Best Dispersed Camping near Beaverton, OR

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Beaverton, Oregon

55 Reviews of 22 Beaverton Campgrounds

• R

  Ron G.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 14, 2024

  Zigzag River Camp

  Side of the road camping?

  These coordinates get you the Kiwanis camp, other than that I wouldn't say a great dispersant camping spot, area is nice though.

• 

  Salem R.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 22, 2022

  Alder Flat

  Sadly Burned Down

  This gorgeous trail and dispersed camp is so unrecognizable from the 2021 fires that there is no turn off. May we remember it’s memories!

• 

  James W.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 21, 2021

  South Lake

  Not quite as disbursed as I wanted

  Nice small lake with a close to established campground. I was hoping for a true disbursed experience, you know boondock. There were established sites and a composting table. Nice spots, nice lake. Could pull in a 16’ trailer but until the camp site there is no other turn around spot so beware. More campers then I expected.

• K

  Kyle B.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 15, 2024

  Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

  Nice Spot

  The Cedar Creek Rd area offers a nice variety of dispersed camping sites with some good views if you drive far enough, and fairly easy gravel roads for access. However, the signage could use improvement, making it a bit tricky to find your way around. Heard some OHV noise at night, and target shooting in the distance at sunrise. Be aware that Verizon cell service is nonexistent in the area. Not a bad place to stay, but you’re likely to run into others also looking for some nature.

• M

  Mayre J.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 1, 2024

  Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

  Not ideal spot and challenging road

  Diamond Milld rd is a tight logging rd with a kinda steep danger zone cliff on this edge. If you get to spot (the coordinates on dyrt arent exact but close) you will see basically the only part of the rd with a pull aside areai prob for two vans or cars. Its a nice view but kinda creepy if alone IMO. The dispersed camping for this St Forest applies to tenters mainly being 1 mile away from a paid campground. But for just car and van camp youd have to chance it at day area or drive way in to the forest down a rd.

• A

  Ansley P.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 5, 2024

  Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

  Unreal Experience

  Tillamook Forest has so many amazing dispersed camping opportunities! We turned onto Ben Smith road and then took logging trails up the peaks. We found a perfect spot that looked like we were on the edge of a cliff but was actually still very safe for our toddler. No cell service, so we just unplugged for 3 nights and enjoyed the time together. We could see the northern lights the first night we were there, and it was absolutely incredible. We had a lot of privacy. One hunter walked by, I assume he was using the nearby trail. We heard some ATVs over the days, but it wasn't disruptive. Totally recommend it, and we'll definitely be back.

• 

  Bjorn S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 25, 2018

  Alder Flat

  Hush Now

  Dispersal camping all year. You are immediately ensconced in quiet and shade, an impossibly green and detailed large pond right off the bat, with a huge walkable log going right to the middle, and lots of interesting critters and a popurrí of different foliage up and down the trail. Ends at the popular Clackamas River after a too-short 1.4 miles. Lots of little side routes to find your perfect spot.

• 

  Samantha D.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 2, 2023

  Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

  Peak Camping

  This place is dreamy, lots of different routes to camp spots, we found an isolated area with a small opened peak overlooking the forest which was amazing. You can hear the highway in the distance (quietly) and occasional aircraft but it was overall peaceful. It is quite a steep incline so be cautious, I would not recommend with snow or sleet, but we definitely want to go back to explore the other routes! There is absolutely no cell service, if you have a hot spot I would recommend it, but once you enter the forest there is poor service.

• 

  Jeremy B.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 8, 2022

  Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

  Great pullout in the woods

  This is my first wildcamping/boondocking location, but I loved it. It feels like you're right in the middle of the forest! It's a wide dirt pullout with room for 7-10 cars. And although it's right alongside the road, it's not a super busy road like some highway spots, so it felt pretty secluded and quiet. Very few cars at night.

  No signs of any kind indicating "no parking." 1 bar of Verizon LTE.

  The dirt was solid -- I wasn't worried at all about getting stuck in the mud (and I'm here in the middle of winter with tons of recent rain). Plenty of room to turn around with ease.

  And you're right at a hiking trail that takes you to beautiful falls!! What more could you ask for? -- Don't make the mistake I did. The trail all the way on the left side of the parking lot takes you to the falls. The trails in the middle of the lot are super steep and muddy and don't lead to the falls.

  Only downside is it's not perfectly flat. It wasn't too bad though. I just parked with my head pointing uphill when I go to bed, of course.

  There is also another option down the road to the east about 500 feet. It's a paved pullout, but it is smaller so it doesn't have as much space to turnaround.

