Lost Lake Campground is couched between beautiful Lost Lake and Mount Hood. From Lost Lake Butte, the valley view is breathtaking, and from the viewpoint, guests can revel in the most majestic view of Mt. Hood, its glaciers and Lost Lake. Another one of the many attractions at Lost Lake Campground is the old growth boardwalk, an interpretive trail the meanders through one of Oregon's large old growth stands. Recreation Lost Lake Campground offers an abundance of activities. Campers have access to a resort store, which offers: canoe, kayak, wooden boats, metal fishing boats and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Whether you are a professional angler looking to catch that prized German Brown or a first-timer, there is something for everyone. Additionally, there are a number of trails near the campground ranging in length from 1/4 mile to over 100 miles resulting in numerous hiking and biking opportunities. Other activities include bird watching, berry picking, swimming, waterfall finding or simply enjoying one of the many scheduled activities such as telescoped stargazing, special Forest Service events or live music. Facilities Lost Lake Campground is adjacent to a full service resort with a variety of campsites to accommodate all types of visitors, including group, family and single campsites. In addition to the campsites, there are cabins, yurts, lodge rooms and an extensively stocked general store on site. There is drinking water at designated locations and pit toilets throughout. Each site has a designated tenant location, picnic table and fire ring. Firewood is available for purchase at the general store. This campground has a minimum three night stay on weekends and holidays. Natural Features Mother Nature went the extra mile when it came to Lost Lake. The surrounding topography is rugged, mountainous and magical. The flora and fauna is abundant and easily accessible. These attributes culminate in making Lost Lake Campground one of the most popular in Oregon. Nearby Attractions Nearby Wahtum Lake offers a great daily excursion or hike to one of the four surrounding waterfalls. On the way up to Lost Lake or on the way down, try stopping at one of the many fruit stands that blanket the Hood River Valley. ADA Access: N

Lost Lake Campground Yurts and Cabins

I have kind of a love/hate thing going on for Lost Lake Campgrounds.

**Pros:** It is beautiful. There's a reason it's one of Oregon's most photographed sites. There's a 3-mile hike around the lake that shows Mt. Hood and its lovely reflection in the lake. There's fishing, swimming, boating, and a camp store that has "It's It" ice cream (definitely a pro). The camp sites are nice, decent sized, and surrounded by trees.

**Cons:** It is crowded. We're talking thousands of people on a nice summer weekend, traffic jams, and no place to actually make it into the lake (except right at the boat dock) unless you claim your picnic spot really early. There's also no cell phone reception (at all), and while that may sound lovely in theory, when you're a family trying to find each other somewhere on the trail or in the campground it's a real pain.

On weekends and holidays, you also need to book not two, but three nights in a row (Thursday/Friday and Saturday, for example), so if you're trying to get away for a regular 2-day weekend you're out of luck.

**In general:** 140+ camp sites including several walk-in-only sites right near the lake. There's also cabins and yurts, though those don't include a bathroom on site, so the $70-$150+ seems pretty steep for still having to use an outhouse (we haven't stayed in the cabins personally yet, but have seen them in person). You can book online for both cabins and camp sites (reserveamerica for the camping).

**Tips:** For day trips, there's a $8 parking fee that you can avoid if you park outside of the entrance and walk the 1/4 mile or so. Also, cabins and yurts are half-price in May, something we may remember for next Memorial Day well in advance (since everything books up so quickly).

Both Pros and Cons. Beautiful Site, Super Crowded

The views of Mt. Hood are amazing from this lake.  Spent the day in a canoe, exploring the lake.  Stayed in one of the yurts, which would have been better if it was away from the tent camping.  Neighbors were a bit close.  After exploring we did see that there were many sites that were more private...next time we will reserve those.  You can rent boats, canoes, etc, and there is a store that has anything you would need.  Very nice staff.

