Best Cabin Camping near Gates, OR

Several state parks and private resorts around Gates, Oregon provide rustic cabin rentals with varying amenities. Silver Falls State Park offers small but comfortable cabins equipped with heat, lights, and beds, plus covered porches. "The cabins are small but comfortable with heat, lights, and beds. Covered porch is nice to sit and listen to the rain," notes Jeff K., a recent visitor. Smith Creek Village within Silver Falls features tiny cabins that maintain privacy despite their proximity to one another. These cabins typically include electricity, beds, and outdoor fire pits with picnic tables, though bathrooms are usually in separate shared facilities a short walk away. River Bend County Park provides creekside cabins with concrete pads for picnic tables and built-in fire pits, situated among tall trees that provide shade during summer months.

Cabin options range from basic one-room structures to multi-room layouts with separate dining and sleeping areas. Most state park cabins require advance reservations, particularly during summer months when they fill quickly. Pet policies vary significantly between locations, with some cabins designated as pet-friendly while others strictly prohibit animals. "We stayed in a rustic cabin at this park and it was perfect. Two full beds and two small bunks make for an affordable spot for friends to gather. Book in advance because it fills up fast," advises Candice B. about Smith Creek Village. Detroit Lake State Recreation Area offers cabin accommodations nestled among towering trees with short paths to the lake. Gold Butte Lookout provides a more remote cabin experience but lacks many amenities, including electricity, fires, and pets are not permitted. Mt. Hood Village Resort, though farther from Gates, features standard cabins that serve as an excellent compromise between camping and hotel accommodations.

Most cabins provide beds with mattresses but require visitors to bring their own bedding, pillows, and towels. Kitchen facilities vary widely, from cabins with no cooking amenities to those equipped with propane stoves, refrigerators, and microwaves. Visitors should plan to bring their own cooking supplies, food storage containers, and coolers. Some locations like Clear Lake Resort offer propane heat and lanterns for after-dark illumination when "lights out" policies take effect. Firewood is typically available for purchase at campgrounds, though fire restrictions may apply during dry summer months. While most cabin sites include outdoor fire pits and picnic tables, indoor cooking options are limited. Storing food securely is essential, as one reviewer noted encountering mice in a Silver Falls cabin. Nearby towns provide grocery and supply options, though stocking up before arrival is recommended for those staying at more remote cabin locations.

Best Cabin Sites Near Gates, Oregon (44)

    1. Silver Falls State Park Campground

    76 Reviews
    Mehama, OR
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 873-8681

    $24 - $68 / night

    "The cabins are small but comfortable with heat, lights, and beds.  Covered porch is nice to sit and listen to the rain."

    "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."

    2. Detroit Lake State Recreation Area Campground

    42 Reviews
    Detroit, OR
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 854-3346

    $15 - $63 / night

    "It was cool & well-shaded, with a short path to the lake."

    "I think we got lucky with a cancellation because the  campsite was booked solid but one full hook up site close to lake was available about 2 weeks before our trip.  "

    3. Smith Creek Village — Silver Falls State Park

    12 Reviews
    Mehama, OR
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 894-7533

    $89 - $250 / night

    "My family stayed in one of the tiny cabins. The cabin was very clean and well kept. The cabin was nearby a few other similar cabins, but everything felt very private."

    "We stayed in a rustic cabin at this park and it was perfect. Two full beds and two small bunks make for an affordable spot for friends to gather. Book in advance because it fills up fast."

    4. Camp Dakota

    5 Reviews
    Scotts Mills, OR
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 873-7432

    $55 - $300 / night

    "The running water is drinkable. The showers are amazing, 1 quarter per minute.  The store has everything but adult beverages."

    "I booked this to get close to a hike I wanted to do. Showed up at night and left in the morning."

    5. River Bend County Park

    16 Reviews
    Cascadia, OR
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (541) 967-3917

    $26 - $70 / night

    "In addition to the paved driveway for our trailer, there always a nice, large concrete pad for the picnic table with a fire pit built on to the corner."

    "Nice level sites with water and electric. Dump station on site. The sites are private with picnic tables and fire pits. The bathrooms are very nice. Peeked inside some of the creekside cabins."

    6. Champoeg State Heritage Area Campground

    72 Reviews
    Donald, OR
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 678-1251

    $24 - $168 / night

    "The yurts are heated, and a couple of them are pet friendly, which is great for us! There is a small table in each yurt."

