Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Mt. Hood National Forest

Situated on the Clackamas River in the Mt. Hood National Forest. River is easily accessible from most riverside sites. Hiking trails nearby (I enjoyed the Fish Creek trail just up the road). Vault toilets were in good shape in April 2019 and there is water available via hand pump well.

I love the name of this campground- Lazy Bend Campground. This is definitely a place to come if you want to lay back and relax, but they also have great activities for those who want to be more adventurous. It sits right next to the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River, which is great for swimming, fishing, kayaking, and rafting. My family brought some tubes, tied them to a tree, and just relaxed in the water for a few hours. It was great. It is also within the Mt. Hood National Forest, so there are some great hikes nearby. My family and I stayed here 3 nights, and we hiked every morning. We saw some huckleberry bushes that we wish would have been ripe when we were there. I am assuming around September they would be ready to pick and eat. The campsites were good. Just your basic campsite with a table and fire ring. I would advise to bring your own grate to put over the fire ring if you plan to do any cooking over the fire. We brought our own and did breakfast/dinner over the fire. They have tent sites, and a few RV sites as well. They don't have hookups, though. There was a small store a few miles before that we stopped at to get snacks for the weekend. There was a biking trail that looked fun, so if you like to bike I would recommend bringing your bike! Pets are also allowed, which was great because we have 2 dogs. Overall, I would probably come back here- but there are so many other campgrounds to visit in Oregon!!

Such a nice getaway spot from Portland in the ever beautiful Mt. Hood National Forest. Not too busy and had a wonderful 3 nights visiting. Great summer weather in August and not too buggy. Short walk to Little Crater Lake and from there you can continue onto the PCT to walk towards Timothy Lake. We did this and had a lovely picnic lunch and afternoon swim in Timothy Lake. Great scenic views and relatively quiet.

Bonney Crossing campground is located in the Eastern most side of the Mt Hood National Forest. Our campsite provided us a quiet relaxing two nights of camping. Site is located just next to Badger Creek and the Badger Creek trail. Kids loved spending time exploring the creek and cooling off in it. Campsites are first come first serve and only has 7 established sites. Campground is, "primitive" so you must bring your own potable water. Site does have an accessible pit toilet.

This is a small campground in Mt. Hood National Forest. We stayed at a large group site right in the middle of the campground which was great because we were the only people there. It might feel much less private if there had been campers in the sites around us. There is nothing super special about this campground (no river or lake) and you are close to a road and can hear the traffic, but it was still nice, especially because we had the whole place to ourselves.

Well situated on the banks of the Clackamas River, many camp sites open right onto the shore. However, while the price is the same as at other Mt. Hood National Forest camp sites, the spots themselves do not have paved driveways and there is no flush toilets, unlike campgrounds like Lazy Bend nearby. Like Lazy bend, sites are not far from the road, so while you’re next to the river, you can still hear the highway. Okay if you need a place for a night or two but there are better options in the area.

Barton Park is a county park basically at the entrance of the Mt. Hood National Forest. As it has easy access to the Clackamas River, it is insanely popular for tubers and kayakers as a spot to put-in. A short drive to Barton Mercantile and gasoline for supplies, so you’re not too isolated, unlike the national forest sports, where once you go in, you’re in. Numerous campsites available, the majority of which have water and electric hookups for RVs plus a handful of “primitive” tent-only sites. Nice river views.

This is a very secluded campground in the Mt. Hood National forest. It is located down a bumpy NF road. It has nine sites half of which have direct access to the lake. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. There is one pit toilet that was amazingly clean when we were there. The sites are dirt but are quite lovely. They are all heavily shaded. When we were there the Rhodies were blooming. It was pretty beautiful. There are various trails in the area and you can hike to another lake to the north. You can kayak or canoe on the lake. We saw some huge crawdads but didn't bother trying to catch any. You can fish the lake. You cannot reserve sites in this CG. Bring bug spray in the spring and summer.

Carbon Farm is private camping on a farm a few miles outside of Dufur on the east side of Mt Hood National Forest. The property is HUGE- and you have access to over 100 acres for walking and exploring.

There are two places for camping on the property -  on the farm land (Carbon Farm)  and also at the farm yard (Carbon Farm Yard).  Both are bookable on HipCamp.  We camped in the farm yard in late March when the property was brand new. It was cold but we were able to have a big fire!  (Note - we camped here after a private event which is why my photos have so many people in them). 

The camping area is spacious and quiet. There is tons and tons of land to explore and lots of animals and wildlife to view. Lots of space for kids to run around and safely explore. 

There are several different loops you can hike or walk around the farm. When we were there there was a port-a-potty on the property, but this may have been replaced with a more permanent structure. There are mountain views from some of the farm areas.

They don't advertise group sites, but there is tons of space for groups or outdoor private events - suggest contacting the hosts.