• 

  Gerard R.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 24, 2020

  South Lake

  Quiet Lake

  South Lake is fairly small, I consider it more of a pond to be honest, but a great place for disperse camping. The quickest drive in is a bit sketchy. I recommend taking a slight slower route to avoid scratches on your vehicle from branches. We checked out a few dispersed sites before we picked our spot. We managed to get a spot that was a 1 minute walk to the water, and about the same to the vaulted toilets. The vaulted toilet is on the NW side of the lake. It must’ve been checked often for toilet paper because we were there for 4 nights and it always had some in there.

  We caught trout every day we were there. Most are small but was fun nonetheless. There is an old boat without a motor tied up for anyone to use. Only had one ore that was half broke but it still managed to get us across the water 🤷🏻‍♂️. We found a decent amount of firewood, just have to make sure it’s try if course. It’s all hidden below the ferns/greenery. No picnic tables or metal fire rings but who needs them? Plenty of rocks for a fire pit were already set up. Plenty of shade. Only downside was precious campers leaving toilet paper near the trees when you are literally a minute or less walk to the vaulted toilet.

• 

  Raphaela H.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 27, 2016

  Snag Creek Trailhead Dispersed

  Beginner Backpacking close to Portland

  We wanted a beginner backpacking trip (10 to 12 miles round trip) close to town - this one is a pretty hike with views at the end (theoretically, we saw fog). We passed up the best camping spots because they were too early in the trail (at the creek) and ended up setting up camp in wider part of the trail (about 3 miles in, after night had fallen). The other hikers were friendly, though, and didn't seem to mind us making camp pretty much anywhere. In our situation the camping was definitely not the main event! We came for the hike and slept along the way. The camp spots at the creek would have been quite nice for camping itself though.

• 

  Chris H.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2016

  South Lake

  Free, dispersed camping by the lake

  This free campground is just far enough out from the coast and the city that you'll likely be alone, even on a Saturday night. Most folks coming to this area of the forest camp in the more popular (and more expensive) Hebo Lake campground. If you don't need amenities and are just looking for a beautiful place to camp, South Lake is a better option. The road leading to the campground is easy gravel and receives a moderate amount of traffic. During my stay on a Saturday, there was a truck passing by every couple of hours. Most of these folks are hunters. If you want complete isolation, this is not a good place to camp. This is also not the best place to camp if you are afraid of Cougars (I am). There have been several recent Cougar sightings at this Lake. Thankfully I did not see any during my visit. :)

• 

  Darrin E.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 31, 2021

  South Lake

  Gotta get here early

  Shhhh. This dispersed campground can be a trek to get to for limited spots. Great hikes nearby and for the most part fairly peaceful. Bring your fishing pole... Or not... The trout pretty much jump into your lap depending on the season :)

• 

  Christie U.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 21, 2020

  South Lake

  A bit tricky to find

  We love this dispersed campground. If you go earlier in the week, you’ll most likes find a spot with no problem. If you wait till Friday evening during the summer, it’ll probably be full. There is a vault toilet, no running water. The small lake has decent fishing and great for kayaking. Dirt/gravel roads are a bit tricky to navigate.

• 

  Ashlyn C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 1, 2024

  FR-604 Dispersed Site

  Private and spacious campsite!

  The campsite was nice, right off the road but there wasn’t an absurd amount of traffic to where it bothered me but you will hear the cars on the road while you sleep if you’re in a tent. If you follow the trail by foot in the back of the forest for maybe 10 minutes you will find a beautiful swimming hole and small waterfalls! I recommend blocking the entrance with your vehicles to block noise and people trying to drive in to the campsite.

• 

  Kevin R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2019

  South Lake

  Nice and Easy

  This is  simple, primitive campground mostly centered around a small picturesque lake.

  There are a few other sites dispersed in the area. One of the best ones is just around the bend from the lake sites and its of the road and gets more sun, if thats your thing.

  When i visited mid week in July it was empty. 

  Its quite a distance on sometimes very rough gravel roads, with no tirn outs and sometimes large drops on one side, so be very careful with log trucks .

  But i made it OK with my beat up old Grand Caravan.

  Enjoyed

• 

  Derek D.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 14, 2022

  South Lake

  Overall good experience

  Aside from the few kids that decided to start shooting guns in the camp site. It’s a nice little place to escape the hustle and bustle of life.

• 

  Abby M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 24, 2020

  South Lake

  Good single night stay

  Arrived around 4:30 on a Friday and only saw 2 other campers. By next morning, another 3 sites filled up. Vault toilets were pretty clean. Didn’t explore anything around as it was raining the entire time I was there. Quite a few hunters in the campgrounds / parking to go hunt. Road to get there was about 12 miles of dirt/gravel but when I left, only had dirt roads for 3 miles. Had 3 bars of LTE with AT&T once there. I’d definitely stay again. Very secluded and lush with greenery.

