Looking for tent camping near Mt. Hood National Forest? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Mt. Hood National Forest. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon's most popular destinations.
Meditation Campground is a small walk-in campground on the shores of Timothy Lake. Campers should park at the Westshore Day Use area to access the campground. The rustic sites are limited to groups of six campers each. It has 7 sites and is accessible by boat, bike or hike-in only. There is a toilet there and each site is equipped with a table and fire ring.
This trail enters the Mt. Hood Wilderness on the west side of Mount Hood. This trail accesses Burnt Lake and Zigzag Mountain with views above treeline. The north side also has wonderful old cedar snags showing remnants of a wildfire that came through around 1900.
Starting from the north Burnt Lake trailhead, this trail begins at Forest Road 1825-109 (2,680’) and ends at Forest Road 2627-207 (3,320’). From Forest Road 1825-109, the trail climbs steadily up to Burnt Lake (4,120’). There is a nice loop trail around the lake accessing several campsites. From the lake the trail continues up a steep climb 0.6 mile and reaches Zigzag Ridge (4,720’). Soon after, the trail reaches Zigzag Mountain Trail #775. Turn right onto Zigzag Mountain Trail #775 and follow the ridge westward 0.3 miles until Burnt Lake Trail #772 drops over the south side of the ridge descending to Devil’s Meadow area. From Devil’s Meadow the trail follows an easier grade down an old roadway to West Zigzag trailhead at Forest Road 2627-207.
Campground closed due to the 2020 Riverside Wildfire Rainbow Campground provides ample access to the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River. The campground offers a great location to enjoy peace and quiet in the beautiful mountains of northern Oregon. Visitors enjoy fishing, hiking, biking and rafting.
Fishing is very popular in the Oak Fork and anglers can expect a catch of winter steelhead, spring Chinook and late summer Kokanee salmon, as well as other species of freshwater fish. The Clackamas River also provides miles of wild water as it bends through the scenic Cascade range, making whitewater rafting a popular activity. The 5-mile Riverside National Recreation Trail, popular for hiking and mountain biking, is located not far from the campground. The surrounding area provides numerous additional opportunities for hiking.
The campground is located in Mt. Hood National Forest along the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River at an elevation of about 1,400 feet. Huge maple and Douglas fir trees cover the area, and dense shrubbery provides some privacy between campsites. The campground is not far from the Ripplebrook Ranger Station and Ripplebrook Pond. The river provides habitat for the federally protected bald eagle and northern spotted owl, as well as an occasional peregrine falcon. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area.
Bagby Hot Springs is located about 14 miles southwest of the campground. A popular site for soaking and relaxing, the springs are in a heavily wooded area in the scenic Cascade Range. The available bathhouses are fed by three major hot water springs and several minor outlets in the area. A historic guard station was built there in 1913.
$20 - $22 / night
Typically open May thru Oct. depending on weather.
Badger Lake Campground is adjacent to Badger Lake and one of the major portals to the Badger Creek Wilderness. It's a rough drive to the campground, but campers are rewarded with a beautiful lake and access to the Badger Creek Wilderness with nearby access to Badger Lake Trail #479A, and Badger Creek Trail.
$10 / night
Dispersed camping, or camping outside of designated campgrounds, can be a great way to experience the forest- as long as everyone follows some rules and guidelines to protect forest wildlife, plants, water quality, and the health of others.
Dispersed camping is not for everyone- and that's fine as the Mt. Hood National Forest has over 70 designated campgrounds. Camping outside of campgrounds means no toilets, no drinking water, no metal fire rings, and no trash service. You are responsible for leaving the site cleaner than you found it and learning the skills of Leave No Trace camping before you head out.
Basic Rules & Guidance Some areas are closed to dispersed camping, such as within developed recreation sites, along certain roads, and particularly sensitive areas. Contact your local Ranger District for more information. You may camp on the forest for only 14 consecutive days. Please choose an existing site rather than create a new campsite. Camp at least 100 ft. away from streams, rivers, and lakes. If you didn't bring firewood and intend to build a campfire only collect already down wood. If your campfire is too hot to touch with bare hands- it's too hot for you to leave! Bring plenty of water and a shovel to help you put out your fire. Check in advance if there are any fire restrictions in effect. Treat or filter any stream water you collect for drinking, or bring water from home. Your group must be under 75 people. If it larger you must obtain a (usually free) permit in advance from the local Ranger District. When Nature Calls Be prepared for your own sanitation! To dispose of feces, dig a hole 6” deep at least 100 feet away from any water source. When you're done, fill the hole with the dirt you dug up and take your toilet paper with you to dispose of in a proper waste container. Never defecate or leave toilet paper on top of the ground. Animals might eat it, it could easily get into the local water source and contaminate it, and plus it's just gross. Leave No Trace Pack out everything you brought with you! Dispose of your garbage properly off the forest. Leave No Trace is a framework minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. They apply to virtually every recreational activity and help increase your safety and enjoyment of the forest. Learn more about the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace. The Mt. Hood National Forest belongs to all Americans- including those who will come long after us. Do your part to keep the forest clean every time you visit.
