Best Dispersed Camping near Gladstone, OR

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Gladstone, Oregon

73 Reviews of 36 Gladstone Campgrounds

• 

  Mark F.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 12, 2021

  Historic Clackamas Ranger Station - Dispersed Camping - Roadside

  Convenient, free roadside site near trails, lakes, & meadow in Mt Hood NF

  I was running in an ultramarathon race in September in the Mt Hood National Forest and all of the local campgrounds managed by PGE around Timothy Lake were closed due to the end of the season.  I was able to use map layers in The Dyrt PRO to identify where I was within National Forest boundaries and was able to confirm with local officials that I was in a free, dispersed camping zone. So, using the map layers and the search function on The Dyrt I looked for an area near the race start at the Historic Clackamas Ranger Station to park my RV for a 2 night off-grid stay.  The location was a wide gravel area on the side of the road that allowed for enough space to park, put out my awning, set up some chairs and a propane fire pit (no live campfires - propane only) while being within a few hundred yards of the Ranger Station.  There was room to walk along the road on the shoulder and you are very close walk to the Historic Clackamas Ranger Cabin with a beautiful meadow view, the Joe Graham Horse Camp, and just a couple of mile drive from Timothy Lake.  Clackamas Lake Campground was nearby as well with many accessible miles of hikable trails, including access to the Pacific Crest Trail, for hikers of all levels. There was some smoke from local wildfires but that went away as the fall rains arrived that weekend.  If you are looking for a place to park your RV near all of these amazing views and experiences this free, dispersed camping site worked great for me and my family for a couple of nights.

• 

  Kevin L.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 9, 2020

  Kevin's Mt Hood OG

  Dispersed Camping - Get away from it all

  This is a dispersed camping spot in the Mt.Hood National Forest that is free --- from both campground payment and people. It's an old forest road off the main gravel road that has been blockaded and closed down, giving you a wide open area that gets sun, mixed with good tree coverage from the wind. 

  The spot is flat and great for an RV, van or trailer. It's just a 100 meters off the main gravel road where the old forest road is dug out/blockaded from cars getting through. 

  We parked and camped right there. Or, if you want even more solitude, park at the blockade and walk 3/4 of a mile to the end of the forest road strip for some tent camping. Not sure if that is needed as I think we only heard/saw a few car drive by the entire time (on a beautiful August weekend). 

  Love this place. Happy to share it with others. If you are looking for some dispersed camping in the summer that's not a far drive from Portland, this spot is for you. If it's full, there are a half dozen to a dozen other dispersed camping spots along this gravel road between Frog Lake Campground and Clear Creek Crossing Campground. Enjoy.

• 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.

• 

  Sarah S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 27, 2022

  Dispersed Camping above Panther Creek Falls

  Beautiful dispersed camping near Panther Creek Falls

  This area of Gifford Pinchot National Forest has lots of dispersed camping spots but this area was a gem. To access it, as you are driving on NF 65 you will see a small road to the right just a bit before you see the parking for Panther Creek Falls also on the right. If you are at the parking area for Panther Creek Falls and look up you will see a huge wall of rock…the area is up there and you need to turn on the road before the parking area to access it. There are actually 3 areas where you could camp: As you drive up the small road, you will notice the first, pretty large area for camping straight ahead. It looks like a road continues up toward the right but that is actually blocked. If you go to the left you will see the road continues (and you might not think there is anything up there) and you will see one more spot straight ahead and then if you continue up toward the right (hitting some branches along the way) you will come up to a large, wide open area with tons of space for camping. We were pretty excited when we saw it!

  We spent one night in that huge open area and it was beautiful - the stars were amazing. During the day we would go peek over the edge and could see people parking to go to the falls. You could hear a tiny bit of road noise from up there but it was very light. You can also hear the noise of the waterfall from up on the ridge. The only downfall about this spot is that there is no shade and it was very hot, so hot that we couldn't have a fire. The second night we spent in the spot just down a tad so that we could have some shade and a fire.

  The hike down to Panther Creek Falls is literally right across the road and I think these falls may be the most beautiful falls I've seen in OR or WA. It's a short mile or so hike but really pretty scenery.

• J

  Jack O.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 1, 2024

  Clear Lake dispersed camping

  Beautiful area ruined by humans.

  I stopped for the night while traveling and found a huge dispersed camping area right off the road. Unfortunately, some disgusting, disrespectful, immature family left a ton of garbage and feces all over the site. There were three sites with piles of feces and toilet paper right on the camp site. Not 100 feet away, not buried. It was disgusting. This makes me lose faith in humans.

• 

  Vanessa T.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2024

  Panther Creek Creekside Camp

  Best spot ever!

  I was headed down 14 looking for somewhere to camp between the Dalles and camas. I got stuck in road construction and decided to open up the dyrt app. I clicked on one that looked closish lol I decided to take the chance and go check it out. Man I'm glad I did This is one of the best dispersed camp sites I've ever stayed at!!

• 

  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!

• 

  Amanda T.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 24, 2019

  Trillium Sno-Park

  Dispersed camping at its finest!

  Great place to disperse camp. Lots of pulloffs and the views are stunning!

• 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.

• 

  Ariel & John W.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 15, 2020

  Mount Hood National Forest - NF 2656 -Dispersed Camping

  Tons of dispersed in the shadow of Mt Hood

  There are many park campgrounds in the Mt Hood NF but also tons of dispersed camping in the forest.