    "I stayed in the 1 of 5 tent spaces. They were a bit close to the other sites, but still large enough for a few tents if needed."

    7. Gold Butte Lookout

    1 Review
    Detroit, OR
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 854-3366

    $80 / night

    "There are two cots, one bed platform, a wood burning stove, and a cooking stove up there.  There is also a detached outhouse. "

    8. Mt Hood Village Resort

    47 Reviews
    Rhododendron, OR
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "So, one of the standard cabins here was the perfect compromise. Roof over our heads, actual beds, room for three of us to be able to gear up for the day."

    "is not good, not even by the “lounge”, tiny house and cabins available for rent (pet friendly options available) which is cool, laundry facility, cafe/bakery on site, nice store with good variety of food"

    9. Feyrer Park

    6 Reviews
    Molalla, OR
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (503) 742-4414

    $37 - $46 / night

    "Lots of Camping and RV spots with plenty of day use picnic tables, covered areas, playgrounds for kids as well as ramps for boat launching for fishing!"

    "Feyrer Park campground is only about 30 miles off I-5, but by the end of those 30 miles you are fully ensconced in country quiet and tall, sheltering green."

    10. Coldwater Cove Campground

    12 Reviews
    Mckenzie Bridge, OR
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 226-3564

    $25 - $50 / night

    "Great campsites with fire pit and table. Nicely surrounded by forest. Clear lake is a nice lake for canoeing / kayaking. There is no beach. The boatramp is nice for small boats."

    "Multi level campsite, easy to access the trail that goes around the lake, a beautiful clear lake that hides a forest underneath, volcanic rock, row boat rentals, cafe and easy access from Portland."

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Cabin Reviews near Gates, OR

423 Reviews of 44 Gates Campgrounds


  • L
    Aug. 7, 2018

    Champoeg State Heritage Area Campground

    Good for biking, heated yurts, smaller tent spots

    We've been here 3 times, once for tent camping and twice in a yurt. The yurts are heated, and a couple of them are pet friendly, which is great for us! There is a small table in each yurt. Theres a couch and a bunk bed for sleeping arrangements, with the lower bunk larger than the top bunk. Great walking trails and day use areas, and our favorite thing about this place is biking on the biking trails surrounding the area. Beautiful and close to civilization for a quick and low key camping trip. Great for beginner campers and families!

  • Marcus M.
    Jan. 15, 2021

    Olallie Lake Resort

    Correction

    There are a couple differences between the Olallie Lake Resort and its facilities vs The Olallie Lake Guard Station Cabin. Although near to each other on the lake, and both managed by the  resort staff, the Guard Station Cabin is owed by the Forest Service. They do not allow pets in the cabin or in your car when you rent it. 

    The resort rents a number of rustic cabins themselves, along with two yurts, and operates a number of nearby campgrounds, the store, and the boat rentals.

    The Guard Station Cabin must be rented from Recreation.gov , and has much less basic facilities, kitchen with hot & cold running water.  Propane powered stove/oven,  refrigerator , and built in lights.  Pit toilet nearby,

    I believe the other reviews refer to the resort's cabins.

  • Derek N.The Dyrt ADMIN User
    Jun. 12, 2023

    Smith Creek Village — Silver Falls State Park

    Very nice cabin getaway

    Smith Creek Village is such a great place for easy lodging in nature. My family stayed in one of the tiny cabins. The cabin was very clean and well kept. The cabin was nearby a few other similar cabins, but everything felt very private. There was nice walking paths and a large grass area supplied with lawn games.

    We decided to take the easy route this particular trip and ate all our meals at the Big Leaf Coffeehouse. The food there is fantastic and the building has a cozy lodge vibe.

    Another thing that I loved about Smith Creek Village is that although the Silver Falls state park is always busy, Smith Creek Village is not. It feels like a hidden gem inside the state park. We definitely plan on coming back.

  • Jason G.
    Jun. 14, 2024

    Mt Hood Village Resort

    The Ultimate Mt Hood Base Camp

    Not my normal camping scene, but decided to for an early summer ski session with the kids, we didn't want to completely rough it, but also didn't want to pay hotel prices. So, one of the standard cabins here was the perfect compromise. Roof over our heads, actual beds, room for three of us to be able to gear up for the day. But still had a fire pit outside, and picnic table for outdoor cooking. (Also the standard cabins don't have bathrooms, so you still need to go to the shared restrooms.)

