Best Cabin Camping near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla, OR

This small state park is tucked alongside the Columbia River and Horsethief Lake. The campground is not large with only 4 regular campsites, 4 walk in sites, 8 partial hookups, a Teepee and 2 platform tents. The grounds surrounding the campground and alongside the lake are large, green grass areas with picnic tables everywhere. There are also archaeological sites with artifacts and pictographs within walking distance of the campground. There was a small kayak/canoe rental place that is run by the super friendly camp host.

I reserved the Teepee. I arrived a dusk during what would be a very strong wind storm that would last all night and all the next day. When I first went into the Teepee I noticed the canvas at the bottom was so rotten and the inside flap was secured to nothing so every time the wind blew the inside flap would fill up over half the inside and dirt would swirl everywhere. The front door flap was also very rotten and would not secure, so every time the wind blew, the door would fly open and let in more dirt. Needless to say my dog and I lasted about 5 minutes.

After talking to camp host I was able to get into one of the platform "tents". I later learned from the Park Ranger that stopped by that the canvas on the tents had rotted out in May so he had built what I would call plywood cabins with canvas roofs. There were 2 cabins, each one had 2 windows, 2 sets of bunk beds, a weak light, and a latch secured door. The cabin let in not one bit of wind which was nice, but also got very hot even though it was a cool evening and I had the window open all night. The next day the wind continued, not a big fan of strong sustained wind, but I figured out that when the door was open it created an arc of no wind right in front of the cabin which was nice to sit, watch, and relax. Please note, the cabin is not sealed to the creatures, on the second morning my dog woke me up to a bat that got stuck inside the cabin and was trying to get out, I was able to get the door open and it flew out.

The downside to the platform cabin is the lack of air flow, which in the summer could be rough. Also the only bathroom was a bit of a walk, but was kept clean and had showers. Also the parking was far away, so again a lot of walking. I was also informed by the Park Ranger that the Teepee would be taken down at the end of the 2018 season with no plans to bring it back.

Overall it as a good state park if you don't mind the wind and just want to relax. I'm not sure if I would go back but would recommend it to others.

When we are in the area we normally stay near Maryhill State Park. This campground was a delightful change to our routine. The site is small but it offers quite a few different ways to camp: tents, RV, cabins even a teepee!! This site is on Horsethief Lake and offers some great summer fun.

One of the best aspects was the petroglyphs that were along trails near the campground. This was a great spot and I highly recommend it!

Started our recent road trip with 3 nights at Cottonwood Canyon State Park in the Lone Tree Campground. Best time to be here! So much green and great weather. A bit of rain but plenty of pleasant sunshine! Large sites, generously spaced. Would perhaps prefer the sites around the perimeter but all we’re fine. No hookups. They have cabins as well. There were several possible walks and hikes at varying levels of difficulty. Lots of stars at night. Great area and reservable!

My wife, son, and I stayed at The Klickitat Treehouse for two nights in early March 2022 and had an amazing experience! The treehouse is furnished with 3 queen-sized beds + a couch. It also contains most modern amenities that you would find in a hotel suite, including A/C, 2 heaters (bedroom & bathroom), a wood stove for heating the main area, an indoor shower, a stove, refrigerator, glasses + mugs, board games, plenty of firewood, and much more. In addition, there is an outdoor shower and fire pit available to guests during specific seasons (no outdoor shower in the winter and no fires during fire bans a.k.a. late summer in the PNW). Note, however, that there is no wifi or cell service (this was a plus for me, as I was looking for an "unplugged" experience).

The Treehouse is on private property off of a dirt/gravel road about 15 minutes from downtown White Salmon (AWD not required, but could be useful for rain/snow). We received specific directions ahead of our stay via email that took us directly to the house.

Some other miscellaneous things to note:

• There is a tiny home that shares the property and accommodates overnight guests. It's not close to the treehouse, but expect to share some of the common amenities (e.g. deck, firewood, Mt. Adams bench, etc.) if somebody is staying there.

• If you're coming from Oregon or want to spend some time in Hood River, there is a $4 toll to cross the bridge. So a round trip across the river will cost you $8 as of 2022.

• Everything you need to make meals is in the treehouse, but we explored White Salmon and Hood River for some food. Highlights included White Salmon Baking Co., Everybody's Brewing, Pfriem, Ferment (though there are many more that we would still like to explore!)

