Best RV Parks & Resorts near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla

We usually cross the Columbia River into Washington state at Biggs Junction, Oregon. We don’t want to stay at Maryhill State Park in Washington as we had stayed there before. We found this campground on our Benchmark Oregon Atlas.

There are separate areas for RVs who want full hookups and those who don’t plus tenters. We fall in the latter category. Actually, our area was quieter than the full hook up loop which was closer tomI84 and the train tracks.

We had clean vault toilets, potable water, picnic table and fire ring. There were camp hosts for each loop. They sold firewood and were very helpful. There was a garbage dumpster and several recycling bins. The sites were in a grassy area with heavenly scented locust trees. There were geese with their goslings. There were trails along the Deschutes River but our neighbor camper said she saw several large gopher snakes.

The only drawback was the goose poop. And, snakes on the trail.

We would stay here again. B49/$10

We stayed here for two nights and snagged some nice waterfront spots, it was a nice area and relaxing. They have a toilet, no shower. The vault toilet is not super gross thankfully, but there are a couple potential long term campers here beware of that. If you stick close to the entrance side then you will have some good spots and not too many neighbors.

Beautiful park on the river. Spaces are close and full hook up is on available in the center of the park. Host is very present. We were in space 80 it was gravel but not level. This park is right next door to Maryhill State park which also offers camping options. WiFi was spotty.

Beautiful camp right along the Deschutes River. Very peaceful except for trains that go by and blow horn. Full hook ups and tent camping areas. Bathrooms are very clean. Good hiking trails along river.

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.

Nice Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife campground with a dirt boat ramp, seems to serve mostly fishermen. Some sites are right next to the Klickitat River. Some have easy access for larger rigs and space for boat trailers. The campground is right next to SR 142, but it's not really a very busy highway. The Klickitat Trail for mountain biking and hiking is nearby.

We stayed for two nights mid-week in September. The river sites are in sight of each other but not too tightly packed. It did seem that some of those sites were occupied by some long-term residents, although you're not supposed to occupy spots for more than 14 days out of 30. One site ran their generator constantly, so we set up on the other side of the old Icehouse structure right next to the river, where the river noise covered up the generator noise. We had a quiet pleasant stay.

Stayed here for a night before an alignment job in Portland. Beautiful state park right on the Columbia River. Beautiful 180 degree views from our camp site of the river, river gorge. Song birds galore. You get traffic noise anywhere in the park and the closer you are to the river the closer you are to the train tracks. Didn’t bother us at all but I could see people not loving it. Very clean bathrooms, full hook up sites for $30 with a view. Can’t beat that.

If you don't mind the sound of trains every few hours, this is a great campsite.  Nestled by the Columbia River, each campsite has plenty of space and full hookups for RVs.  There is also a separate area just for tent campers, a group campsite, and a day-use area with a beach on the river.

Tough to get reservations during the summer, but it is open year-round, if you want to camp during other times of the year.  Being in the edge of the Columbia Gorge, it can get windy, so awnings are not always safe from damage.  

Just below Mary Hill museum and Mary Hill Winery, and Stonehenge, a memorial for WWI.  Waving Tree Winery has a tasting room as you enter the park area, as well.  Great place to relax and enjoy some great wines.

In the lovely Maryhill valley is the Peach Beach RV park. I am not one usually for RV parks but this on was ok. It was well maintained and clean. The spots were very close together and little privacy was had. They claim to have a private beach but it seemed like a muddy inlet overflowing with mosquitoes.on the plus side it is right next to a wine tasting shop.

There are many great places along this stretch of highway. This might be one to pass up.

Very quiet RV park. Not much privacy but gorgeous views. Walking distance to wine tasting and wonderful fruit stand.

Very nice RV park, right on the Columbia River.  Clean.  Nice wide spots.  Will 100% be coming back here.

Lots of shade. Enough space between sites. Easy back-ins and some pull-throughs. A lot of background noise bordering on white noise, so not bad. Spotless restrooms. Beautiful views of the river. Pleasant host greets you with a bag of a couple peaches from the fruit farm next door. Definitely a return RV Park.

We stayed at the Arlington RV Park and Marina in Arlington, Oregon in September 2021. This is a nice, small park that is directly beside the Columbia River on the Gorge. The sites are FHU and are level but a bit tight. We did get our fifth wheel in with careful maneuvering. Be forewarned that it is very windy here on the gorge and we would advise getting your leveling jacks down without using Legos so as to have extra firm footing. Also, be careful not to leave your awnings out unattended. They also have boondocking on the upper part of the lot directly on the river. It was much too windy and cool here for my liking so we stayed in the lower FHU sites. Very beautiful area here to walk and enjoy the river and city park. We would definitely stay here again. To see videos on this park and others, visit our YouTube channel: Jeff & Steff’s Excellent Adventure.

This is a county fair grounds with lots of RV space for all sizes. Self register at the gate and find your spot. Nice rest room and showers. Borders a large cattle ranch so you may hear cattle mooing but that’s about it. Very peaceful!

Bordering the Deschutes River the sites were primarily grass with trees. Not crowded in October. Full hookups in one area and no hookups in another. Clean bathrooms.

Well maintained, sites very close together, pretty views, full hookups. If you don’t need the hookups, would opt for one of the many free options in the area.

This is a small, but well maintained campground and city park. The campground surrounds a ball field and city pool. We stayed here for the Gravl Grinder and enjoyed the full hookup. Great location in an historic Oregon town.