy we got in site 2 and the fact that there was a shower on the property available for $10. It was beautiful and spacious, more than enough room to put up both tents and hang a hammock. The portapotty was by far the cleanest one I have seen. They clearly work hard to make their camps a great experience for everyone who visits. Added bonus, we got to see deers, bunnies, and a baby squirl literally everyday we were there, it was great! Only thing I would recommend to any campers is to check if theres a fireban going on as we didn't and it threw off our plans slightly, but that was our own fault! Overall 12/10 recommend
Maryssa V.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Wilderness Tent Sites
We had a nice time and really like site #3 which had received several good reviews. It was spacious and private with beautiful views. It was so nice to have quite mornings (unlike you find at most campgrounds). Mel was out of town for the weekend we stayed but he responded quickly to our messages and gave us Doug’s info in case we had any questions or needs. Peaceful spot!
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Carrie J.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Thanks Mel you rock! Great fresh air and blackberries!
Luke K.
4 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
Quiet private and clean. Mel was super helpful with local knowledge thanks!
Luke K.
4 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
Mel's location was fantastic. It's a cute little A-frame that over looks the forest. There are a couple stores in town about an 8 min. drive. It has 3 picnic tables near it and a glass patio table on the deck. It is pretty close to Mel's house but it didn't bother us at all and the views were still awesome!
There is a flush toilet and shower on the deck next to the A-Frame. We were told that others may use it but it is so close to the A-Frame that no one used it during our time there. It would have been a little awkward if anyone else had, due to the proximity of the bathroom and that there is just a simple curtain. I think that bathroom should be solely reserved for the A-Frame.
This location has electricity inside the cabin which was nice.
There were a ton of hiking and kayaking spots we took advantage of as well.
We will definitely be back.
Joseph G.
5 years on Hipcamp
We had a very nice time here, site #5. Mel keeps the sites clean and was a very nice host. Our dog had an absolute blast. The view we had and the sunrise was just amazing. We had deer visit our camp every morning and my son loved that.
We wish our site would have been a little more shaded as the weekend was in the upper 90s but thats pretty trivial as most coastal weekends are not quite so brutal.
Jen L.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Our site exceeded our expectations. It was so private and quiet, my boyfriend and I genuinely enjoyed our stay here. Short drive to a few different lakes and another short drive to the beach. Even caught some fish! It’s a great area and we are definitely planning on coming back soon!
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Regan L.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Wilderness Tent Sites
Mel was a great host, my friends & I had a great time & we will definitely be back !
Luis B.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Mel's place was a great find. He is a excellent host. Our site was very private. I would definitely recommend staying there if you are in the area.
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Andrew H.
3 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
This spot was so beautiful! The bathroom was very clean and all amenities were beyond expectations. The camp hosts were very nice and helpful. They have awesome recommendations of different things to do around the area. Our camp spot was very large. Overall, my sister and I had a great time camping here and would recommend it to anyone!
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Samantha A.
5 years on Hipcamp
Not recommend
· August 2020
Nice cabin, but not at all private
Group trip ·
A-Frame Wilderness View Cabin
It's complicated.
Pros: Mel was so very welcoming and nice. He's a great host. The cabin itself is adorable and is very well maintained. The view, if you looked up and in the right direction, was nice. There is a short trail right off the cabin deck, with blackberries.
Cons: The cabin is right next to the Host's home. So close that we could hear the television at night.
The shared bathroom is about 10 feet from the cabin, and on the same raised platform. This means that other campers sharing it would need to walk through your site and right next to where you sleep in order to use it. It did not have any doors (just walls and and opening) so you'd have to figure out how to alert people you were going to enter, I suppose. Mel also mentioned, as we were checking in, that he rents the bathroom out to day campers and travelers in the area, by the hour. That was a surprise. We were not comfortable with the idea of that kind of traffic in our actual campsite, especially during the pandemic.
There was a memorial with a lot of garden gnomes on the edge of the campsite, which is very sweet but did feel wrong somehow, like we were intruding on something personal.
Finally, the view if you looked down consisted of a bit of a junkyard of old water or oil barrels and tubs, and other waste.
We left after one night of our three night stay. We messaged the Host to let him know, but never heard back from him.
We would not stay there again, but perhaps its a good place to stay if you don't mind being very close to other folks?
