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.
Champoeg State Heritage Area features a rare combination of history, nature, and recreation. Situated south of Newberg along the scenic Willamette River, Champoeg's forests, fields, and wetlands recreate the landscape of a bygone era.
This is the site where Oregon's first provisional government was formed by a historical vote in 1843. A thriving town of 200 was established, only to be washed away during a great flood in 1861. This rich history earns the park’s placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
A diversity of activities await. Enjoy walking or biking on the paved trails that pass historical landmarks and hug the river. Play the 18-hole disc golf course under the oak trees, relax at the multitude of scenic picnic areas, or fish or kayak from dock on the Willamette River. For RV's there are 21 full-hookup sites and 54 electric sites with water.
The ecologically rich landscape is home to more than 130 bird species, including seasonally nesting western bluebirds and acorn woodpeckers.
$5 - $72 / night
Cape Lookout state park camping can be reached by traveling an hour and a half west of Portland through the scenic Wilson River pass. Along the way stop and enjoy waterfalls, scenic views and some great fishing. A popular campground and day-use area, Cape Lookout Campground is located on a sand spit between Netarts Bay and the ocean, giving you a terrific view of the ocean with convenient access to the beach.
38 full-hookup sites
170 tent sites with water nearby
One electrical site with water
13 yurts (6 pet-friendly)
Six deluxe cabins (3 pet-friendly)
Two group tent camping areas CLOSED
Hiker/biker camp
Interpretive center CLOSED
Flush toilets and hot showers (campers only)
Firewood for sale (C Loop)
RV dump station CLOSED
Universal Access: Two campsites and one cabin are accessible to campers with disabilities. Two yurts have ADA compliant ramps and features.$35 - $45 / night
Set between the ocean and the bay, Nehalem Bay Campground is situated on a 4 mile-long sand spit. The campground setting is in shore pines bordered by rolling dunes. Walk over the dunes and you’re at the beach building sand castles, flying a kite or relaxing to the sound of the ocean. A forested 1.8 mile long bike path provides a breathtaking view of the bay. You may see deer and elk grazing and a variety of birds. Kayaking, crabbing, fishing and clamming are popular activities.
Park features include a 2,400 foot airstrip that includes a fly-in camp. A hiker-biker camp offers sites for those -walking and riding bikes. Yurts are available as an alternative camping experience. Primitive horse campsites offer horse enthusiasts camping with several miles of trails and beach to explore.
Camping and other facilities:
-265 electrical sites with water
-18 yurts (nine pet friendly; see our Pets in Parks FAQ for more info)
-Hot showers and flush toilets
-Horse camp with 17 primitive sites
-Hiker/biker camp
-Airport camp with primitive fly-in sites
-RV dump station
-Meeting hall
The main campground has tent sites, RV spots and cabins. Bring your horse and stay in the horse campground.
Campground Book sites at oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com. Reservations can be made 6 months in advance. Reservations are required for cabin stays.
48 electrical sites with water (18+ sites open year-round) 43 tent sites with water nearby (seasonal May–Oct.) 14 cabins (7 pet friendly, open year-round) Flush toilets and showers Universal Access: Campsites B2 and B4, four cabins, and campground restrooms/showers are accessible. Howard Creek Horse Camp (seasonal May–Oct) 5 primitive sites with horse stalls Group site for 24 people and 12 horses
People call it the “crown jewel” of the Oregon State Parks system, and once you visit, you know why. Silver Falls State Park is the kind of standout scenic treasure that puts Oregon firmly onto the national—and international—stage.
Camping: The main Silver Falls campground has tent sites, RV spots and cabins. Bring your horse and stay in the horse campground. If you need an area for many people, the park also has group tent and RV camps, and the historic Youth Camp for up to 250 campers.
Waterfalls: Where else can you walk behind a waterfall? Check out the famous South Falls and see what a 177-foot curtain of water looks like from behind. It’s part of the Trail of Ten Falls, a spectacular, nationally recognized hiking trail that weaves through a dense forested landscape. The trail passes a series of breathtaking waterfalls along a rocky canyon, and descends to a winding creek at the forest floor. This 7.2 mile loop is considered to be a moderate hike, with an overall elevation change of 800 feet. Several connecting trails with separate access points make shorter routes. For everyone’s safety— absolutely no pets allowed on the Canyon Trail. Pets on leash are allowed on all other trails.