Popular and Beautiful

This campground is great. We had a walk-in site on the F Loop. The site had separate tiers for lake access, tent pads, and the eating/fire area. But the those spots to fill up quickly, so reserve well ahead of time. There were outhouses for toilets and pay showers at the lodge. We went on a sweltering summer day, and the forest and lake keep this nice and cool. 
The lake itself is beautiful, and the lodge rents rowboats, canoes, kayaks and the like, but you don't have to put up with motorboats on the lake. It is very popular among fishers, so I would swim from a boat instead of from the shore to avoid stray fishhooks. Although it looks longer on the map, the drive in from I84 is much easier than trying to take the passes from Sandy. Bring a map of the campground with you. We arrived after-hours and had to look around for our loop in the dark. Signage for the F Loop was confusing and there's no service, so a site map would have been very handy!

Lost Lake (F Loop, Walk-In Site)

There are 2 campgrounds on Crater Lake, Mazama and Lost Creek. Mazama is huge with 7 loops and 217 sites some dedicated to RVs with hookups and power,  a camp store, laundry, showers and the works. If you are traveling with your family Mazama might be more comfortable and fun. But if you enjoy more primitive camping in smaller sites than Lost Creek is your jam. There are only 16 tent only sites and no reservations so they fill up! Don't roll in on a Friday afternoon and hope to get a spot in the summer. The good news is if you are out of luck at Lost Creek then Mazama has almost 100 sites they hold back from reservations for first come first serve. For being so rustic Lost Lake still has the standard national park amenities... picnic tables, food locker, fire ring and yes even flush toilets. 

Get away from the crowds and have Crater Lake to yourself! 

I've been going to Lost Lake Campground now for 5 years. I usually stay in the cabins. There is a trail that circles the entire Lake which is fun to do once or twice a day. The lake itself is beautiful and clear to several feet down and you can see old growth trees that have fallen into the lake bed. The view of Mount Hood is incredible especially over a cup of coffee in the morning. There are lots of places to hang your hammock and sit by the lake and enjoy it. I highly recommend a trip to Lost Lake Resort. There is a small store comma and showers available for a low fee. You can't camp and also get one of the rooms in the lodge itself. I find that there are sufficient outhouses and I've never had a problem while staying there. 

My favorite Hideaway

The sites are large and private, lots of amenities such as trails, boat rental, well equipped store, picnic tables and much more. Beautiful views of Mt Hood and the lake is breathtaking.

Privacy and seclusion even in a campground

Nice grassy park setting with just enough trees for shade, closer bathrooms with showers, and just a few minutes to the beachfront area of the lake or the boat ramp. Great area to climb steps that go straight down into the lake for swimming. Much less of a woodsy campground, but nice to get away to if you like things a bit cleaner.

Park-like ease

Lost Lake is pretty famous and didn't disappoint. Large but private camp sites on a gorgeous lake with a quintessential view of Mt. Hood. You can rent kayaks, canoes, fishing poles, etc. Lots of walk-in sites, however, this spot is very popular so in the high season, you may have the best luck going mid-week or early in the morning to claim a spot.

Popular campground with private sites on pretty lake with old-growth trails

A fantastic spot not far from Portland. Very accessible with wonderful trails throughout. There’s a well-stocked general store that’s got everything you need. The water is crisp and clear and there is good fishing. If it has a flaw, it’s that it’s almost too popular, and sometimes the crowds can overwhelm it.

One of the Most Beautiful Places in Oregon

The camping area isnt close to the water at all, unless you have a cabin or yurt spot, but its a fairly nice campground, we went in early May and there was stilk snow where our tent was gonna go, so watch for that! It’s a beautiful view though!

Pretty!

If you want endless, beautiful views of Mt. Hood I would highly recommend coming here. The views are spectacular, I honestly couldn't get enough of it.

Pros:

1.  Views of Mt. Hood- THE BEST
2.  Lost Lake- Fun water activities. My family brought our kayak, and I spent most of my morning on the water.
3.  Rental Shop- This shop is close by, and is a great place to head to if you need any rentals. My brother went here and rented some fishing gear. They also have a little shop with snacks, which is always great!
4.  Boat Dock- Great for getting your boat in the water.
5.  Campsites are great, and pretty good size. Doesn't make you feel like you are crowding your neighbor. They also take reservations which is great for the busy times of the month. They also have first come first serve sites as well for those people who want to camp last minute.
6.  Great hiking- Highly recommend asking the station what hikes are nearby. They were super helpful and pointed us in the right direction.

