Best Glamping near Government Camp, OR

Stunning view of the mountain backdrop- crystal clear waters-access to a small shop and water activity rentals which is fun. There is a resort , and cabins as well as tent camping which I prefer. The lake itself is “busy”with families and kids during the day but nice clean camping otherwise -some might even call it glamping but it’s worth it for the view and having access to the activities the next morning.

This place is incredible. First to cover the basics.

The internet is super fast - I was getting 75mbps up/down when I was in my tent.

They have power/water hookups at each parking spot. The glamping tents have heaters, lights etc. There are heated indoor bathrooms with nice free hot water showers just a short walk away.

This place is at a year round camp/school that has multiple skate parks, trampolines, mountain biking courses, all season ski jumps etc. it’s an action sports camp.

They provide things like firewood and ice which they put in your cooler.

The people are super nice and accommodating. Ask for Jim - he handles all the camping stuff.

Campground Review

Midway between Welches and Government Camp, I picked Camp Creek as a my Mt. Hood hiking base for the weekend because of it's proximity to access Mirror Lake for a morning hike for a true test of my new vivobarefoot hiking shoes (see below) Note: Mirror Lake does have its own primitive walk-in campsites.

The campground is 2 loops. The loop to the left includes the day use area, and the loop to the right is smaller and quieter. It was still pretty cold at this elevation end of May, so most other campers here were RVs and we had plenty to pick from without reservations (this will not be the case in the summer or holiday weekends). Site 10 was our pick, on the quieter loop with proximity to the bathroom and water pump and alongside the creek. The water pump is an adventure. Recommend to stop by the Safeway in Sandy en-route and carry in your own water.

Nearly all of the sites are huge, and all include picnic table and fire ring. The first site when you enter the campground on the left has a gorgeous stone fire place/chimney that remains from an old building (a tradeoff for the high traffic). There is one toilet in each loop, so there is a bit of a walk to the loo from some sites.

This campground is a good National Forest campground. What makes it great to me is its location right off of Hwy 26. You can easily access Government Camp for supplies, and it's super accessible for an early morning start on any of the Mt. Hood hikes that get really crowded. Mirror Lake has very very limited parking and it's a super popular hike, so this was a perfect solution.

Camp Creek campground is a pretty sweet little spot not too far out of Mt. Hood/Government Camp. Spots are decent sized, including some doubles (to share with friends), and lots of trees and greenery between spots. The river-side spots are amazing, with several right on the water.

Several nice little hikes around the area, or just wander through the river down by the small bridge. We also saw several people fishing, though no actual fish. Just the right depth to splash around in and cool off. A few deeper holes (four feet?) that may require a life jacket for little ones just to be extra safe.

The only down side is the lack of facilities (ie, only pit toilets and no showers). This is pretty typical for forest campgrounds in the area, though this is also one of the nicer forest campgrounds we've come across. Price around $20-$22, depending on which sites you pick.

Our family has had the privilege of enjoying Columbia Gorge Getaways on three separate occasions and each time was a joyous and exceptional experience. Our first time staying was for a friend's wedding. Everything was perfect from start to finish and hands down one of the best weddings we have been to from the stunning Ceremony site overlooking the luscious forest to the fun event space perfect for any gathering. We stayed in a Bell tent and I have never slept so soundly as I did for this cozy glamping weekend. The bathrooms have everything you need and being amongst friends and family in such a gorgeous space was pure bliss. 

We gathered again for a lovely baby shower on a perfect Spring day! Again, the event space was such a great spot and our kids loved play area and fun lawn games! 

The last time we stayed we brought our tent and loved it. We were amazed at how comfortable and spacious our site was along with a lovely picnic table to enjoy our meals. The kids loved running around the safe and friendly campsite and playing in the play space. They have been hounding us to return and we cannot wait! We will be recommending Columbia Gorge Getaways to everyone as the perfect gathering spot! Thank you for the wonderful experiences each and every time.

The camping area isnt close to the water at all, unless you have a cabin or yurt spot, but its a fairly nice campground, we went in early May and there was stilk snow where our tent was gonna go, so watch for that! It’s a beautiful view though!

We have stayed at Lost Lake a couple of times now, once in a tent and once in a yurt. The lake is fun for fishing and renting a little boat or canoe to get onto the water. The store has a little of everything, though as you would expect, a little pricey.

The only thing missing from this amazing camping spot is electricity and running water. Otherwise, it’s perfect! Absolutely gorgeous view of Mt. Hood, tons of hiking, a beautiful lake and camping spots for everyone. They have walk-in spots, yurts, a-frames, RV spots, a horse camp and even a few rooms at the lodge. Make sure to spend at least 3-4 days!

I have kind of a love/hate thing going on for Lost Lake Campgrounds.

Pros: It is beautiful. There's a reason it's one of Oregon's most photographed sites. There's a 3-mile hike around the lake that shows Mt. Hood and its lovely reflection in the lake. There's fishing, swimming, boating, and a camp store that has "It's It" ice cream (definitely a pro). The camp sites are nice, decent sized, and surrounded by trees.

Cons: It is crowded. We're talking thousands of people on a nice summer weekend, traffic jams, and no place to actually make it into the lake (except right at the boat dock) unless you claim your picnic spot really early. There's also no cell phone reception (at all), and while that may sound lovely in theory, when you're a family trying to find each other somewhere on the trail or in the campground it's a real pain.

On weekends and holidays, you also need to book not two, but three nights in a row (Thursday/Friday and Saturday, for example), so if you're trying to get away for a regular 2-day weekend you're out of luck.