I was running in an ultramarathon race in September in the Mt Hood National Forest and all of the local campgrounds managed by PGE around Timothy Lake were closed due to the end of the season.  I was able to use map layers in The Dyrt PRO to identify where I was within National Forest boundaries and was able to confirm with local officials that I was in a free, dispersed camping zone. So, using the map layers and the search function on The Dyrt I looked for an area near the race start at the Historic Clackamas Ranger Station to park my RV for a 2 night off-grid stay.  The location was a wide gravel area on the side of the road that allowed for enough space to park, put out my awning, set up some chairs and a propane fire pit (no live campfires - propane only) while being within a few hundred yards of the Ranger Station.  There was room to walk along the road on the shoulder and you are very close walk to the Historic Clackamas Ranger Cabin with a beautiful meadow view, the Joe Graham Horse Camp, and just a couple of mile drive from Timothy Lake.  Clackamas Lake Campground was nearby as well with many accessible miles of hikable trails, including access to the Pacific Crest Trail, for hikers of all levels. There was some smoke from local wildfires but that went away as the fall rains arrived that weekend.  If you are looking for a place to park your RV near all of these amazing views and experiences this free, dispersed camping site worked great for me and my family for a couple of nights.

Campground Review:

About 20 miles from Government Camp, this is a pretty cool campground as you are hopping over Mt Hood. With its location south east of the mountain and about 3000 foot elevation, good place to camp in the early spring if you want to then drive up Hood to get to snow.

The government website shows it as "4 groups sites" but it has about 15 individual campsites from what I saw.

You can hear cars drive by on Highway 216 but loved the open sites, big pine and fir trees and huge group-sized firepits. It also sits on the edge of Mt Hood National Forest so the background to most sites give you a good feel of the national forest.

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**Product Review:**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Three Person Limelight Tent from Marmot. I actually upgraded from my 10 year old tent and - wow - could not be happier.

Top reasons I loved the Limelight Marmot tent:

1. Easy of use: What used to be 4 separate poles with my old tent is now one pre-connected pole for the Limelight that hooks into the four corners making it super easy to use. Got to the campground late Friday night and with no directions I easily set this up in a couple minutes.
2. Footprint included! Don't you hate it when you invest in a tent AND THEN have to buy the ground water blocking footprint? Not with the Limelight cause it comes included.
3. Size and view: The poles at the corners are rounded to give you bonus space and the entire inner top ceiling is a net so on clear (warm) night this tent is going to be great for viewing the stars.

Campground Review

An open, relatively unused campground next to a sleep-calling stream right in between the last forested part of Mt. Hood National Forest and the dryer, sage-bushy eastern side of Oregon. This is a fabulous go-to campground because the drive south of the Dalles produces spectacular mountain and open landscape views. Horses are welcome here; we chatted with a friendly rider. The best part is being maybe a hundred feet from Badger Creek Trail, a versatile, climate-variety hike that sports a good stopping point at Pine Creek about 6 miles in, then to Badger Lake another 6 miles beyond that. For backpacking, it was quite nice to hike in a bit, prop up a small tent and just blend into the forest as night floated down to meet us.

Product Review

As a ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test stuff, in this case the Gregory Mountain Paragon 68 Backpack. I thought my old backpack was handy and easy, but this Gregory pack upped the ante.

Top reasons I like this pack:

1. Comfort - the most welcomed feature is that no matter how I packed it, the bag was balanced and solid on my back. I liked all the extra ways to make it sit better, like extending the length of the backpack straps themselves through a strap on each that connected to the main pack.
2. Padding - there was wicking and padding everywhere, and because of #1 on this list, no part of my body got sore or squished. The pack has a firm aluminum backing, upping the even feel.
3. Portability - it holds much more that you think, in a more streamlined way too, if that makes sense. The main material is slickery, making it easier to put things in and take them out. While I didn't prefer the top and bottom section to only be separated by a square piece of material attached at four corners (having the sections completely separate and zip open-able is what I'm used to), I can also see that cloth-like square as easily removable, quickly opening up more storage possibilities.
4. Versatility - there's a smaller string pack inside, for little side trips in the event you'd like to leave the main pack behind. Of course, we took that out right away and now it's in a different location at our place. So we like it already. ; )

They have a dog park, plenty of trails, several different areas to go down to the river, frisbee golf, area for horses. Good showers. There’s a great view point to see Mt. Hood. It really is a nice place.

Off Kiwanis Road in Mt. Hood National Forest there are roughly 8-10 free pullouts. On the south side of the road, the pullouts are alongside a peaceful little creek. By the time we got there (around 5pm on the 4th of July), there was only one site left on the north side of the road, but it was lovely. The fire ring was set about 100 feet back, so we carted our camp chairs from the van to the fire pit.

There seems to be an old fire road that goes through this campsite, so hiking (or trail running) is completely doable from camp. We stayed here for about 14 hours (midweek trip!), and it was literally the perfect escape. The Zig Zag river flows behind the campsite as well, which our pup Nala was pleased about.

If you're pitching a tent in this particular site, there's not much for even ground, but where there's a will, there's a way. Plenty of trees to hang hammocks from, and minimal traffic.