Cons:

1.  Bathrooms were a little dirty- but honestly its hard to expect campground bathrooms to be super well kept.
2.  Crowded- I guess this is to be expected during the summer months

Overall- I would highly recommend coming and staying here. The people who work here are super friendly and helpful. I love that they have a little store on site. This was helpful because we forgot to bring smore makings (don't know how we forgot!!) and the store saved us!! They also have little cabins you can rent- not sure what the cost is. They also have spots for RVS with hookups. The rental shop is also super nice!! You can rent canoes ($22 an hr), kayaks ($22 an hr), and you can also rent smaller things like: vest, fishing poles, etc..

Views of Mt. Hood

First of all, let me be up front and say that I did not actually camp here; I camped at Mazama next door.  Officially, Lost Creek was closed when I visited in June and I thought it was a great opportunity to snap some photos to add to Dyrt—because I am actually super excited about a one spot go to for camping info.  

I believe Mazama is the only reservable campground at Crater Lake, making Lost Creek first-come first-serve when open.  There is a creek that runs through the campground, but it’s hard to see at first glance.  Sites, like number 5, are creekside (whIch is really neat).  The campground has what appears to be plumbed bathrooms when open.  The privacy in the central, rather than perimeter sites, is more limited here due to the nature of the forest environment as opposed to the spacing of the sites themselves.  Lost Creek is as far from the rim as is Mazama.  However, it’s a solid drive down the road from both Mazama and Rim Villages.  This may be just what is wanted to get away from the busy-ness of the villages.  

Both villages have restaurants, visitor centers, and gift shops.  Mazama village also has a payphone, a small laundromat, showers and a camp store with limited grocery goods.  Check out my Mazama review to learn more about the services in the village, including photos.  

All in all, Lost Creek campground seems as tucked away as the creek.  It is down a long  dead end road that only serves a waterfall trailhead, the campground, and the pinnacles.

The sites on the creek look fantastic

It was only $5 a night to stay here! Granted there was no running water and the only toilets were plastic portable ones but to camp in the incredible Crater Lake National Park that felt like a steal! Lost Creek is tent camping only and there are no fires allowed. There's only a handful of sites that were almost full by later afternoon. The sites are separated by low brush that doesn't provide too much privacy but also keeps the campground from feeling crowded. It's a quiet campground about 3 miles from the Rim Road. Another 4 miles down the road is are the Pinnacles, super cool formations left behind when the volcano erupted 7,700 years ago.

I visited mid-September and it was very chilly in the evening and early morning when the sun was behind the mountains. I woke up to a solid layer of frost and ice in all my water. There is water available throughout the park but campers are encouraged to bring their own form outside Crater Lake so as not to put pressure on the watershed.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking one of the ranger led sunset hikes up Watchman Peak. Or, if learning about history and nature along the way isn't your thing, walking up to the peak alone.

Most Affordable NPS Campground Ever!

The only thing missing from this amazing camping spot is electricity and running water. Otherwise, it’s perfect! Absolutely gorgeous view of Mt. Hood, tons of hiking, a beautiful lake and camping spots for everyone. They have walk-in spots, yurts, a-frames, RV spots, a horse camp and even a few rooms at the lodge. Make sure to spend at least 3-4 days! 

Gorgeous!! Bring hiking shoes & a headlamp.

Note: This review is intended for the Lost Creek Campground at Crater Lake NP, not sure how it got filed here, and not sure why that campground doesn't even appear on the map.

  

We had to wait over an hour for a site to be vacated at this campground (I suspect this was partially related to a lot of Mazama being closed), but our persistence paid off and we were able to put our tag on site 3 as the previous occupant was packing up. 

Upsides: inside the park, convenient starting point to go on a boat tour the next morning, good hammock trees at site, quiet (we hardly heard or saw any of the other campers), cheap!!

