Moon Oregon Camping

How to Use This Book

ABOUT THE CAMPGROUND PROFILES

The campgrounds are listed in a consistent, easy-to-read format to help you choose the ideal camping spot. If you already know the name of the specific campground you want to visit, or the name of the surrounding geological area or nearby feature (town, national or state park, forest, mountain, lake, river, etc.), look it up in the index and turn to the corresponding page. Here is a sample profile:

ABOUT THE ICONS

The icons in this book are designed to provide at-a-glance information on activities, facilities, and services available on-site or within walking distance of each campground.

ABOUT THE SCENIC RATING

Each campground profile employs a scenic rating on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the least scenic and 10 being the most scenic. A scenic rating measures only the overall beauty of the campground and environs; it does not take into account noise level, facilities, maintenance, recreation options, or campground management. The setting of a campground with a lower scenic rating may simply not be as picturesque that of as a higher rated campground, however other factors that can influence a trip, such as noise or recreation access, can still affect or enhance your camping trip. Consider both the scenic rating and the profile description before deciding which campground is perfect for you.

MAP SYMBOLS

ABOUT THE MAPS

This book is divided into chapters based on major regions in the state; an overview map of these regions precedes the table of contents. Each chapter begins with a map of the region, which is further broken down into detail maps. Campgrounds are noted on the detail maps by number.

INTRODUCTION

Author’s Note

Best Campgrounds

B Most Scenic

B Families

B Fishing

B Hiking

B Waterfalls

B Waterfront Campgrounds

B Wildlife-Viewing

Camping Tips

SLEEPING GEAR

HIKING AND FOOT CARE

CLOTHING AND WEATHER PROTECTION

FOOD AND COOKING GEAR

FIRST AID AND INSECT PROTECTION

CATCHING FISH, AVOIDING BEARS, AND HAVING FUN

CAMPING OPTIONS

CAMP ETHICS AND POLITICS

OUTDOORS WITH KIDS

PREDICTING WEATHER

Author’s Note

When my family and friends throughout Oregon heard I was writing this book, they all instantly hated me! They figured their favorite spots would be revealed to all. But after reading the book, they don’t hate me anymore (except for this one cousin). That is because they have discovered, as I have, that Oregon is filled with beautiful, little-used campgrounds that are perfect jump-off points for adventure—and there are hundreds of outstanding destinations, in addition to their sprinkling of personal favorites.

Looking for mystery? There are hundreds of hidden, rarely used campgrounds listed and mapped in this book that most people have never dreamed of. Excitement? At many of them, you’ll find the sizzle with the steak: the hike to a great lookout or the big fish at the end of your line. Fun? The Camping Tips section of this book can help you take the futility out of your trips and put the fun back in. Add it up, put it in your cash register, and you can turn a camping trip into the satisfying adventure it’s meant to be, whether it’s just an overnight quickie or a month-long expedition.

Going on a camping trip can be like trying to put hiking boots on an octopus. You’ve tried it too, eh? Instead of a relaxing and fun trip full of adventure, it turns into a scenario called “You Against the World.” You might as well try to fight a volcano. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and that’s what this book is all about. If you give it a chance, the information herein can remove the snarls, confusion, and occasional, volcanic temper explosions that keep people at home, locked away from the action.

It’s estimated that 95 percent of American vacationers use only 5 percent of the country’s available recreation areas. With this book, you can leave the herd, wander, and be free. You can join the inner circle, the Five Percenters who know the great hidden areas used by so few people. To join the Five Percent Club, take a hard look at the maps for the areas you wish to visit and the corresponding campground listings. As you study the camps, you’ll start to feel a sense of excitement building, a feeling that you are about to unlock a door and venture into a world that is rarely viewed. When you feel that excitement, act on it. Parlay that energy into a great trip.

The campground maps and listings can serve in two ways: 1) If you’re on the road late in the day and you’re stuck for a spot for the night, you can likely find one nearby; or 2) if you are planning a trip, you can tailor a vacation to fit exactly into your plans rather than heading off and hoping—maybe praying—it turns out all right.

For the latter, you may wish to obtain additional maps, particularly if you are venturing into areas governed by the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. Both are federal agencies that offer low-cost maps detailing all hiking trails, lakes, streams, and backcountry camps reached via logging roads. The Resource Guide at the back of this book details how to obtain these and other maps.

Backcountry camps listed in this book are often in primitive and rugged settings but provide the sense of isolation that you may want from a trip. They also provide good jump-off points for backpacking trips, if that’s your calling. These camps are often free, and I have listed hundreds of them.

At the other end of the spectrum are the developed parks for RVs. They offer a home away from home, with everything from full hookups to a grocery store and laundry room. Instead of isolation, an RV park provides a place to shower and get outfitted for food and clean clothes. For RV cruisers, it’s a place to stay in high style while touring the area. RV parks range in price, depending on location, and an advance deposit may be necessary in summer.

