Glamping sites near Gervais, Oregon sit at elevations between 150-400 feet in the heart of the Willamette Valley. Winter temperatures average 34-45°F with frequent rain, while summer brings 75-85°F days and minimal precipitation. Most glamping accommodations remain open year-round despite seasonal weather shifts, though availability tightens considerably during summer months when advance reservations become essential.
What to do
Disc golf courses: Milo McIver State Park features competition-quality disc golf courses that attract serious players. "Milo McIver may be best known for it's twin 18 hole disc golf courses, or single 27 hole layout when tournaments aren't in progress. Home of the annual Beaver State Fling, a PDGA sanctioned National Tour event," notes Steve C.
Biking trails: The Banks-Vernonia Trail provides paved biking through Dairy Creek West — L.L. Stub Stewart Memorial State Park, connecting to multiple mountain biking routes. "There is a good variety of sites for RVs, large and small. What makes this CG so special is the multitude of hiking, biking, and horse trails. They even have a disc golf course within the park," explains MickandKarla W.
Salmon viewing: Multiple waterways near glamping sites offer salmon viewing opportunities in fall months. "Wildwood recreation site is right next door and boasts an underwater salmon viewing area as well naturalist inspired boardwalks and walking paths. Go salmon!" shares Amy H. about nearby recreation sites accessible from area campgrounds.
What campers like
Private wooded sites: Oxbow Regional Park offers secluded camping experiences despite proximity to Portland. "Smaller, but we were able to switch sites away from an area with two families/lots of little kids. Beautiful river, lots of horses and fisherpeople, great trails, tall trees, lots of shade, close to Portland," reports Bjorn S.
Year-round accessibility: Champoeg State Heritage Area Campground maintains winter camping options when other sites close. "Love to stay here when all the other campgrounds close. Nice hiking trails. The rangers are very nice. Beautiful scenery," explains Somer L.
Swimming holes: Natural water features provide summer cooling options. "We love hiking the trails and our kids love the playground and river swimming!" mentions April F. about Silver Falls State Park, while Maureen H. notes at Metzler Park, "The campgrounds are nice. The hike is amazing and beautiful though most of the trails are closed to dogs."
What you should know
Limited cell service: Connectivity varies widely between glamping sites. "Barely got 1 bar of 4g at the welcome center. There's a guest wifi in the parking lot there too but it's 2 miles further to the camp ground and texts hardly go through," reports Zach S. about Oxbow Regional Park.
Reservation requirements: Most glamping sites fill quickly during peak season. "Some of the sites can be reserved in advance, and some are always open for walk ups," explains Stephanie Z. about Stub Stewart's hike-in camp area.
Bathroom facilities: Quality and proximity of facilities varies between campgrounds. "The bathrooms were SPOTLESS and keyless/code entry, and it was almost like they were our private bathrooms," notes K L. about Premier RV Resort in Salem.
Tips for camping with families
Activity centers: Camp Dakota offers numerous structured activities for children. "We did a group site and once we got the wristbands on the kids, they went off and explored and had a lot of fun. The staff is #1 safe, then #2 they are super fun," shares Jason S.
Playground access: Multiple campgrounds feature dedicated play areas for children. "Champoeg has a little everything. GREAT biking trails that are kid friendly. There lots of historical sites around the campground to enjoy as well. Loop B is highly our favorite because it is smaller and more private and close to the river," writes Scott W.
Historical activities: Pioneer-themed educational opportunities engage children at several sites. "The farmhouse fascinated my boys... they got to water the garden with a water pump and buckets!" reports Leslie C. about Champoeg's heritage features.
Tips from RVers
Hookup locations: Consider hookup placement when reserving RV sites. "The water and sewer hookups were in the middle of the site, with electric being at the back of the pad. The water pressure was not very good at around 35 psi," notes MickandKarla W. about Dairy Creek West at Stub Stewart.
WiFi connectivity: Internet access varies significantly between RV parks. "AT&T coverage was fair, ranging from 2-4 bars of 5G with speeds up to 19 MB/s. The CG WiFi speed varied considerably, from next to useless up to 1 MB/s. We were able to get DISH coverage on all three western satellites at our site," reports Ray & Terri F. about Premier RV Resort.
Site spacing: Some RV parks offer more privacy than others. "Very nice park. The spaces are a bit to close for me, no shade," says Kimberly E. about Premier RV Resort, while MickandKarla W. notes about Dairy Creek West, "Sites are always clean and hosts we've interacted with were always helpful and friendly."