Downsides: not a lot of shade, no water at the campground unless you filter from the creek, bathroom building is closed (but the Porta-Potties were clean), lots of mosquitos

Convenient access to Cleetwood Cove

Lost Lake is so magical! The crystal clear waters and perfect views of Mt Hood made this an incredible spot to camp. Camp site is very clean and well kept and it was really nice to have a store on site as well! It’s also really close to Multnomah Falls and Oneta Gorge which is a must do hike through water if you have the time

Best camp site in Oregon!!

Tent sites are large and spaced out so your not right next to your neighbors. It’s a little bit of a walk to the lake but enjoyable. We stayed in the A-frame cabin which is right off the parking lot so can be busy but is a generous size lot and has some shrubbery and trees for privacy. there’s a trail out right out the back of the lot. The cabin is small and rustic. Non motorized lake. Canoe, paddle board and boat rentals available and I highly recommend.

Beautiful, well maintained, generous sized campsites

This campground is located on the shores of Lost Lake, with amazing views of Mt. Hood.  It is a very popular campground, it took me years to finally get a spot which I had to book exactly 6 months before.  Because of it being so popular, it was very busy and completely full.  Thankfully due to it's large size it doesn't fell as crowded as you would think.  There are so many activities offered such as water sport rentals, trail around the lake, various trails linking the different camping sections to the resort, a full camp store, movies at night and so much more.  We were in loop D which is kind of in the middle of the campground, and a bit of a walk to the resort and a very long walk to the horse/group camping sites.  Would recommend bikes to get around.  We SUP'd around the lake and it was amazing.  The site we had was kind of open and had a great view of the toilets and parking for the near by walk in sites.  I really enjoyed this campground and would definitely go back.

Campground and Resort lakeside, with views of Mt. Hood

Lost Lake Resort &amp; Campground is somewhere we go at least once each summer. It has that nostalgic summer-camp vibe. A little more spendy than your typical Oregon campsite, but serene and private. The sites are large and more private than most I have encountered. Lush forest and tall trees are everywhere.  At a high elevation, it stays cold through early summer, but that can be a good thing later in summer.

  

The store has coffee, wood, anything you forgot, sweets, and a rental shop. There is a covered porch at the shop in case it rains. The rental shop has boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats. It's a bit of work to get far enough out on the lake to be rewarded with a Mt. Hood view, but so worth it once you get there. Frigid cold clear water stocked with trout.

  

It has pit toilets that sometimes give off a scent if your spot is just a bit to close. 

  

F-loop is particularly private, with some drive-up and some walk-in sites. These are the spots closest to the lake but furthest from the store.

Still a favorite

Lost Lake is so wonderful.  Beautiful warm water to swim in and scenic beauty everywhere you look.  Sit by the lake and soak it all in.  This is a very special place.

So great!  But plan ahead!

This would be a fun day trip but camping here was rough. Only porta potty’s, no sink with soap to wash hands, showers cost $6 for 15 mins and it’s a hike to get to them. It’s a beautiful place, but we couldn’t have a camp fire then it rained all day/night soaking our kids tent and sleeping bags. I’m sure it’s fun when the weather cooperates but that’s Oregon for you. We left a day early because of the rain. It was kinda expensive fir camping

Facilities are minimal 

There are more “beach” spots than there were last year but still difficult to find a spot for the kids to play in the water.  You have to get there early an setup you spot. There is a small area right past the boats that we found this year and really like because it’s so small that only we can fit.  No one tried to get too close, which was nice!

So Crowded!

Out of the way, a bit, but that was part of what we enjoyed.  Felt far removed from "The City" and the drive was scenic.  

Very popular campground.  We tent camped at this one.  Good tent sites shared in our site.

Clean shower facilities.  Boat rentals, Great walk around the lake.  

Our site seemed very private in amongst the trees, even though the resort was busy.  Would recommend!

Loved it here!

We have stayed at Lost Lake a couple of times now, once in a tent and once in a yurt. The lake is fun for fishing and renting a little boat or canoe to get onto the water. The store has a little of everything, though as you would expect, a little pricey. 