Searching for the best camping near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla, OR? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla is surrounded by family-friendly activities. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Oregon camping adventure.
$10 / night
This recreation area is part of The Dalles Lock and Dam, Lake Celilo
$55 / night
$25 - $60 / night
The Macks Canyon archaeological site is a large, prehistoric village locale overlooking the Deschutes River in north-central Oregon. The site is characterized by shallow, circular, semi-subterranean house depressions, surface artifacts, and riverine shell deposits. Limited excavations conducted in the late 1960's indicate that the site was the location of a winter village occupied by Sahaptin-speaking people of the Columbia Plateau. Although the main period of occupation appears to have occurred within the last 2,000 years, the site may have been occupied as early as 5,000 BC. A campground and boat ramp are situated at the end of the Access Road along the east bank of the Lower Deschutes River. The area is popular with boaters and fishermen. The route to Macks Canyon is also a National Back Country Byway. ADA Access: The archaeological site itself does not have accessible facilities. However, the nearby campground has an accessible campsite, vault toilets and parking.
$8 - $35 / night
RV Camping Looking to park your RV close to everything there is to see and do in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and the Hood River Valley? Enjoy the comfort of our well-maintained RV park just 60 minutes East of Portland on the Washington side of the river. RV Sites range from 40′ to 80′ in length with a nice mix of pull-thru and back-in. Multiple slide-outs are no problem.
Paved Roads & Sites 30 & 50 Amp Power City Water & Sewer Cable TV (HD) Wireless Internet Cell Phone and Satellite Reception Picnic Table at Each Site Clean Restrooms Showers (Coin-Op) Laundry Room (Coin-Op) Friendly Dogs Welcome No Tents in RV Sites Sorry, No River Access
Tent Camping April – October Finding a spot for tent camping close to Hood River can be a challenge. Bridge RV Park & Campground is just 60 minutes East of Portland on the Washington side of the river. Close to everything there is to see and do in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and the Hood River Valley.
Our tent area is an open grassy field with shade trees. Reservations are accepted, but tent campers choose their spot on a first-come basis. Tents must be moved every three days to allow the grass to breathe. Tent sizes 12’x10′ or smaller please.
Charcoal Grills (Shared) Picnic Tables Potable Drinking Water Wireless Internet Good Cell Reception Clean Restrooms Showers (Coin-Op) Laundry Room (Coin-Op) Sorry, No River Access NO ANIMALS ALLOWED IN TENT AREA FOR SAFETY AND SANITARY REASONS
Check-In 1 PM • Check-Out 12 Noon
$30 - $60 / night
This recreation area is part of John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla
Pebble Ford is located along a creek and shaded by large, old trees. This small campground is well designed and near the popular biking trails off of Forest Road 44. Located between Eightmile Creek and Ramsey Creek.
This is a nice campground with lots of trees and shade but it sits between I-84 and the Columbia River which has a major train line so it's not necessarily a quiet campground (trains run all night). No dump station available but we had electric and water. Not much grass anywhere and things were really dusty due to dryness and heat of the summer. You can't see the river from the campground but you can walk to it (or drive to it) and there are several picnic tables near the river. There is a nature trail but it is not marked well at all to find the beginning of it. Convenient to Hood River though and an easy drive to Cascade Locks for ice cream at the local dairy dine.
Stayed 3 nights and had a great time rafting on the river. Lots of options for RV and tent camping. Group sites are available (3). Restrooms could use an update but functional. All camp staff hosts are helpful and friendly. Will come back again. This campground is popular and books up quickly.
Overall experience was great…. with a caveat. It’s a small camping park, sites are small and close to each other. However the park is clean and well maintained. Our only issue is that our first night, at about 2am, I was woken up by footsteps outside our trailer window. I looked out to see we hat appeared to be a younger adult male dressed in all black who pulled the coolers and chairs out from under our trailer and pulled two booze bottles out of the cooler and had them on the picnic table getting ready to take them. I opened the door and scared him into running by yelling at him. This is my first time, in 40+ years camping that I’ve had anything like this happen. So at 2:15 this morning, I was outside hauling all of our gear into the trailer. Joke was on him though, the bottles were filled with water to freeze and use as ice. Just beware, this is a nice little park, but don’t leave your valuables out overnight.
We reported it to the office, who told us they’ve been having the issue recently, that they think it’s local teens, but their hands were being tied by local police on how to catch the thieves. I called local non emergency and reported the incident to them in hopes they might step up patrols or something.
We look forward to our annual camping trip to Trout Lake every year. The view of Mt Adams is amazing and the park is a great place to have family gatherings. We love it there!
Camped at site 5 with an E-Pro 19FD. Sites are back in and have well maintained level sites of crushed gravel. The first time I haven't had to level the trailer side to side. Water and Electrical hookups well maintained. Site is all gravel.
Walking to the Columbia River and viewing the petroglyphs is an enjoyable stroll. Restrooms and Showers are well maintained and clean.
Watch out for the incredible amount of goose poop. There was an area roped off so as not to disturb a nesting Eagle that could be viewed with the naked eye.
If your a fan of trains you are right next to the BNSF tracks.
Best Park Hosts that I have ever meet. Very knowledgeable on local sites and and things to do/visit. They are constantly busy keeping the park in order.
If you're in an RV, be prepared for some SERIOUS white knuckle driving if you cross the Hood River bridge. It's two lane, NINE FEET WIDE. Most RVs will have inches to spare. I had to slow to a crawl and was trying my best not to rip the side of my rig open.