    The property overall was really nice, lots of amenities. We also took a walk through the RV/Tent camp sites. Its very similar to a KOA style of resort. We enjoyed it for what it was.

  • C
    Jul. 17, 2017

    Smith Creek Village — Silver Falls State Park

    Cozy cabins, close to falls.

    We stayed in a rustic cabin at this park and it was perfect. Two full beds and two small bunks make for an affordable spot for friends to gather. Book in advance because it fills up fast. The cabins are basic, but do have electricity. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained. The tent sites were pretty close to each other and there were a lot of kids. Walked to the waterfalls from the cabin in the early am, amazing!

  • Cindy U.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 30, 2018

    Clear Lake Resort

    Best place to canoe

    A small quaint Resort. Would love to stay at the cabins, but my schedule is the same as everyone else. Was told by the Ranger to come and stay after Labor Day, they are open year round. I find it easy to bring my kayak up and use the lake to enjoy rowing around. This would be a great place for those paddle boards. The lake is for non-motorized boats. Can do fishing too. The Lodge is open as a restaurant between Memorial to Labor day. Boat rentals, cabin rentals and tent sites avaiable check the www.linnparks.com or call (541) 967-3917. A must to RSVP

  • Lauren A.
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Smith Creek Village — Silver Falls State Park

    Beautiful location-great hiking nearby!

    This campground is one I wanted to visit for the chance to check out the hiking trail nearby that has tons of waterfalls along it (Ten Falls Trail). I wasn't sure I would be able to hike very far and I was right. I hiked down into the canyon to walk behind South Falls. It was spectacular! I’m glad I hiked that particular trial since I only had enough energy for that one. It was quite steep down into the canyon and wet in most areas. Watch your step! The full trail is 8.2 miles. They had a nice place to buy snacks and meals, a gift shop, and had nice printed trail information posted at the trailhead. The campground itself isn’t huge and was fully booked, but it is decently laid out (sites have nice space between them). Most sites are shaded. They sell firewood, have a pavilion with picnic tables, a playground for the kids, and have a few small cabins you can rent by the night. The campground is kind of close to a somewhat busy road, but the noise wasn’t too bad. The bathhouse was clean and approximately 100 yards from my campsite down a footpath. The only thing I was disappointed to see was that two of the 4 showers were out of order. I had fantastic cell service here (AT&T) and was able to text, call, and go online on my phone (which is nice since I work online). Given the fact that I was unable to physically do more hiking this trip, I would definitely come back to this campground to try another section of the trail to see more waterfalls since the trailhead is only 1.5 miles from the campground.

  • Nedra D.
    Aug. 10, 2018

    Smith Creek Village — Silver Falls State Park

    Lovely

    Went with an ex many years ago. We stayed in one of the small cabins very close to the upper trail to the falls.I think... lol

    The cabin was cozy and stayed very warm as we went in the winter. We only walked around a short ways but the snow was beautiful and it was serenely quiet.

  • Brian P.
    Sep. 19, 2021

    River Bend County Park

    Nice, well maintained, on the river!

    We had a great time staying at River Bend! This was our first trip here and won’t be our last, we’ve already made reservations for next year.

    The sites were maintained very well and the camp hosts were very friendly. In addition to the paved driveway for our trailer, there always a nice, large concrete pad for the picnic table with a fire pit built on to the corner. The neighboring site on the right was 20-30 yards away and the site on the left was 100+ yards away. Lots of trees all around, good shade for those hot August days.

    The bathrooms for the loop were a nice walk but not too far and they were cleaned 2x per day.

    We spent most of our days at the river swimming, floating in tubes, skipping rocks and looking for crawdads. It was an easy walk on well maintained trails to get to the river.

    The playground and adjacent field were fun for playing and games in the evenings.

    Being a long, hot year there were no fires allowed in the fire pits. That was a small bummer, but the fire danger was so high that it wasn’t a big deal. We used our propane fire ring instead and that was great. Kind of nice coming away from a camping trip and not smelling of smoke 😁


Guide to Gates

Cabin camping options around Gates, Oregon extend beyond just the state parks, with rustic forest service cabins, historic lookouts, and private resorts. Most are accessible from May through October, with several winterized cabins available year-round. Winter access to more remote locations often requires snow chains or 4WD vehicles, particularly at elevations above 3,000 feet where snow accumulation can reach several feet.