Pros:

• Great midweek escape from Portland
• Free!
• Plenty of trees, and a nearby river

Cons:

• First come-first serve
• Uneven walk to the firepit

RANGER REVIEW: humangear GoToob+, Flexibowl, GoBites (Uno & Trio) (5 Stars!)

humangear GoToob+

A few years ago I purchased a few original GoToobs from humangear at REI and absolutely love them. I used them for shampoo and conditioner while traveling and camping and they work like a charm. No spills, easily refillable, and super easy to clean. The GoToob+ ups the ante. It continues to shine in the ways the original GoToob did, but now has an additional (patent pending) LoopLock that ensures no spills no matter what. With a wider mouth, the GoToob+ is even easier to fill, and the added contour on the bottom keeps it steady while adding contents. We made our Pad Thai sauce ahead of time and stored it in the 3oz Toob and were able to squeeze out the very last drops for a tasty dinner.

humangear FlexiBowl

According to humangear, "FlexiBowl is the packable, stuffable, foldable bowl for eating on the go." The FDA food safe silicone bowl is sturdy enough to hold dinner, and smooth enough to clean out residue with the sweep of a paper towel. At the crease, you can fold the bowl down to make a wider opening. With the crease up, you can prevent spills if the bowl tips. I loved how compact the bowl is. I threw it in my backpack and didn't have to worry about it taking up a lot of space or breaking when I dropped my pack mid-hike.

humangear GoBites

humangear is reinventing the spork with their three GoBites options: uno, duo, and trio. For backpacking trips, I'd recommend the Uno. On one end of the Uno is a spoon and the other, a fork. The fork had a nice bowl-like curvature to it to easily grab and hold your food. If you're less concerned about ounces, the Duo is a great option for backpacking as well–the spoon and fork can be used as one unit or two. Simply snap the two together to make a longer, telescoping-like contraption. Perfect for eating Mountain House meals!

Lastly, I'd recommend the Trio for car camping, or taking in your lunch to work. The trio comes with it's own case and provides a spoon, fork, knife, bottle opener, and toothpick. They're all super sturdy, and I loved how all the pieces fit together perfectly in the carrying case.

humangear GoTubb

We were sent the 14cc GoTubb which we used to storing spices. You can open the tubs by squeezing the sides, so they're super easy to open with one hand. Since they require a squeeze to open, they won't accidentally lose their lids while you're traveling from point a to point b. We fit the perfect amount of minced garlic and ginger in the two GoTubbs.

Overall, the humangear we tested was top notch. I love that they're made from silicone which is good for the environment, easy to clean, and not chemically harmful! I think they're the best silicone travel bottles on the market.

This is one of my favorite places to go in Oregon (there are many). The park has about 120 sites, it is ready for RV, Tents, Horses, Boats about anything you could want.

Dogs are welcome, however, some trails (like the Ten Falls) are not allowed.  Please pick up after your pet and keep them on a leash!

If you get a chance, do the Trail of Ten Falls, it is a spectacular, nationally recognized hiking trail that weaves through a densely forested landscape. The trail passes a series of breathtaking waterfalls along a rocky canyon and descends to a winding creek on the forest floor.

Pelton park was clean and well taken care of during our visit. The park is very family-friendly, with easy physical access to restrooms, the docks and playground equipment. Pet-friendly too, stocked poo bags, poles by restrooms to hold leashes and a small fenced-in area to let the dogs run and play. Docks were clean and safe. Rental boats were well-maintained. The yomes are small, 6 people and 2 dogs is tight and gear had to stay outside with that many people, but we all fit. The lake itself is beautiful, good fishing, and appreciate the 10mph speed limit throughout the majority of the lake.

This campground is fabulous. Some spots are a bit small but we didn't mind because we didn't spend much time in our spot. The grounds are pet friendly so we also had the dogs with us. 

We spent much of our time fishing and rafting on the lake, feeding seeds to squirrels, letting the dogs run in the off leash area, and just hiking around the park. It's big, so most times we had to get in the car to drive to a separate area for each activity but that wasn't a problem for us. 

Bathrooms we're clean and relatively close with easy access, although it was just a tad uneven so for anyone with mobility issues, they might want to verify that it is accessible for their needs.

If you want to camp in Oregon this is the place to go. There are several waterfalls and hiking trails. You can see wildlife and you can't beat the beauty. You can tent camp and they also have yurts.

I went here a couple summers ago with a group of friends and it was a gorgeous spot. Small campground, right on the river. Short drive back into town if you need anything, but far enough out that you're actually the forest. Be careful and watch small kids and pets closely, the river moves really fast in this area.

This campground is tucked behind the Marion Forks fish hatchery. There are educational signs, short hikes, and access to water near the campground. The bathrooms are clean on site. Keep pets on leash and away from the road (hwy 22) and fish hatchery. This can be a fun site for kids and sometimes the staff will give you a tour. No cell service here!!!