Newport Dunes
September 11–13, 2026
Weekend at a glance
Season opener on the sand, and this year it flies a pirate flag — costumes and ship names encouraged. Newport Dunes has a floating inflatable water park — slides, trampolines, and climbing walls out on the bay — plus calm water for paddling and a beach big enough for the whole expedition.
Arcade game · play it now
Cannonball Cove
Aim the cannon, lock the powder, and tuck at the top of the arc. Five shots, five rings, and each ring pays only once.
Kids and dads keep separate high-score boards — your best run puts your name on one.
The weekend
Friday, Sept 11
Saturday, Sept 12
Circles pair up and cook appetizer style, enough to feed the expedition. Blue Hawks and Buccaneers on beef, Mighty Creek and Outlaws on chicken, Rough Riders and Vikings on pork.
Sunday, Sept 13
Getting there
Coming from the south on Jamboree, turn right off Pacific Coast Highway onto N Bayside Drive and follow it down to the car park.
Park on the gravel and dirt lot — shaded red on the map below — not the paved lot by the marina. The group tent sites are the strip of beach shaded blue.
It is a long walk from the car to the sites, so a beach wagon is worth more than anything else you bring. Do not overpack, and take the smaller tent if you have the choice: the sites are compact.
The sites have no power and no water. Bring a battery bank, more water than you think you need, and one portable fire pit per circle.
Wear water shoes in the water, dads as well as kids — the stingrays are very active at the moment.
Where your circle sleeps
What to pack
Core Campout Gear
Check the poles before you leave home.
Two — one for you, one for your pal.
One each, plus spare batteries.
Tent sites rarely have power.
Backpack or wheeled — you carry it from the car.
Hand anything prescription to your circle leader.
Beach and Water Add-Ons
Two, so one can dry.
Strapped, not flip-flops. Wear them in the water as well as on the sand — stingrays are active in the warmer months.
Better sun protection than sunscreen alone.
Required for rafts and inflatables. Rentals include them, but they run out of sizes.
Pirates of the Dunes extras
It is a long walk from the lot to the sites, and it carries the firewood too.
One per circle — the group sites do not have them.
For the kids, used during Saturday's raft activities.
The tent sites have no water tap.
The group sites are compact.