Somewhere between the two extremes are hundreds and hundreds of campgrounds that provide a compromise: beautiful settings and some facilities, with a small overnight fee. Piped water, vault toilets, and picnic tables tend to come with the territory. Fees for these sites are usually in the $10-35 range, with the higher-priced sites located near population centers. Because they offer a bit of both worlds, they are in high demand. Reservations are usually advised, and at state parks, particularly during the summer season, you can expect company. This doesn’t mean you need to forgo them in hopes of a less confined environment. For one thing, most state parks have set up quotas so that visitors don’t feel as if they’ve been squeezed in with a shoehorn. For another, the same parks are often uncrowded during the off-season and on weekdays.

Before your trip, you’ll want to get organized, and that’s when you must start putting boots on that giant octopus. The trick to organization for any task is breaking it down to its key components and then solving each element independent of the others. Remember the octopus. Grab a moving leg, jam on a boot, and make sure it’s on tight before reaching for another leg. Do one thing at a time, in order, and all will get done quickly and efficiently.

Now you can become completely organized for your trip in just one week, spending just a little time each evening on a given component. Getting organized is an unnatural act for many. By splitting up the tasks, you take the pressure out of planning and put the fun back in.

As you might figure, this is not a hobby for me, as it is for some part-time writers who publish books. This is my full-time job. Because I spend up to 200 days a year in the field, I understand how seriously people take their fun, what they need to know to make their trips work, as well as their underlying fears that they might get stuck for the night without a spot. I get tons of emails and letters, and I read each one carefully. These have been of great benefit. In the process, I have incorporated dozen of suggestions from readers to make this the book they want it to be. Your comments and questions are always welcome and appreciated. As a full-tome outdoors writer, the question I am asked more than any other is: “Where are you going this week?”

All of the answers are in this book.

Best Campgrounds

Can’t decide where to stay? Here are my picks for the best Oregon campgrounds in seven different categories.

B Most Scenic

Honey Bear Campground & RV Resort, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Long Bow Group, Portland and the Willamette Valley, tap here.

Piety Island Boat-In, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Cove Creek, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Paul Dennis, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Anthony Lakes, Northeastern Oregon, tap here.

Scott Lake Walk-In, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

North Waldo, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Lava Lake, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Squaw Lake Hike-In, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

B Families

Fort Stevens State Park, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Honey Bear Campground & RV Resort, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Cascade Locks Marine Park, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Hoover and Hoover Group Camp, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Twin Lakes Resort, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Indian Mary Park, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Abbott Creek, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Lake of the Woods Resort, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Drews Creek, Southeastern Oregon, tap here.

B Fishing

Waldport/Newport KOA, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Port of Siuslaw RV Park and Marina, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Carter Lake, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Trillium Lake, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Gone Creek, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Pelton, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Belknap Hot Springs Resort, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Mallard Marsh, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Trapper Creek, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Drews Creek, Southeastern Oregon, tap here.

B Hiking

Nehalem Falls, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Cape Lookout State Park, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Cape Blanco State Park, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Eagle Creek, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Toll Gate, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Belknap Hot Springs Resort, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Boulder Flat, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Natural Bridge, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Aspen Point, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

B Waterfalls

Nehalem Falls, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Alsea Falls, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Ainsworth State Park, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Salmon Creek Falls, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Susan Creek, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Steamboat Falls, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Hemlock Lake, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

B Waterfront Campgrounds

Loon Lake Recreation Area, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Laird Lake, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Lost Lake, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Trillium Lake, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Meditation Point, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Jubilee Lake, Northeastern Oregon, tap here.

Wallowa Lake State Park, Northeastern Oregon, tap here.

Bull Prairie Lake, Northeastern Oregon, tap here.

Middle Fork, Northeastern Oregon, tap here.

Driftwood, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Hemlock Lake, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Gold Lake, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Bolan Lake, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Campbell Lake, Southeastern Oregon, tap here.

Dog Lake, Southeastern Oregon, tap here.

B Wildlife-Viewing

Cape Lookout State Park, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Seal Rocks RV Cove, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Port of Siuslaw RV Park and Marina, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Harris Beach State Park, The Oregon Coast, tap here.

Pelton, The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, tap here.

Penland Lake, Northeastern Oregon, tap here.

Crooked River Ranch RV Park, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Bolan Lake, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Mount Ashland, The Southern Cascades, tap here.

Jackson Creek, Southeastern Oregon, tap here.

Camping Tips

SLEEPING GEAR

On an eve long ago in the mountain pines, my dad, brother, and I had rolled out our sleeping bags and were bedded down for the night. After the pre-trip excitement, a long drive, an evening of trout fishing and a barbecue, we were like three tired doggies who had played too much.

But as I looked up at the stars, I was suddenly wide awake. I was still wired. A half hour later? No change. Wide awake.

And as little kids can do, I had to wake up ol’ Dad to tell him about it. “Hey, Dad, I can’t sleep.”

