Are there any good camping at the Coast, near Portland?

Vacation ideas around Portland, sans car?

• I am looking to take a vacation towards the end of the month. I was thinking of camping along the coast at first, but the cost of renting a car seems too much. I would love to get out of the portland area. Are there secret-ish spots nearby that my boyfriend and I could sneak away to for a few days? Seattle was also an idea, we would be taking the train. What is a good wilderness area that is serviceable by greyhound or trimet? Any other ideas?

• Answer:

  Greyhound will take you to Newport on the central coast. Lots to do there and you can rent a car as well and there are plenty of campgrounds. South Beach for one. Here is the website for Oregon parks and campgrounds for the central coast and keep in mind they do have yurts and cabins at many campgrounds which takes the tent factor out if you'd rather lighten your load a bit. http://www.oregonstateparks.org/searchpark.php?region=central_coast There are SO many places around Portland to go but you need a car pretty much unless you rode Trimet to the outlying areas to hike and such and then you are limited. One of the many places to visit are the McMenamins pubs in Oregon. Many have rooms to stay in as well. http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php Map of all of their locations: http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?region=0 Multnomah falls is great as are all the falls in the Gorge area out east on I-84. Take a trip out to Mt. Hood (about 50 miles from downtown) and stay at Timberline lodge. You won't regret that trip. Also the Skamania lodge on the Washington side in the gorge accessed from the Oregon side via exit #44 off of I-84 then take the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade locks over to Stevenson.