The only thing I wish had been provided in advance was fire starters for the wood stove. There were matches, a hatchet, and an instruction manual, but I had to spent quite a bit of time chopping wood to make kindling and meet the wood size specifications of the stove itself.

While the cabin is certainly pricey, it is such a truly unique experience that I would highly recommend for any season. Looking forward to staying here again in the future!

Wow!!!! That seemed to be a word I used constantly during my 3 day stay at this wonderful new park. I wasn't sure what to expect at this high desert park, but situated deep in a canyon on a once working cattle ranch, this park is poised to become one of Oregon's top state parks. Whoever has done the design and development of this location should be praised. They're working with the natural features and old ranch buildings to give campers a feeling of history while they enjoy the remote locations typical of Eastern Oregon. Loads of wonderful trails, free use of mountain bikes, an information center, wonderful, huge sites......all added up to an amazing stay. Yes, it's dry camping so plan ahead. There is potable water on site. The bathrooms are super clean. I stayed there during a full moon and the night lighting of the surrounding hills and rocks was outstanding....not to mention star gazing as there's no peripheral lighting.

Wonderful overnight experience in Lonetree campground in Cottonwood Canyon State Park. Campground is relatively new and has scenic canyon views. Provides a nice change from other parts of Oregon. We camped in site 6 with the pergola that provided much needed shade during the 100° weather each day. Camp site was just a short walk to the John Day River that provided the kids with wading, floating and cooling opportunities. Love to come back again in fall and spring. Some nice amenities include solar USB charging stations, potable water, free bikes to use and free fishing poles to borrow.

Ccottonwood Canyon State Park Campground is a lovely, remote primitive camp experience. For the uninitiated, this means no electric sites, no running water, no flush toilets. Its also a rattlesnake habitat in Eastern Oregon's high desert biome, within 30 miles or so of The Dalles, a city marking the change in the Columbia River Gorge from high desert to wooded mountainsides. This camp ground us located deep in a canyon 15 miles from Wasco, Oregon. Before descending into the canyon, you'll see Eastern Oregon's classic golden wheatfields, then a wind farm, with scores of white windmills. The evening I arrived was the night before a full moon, so the setting sun over the canyon and the waxing moon gave a lovely glow to the sights. Unfortunately, my camera phone and photographer skills are lacking; sorry. If you love truly getting away from it all, as I do, you'll appreciate the absolute peace at Cottonwood Canyon. We arrived at dusk, late in July, and as is typical for the region, it was still 90 degrees. Fortunately, my summer tent is mostly screen, allowing the cool canyon breeze in, and it erects quickly and easily. It was full dark by the time I'd pitched it, and outfitted it with my airbed. Because of all the rattlesnake warning signs, I kept my dog leashed or tied out on a campsite-length cable. We parked across the campground from the pit toilets, which were not lighted, so bring a flashlight, cell phone, or lantern for inside the biffy. If this kind of camping appeals to you, you'll be rewarded with a quiet night of no traffic noise, only the sound of the nearby murmuring creek and the breeze in the trees. The other campers here were very quiet and respectful of the rules. The beautiful moonlight set one side of the canyon aglow and the clear sky was filled with stars. I didn't need my rain fly, so could enjoy finding the constellations as I lay in my tent. In the morning, I awoke just before dawn when my dog sat bolt upright and intently watched with me as an elk cow walked through our campsite. The fee here is $10 a.night, and worth every penny!

Here is the one caveat: as of this writing, (late July 2018) the loud diesel pickup truck that came through to empty trash bins at 6am was jarring. It was followed by the back-up beeping of heavy machinery by 6:30am, as work on a new building commenced near the campground. This was so unfortunate, and I pity the folks that had hoped to sleep in.

Stayed here a couple of nights. Our site was a tenting site, but we were in our mini Meerkat camper and we fit (our choice). Almost abandoned, probably because of huge hail storm. Friendly host “Dutch” and a few walk about simple hiking paths. Bathrooms and showers very nice (coin op on the showers). Road noise was pretty loud, especially for the campsites further into the campground. But, tall pines all around us, and very uncrowded. Wouldn’t want to come here if it were full, the sites are very close together. We were at the end of a very long trip, and we were happy to find any easy place to stay just inside WA. There are no stores nearby, so get your groceries in Goldendale!