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Jackie A.
5 years on Hipcamp
While Mel was a friendly and accommodating host we were disappointed to find the site not as private as it had seemed through the photos provided. The A-Frame itself was very nice and looked the same as in its photographs, however these photographs were taken strategically not to show that the structure is directly behind Mel’s house, so close in fact that we could hear him in his house and felt slightly uncomfortable realizing he could hear our every conversation as well. As stated before Mel was very friendly and nice so this would have been completely fine had we anticipated it, but going in expecting a secluded spot in nature it was a bit of a shock. The surroundings were also not as picturesque as the photos indicated, our view was in part of a field and in part of some kind of old storage building with debris all outside of it. The bathroom was in this building. It had a running shower and sink but was not the cleanest which left us feeling a little uneasy, on top of that we were not aware we would be sharing it with another family which would have been nice to know in light of Covid. For the price we paid and from the description and photos that were posted on hipcamp we felt we had been mislead as to what this experience would be. However, if the listing had presented itself accurately it would have been a fine and pleasant stay and we were grateful for Mel’s friendliness. We only stayed one of two nights planned as without the privacy and ability to be on our own as we expected we decided to just continue along on our road trip.
Lizzie O.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Wilderness Tent Sites
One of a kind experience! Such wonderful hosts. Amazing beauty and the quirkiness was the delight of it all.
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Amber G.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Wilderness Tent Sites
I can’t begin to say how much I luv’d this place...Mel and Doug are awesome and their land is amazing. They are continuing to build and make it better too! It was one of the best camping trips I’ve had.
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Marisa B.
5 years on Hipcamp
The campsites are private, the flush toilet and sink to wash dishes are nice bonuses. Host very friendly!
Delilah R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
We loved staying with Mel & Doug! The site was within an easy drive of many of the area's attractions, even though we had one of the smaller sites (#5) we still had plenty of space for 3 small tents and our kitchen setup. Our one (very minor) complaint is that our site had a base of tanbark/loose dirt rather than grass, which made everything a bit dustier and dirtier than normal. Overall though, we had a great time and would definitely stay with Mel & Doug again!
Bria V.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Wilderness Tent Sites
Very private campsite in the woods. Perfect for our physically distanced visit with cousins! Nice fire pit, some wood provided, more available for purchase. Water is available but a bit of a hike or drive so bring a big water jug to have at your campsite. Very friendly and responsive host. Overall, great experience!
Alex N.
3 reviews
Our family had a fantastic stay at the A frame cabin. The cabin is very cute, has a comfortable queen size mattress, a small lamp, an outlet to charge your phone, and a cute little electric heater/flame light. The site comes with 2 potable water spigots, a camp fire with loads of wood, 4 picnic tables, an umbrella for one table and 4 comfortable padded deck chairs. The bathroom is just a few steps away and is shared with 1 or 2 other sites. The site is huge and can accommodate several tents. There are other camp sites around but they are at a good distance and the site feels very private. We had a fantastic stay and really enjoyed spending the day at nearby Hall lake (10mins away) swimming and climbing the dunes. Highly recommend this place. Mel and Doug were great hosts, very communicative and friendly.
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Christa G.
3 reviews
We would recommend, and already have, Mel's land to all the people we love! He was so warm and friendly and the site was absolutely breath taking. He even taught us how to process a crab while maintaining safe social distancing. We've never camped anywhere but public campsites before, and were nervous. All for naught! What a wonderful experience. Thank you so much Mel!!!
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Jared A.
5 years on Hipcamp
It’s nice to camp inland a little after all the sunshine and wind on the beach. Mel’s is steep forested land with an archery course running a meandering path through it. We were in site #2 which has a steep descent from the access road, but there’s room to turn around at the bottom to get back out. There was an iron fire pit /grill, a picnic table, a prep table, an overhead tarp, two plastic camp chairs and plenty of firewood. If you look around you can find enough level space for a couple tents. There’s a winding short hike uphill through the forest to get to the outhouse. There was sanitizer in the outhouse.
When you arrive and check in at the barn, ask to fill your water containers before driving out to your site, since that’s the only water source.
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Sylvia S.
2 reviews
Location
Lakeside, Coos, Oregon, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Mel L.
Joined in April 2019Things to do nearby
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