Now, regarding the campground. The host, Shirlene, who runs the office, has the poorest customer skills I've ever encountered. She never could remember what she discussed with me, and was very rude and short over email. I had a two month reservation which I actually cancelled because she scared me away with her terrible people skills.
I'm sure the campground is well maintained, but the management sucks. Too many other places in the area who are happy to have your business. Avoid this turkey at all costs.
P.S. Be aware that this outfit expects you to pay IN FULL for the reservation at the time you make it. This might be OK for a day or even a week, but I was planning to stay for 2 months. No damn way am I paying a grand for the place a year in advance. They should learn how to TAKE A DEPOSIT like every other campground in the United States.
We arrived in the late afternoon in a search for a campground with space available for our rental RV C-25. We were met by the staff, who were very helpfull and friendly. They drove us around to show the available sites, inspite of the fact they were very busy. Enthusiastic and customerfriendly ! We could pay at the entrance later on at a machine.
The campground is pretty nice. Clean showers and restrooms. Spaces are small and you will see your neighbors. It is a good place to establish a base if you want to do hikes in the eastern half of the gorge. You can hike / walk to Starvation Creek SP and Lindsey Creek SP. This CG also has river access for activities like wind surfing or kite boarding. No boat launch that I saw. WA side is also accessible via the bridge in Hood River. Hood River is close for resupply or a meal.
Really good spot to get off the grid while still having most amenities. Stayed here for a few days and loved it. About 20 miles of gravel road will take you here and some small Rockwall to semi-worry about. Other than that most people you'll bump into are fisherman or overlanding.
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.
Great place for us to camp for a few nites in our van. 25.00/night, quiet site on the river, flush toilets, showers (75 cents 3 min). Fire pits. Level sites! Helpful hosts .
We stayed at the Base Camp for 2 nights and used it as a base for exploring the Mount Hood Fruit Loop area. First, note that the name has changed to Gorge Base Camp RV Park. It is right across the bridge from Hood River, Or (Note that this is a very NARROW bridge with a $2.00 toll). The park is paved in asphalt, and each site has grass that is well maintained. Some reviewers complain about the noise of the train tracks, but they didn't bother us. The tracks are below the level of the park, and we quite like the train rumble. The highway is at a higher elevation than the park, so that noise didn't particularly bother us either. Perhaps it is just that our van is well sound insulated or we're not light sleepers! The restrooms and shower were quite large and immaculate. There is a gas and go next door within walking distance for incidental purchases. A bit pricey, but the full hook ups were worth it to us on 100 degree days!
Very quiet, nice river nearby, friendly camp host, and great facilities! I've stayed at a "glamping" campground that had the same shower/bathroom facilities as this one. I'd happily stay here again.
I took my teardrop camper out for the very first time ever here. The area was absolutely beautiful, but it was a little cold and windy during this time of the year. There are hiking trails around the camp grounds.
This was our backup campground for the night and was fantastic. Each site has plenty of room and a good layout. Plus, it had great amenities for just the price of $25 a night.
This camp ground is fantastic, sites are very well maintained and level. Full service hook ups including sewer. Great segregated tent camp area with available water. Bathrooms are very clean and well maintained. Dog area is very big and clean. The campground is very close to the main railroad tracks and trains come by every hour or so at all times of the day. If your inside your RV with the AC on you can hear faint noise, if your are tent camping bring some ear plugs. After 3 days you actually become accustomed to the sounds and it is a actually a cool viewing attraction, especially if you have kids. Overall great visit and if we are this way again we will be back.
Lovely little camp ground with some fantastic spots along the river. Excellent faculties with easy access to amenities. Sat by a campfire pit in the evenings and went to sleep with the sound of the river surrounding us. What more could you ask for.
We were here in 2021 and thought we’d try again. The campground is clean, and hardly anyone here. Lots of space for established camping. One other site occupied out of 18. Here’s the but. I go off-road a lot. I have never experienced a washboard road as bad as this was for 6-7 miles. I thought the doors were going to blow off the truck. Not an exaggeration. Usually you can adjust speed to plane the wash. Not this time. If they grade the road would have been 4+ stars.
As before the wind kicks up (strong) around 7:30p to 8:30p.
No cell service👎 Starlink 👍
Nice, easy camping - a hidden gem. The hosts are probably the nicest I have ever come across.
We were looking to escape the rain in Portland and try out some new gear. Lots of spots available with plenty clean bathrooms nearby. Hosts were friendly and promptly checked in with us when we arrived. We picked a spot on the river and it offered nice ambiance.
Comfortable
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!
Well run facility but a little rustic. Showers ($1.00 for four minutes) were spacious with a chair and plenty of clothes hooks. Floors like all camp showers are wet from showering and one needs to have the right foot ware and towels to put on dry, clean clothes. Bathrooms are clean and spacious but show their age. Camp sites are close, but everyone is busy with all the local outdoor activities to stay in camp and make noise.
There is roughly 90 camping spots, first come first serve. No reservations. We arrived late in the evening (8:30 pm) and there were ~5 spots remaining. The camp host was very helpful and it was easy to check in.
Loved falling asleep to the sound of the river.
All other campers were courteous and quiet. Bathrooms had warm water and were very clean
This place was great to work and hangout by hood river. Good reception and nice camp ground.
This campground is close to home for us and a really nice place for the kids to play
Camping near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla, Oregon, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or an adventure-filled trip, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla, Oregon, offers a unique blend of outdoor fun and relaxation. With the right preparation, you can enjoy everything this beautiful area has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla is Lone Tree Campground — Cottonwood Canyon State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 28 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 glamping camping locations near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla, with real photos and reviews from campers.