Cloud Cap Saddle is a small campground and the location of Cloud Cap - Tilly Jane North trailhead which provides access to Timberline National Historic Trail #600 and Tilly Jane Trail #600A from the north. There is CAMPGROUND HAS NO POTABLE WATER The Historic Cloud Cap Inn is just up the road from the campground and is now used by search and rescue teams on the mountain.
Campground closed for 2021 season due to Forest Road 43 closure (White River Fire) and a bridge closure on Forest Road 3530. Located along the Historic Barlow Road near the Barlow Creek.
Located on beautiful Badger Creek, at the foot of the Badger Creek Wilderness, this popular campground appeals to those who enjoy fishing, hiking, or horseback riding. This quiet campground is located along Badger Creek at one of the portals to the Badger Creek Wildnerness. Visitors who camp at this campground can access the eastern end of the Badger Creek Trail.
$16 / night
High on Mount Hood, near the headwaters of the Salmon River, the Alpine Campground is the highest on the Forest. Snow can be present in mid-summer. This campground offers excellent acess to nearby Timberline Lodge and many hiking and mountain biking trails as well as the town of Governement Camp below it. Avg. spur length = 16'
Campground closed due to the 2020 Riverside Wildfire Sunstrip Campground is a primitive campground on the banks of the Clackamas Wild and Scenic River. It provides access to a variety of outdoor activities, but retains the look and feel of true nature, with only a few amenities.
Fishing is very popular in the Clackamas and anglers can expect winter Steelhead, spring Chinook and late summer Kokanee salmon, as well as other species of freshwater fish. Whitewater rafting is also a favorite activity among visitors. The Clackamas River provides miles of wild water as it snakes through the scenic Cascade range. A hiking trail meanders along the riverbank, north and south of the campground. Scenic driving is available on the nearby West Cascades National Scenic Byway, which follows the river.
The campground is nestled in a wooded area of the Mt. Hood National Forest, thick with moss and greenery, at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. The river provides habitat for the federally protected bald eagle and northern spotted owl, as well as the occasional peregrine falcon. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area.
The Clackamas River, just below nearby Indian Henry Campground to the North Fork Reservoir, provides 12.5 miles of class III-IV whitewater. Outfitters are located in the town of Estacada.
$22 - $24 / night
Guide
Campground on Trillium Lake at the base of Mt Hood in the Mt Hood National Forest. Awesome tent sites among towering fir trees. Lake for paddle boarding, kayaking or canoeing (nothing motorized). Water and toilets and trash. No showers. Adequate cellular service. No Wi-Fi. Amazing wooded experience with spectacular views of Mt Hood across the lake. Ducks and river otters.
Scout
This was a good family camping spot. Pros - there is a playground, swimming pool, small store, cafe, bathrooms with showers (and warm water) and activities during the day for kids. Cons - if you're tent camping the bathrooms are quite the hike, the tent sites are crammed together, there's only one working faucet in the entire tent camping area and the facilities are starting to look worn down.
The most utterly confusing part to me is that there were two huge RV areas that were virtually empty and would be perfectly suitable for tent camping. I'm not sure why they retrofit a dozen or so of those sites for "premium" tent camping? I'd gladly pay a few extra bucks a night for a 110 outlet, more space my own personal water supply.
We were in site T4. In my opinion it's the best site in the circle. If you can get T1, that looked like the best spot.
Legend
Out of the way, a bit, but that was part of what we enjoyed. Felt far removed from "The City" and the drive was scenic.
Very popular campground. We tent camped at this one. Good tent sites shared in our site.
Clean shower facilities. Boat rentals, Great walk around the lake.
Our site seemed very private in amongst the trees, even though the resort was busy. Would recommend!
Ranger
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!!
Scout
Granted, it's been 90 degrees everyday so anything near water feels incredible. BUT nothing quite as incredible as the ice, rushing Clackamas river!!!!!