Boots, bikes, paws, hooves: The park offers more than 35 miles of backcountry trails for mountain biking, hiking or horseback riding (see guided ride info below). Bears and cougars live in the more remote park areas.
Daytime activities: The South Falls Day-use area has spacious lawns, barbecue stands, picnic shelters, tables, a playground, horseshoe pits, an off lead area for dogs, and a charming creek. Ever since the opening day in 1933, visitors have been using these grounds for potlucks, family reunions and weddings.
The Silver Falls Lodge and Conference Center offers a variety of amenities. Relax and enjoy comfortable lodging within the wooded setting, or feast at the many catered specialty events. Enjoy a preordered meal at the historic dining hall or order a box lunch to take on a hike or to your campsite. They also specialize in hosting special events! Visit silverfallslodge.com or call 866-575-8875.
Guided horseback rides: Silver Falls Riding Stables at Howard Creek offers five horseback rides daily through Sept. 29. Advanced reservation recommended. Visit silverfallslodge.com for times and rates.
$28 / night
If you're looking for Pacific City camping, consider this campground & RV destination. A scenic Thousand Trails RV campground in Oregon, Pacific City Oregon Camping is located on the Central Oregon Coastline amid thousands of towering spruce trees and spectacular ocean views. Enjoy nature trails, beachcombing, ocean, lake and river fishing, clamming, crabbing, tide pools, surfing, sand dunes and whale watching right from our RV campground. At night in the cool Oregon air, you can relax around a campfire roasting hot dogs or S'mores. The slower pace of the coast will enable you to appreciate the wildlife and scenery native to Pacific City and the RV camping preserve. At Pacific City RV Camping, our nature trail connects our RV campground in Oregon to the beach for convenient access. Escape the heat from the valley with our mild summer climate and coastal breeze. Pick wild huckleberries and blackberries in the fall. Enjoy whale watching in the wintertime while sitting next to a cracklin' fire. Games and outdoor sports equipment are available at Pacific City, and our RV camping park offers planned recreational activities and scheduled entertainers to enhance your camping experience at our RV campground in coastal Oregon.
Great location as it is across the street from the beach. It is as simple as the other two next to it and half the price! Bathrooms are clean and showers are decent. Nice helpful camp host.
I believed I had my lighting situation under control, not bright and off at an appropriate time, but when I woke up the next morning, my neighbor said I had offended the stars with my toxic and harsh LEDs. Can’t win em all 🤷♂️
Narrow sites. Old bathroom features. Cat poop everywhere. Even in the middle of the roads and around the fish cleaning station. Saw cats pooping under rvs. The rabbits are long gone, replaced by loose cats. Mostly long term folks. People at end of row E argue loudly at night. No wifi code given if you arrive after hours nor code to the bathrooms. Nice dog yard which is the best feature.
We have visited this campground twice over the years, the most recent as part of roadtrip back from Yosemite. The quality of the experience really has to do with what loop you camp in. If you look at the website for the park there is a notice that they are getting ready to do construction and it appears many of the issues will be fixed.
Right now, I'd strongly recommend camping in the upper part of the "A", "B" or "C" loops. The lower parts of "A" and "B" are pretty exposed with just dune grass/bushes for protection. The bathrooms in those loops are also in the best shape. The "D" loop needs a lot of work. The bathroom is very mildewed and just bearable.
Love the water access here, it’s a beautiful view. Saw a downed tree that looked like a dragon! There’s also stuff for frisbee golf and some other outdoor activities.
Has a lot of cool things and is very convenient to go to. Very understanding staff.
This was one of my favorite established campgrounds I stayed at on my roadtrip through Oregon. The big trees are perfect shade and beautiful. The roads are perfect for biking and there’s a bike trail in the campground that leads you straight to the park. Bathrooms and showers are clean and well taken care of. There is an incredible trash and recycling center at the front of the camper ground. Campsites can be decently close to one another, so not secluded but that wasn’t an issue for me. Obviously with family’s there’s going to be noise early in the morning and late at night so just be aware of that. But I didn’t mind, and wish I could have stayed here one more night. Something I was also pleasantly surprised by was how the trees blocked excessive heat. There was a heat wave going on during the time I was there but I didn’t have a problem at all here. It was such a relief.
A very nice campground, close to Portland. Well maintained, bathrooms were the cleanest I’ve seen at a campground.