Lots of things to do and see in the area and this is a nice place to rest as its very quiet but easy to get to.

This review is for the main campground, there is another group/horse campground across the highway that I did not stay in. The small campground is right off Highway 97. The first part of the campground is where the hook ups, large RV's, small trailers and tent campers are located. The spaces are very close together with very few trees separating spaces. Some spots looked barely big enough for a 2 person tent. In this same area is the only flush toilets/showers (Coin operated). Continuing past this main area and over a small hill is where the tent camping/sheep herders tents are located. Since it was located away from the main camping area it was quiet with regards to hearing fellow campers, the downside is the spaces are closer to the Highway. Day and night, semis speed past the state park on either a downhill straight away or an uphill straight away, regardless it sounds like a freight train or military landing pad all night/day long. It was so loud you had to stop talking until the semi passed. The space I was in was so small my 3 person tent only fit if one side was touching the fire ring. Luckily there was a fire ban so no fire to melt my tent. The space also had full view of the pit toilet, since it was the only toilet on that side, I saw everyone come and go. It was also super close to one of the sheep herders tent site. There were 2 sheep herder tents sites. The spots looked large and the tents looked like they would sleep at least 4-5 people. The other tent sites where much larger, but still all the sites could hear the highway. Note, be careful about leaving food out, zipping your tent up, leaving car doors open. The mice were pretty bad and came out at night driving my dog crazy. There were a bunch of trails that ran through out the park that provided a nice alternative to get to the other side of the park or climb to the top of the hill near the power lines. The camp host was also a very nice gentleman who suggested activities in the near by area. I was exploring the area cause it's new to me, but I wont return cause it's not my type of camping.

Pretty amazing State Park, lucked on weather. Trails on either side are both nice cruisers on bikes - green runs, but can make them more work, and the views are sublime.  The park amenities were top-notch, including a nice windbreak. Stars at night were spectacular.

This is a great new state park, that will be fantastic in a few years. Not too far from I-84 and the Portland area, the park sits down in Cottonwood Canyon. The campground was at the end of the road near the Pinnacles trailhead. The wind in the area is strong, but the park has built walls to block your tent from the wind. The trees are still small, but when they get big all of the spots will be nice and shaded. Some of the spots have covered tables to block the sun. The spots were large and not too close to other campers. There is new construction happening and it looks like eventually there will be more camp spots, a bike path running along the entire state park, and more bathrooms maybe even a shower house. Near the entrance was a large grass area with a barn, a horseshoe pit, and a picnic/day area. There was even free bikes that anyone could borrow to cruise around the park. The Pinnacles trail was a flat 8.6 trail running alongside the John Day River. I recommend starting early and enjoying a sunrise hike, I started at 0445, because there is no shade along the trail. I was able to finish the hike just as the sun came over the mountain, and before it got too hot. I would recommend this campground.

This beautiful campground was loaded with amenities. The gorgeous John Day River, was perfect for fishing, swimming, floating. There was several trails within the campground as well as trailheads around the perimeter. We brought our own bikes but if you don’t bring yours, they offered loaner bikes and there were little bike workstations on the grounds. Pet friendly! Including a fenced in dog area (about an acre) and doggie poo bags readily available. We have a truck with camper but the tent sites each had a solar panel to provide electricity for charging the essentials. The grounds must have been a farm originally and the campground designers did an awesome job of using the existing structures to add to the rustic nature and maintain the land’s historic relevance. Cottonwood Canyon surpassed our expectations, especially considering the very low price tag. I cannot recommend highly enough.

This campground in along the John Day River with access to the river from the campground but no water views.  Most sites have a pergola over the picnic table for shade and a sturdy wooden fence, I assume for wind protection.  The sites are nicely spaced but the wind, blowing dust and heat made it pretty uncomfortable to be outside. The river here is broad and shallow so not deep enough for watercraft.  The water was pretty warm.  There are several hiking trails along the river.

