Elk Creek Campground

The campground itself was kept very clean and each site has basically zero trace left at it. There’s a creek and a few fun trails to explore as well

Perfect campground for a weekend of hiking. So many trails close to camp ground. Campground sits along a river. Most sites are large and have room to move around. Sites are all walk in sites. Two pit toilets. One pit toilet doesn’t lock. Water at campground with pump. All sites are first come. Very quite and peaceful.

Affordable national forest camp site. Not too many actual camp sites, but very quiet. Wonderful location next to the confluence of Elk Creek and the Wilson River. Vault toilets. Pump water. Walk-in/tents only, so no RVs, but still a nice location.

A 7-minute drive from the awesome Tillamook Forestr Center, which has really cool exhibits on the area.

We came to the Elk Creek Campground towards the end of the general camping season here in Oregon. Unfortunately, much of the campground was already closed due to state budget cuts. But, we found a spot that was still open and right on the river. We couldn't have asked for a better location.

The river was an excellent location to play in and in some spots we were able to swim.

Because the location was primarily closed, it was quiet and private. I think even during the high season, most of the spots looked relatively secluded from their neighbors.

Off busy Highway 6 on the way to Tillamook and the Oregon coast, Elk Creek Campground is a sweet getaway from a lot of busier campgrounds and destinations in this region of Oregon (i.e., an hour from Portland). It's situated near the meandering and scenic Wilson River, which offers numerous floating, swimming and diving opportunities.

The campground itself is nestled in the forest with plenty of shade on warm days. It's pretty no-frills, which certainly isn't a bad thing when you're spending your time exploring the numerous trails, playing in the river, visiting the nearby Tillamook Forest Center or grabbing a pint and bite in fairly sleepy Tillamook.

Mountain biking—some really good stuff—is very close at hand, as well as hiking the Wilson River Trail or ascending Elk and Kings mountains (steep scrambles up and down in many places that I wouldn't recommend at all for small kids or those not looking to bust their lungs or stand on vertiginous precipices!). My Merry Wanderers crew actually busted out the Elk Mountain-Elk Creek loop straight out of the campground, covering ~9 miles with ~3,890 feet cumulative elevation gain in ~4 1/2 hours—it was exceptional and comes highly recommended. Next time we plan to add the connection to the Kings Mountain summit.

Overall, a great spot in the woods with plenty of playtime options right out your tent!

This is my new absolutely favorite Oregon campground. Located within the Tillamook State Forest, Elk Creek campground has about a dozen or so sites located on a slight incline heading down to where the sweet, beautiful little Elk creek and the larger Wilson River converge. The sites are decent size though not huge, and are surrounded by beautiful trees, ferns and greenery. Some sites have more privacy, and since it is first come-first served, obviously best to get here early or before the weekend to snag a spot (which are only $10/night). We spent most of our time on the Elk Creek side since we have kiddos and the stream was the perfect size for playing and swimming without the stress of a larger river.

Pros: Beautiful. Fun creek for kids to play in. Great location only 28 miles from Tillamook. Love the sites and price ($10).

Cons: Walk-in only, which is great if you're in a tent, but out-of-luck if you're in a trailer or RV. Elk Creek is also day-use, so people heading to the creek or river will be walking by your site all day (though not too crowded when we were there).

Facilities: Two vault bathrooms (decently clean) but no showers. Fire pits. New picnic tables. Hand-pump water.

Elk Creek Campground is gorgeous, shady, Elk Creek itself winds around the campsites spooning it and provides ample swimming and fishing spots. There are compost toilets availabe and water on site, though the website says there isn’t, there is infact drinkable water on site and toilets.

No reservations online, first come first serve on the sites so sometimes the place is full when you arrive, but it’s always worth checking back

Sites have enough space between ‘em that you have a bit of privacy during the day and night. The sites are walk in, so you park in the general lot and huck your stuff in but never very far; no wheelbarrows or anything on site so only bring what you’re able to carry.

True pack in and pack out, be ready to haul your junk home – not everyone remembers this unfortunately.

If you are a glutton for punishment, set up camp and then hit up elk Mountain the hard way, 2,000 ft of elevation gain in less than 2 miles.

Hwy. 6 is a twisting, overmodest bounty of recreational options leading to the Oregon coast, which is entirely public. Tucked into all the green good times is Elk Creek, a walk-in only 40% full on a Friday night 8 o'clocker. The diverse mix of tall trees team up for good shade and cool creeking. The hikes here are elaborate and the official ones well-marked, enhanced by frequent water and swimming holes. The earlier you get here, the better chance you have to snag one of the prime 4-5 spots right along the creek, but every site works. The traffic about a 1/2 mile off the highway can sometimes be heard, but aqua sounds hold sway and it's not a super busy highway anyway, especially at night. You won't even need to go into nearby Tillamook to eat famous cheese. Chew on some dried mango chunks - your well-stocked visual and atmospheric buffet is right here.