I've stayed here multiple times over the years and really enjoy the facility. The proximity to the beach and skatepark couldn't be better. You can hear the ocean plainly from camp. The showers work perfectly! The rabbit population seems to be down from previous years, which isn't a terrible thing. The hosts are gr8! I'll be back soon 😁
Small campground with no real shade. Small laundry area. No privacy to speak of. Very conveniently located to sights.
Camped on the night of July 3rd. Campsite 58, one of the furthest away from the dunes but you couldn’t escape the noise - ATV riders/generators did not adhere to quiet hours (10pm-7am), the engines quieted down around 1am but then started back up around 5:30am. Great if you like the dune buggy lifestyle but not if you are looking for a serene/private excursion. The hiker/biker camps offer more visual privacy but you can still hear the off road vehicles on the dunes.
We put the size of our RV in the state website and it gave us site 50. We arrived and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get our rig in that site due to the trees. We couldn't even continue out the secondary loop because it was so narrow and had trees on the inside of turns. Not to mention cars sticking out into the roads. The site map is not accurate at all! Luckily the sites before 50 were unoccupied so I was able to back into those and turn around and go out back to the main loop. What a disappointment. NOWHERE on the parks website has a maximum RV length. What a disaster to bring the whole family out only have to turn around and go back home. Oh, and also the water access was completely closed off.
They ignored my issue with the sprinkler system leaving my lot with 2-3" of water until 11am. No broken lines just a timing issue but they didn't do anything about it over my 3 day stay. Nothing to help, just looked and said, Ya, that's a lot of water. Of course it was deepest near my steps, even said I couldn't put down a mat cause it would ruin the grass. At least they couldve acted concerned.
Very nice campground. Large, clean sites. Lots of hiking and mountain biking trails within the park and a regional rail to trail runs through it.
I really appreciated other Dyrt reviews that said the shadier, more private sites are numbered below 40. We were in 38.
The walk in sites in Dairy Loop surround a meadow, so less private. The other walk in sites on the other side of the visitor center are very sweet. Just little sites carved out of the woods. They are a longer walk from the car and have a pit toilet instead of flush. But very sweet.
A nice spot nearby to Portland. Able to make a day trip on the Columbia River Gorge. Sites in Loop A are close together and pretty open, but sites in Loop B are much further spaced and more private. Nice enough place to visit and spend some time, but not sure if we'd go back with other places around.
Facilities: Showers and bathrooms were good, separate shower rooms, no backup pit toilets (an issue when the water went out one day), a lot of good trails for hiking and biking with the dogs
Cell Service: Good enough Verizon and T-mobile to work remotely
Starlink: While we didn't need to use it, some sites were using it nearby and have a clear enough view to probably make it work
Solar: A few sites, primarily in the B-loop, are open enough for solar in some way
They invent new policies as they see fit. Their employees approve your stay, then management comes by and threatens to ask to to leave without refunding you. The bathrooms are hideous, the sites are next to their dumping grounds and management will harass you. If you are female, don't stay here. The male manager Tyler is creepy and very threatening.
this was so awesome.. we used the walk-in camp sites that had been closed till the moment we asked after closing due to a tree falling in one of the bathrooms.. so me and my friend were the only ones out there.. but the walk in and out is nothing but a hill. but that was a small price for the beautiful seclusion. I doubt it will ever be the same when I go back..
Had a great time friendly people Nice place clean really nice lodge has all sorts of activities
This was the first campground I went to using this app and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. The tent sites were clean as well as the bathrooms and showers. Super peaceful and the park hosts were very nice and accommodating. Will absolutely be coming back!
This is our third year coming to Cape Kiwanda RV and it keeps getting better. Pool is open, new ownership, awesome gear borrowing system for bikes & Sand boards, delicious pizza, great playground, clean bathrooms and laundry, adorable bunnies… the list goes on. Anything you need is a very very short walk away and the best part… the OCEAN - waking up to the sound of the surf is incredible.
This place used to be a great place to rent. The host was super friendly and nice. We were regulars who rented yurts a couple of times a year with a group of people. Not sure what has changed, but it has gone downhill. We just rented 4 yurts amongst us and all four yurts got charged a$30 cleaning fee. I don't usually look over my credit card statements and luckily my friend looked at his and told me to check mine. I was also charged twice for a one-day extra car parking and also got an extra$72.48 charge for who knows what. My friends called to dispute the$30 charge which is nowhere on their website or the reservation receipt. We've stayed here for years without such a fee. The only one who got his fee reversed was the one who threatened to get a lawyer. The remainder 3 of us had to dispute the charges with our credit card company since Bay City RV Park would not reverse the charges. If you've reserved recently, go check your bill and get for cleaning fee charge reversed. We will never reverse from this place again and hope to prevent others from being overcharged.