What to do

Lake activities at Detroit Lake: Detroit Lake State Recreation Area offers excellent water recreation from a base camp with cabin accommodations. "The morning kayak was on an absolutely flat glass lake. The lake is super clean, but a frigid 38 (they tell me) degrees," notes Maurice G., who stayed at Coldwater Cove Campground, which provides similar lake experiences.

Hiking trails from cabin sites: Many cabins provide direct trail access. "The campground has easy access to the trail leading around the lake," explains Ariel C. about Coldwater Cove. For more challenging terrain, Gold Butte Lookout offers exceptional views with minimal facilities. "The hike up to the lookout is not long, but it is actually really steep," warns Christian.

Family adventures beyond cabins: Camp Dakota offers activities not found at traditional cabin sites. "We enjoyed disc golf, archery, axe throwing, a fun general store and an escape room," shares Bjorn S. about Camp Dakota, adding "We came in thinking it was a little on the spendy side, to ending up thinking it was a bargain."

What campers like

Privacy between cabins: Despite being near other accommodations, many cabin sites maintain separation. "Smith Creek Village is such a great place for easy lodging in nature. The cabin was nearby a few similar cabins, but everything felt very private," explains Derek N. about his stay at Silver Falls.

Multi-season options: Cabin camping offers year-round possibilities. "We love Detroit Lake just as much during the off season as we do during the summer. The spots are generous and the lake is really cool without water!" mentions Jill T. about Detroit Lake State Recreation Area.

Forest setting: Most cabins feature wooded surroundings. "Our spot was very small, but nestled in soft moss among towering trees. It was cool & well-shaded, with a short path to the lake," describes Rhiannon S. about Detroit Lake. At Mt Hood Village Resort, "The full hook up sites are in old growth timber giving each site a feeling of seclusion," according to Jack B.

What you should know

Cabin size limitations: Most cabins are compact. "Large site. Plenty of spots to hang hammock. Site backed up to volcanic rock area. Kids had fun climbing on the rocks and huge trees," reports Jenn M. about her Coldwater Cove cabin, noting they "fit two tents and two cars at our site and had plenty of room."

Wildlife considerations: Take precautions with food storage. "On the first night we were awoken to rustling through our stuff in the other room and when I checked it out a mouse booked it out of there," shares Graham C. about Smith Creek Village. "Another night an army of raccoons made its way through our campsite, despite all our food being put away."

Bathroom facilities: Expect a walk to facilities at most cabin sites. At River Bend County Park, "The bathrooms are very nice. Peeked inside some of the creekside cabins. Those look super cute," explains Kathy B., who appreciates the balance between comfort and rustic experience.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Several cabin locations feature play areas. "This would be a nice place to take the kids, there is a small playground and a field. Lots of nice trees and a trail," notes Cassie B. about River Bend County Park.

Kid-friendly activities: Beyond standard camping, look for special offerings. "We had a great time at Camp Dakota. Our yurt was comfortable and we enjoyed disc golf, archery, axe throwing," reports Bjorn S., highlighting that "A fantastic place to bond, create memories and enjoy the outdoors."

Multi-generational accessibility: Consider cabin options for different ability levels. At Champoeg State Heritage Area, "Great biking trails that are kid friendly. There lots of historical sites around the campground to enjoy as well," according to Scott W., who adds "Our kids had a blast!"

Tips from RVers

Standard cabin alternatives: For those transitioning from RVs to cabins, certain sites offer familiar amenities. "The campground is very well laid out and there are plenty of hiking and biking trails right from your campsite," mentions Thamar D. about Champoeg State Heritage Area, which features both cabin and RV options.

Site preparation: Expect varying levels of site development. "Nice level sites with water and electric. Dump station on site. The sites are private with picnic tables and fire pits," reports Kathy B. about River Bend County Park, whose concrete cabin pads provide stability in wet weather.

Seasonal considerations: Plan for different conditions throughout the year. "Stayed here in Sept 2022. Awesome Campsite overlooking the south end of the lake. It was a steep trek down to the lake, especially toting Kayaks, but worth it," shares Maurice G. about his Coldwater Cove experience, highlighting seasonal access challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Gates, OR?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Gates, OR is Silver Falls State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 76 reviews.

What is the best site to find cabin camping near Gates, OR?

TheDyrt.com has all 44 cabin camping locations near Gates, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.