  We camped off FS 2656 just south of Trillium Lake in August 2020. There are many other locations. Many are separate drives off a forest road but some side of the road spots too. Lake Trillium gets super crowded.

  Download the forest map from Avenza for accurate locations of all the forest roads and trails.

  The Mt Hood NF is amazing, with tons of lakes, creeks, waterfalls and hiking trails as well as great views of Mt Hood.

  No amenities for dispersed locations but you can use nearby campgrounds for water, trash and dump stations.

  There was decent Verizon service when we camped there.

  Would definitely camp here again.

• 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.

• 

  Stephanie Z.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 1, 2021

  McNeil Point Dispersed Camping

  Backcountry in your Backyard

  Dispersed camping at McNeil point is a backpackers dream — you get to hike far into the clouds, far away from the people, yet this location is nearly as convenient as car camping. 

  While McNeil point is a popular hike, most people visiting are day hikers, or backpackers taking a few days for circumnavigating the Timberline trail. Since we only had one day, we left Portland at 2 pm on a summer Friday, hiked in the four miles most of the way to McNeil, pitched the tent in time for dinner and sunset, then got up early and summited McNeil far before the summer crowds from town had time to make it to the trail head. 

  There are quite a few dispersed, designated spots to camp. The most obvious ones are those along the Timberline trail—and they are also likely the busiest. There are also obvious sites well up near the McNeil summit. These aren't as busy, but you'll have to haul your packs up the whole way.  We chose a site that we found in a clearing that had a good view of the mountain. Note - You cannot camp in most of the meadows around the lakes. There are signs that designate this.

  When we hiked up to the McNeil summit in the morning, we only took our day packs, and left our big packs in our tents. After summiting we hiked back down, cooked lunch at the campsite, and then packed out.  It's definitely a recommended trip if you have a short time, but still want to feel like you got far, far away.

• 

  Kennedy F.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  McNeil Point Dispersed Camping

  Can’t beat the views at McNeil point

  Ended up backpacking up here on a whim right before I headed back to Utah. I started at the Top Spur trailhead and hiked the clockwise route up to McNeil (a little longer but saved be the scramble through rocks). On my way I ended up going to Muddy Fork which added about 4 miles to my overall trek up. I ended up camping at the point rather than further down, which was a challenge to carry my pack up, but so worth it in my opinion. It’s dispersed camping so solitude is easily reachable considering not too many people stay the night. This was easily one of the top 5 most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen. The mountain range is unbeatable and waking up to Mt. Hood as your veiw is incredible. It’s a challenge with the best reward.

• 

  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.

• 

  Mouni

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2024

  NF-65 National Forest Dispersed Site

  Don’t recommend

  Good luck. This takes you to the middle of nowhere with no camping spots. You’ll have no service.

• 

  Caroline E.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 19, 2022

  Mount Hood National Forest - NF 2656 -Dispersed Camping

  Good Dispersed Camping

  I camped on another spur road off of FS 2656. Definitely download the mvum from Avenza beforehand to make things easier. Peaceful, quiet, and I had cell signal. Road can be rough in some places but 4WD not necessary. Not many pull-in camping spots so you’ll have to search around. Overall decent spot and close to Trillium Lake

• 

  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.

• 

  Sara R.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 13, 2020

  White River West Sno-Park

  Best free camping on Hood!

  One of our favorite free spots ever!! Incredible access to back country hiking at Mt. Hood! Know before you go: this is not a camp site - in the summer, parking lots near mount hood are free for car camping (in the winter they’re full with people driving in for skiing). This is a huge parking lot with 2 vault toilets. Anyone can park overnight for free (summer only). There were just a few other cars there. At night we had a great view of the Perseid Meteor Shower 💫 Highly recommend if you’re going on a trip where you just want to spend all day hiking and have a convenient spot to sleep.

• 

  Todd J.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 6, 2024

  Dispersed Site - End of NF 4800-532

  Sweet spot not far from White River East

  This spot is pretty nice, feels very secluded despite White River being close enough to use the restroom if you want. Access to a stream down the hill if you need to filter water, and it sounds very pleasant at night. Lovely trees, plenty of room for a couple of small tents among the trees, plus a ton more out on the gravel. Established fire pit, for the 2-3 days a year that's legal to use. 

  We got in at 5pm on a Friday in summer; I think four more cars came down to see if the spot was free before 9pm.

• 

  Bobby J.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 18, 2024

  Panther Creek Creekside Camp

  Awesome stay on the creek

  This was an awesome stay right on the creek which was secluded and nice to hear the rushing water of the creek

• 

  Danny H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 9, 2021

  White River West Sno-Park

  Nice quiet spot on Mt. Hood

  The snow park itself is a somewhat steep lot, but still very useable with a few blocks. However, just west of it on highway 35 there is a smaller “alcove” that is much more level and secluded. Most people who visit this location never notice this separate, paved spot.

• 

  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.

• 

  Ryan J.

  Scout

  

  May. 28, 2023

  Dispersed Camping above Panther Creek Falls

  Private

  This camp site is overlooking the parking lot. It's a wide-open rocky area. Close enough to hear the falls. Super dark at night with plenty of stars.

• 

  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!

• 

  Kevin L.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 17, 2023

  NF2656 - Mt. Hood Dispersed Camping

  Tent camping sites

  FS Rd 2656 across from Trillium Lake Campground. Follow 2656 up a couple miles. Turn left on porcupine Trail. There is one small campsite on your left approximately 100 yards. Then a larger one at the end of porcupine Trail. This one is much larger and will accommodate four people.