Boy Howdy!
What a treat! This is a great campground for young kids. Lots of trees to tie up a hammock and a great shallow river for wading and playing. Additionally, the airport next store is a lovely field for frisbee or soccer. Watch out for the planes! There were plenty of sites on a busy holiday weekend when there was nothing else available. Proximity to Vernonia was great as the town is lovely. There are good parks, a swimming hole and a rails to trails trail.
Showed up in the dark & rain, no reservations in February. Lots of room at each site, very clean, nice bathrooms, quiet. Easy onsite reservation/payment.
Such a wonderful and peaceful place to stay Clean, quiet and relaxing
That noise. It's not the river. It's I-5 which is right in your back yard. And it goes on all night long. "Besides that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?" It was fine.
We came in from the north on Hwy 101, and Waze wanted us to turn at Manzanita, just north of Nehalem, to get to the state park. It was a sharp and weird angled turn, so we pressed on a couple of miles, where there was a state park sign. We followed the signs to the park and campground(CG). No one was at the check-in booth, but instructions were to proceed to the registration kiosk in the A loop. We registered and headed for back-in Site C-26; 50 amp& water. Our three-day stay was free as we have the Oregon Disabled Veteran's Pass. As we went through the B section, we had to be very careful on this Friday after Thanksgiving, as the CG looked like a summer holiday weekend with vehicles parked willy-nilly near or on the road. We noticed and were told by other campers that Oregonians love to camp this time of year in large friend and family groups. This had been the case in the last three State Parks we’ve camped in. We got to the C section, which was not quite as busy, and proceeded to back into our site. The camper across from us gladly moved his truck so we could maneuver into the asphalt pad more easily. We had pine tree branches overhead, and we did our best not to scrape, but one branch lightly scraped an air conditioner cover on our 13.5-foot 5th wheel. The pad was long enough for our 5th wheel, and we parked our F450 at a slight angle to stay off the road. The water and electric hookups were at the back of the pad, so we needed 25’ of electric cord. One side of the road(outer sites) has angled sites, and the other(inside sites) has 90-degree back-ins. Whether even or odd sites depends on how the loop sites flow into one another. For example, our site C-26(outer site) is angled. In the D loop, site 41, which is a nice site for a bigger rig, is angled versus the even sites across the road, which are 90-degree back-ins. We had a fairly clear shot for our Starlink and three bars on Verizon. There was beach access from our loop, and we enjoyed walking our dogs on the multiple trails in this state park. The reservable loops were full this Thanksgiving weekend. This time of year, the D, E, and F loops were first-come-first-serve and nowhere near full. If we had known this, we would have gone to this less crowded area.
General: Two loops with a mix of electric and non-electric sites plus cabins.
Site Quality: All sites have paved, level camper pads, a picnic table, and a fire ring. Reasonable separation/privacy between sites, although you will see and hear your neighbors.
Bath/Shower House: Bathrooms have been updated since our last visit six years ago. Automatic flush toilets and sinks. Soap dispensers and air dryers. They were clean. Showers are individual stalls with a bench and hooks for toiletries. The only thing missing was a garbage receptacle and there were signs indicating you needed to take your garbage out. I can only guess that previous campers abused the bathroom garbage, thus taking away the convenience for everyone else!
Activities: Highlight for us is the Trail of Ten Falls which, as the name suggests, takes you past ten waterfalls. The entire trail is just over seven miles but there are shorter loop options. The best access is from the day-use area but you can get there from the campground to add mileage. Pets are not allowed on this trail. There are paved bike trails and other backcountry trails that allow dogs and horses.
Our first visit to this state park was in 1990, and we returned in 1997 and 2017. We have loved it every time, even when it rains, as it does almost every time we visit!
Camping near Gaston, Oregon, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Gaston, Oregon, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just be sure to check out the campgrounds and read the reviews to find the best fit for your trip!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Gaston, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Gaston, OR is Champoeg State Heritage Area with a 4.3-star rating from 61 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Gaston, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 44 glamping camping locations near Gaston, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