After the initial grimace, he said: “This is what you do. Watch the sky for a shooting star and tell yourself that you cannot go to sleep until you see at least one shooting star. As you wait and watch, you will start getting tired, and it will be difficult to keep your eyes open. But tell yourself, you must keep watching. Then you’ll start to really feel tired. When you finally see a shooting star, you’ll go to sleep so fast you won’t know what hit you.”

Well, I tried it that night and I don’t even remember seeing a shooting star, I went to sleep so fast.

It’s a good trick, and along with having a good sleeping bag, ground insulation, maybe a tent, or a few tricks for bedding down in a pickup truck or RV, you can get a great night’s sleep on every camping trip.

More than 20 years after that camping episode with my dad and brother, we made a trip to the planetarium at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco to see a show. The lights dimmed, and the ceiling turned into a night sky, filled with stars and a setting moon. A scientist began explaining the phenomena of the heavens.

After a few minutes, I began to feel drowsy. Just then, a shooting star zipped across the planetarium ceiling. I went into such a deep sleep, it was like I was in a coma. I didn’t wake up until the show was over, the lights were turned back on, and the people were leaving.

Feeling drowsy, I turned to see if Dad had liked the show. Oh yeah? Not only had he gone to sleep too, but he apparently had no intention of waking up, no matter what. Just like a camping trip.

Sleeping Bags

The first rule of a good nights’ sleep is that you must be dry, warm and safe. A good sleeping bag can help plenty. A sleeping bag is a shell filled with heat-retaining insulation. By itself, it is not warm. Your body provides the heat, and the sleeping bag’s ability to retain that heat is what makes it warm or cold.

The cheap cotton bags are heavy, bulky, cold, and, when wet, useless. With other options available, their function is limited. Anybody who sleeps outdoors or backpacks should choose otherwise. Use a sleeping bag filled with down or one of the quality poly-fills. Down is light, warm, and aesthetically pleasing to those who don’t think camping and technology mix. If you choose a down bag, be sure to keep it double wrapped in plastic garbage bags on your trips to keep it dry. Once it’s wet, you’ll spend your nights howling at the moon.

The polyfiber-filled bags are not necessarily better than those filled with down, but they can be. Their one key advantage is that even when wet, some poly-fills can retain up to 85 percent of your body heat. This allows you to sleep and get valuable rest even in miserable conditions. In my camping experience, no matter how lucky you may be, there will come a time when you will get caught in an unexpected, violent storm and everything you’ve got will get wet, including your sleeping bag. That’s when a poly-fill bag becomes priceless. You have one and can sleep. Or you don’t have one and suffer. It is that simple. Of the synthetic fills, Quallofil made by DuPont is the industry leader.

But just because a sleeping bag uses a high-tech poly-fill doesn’t necessarily make it a better bag. There are other factors.

The most important are a bag’s temperature rating and weight. The temperature rating of a sleeping bag refers to how cold it can get outside before you start actually feeling cold. Many campers make the mistake of thinking, “I only camp in the summer, so a bag rated at 30 or 40°F should be fine.” Later, they find out it isn’t so fine, and all it takes is one cold night to convince them of that. When selecting the right temperature rating, visualize the coldest weather you might ever confront, and then get a bag rated for even colder weather.

For instance, if you are a summer camper, you may rarely experience a night in the low 30s or high 20s. A sleeping bag rated at 20°F would be appropriate, keeping you snug, warm, and asleep. For most campers, I advise bags rated at 0 or 10°F.

But guess how the companies come up with their temperature ratings? Usually it’s a guy like me field-testing a bag before it is commercially released, and then saying, “Well, it got down to 40°F and I was pretty warm.” So they rate it at 30 degrees. Obviously, testers can have different threshold levels for cold, while others base their ratings on how much fill is used.

If you buy a poly-filled sleeping bag, try not to leave it squished in your stuff sack between camping trips. Instead, keep it on a hanger in a closet or use it as a blanket. One thing that can reduce a poly-filled bag’s heat-retaining qualities is if the tiny hollow fibers that make up the fill lose their loft. You can avoid this with proper storage.

The weight of a sleeping bag can also be a key factor, especially for backpackers. When you have to carry your gear on your back, every ounce becomes important. Sleeping bags that weigh just 2-3 pounds are available, although they are expensive. But if you hike much, it’s worth the price to keep your weight to a minimum. For an overnighter, you can get away with a 4- or 4.5-pound bag without much stress. However, bags weighing five pounds and up should be left back at the car.

I have several sleeping bags; they range from a seven-pounder that feels like a giant sponge to a three-pounder. The heavy-duty model is for pickup-truck camping in cold weather and doubles as a blanket at home. The lightweight bag is for expeditions.

Insulation Pads

Even with the warmest sleeping bag in the world, if you just lay it down on the ground and try to sleep, you will likely get as cold as a winter cucumber. That is because the cold ground will suck the warmth right out of your body. The solution is to have a layer of insulation between you and the ground. For this, you can use a thin Insulite pad, a lightweight Therm-a-Rest inflatable pad, a foam pad or mattress, an airbed, or a cot. Here is a capsule summary of each:

Insulite pads