• 

  Eva W.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 1, 2015

  Alder Flat

  Dispersed camping is the best camping.

  Free, quiet, and new. Show up whenever you feel like - it belongs to everyone. Just make sure you clean up after yourself!

• 

  Lindsey N.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 17, 2023

  FR-604 Dispersed Site

  Convenient spot next to the road!

  We tried 3 campgrounds that were all full and then found this free site right next to the road. Luckily, we were able to buy "US National Forrest camping passes" from the gas station in Carson. It ended up working great for us to have a trailer, 2 cars, several dogs, kids, and an SUV tent.

• 

  Robert D.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 14, 2022

  South Lake

  A rough and very narrow road to get here.

  We took a ride from Hebo up road 14 or 1400 to South Lake. The trip took over 1 hour down a partly paved road with lots of pot holes then the rest of the way down a very narrow pot hole dirt road to South Lake. Along the way we passed Hebo Lake Campground that had many tent camp sites. Once we arrived at South Lake we found the lake to be somewhat small and there were a few tent sites somewhat close together. We had been told this lake was always stocked with Trout. We suggest only using a 4x4 or a high clearance vehicle to make this trip.

• 

  Lindsey N.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 17, 2023

  Little Soda Springs Rd Dispersed

  Golden location for solo travel or with friends!

  This location has 2-3 free sites you can drive in and, 2 more walk-in sites near the bridge. It was so nice on a super hot day and there is a nearby latrine at the trailhead! Perfect for a group. There is also a nearby paid camp so, if you're a solo traveler, you will feel safe knowing there are other campers nearby. No cell service! And, these sites require a US National Forrest camping pass.

• 

  Tracy H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 7, 2019

  South Lake

  Beautiful Forest surrounding small lake

  This was a last minute find for us on the 4th of July.  There were a few sites left for us to choose from.  The sites are not numbered but are designated by a rock ringed fire pit. We hammock camp and there are plenty of sites with trees positioned perfectly for hanging the hammocks.  The lake is small but very beautiful.  We did bring our kayaks but didn't launch them.  There is a launching area but it's pretty mucky and there are a lot of downed trees in the water.  I only saw one really great beach area to pull up to but it was already claimed by another small boat.  There are trails all over leading from the campsites to the lake and around it.  We also met other campers that had hiked a trail from Hebo lake to South Lake which was about a 7 mile hike for them.

  We will go back and try out South Lake again in the other seasons.

• 

  John P.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  Beaver Falls Trailhead - Overnight

  Easy Car Camp

  Relative to other options in Northwest Oregon this was an easy to find, plenty of space place to park the car. My partner and I angled our vehicle to block our tent from the road and slept like rocks.

  Not scenic (though the waterfall that is a short hike away is). My only safety concern is someone taking the corner too fast running into your car.

• 

  Logan K.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 10, 2024

  Tillamook Forest Dispersed - Shots and Pecks

  Snowed out

  Went up at the end of the snow season and I couldn't quite make it. My 4wd rav only has road tires and I eventually got to a point I wasn't able to make it. My brothers 2022 Outback did completely fine but regardless we had to turn back. I plan to revisit the site here in about two(ish) weeks. The area surrounding the site is trafficked regularly by the looks of it, lots of people coming out shooting, HOWEVER the area is patrolled very heavily by Sheriff Department. I was told by a guy more akin to the area that the spot is a pretty normal spot for locals and that some better areas are farther up.

• 

  Daniel S.

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2022

  Tillamook Forest Dispersed - Shots and Pecks

  Great views, but trashy

  This spot is pretty remote, so it was very quiet. There are a few downsides to this spot though: there appeared to be a few semi-permanent campers along the route, the actual gps spot has a bunch of trash and has been used as a drug-up spot (broken syringes and caps), and the route to this spot via Google Maps takes you down the wrong road at first. I can’t recommend this spot because of all these things, but it did have some pleasant views and was quiet.

• D

  Devin F.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2022

  Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping

  Perfect for Overland and off-road vehicle camping

  Accessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise! Gorgeous spots all over that are accessible in most 4WD/off-road capable vehicles. There is a massive network of forest service roads many with spots to set up your own quiet camp away from all the dirt bikes and RVs. No facilities obviously but that’s what makes this place special. It’s incredibly quiet and peaceful and a gorgeous piece of the PNW coastal area.