Join the fun near Gaston. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Gaston, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
"Accessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise!"
"My mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road."
"River access and a fire pit. Dirt bike parking adjacent but pretty private."
"There are 3 easy to find campsites, very easy to find and access. 2 or 3 miles before the gravel road was a commercial campground with a store and very friendly folks inside."
"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."
"Do not drive here if you can't drive on the edge of a cliff on gravel roads. it's bumpy and definitely not for the faint of heart. other than that, it's a great site with nice pullouts and camping for"
"I saw a total of 3 designated dispersed camping sites along this road. But there were a ton of pull offs along the river."
"There’s a pretty decent sized gravel turnout… It’s the only big gravel turn out like this on this part of the road … you’ll see what looks like a logging road with a steep decline."
"We found this dispersed site by driving on Mt. Hebo Road about 20 minutes past Hebo Lake Campground."
"Definitely quite the long and slow drive up a narrow backcountry road - steep in sections but overall quite manageable."
"It’s just past a river around a bend when heading east on the south side. You’ll see signs off the pavement for Cook Creek campground. Keep on driving up staying on the main road."
"Great views, easy drive, AWD car would have been able to make it. The road to South lake was gated off so we used this turn out, there are many along the road."
"Lots of trash, long drive, and sort of busy. Multiple sites available as you go up. Pretty spot though."
"This is for dispersed camping in the Siuslaw NF off Forest Road 55, off 101. Turn into 55 from 101 between Thor’s Well and Devil’s Churn."
"If it's dry then there is even more room. There was plenty of firewood but we had to get the fire going before burning the wet stuff."
TravelerAccessible 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.
RangerMy mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road. So careful if there’s other cars coming through, especially the logging semis.
Nonetheless a cool spot. Dry camping. Please clean up after yourselves.
LegendWe 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.
GuideDiamond 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.
TravelerSouth 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.
GuideThis place was beautiful!! Definitely best for car camping as the spots down by the river were pretty wet and muddy this time of year. The waterfall is amazing and only a 15 minute hike down! The only reason this place got lower than a 5 star is because of all the trash near the parking lot. Too beautiful of a place to be used as a dump!! Definitely used as a party spot but aside from this it’s worth the visit!
RangerThis is for dispersed camping in the Siuslaw NF off Forest Road 55, off 101. Turn into 55 from 101 between Thor’s Well and Devil’s Churn. There is a FS paid campground (Cape Perpetua Campground) right off FS 55.
If you follow 55 about 10 miles in, there are lots of established boondocking spots at around 4000 elevation. Additionally there are unmapped logging roads which can also be explored for camping.
Scenery is spectacular, lots of wildlife, deer, elk, coyote, and amazing old growth forests. No amenities of any kind, no cell service.
ScoutThe directions/coordinates are for 10min outside pacific city. It is now a private entrance/driveway with no access to go through to the dispersed coordinates! And the locals said a lot of the forest is closed off due to logging in that area. Defiantly follow the rangers review about the devils churn/thors well spot. The directions from Dyrt was about an hour or so away from his instructions ! We weren’t able to find a spot and ended up leaving the area
entirely.
GuideOne spot with its own driveway. A nice flat and private spot. A legit pack in pack out spot. Too bad there is trash everywhere and a big puddle on one side. If you have a rake and shovel then may be a good one day or 14 day spot after a few hours of TLC. Nice trails for walking.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Gaston, Oregon, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, this area is perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Gaston, OR is Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping with a 4.4-star rating from 15 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 17 dispersed camping locations near Gaston, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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