Best Glamping near Hood River, 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.

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.

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

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.

This campground is big, with a lot of trees and a good number of sites have shade for the majority of the day (at least where we were), they have full hook ups and partial, cable with a great variety of channels, their WiFi 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 and drink options, DVD rental. The bakery is independently owned and opens daily, they bake cinnamon roles daily and the cream cheese is home made...OMG, worth having one or two with coffee! Gas station (72) and great grocery store (thrift away) nearby )1.5 mi away). We had a great corner site and we were not surrounded by a lot of people, there was one family at the site behind us and luckily no one to our right. The fact the campground was packed for Father’s Day and lack of cleanliness at their bathrooms and laundry facility makes me wonder how serious they are taking Covid-19. We’ve been to three campgrounds so far and two of them were taking it very seriously and keeping it clean and limiting the number of people using the laundry. Some didn’t open the bathrooms and the ones who did, kept is very clean. Not so much the case here, which was disappointing as this is a “resort”. If you are looking to spend a few days exploring MT Hood area, this is a good location, not too far out from MT. Hood, fun scenic drive to up to the lodge. We saw people skiing there! If you feel like driving an hour, make your way to Hood River, which is an adorable town, with a few clothing stores, pet store, bookstore, coffee shops, brewers and an amazing river...the Columbia River Gorge. You can take windsurfing lessons (which we did and it was super fun). Hood River is the windsurfing capital of the world. You can also take kite surfing lessons or just sit and watch all of them fly around! Across the Columbia river it is the state of Washington, and you can cross the Hood River toll bridge and explore WA. Riverside is a great Restaurant located at the Best Western Hood River Inn-they have a beet salad that is to die for. Calamari app is yummy as well as the mushroom fondue burger. Next day we had the beet salad again and two pasta dishes which were amazing (chicken Alfredo and Fregula & Sausage), they have a pressed lemonade that’s sooo yummy! Hood River is worth visiting! If it is sunny, pack up some beach towels, swimming suit and head there for a day in the water.

The lake is great for paddling in sight of near by Mount Hood. Easy access from the Hood River side. Access from the south is through narrow fire roads and not recommended. The trail around the lake is a nice walk. Butte trail gives away to great views of Mount Hood after a climb through the forest. Some camp sites have easy access right along the lake and some are further away and require a short walk to the lake. Camp sites are first come first serve so get there early on busy weekend's as they fill up fast. Since the campgrounds are around a body of water expect mosquitos and bring bug spray.

This is a great little campground accessible by public transit or car. It's best for car camping or RVs, but there are plenty of tent campers too. No trees for hammock campers.

The river views make up for this not being a very woodsy campground. So does the adjacent park with a playground and plenty of room for kids to run loose.

For the adults, Thunder Island Brewing is right there with delicious brews and sandwiches.

Just up above the campground is the main road through Cascade Locks. That means you are within walking distance of Bridge of the Gods (and this the PCT) as well as an ice cream shop, the Gorge Express stop if you want to pop down to Multnomah Falls or up to Hood River.

Both the falls and Mt Hood are easy drives from this camp, as are several other things to do in the area, including nearby town of Hood River. While at the camp itself, you can enjoy the river itself.

Variety of camp sizes are offered. Mid week in October at 2/00 we had so many to pick from, it was almost hard to choose. We ended up at 77 on the lower loop. It was roomy and flat.

By sunset, several others rolled into camp filling it up more than o expected, but still less than half full. If it was full, it would have lost a good bit of charm because a lot of spaces are right on top of each other.

The bathrooms and showers were in fair shape but could use some maintenance.

Both AT&T and Verizon had good service throughout the camp.

Stumbled upon this place a few summers ago and have returned many times since. This is a perfect spot to post up for a few days with a book. It’s very quiet and the hosts are great! Super friendly and never any issues getting fire wood. Family/four-legged friendly.

Pretty big campground with 80+ sites. I usually try and snag oak site b/c it’s big and really private. Neighboring sites are also wonderful.

It’s first come first serve so I would get there early, especially in the heat of the summer. Open May-November I believe. Bring cash for payment.

Picnic tables, big fire pits with a little spot to cook if you don’t have a stove. RV hookups, water, garbage dump. Should have everything you need.

It’s close to Lost Lake if you’re looking for a day trip. Less than 20 minutes to downtown Hood River. About an hour or so from Portland.

If you like beer, check out Pfriem on your way out.

How was my visit? HOT, HOT, HOT! Temperatures exceeded 90 degrees - so staying cool was a bit of a challenge. Eagle Creek Campground is full of lovely trees and shade; but, my campsite was sunny from morning till late afternoon. I must admit that the secluded feeling of my campsite more than made up for too much sun! Eagle Creek Campground is situated above I-84, so there is a lot of road noise and noise from the occasional train. There is a campground host and plenty of other campers...so this solo tent camper felt safe and secure!

The campground has ready access to the Eagle Creek Trail #440 that accesses the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. The trail was VERY popular during my stay; so, instead of hiking the Eagle Creek Trail, I took in other sights: the Bonneville Dam; Multnomah and Horsetail Falls; the History Museum of Hood River; the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Musuem; a hike to Wahtum Lake; and, a "cool" visit to Starvation Creek (the perfect place to soak your feet on a hot day).