I wanted to camp somewhere that would actually have sunshine on my birthday, and this was the closest place I could think of. I was here a few years ago with Kevin and Sarah! :)

I forgot that the last week in March is spring break, so the campground was more crowded than I thought. But the ranger was nice and opened up a spot that they had closed off for restoration. We were right along the river next to the group spot, which was empty, and a good distance away from the other sites. My biggest complaint was RVs and their generators, but that's often the case at campgrounds like this. Other than that, beautiful river and beautiful sky!

Lovely area with hiking and a great waterway for boating, trails aren’t too hard and the water is pretty calm. Feels pretty remote, but it’s not too far from Portland or the 84/82 junction. The campground is called Lone Tree and it’s fairly small, very open, but worth staying at. The stargazing is really nice and we saw some interesting birds and lizards around the campsite. You can’t rent any boats here but there’s still a lot to do if you don’t have your own watercrafts. Just simple vault toilets and a water spouts, no reservations!

The camp hosts were excellent! Extremely nice and knowledgeable. This is a newer campground so the ammenties were still in great shape. However, because it was so new the trees were still saplings and provide no shade from the hot sun or protection from the wind. There is one big tree with a picnic table right next to the river. Great for fishing but not a lot of hiking.

The park is extremely well maintained. We used what was labeled a “primitive” campsite. Each site is huge and well maintained. There are provided wind breaks and covered picnic tables as well as dedicated fire pits and firewood ready for sale. Be aware of fire season as there are no open flames allowed during certain times of the year. The river was beautiful and flush full of fish and crayfish! We will be making this a regular visit for our outings!

July 2020 - We stayed one night on our way to another campground. We were pleasantly surprised. All the campsites with drive up parking were taken so we stayed in the hiker's/backpacking area. There is a parking lot with wagons to haul your stuff to and from the campsite. There was also a small bathroom and trash can. These sites did not have their own campfire but it looked like there were shared areas for the fires. It is a great spot for star gazing and overall beautiful.

This State Park is absolutely a beautiful part of the country. The canyon is steep and unique with the John Day river running right through it. The campground is nestled right near the water and has gorgeous 360 views. The campsites are well kept and have all the amenities for a nice pull in site to camp with either a trailer, van, or tent. The only downside is how windy this canyon can get. The state park definitely took this into consideration and provided each campsite with a wooden wind break for tents. So they make it manageable but be prepared! Heads up, there's no cell service at this campground.

Very nice place to camp with the family. Exceptionally clean facilities for bathrooms and showers. Great bike trails too.

I don't stay in state parks very often but I had wanted to check out Cottonwood Canyon ever since it opened last year. I waited until after October to go because they don't allow fires from June 1-Sept 30. The campground itself is very open with really no privacy between sites but that is to be expected in this sort of landscape. I'm so used to camping deep in a forest that this was a really cool change from that. We were there during a full moon and it lit up the whole campground which was pretty spectacular. We also hiked the Pinnacles Trail which follows the John Day River. Gorgeous hike.

We have visited Cottonwood Canyon for the past 2 summers, and will likely return again this year. It's quiet, beautiful and plenty to do. The John Day River is easily accessible and swimmable just down from the campsite. It's great to fish, float, or hike the trails nearby. We have enjoyed both our trips so much.

Some friends and I decided to camp during our time off from college. We decided to head to Cottonwood Canyon State Park, and I am definitely glad that we did. This area is really cool, and has an almost "desert" kind of feel. The canyons are really pretty!! This park is very open- all you see are canyons, hills and mountains all around you. It doesn't get much better than this. The only downside I would say is because it has that desert feel, you definitely have to lookout for snakes. This was my biggest fear, and we ended up seeing a few on our hikes. There are some really great hikes you can do nearby. We did the Pinnacles Trail and Lost Corral Trail. Both of these hikes were "moderate/difficult." They were both a little over 8 miles roundtrip. The scenery is gorgeous on both hikes- you follow along the river (John Day River). We also saw some bikers on these trails too, so if you like to bike I would definitely recommend bringing them! There are about 20 different campsites, and they were pretty large which was nice. There are also toilets on site, too.

First come first serve sites with fire rings. There is overflow camping in the lawn without a fire ring but with a picnic table. Restrooms are very clean and campground is well maintained. Winds can pick up in the canyon so be sure to have strong tent stakes. Right next to the John Day River great walking path along the River. Fenced dog park for your pet and free bicycles for use.