Lost Lake Campground RV and Tent Camping

It can be super crowded, but this place is a gem. It reminds me of summer camp. There’s a store, rental boats, etc. The pit toilets and lack of running water keep things in perspective. I wish they would cap the number of day users though. Once they all leave, it is really peaceful at night.

My family has been coming here for decades. Unfortunately the last 5-6 years is become way over crowded.

This campground has great privacy and a nice feeling of being tucked away in your space. Plenty of room for tent and chairs with a long picnic table. The camp store offers essentials as well as fun souvenirs. The lake has rentable canoes and kayaks. The trail around the lake is gorgeous!

Lost lake is one of our favorite spots to take our kids camping and on day trips. The general store is expensive, but it’s so convenient!! We stayed on B6 and the spot was really nice and well thought out. My only complaint was the RV campers. Our neighbor showed up at 9:30pm with backup sirens and lights blaring until 11pm. The next morning we found out they didn’t even have a reservation. They just took an empty spot for the night. I wish there was more enforcement of quiet time hours. Next time, we will try the tent only spots.

Awesome lake and campground. Set up mostly on the hills. Mixture of very private to simi-private spots. Our space had plenty of privacy with spots for 2 tents and an RV. You wouldn’t know the campground was full on a Tuesday. There is a lodge, boat house and general store mostly filled with plunder. Be prepared, it’s a crowded area. There are some first come first serve sites. One gal at the store was inquiring on the possibility of getting one of those. The store clerk told to to watch and hope you see someone breaking camp and pounce, or your not likely to get a spot tomorrow. Anyway, you get the point. Make reservations well in advance.

We have camped here three times over the last 7 years.  Sometimes for full vacations, sometimes just as part of a larger trip, and I always love it.  The lake is beautiful, with great views of Mt. Hood.  The little store has snacks and some food as treats and rents kayaks, row boats, etc.  The showers are very nice and clean.  The campsites are huge and very private.  There are even a few trails which leave from the campground if you want to hike.  And for those that want less rustic they even have yurts!

Now, it is busy, especially on the weekends.  There is a reason for that.  If you want to spend the day at one of the spots on the lake, you have to get up early and get your spot (by 9am, even on a weekday).  On the weekend it can be a bit of a mad house with people coming from outside the campground, so I recommend staying during the week.

Also, the bathrooms are pit toilets.  They aren't bad, but still pits. :)

Pros:

* Beautiful lake

* Close to Hood River

* Hiking from the campground

* Store with treats

* Very nice showers

* Very nice campsites with lots of space

Cons:

* Very crowded on the weekends

OK:

* Pit toilets

The campground is pretty remote-don’t expect any cell service-I didn’t have any with AT&T. The last 15 miles on the road to the campground is very winding and narrow-you have to drive 25mph for safety. The road was in good condition though. The campground is also very hilly. The C loop that I was on was pretty steep but the campsites had some privacy and decent space between spots for the most part. My campsite had 3 different areas that you can set up a tent on. The parking area at my campsite was actually pretty flat despite having to back up the hill to get to the spot. My campsite had quite a bit of shade in the afternoon which was great since it was in the 80’s and kinda humid. The only complaint I had was the flies! There were TONS of them everywhere and bug-spray did nothing to keep them at bay-then again you are in the forest so it’s bound to happen. My suggestion is to bring a screen tent. Parking is a premium by the general store and the boat launch and lake. It was packed when I got here around 4pm on a Saturday (not surprised) and I couldn’t get a spot so I drove to my campsite and walked there on the trails instead. It is a lot longer of a walk than I really thought and I was exhausted by the time I got to the lake and then even more tired when I got back to camp. The old growth trail and rhododendron trail had some beautiful trees. I was the only one on the trails at the time. The walk along the lake itself by the north day use area was shaded, flat, and pretty nice. Lots of picnic areas that were tucked away just off the trail. Some picnic spots were literally right on the waters edge. There was a fire ban but I saw people with little propane grills or hot plate stuff to cook yummy food. Lots of people were swimming. You can rent kayaks and paddle boards. The water was super clear and clean and a bit chilly but refreshing on a hot day. The toilets in the campground loops are vault toilets but they are pretty clean and even had hand sanitizer in them-which was a first that I have seen this summer. The showers are near the general store and you have to pay to shower. It was $6. They give you a key and take your ID and when you give back the key they give you back your ID. The shower room was super nice. Definitely looked like something that would be in a fancy hotel and was very clean. For $46 for 1 night with no electric or water hookup I was hoping that the shower would be included so that was a bit disappointing-although I was just grateful for the shower so $6 was worth it. The general store had lots of souvenirs and clothes (I bought a lost lake puzzle, a new hat, and water shoes). The store also sold hot food, coffee, snacks, soft serve ice cream, and some basic camping gear-which is nice in case you forgot something. Overall I would come back here.

I love Lost Lake. The view of Mount Hood is spectacular from the middle of the lake. It’s a beautiful, moderate drive from Portland. You’re close to Hood River and all the great fun there. The water is clear and pleasant in the shallows. There’s a little store to rent SUPs, pedal boats and more. You can buy ice cream. It’s a kid paradise, basically!

We were able to snag a relatively private site this past June. The bugs were buggin’ though, if we had a breeze it would have helped immensely. Nothing to do about that but just an FYI to bring all the citronella.

Like others mention, it’s hard for those camping to get into the water since day users come with everyone (and their mom) for the day. So, claim a lakeside spot for swimming EARLY. None of this camp breakfast at 8 AM business. Eat a bar and then grab your spot. It was just super mayhem busy. I would strongly advise to avoid weekends or just understand that it’s sort of like carnival camping. There is no cell service BTW.

It’s not cheap to camp, we paid about $75 for two nights. I think the people running the park (third party for the state?) could have invested more in picking up sites and trail maintenance. Some trails were impassable due to downed trees presumably from winter storms.

Just a heads up, for FCFS camping, you’re supposed to set up your tent then pay. This caused a minor argument when we set up camp and someone drove up claiming to have dibs to the site. Set up your tent first, then pay.

Beautiful weekend on Memorial Day. Time on the lake was incredible, camping spaces are private and beautiful surrounded by rhododendrons.

The place would be perfect if rv sites had hookups. They do have a dump location, showers and bathrooms, general store and a plethora of water rentals.

Spent one rainy night here but, despite the weather, it was gorgeous. Our site was large and right on the lake. Plenty of room for a few tents. Nice facilities where you can rent boats, buy snacks, etc.

Stunning view of the mountain backdrop- crystal clear waters-access to a small shop and water activity rentals which is fun. There is a resort , and cabins as well as tent camping which I prefer. The lake itself is “busy”with families and kids during the day but nice clean camping otherwise -some might even call it glamping but it’s worth it for the view and having access to the activities the next morning.

If your traveling on Hwy. 30 also known as the Fruit Loop this campground is located on the northeast side of the base of Mt. Hood. It is a beautiful lake with views of Mt. Hood that make for a picturesque setting & there fishing too! Campground sites are large in loop A and I would recommend this end if pulling a trailer or driving a small RV, big RV’s could have issues accessing these sites.... Take a hike around the lake, it’s a little over 3 miles long...bring some snacks, water and your camera! Boat rentals are available at the resort. Pit toilets only in the CG.