In general: 140+ camp sites including several walk-in-only sites right near the lake. There's also cabins and yurts, though those don't include a bathroom on site, so the $70-$150+ seems pretty steep for still having to use an outhouse (we haven't stayed in the cabins personally yet, but have seen them in person). You can book online for both cabins and camp sites (reserveamerica for the camping).

Tips: For day trips, there's a $8 parking fee that you can avoid if you park outside of the entrance and walk the 1/4 mile or so. Also, cabins and yurts are half-price in May, something we may remember for next Memorial Day well in advance (since everything books up so quickly).

The views of Mt. Hood are amazing from this lake. Spent the day in a canoe, exploring the lake. Stayed in one of the yurts, which would have been better if it was away from the tent camping. Neighbors were a bit close. After exploring we did see that there were many sites that were more private...next time we will reserve those. You can rent boats, canoes, etc, and there is a store that has anything you would need. Very nice staff.

This place gets CROWDED, and is hard to drive around/walk around due to the amount of day users.  Stayed in a cute yurt which was a bit of walk from the lake (~.25 mi) which is fine but getting my kayak down was a bit of a pain due to the amount of people occupying the road/parking etc.   Stunning views and didn't see anybody on the hike up to lost lake.  Store was poorly set up and chaotic, check in process took quite some time and was confusing.

I have been there twice this summer.

Actually, I started camping there more than two decades ago, when it was still being developed.

I am partial to it for that reason.

It is more of an RV campground. But, it does have several yurts, and a tent camping area.

Not the quiet, "roughing it" style I like, but when I just want to chill, and do nothing in particular, this is a decent place to camp. It has a lodge, an exercise room, pool, hot tub, hot showers, bathrooms with indoor plumbing, and outlets for the ladies hair dryers (or charging the battery on your smart phone).

A small store on the grounds provides for the last minute treats to make s'mores, or even a chocolate ice cream sandwich from the freezer.

I actually like using the campground as a "basecamp" for my hikes around Mt Hood.

It's not as quiet as a campsite deep in the wilderness, but sometimes it's nice to get away without getting away from it all.

Oh, and sometimes I prefer indoor plumbing over vault toilets or bushes.

We have camped here three times over the last 7 years.  Sometimes for full vacations, sometimes just as part of a larger trip, and I always love it.  The lake is beautiful, with great views of Mt. Hood.  The little store has snacks and some food as treats and rents kayaks, row boats, etc.  The showers are very nice and clean.  The campsites are huge and very private.  There are even a few trails which leave from the campground if you want to hike.  And for those that want less rustic they even have yurts!

Now, it is busy, especially on the weekends.  There is a reason for that.  If you want to spend the day at one of the spots on the lake, you have to get up early and get your spot (by 9am, even on a weekday).  On the weekend it can be a bit of a mad house with people coming from outside the campground, so I recommend staying during the week.

Also, the bathrooms are pit toilets.  They aren't bad, but still pits. :)

Pros:

* Beautiful lake

* Close to Hood River

* Hiking from the campground

* Store with treats

* Very nice showers

* Very nice campsites with lots of space

Cons:

* Very crowded on the weekends

OK:

* Pit toilets

The Olallie Lake Rustic Resort is a wonderful place to get away from it all and relax in nature on the shore of a lovely high-mountain lake.

Here are a few points of interest:

• Fishing: Olallie Lake is stocked with rainbow trout and brood trout. They rent row boats for trolling. Motor boats are not allowed (which is nice).

• Hiking: There are several miles local trails to hike on. There's a four mile hike around Olallie Lake, the Redlake Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) that can take you all the way to Mexico or Canada.

• Swimming: No swimming is allowed in Olallie Lake.  Head Lake is nearby (within 5 minutes of the store) and has a dock, large rocks to sit on and is a wonderful swimming lake. There are also over 25 lakes in the scenic area to hike to and swim in.

• Dogs: Dogs are allowed! Yay! But they must be kept on leash per Forest Service regulations.

• Getting there: The last ten miles, or so, of the road are pretty rough. Most reasonable cares should be able to make it but I'd suggest a 4x4.

There are cabin and yurt rentals and a little general store which has food and adult beverages. Like most resort stores it's a little pricey.

The cabins are comfortable and have wood stoves (firewood is included).

Generations of campers have stayed here, and if you have little ones, no doubt they'll want to continue the tradition. The park has experienced many improvements since the landslide transformed and closed it many years ago. Available to rent now are yomes (yurt domes) with bunkbeds and inexpensive lake view cabins with AC and heat. A swimming hole, playground and amphitheatre delight little campers, and a store/restaurant/rental business delight adults who run out of ice, beer, fishing tackle, or other necessities. Kayaks, paddle boards and other water sport equipment is available for rent. The lake is long and deep with Kokanee, Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout, but you'll need to make sure you purchase an Indian permit (available at the store) if you want to fish for them. Take a trolling boat up the narrows to the back of Round Butte Dam in the morning and rev up the engine for a mile of skiing area near Pelton Dam to cool off in the afternoon. This is a PGE park with on-site camp hosts and regular visits from the local law enforcement. You'll feel safe camping here solo or with your children. Quiet time is politely enforced. There is a community kitchen available for cooking or washing dishes and clean flush toilets and shower facilities are on site. Electrical hookups abound, even if you are tenting, you can bring an extension cord to recharge, light, or cool off your campsite.

Viento is a nice state park along 84 right outside of hood river. It is along the columbia river and has beach access. The campground is split in two with the tent sites on one side and the rv sites on the other. The highway and a railroad track run right through the campground. There are mulitple trails perfect for day hikes. The sites and bathrooms are clean. Oregon State Parks offer free showers.