We stayed at this park for 3 days and it was such a trip. 2 adults, 2 kids and a pup had plenty of space on a tent site. The bathrooms were great and not to far of a trek, but for convenience they set up and ADA accessible portapotty near the tent camping area. The rangers were kind and helpful, as were the park hosts.
Whether you're going for a full day of floating down the river (rentals offered at one of the boat launch areas) or want to climb your way down to a secluded chunk of river bend and hitch your float to a tree or rock, there is so much this park has to offer!
Traveler
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.
GuideNot my normal camping scene, but decided to for an early summer ski session with the kids, we didn't want to completely rough it, but also didn't want to pay hotel prices. So, one of the standard cabins here was the perfect compromise. Roof over our heads, actual beds, room for three of us to be able to gear up for the day. But still had a fire pit outside, and picnic table for outdoor cooking. (Also the standard cabins don't have bathrooms, so you still need to go to the shared restrooms.)
The property overall was really nice, lots of amenities. We also took a walk through the RV/Tent camp sites. Its very similar to a KOA style of resort. We enjoyed it for what it was.
Guide
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.
Legend
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.
Traveler
Short walk, or 7 miles in, start on west shoreline trail 528 on the NW parking lot past the day use area. Great mostly flat trail for backpacking or cart camping along the west shoreline of Timothy Lake in the Mt Hood National Forest. Sites are well marked and $10 per night fee. Northwest Forest Parking Pass required for overnight parking.
Guide
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.
Guide
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.
Legend
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.
Legend
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.
Legend
Campground Review:
There are at least four different campgrounds within Beacon Rock State Park in Washington. This review is for the Boat Launch "Moorage Camp" at the base of Beacon Rock, which has a small 2-tent area and 5-RV space down by the boat launch.
From Camas/Vancouver, you'll come to the sign for Beacon Rock Boat Launch on your right hand side, just before passing the actual Beacon Rock. There's a large day-use area on your right, an RV area that can hold up to 5 RVs (we never actually went to this since we were more interested in tent camping), and just two tent sites right next to the parking lot and boat launch. I've also heard that if everything is full, you can spend the $10 "unattended vehicle overnight" fee and car/RV camp in the parking lot, though I'd check with one of the many rangers who come through frequently first.
There's another day-use area right at the boat launch with grass and picnic tables, and on the lovely Spring weekend we were there many people were picnicking, kayaking, laying in the sun and fishing. The Columbia River, while protected here, is still quite fast going under (and over) the dock, so we never let the boys go in the water since we didn't bring life vests, and we didn't see anyone else swimming either. The two tent sites right at the dock are large, though not super private, and they would be great if you wanted to get up super early with your boat and go fishing. Otherwise, I wouldn't consider this a "destination" campground since, in addition to it being so small, there's a train that passes by loud and frequently enough to be annoying. That said, the flush toilets, showers and bathrooms were some of the cleanest I've visited while camping, so that's a definite plus. And the view of Beacon Rock from this spot is pretty spectacular.
Pros: Great views, perfect for launching a boat or early-morning fishing.
Cons: Loud annoying train and only two tent spots, though when we came only one was in-use.
Gear Review:
Last year we won a Leatherman gift certificate in The Dyrt camping contest, so this year we decided to try out some of our new purchases: two Leatherman Leaps (in blue and green) for my two kiddos, ages 6 and 11:
https://www.leatherman.com/leap-358.html
Summary/Pros: I have to admit we are biased toward Leathermans. The company is based in Oregon (where we live), completely stands behind their products, and make quality multi-tools. We even gave engraved Leathermans as bridesmaid/groomsmen gifts at our wedding 17 years ago. That said, there's some that I use more frequently than others, and for the most part we've limited the boys' Leathermans to smaller multitools with scissors and such, so this is their first larger tool. I love the fact that we can have the large blade put in or taken out depending on how comfortable we are with having them have the blade. And the boys have had a surprisingly easy time opening and closing the different attachments.
Cons: The only downside I've found with the Leap so far is that there's no nail file, but that's my personal preference and not one that's bothered the boys so far.
Video Review: The boys decided they wanted to create their own review, so be sure to watch the attached video to see what they think.
Ranger
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.
Legend
The campground at Ainsworth State park feels more like an RV parking lot than an exotic Columbia Gorge camping experience. The majority of the camground it rv hookups with just a few walk in tent sites. Yet, while the campground isn't impressive in itself, it is in an amazing location for exploring neighboring Eagle Creek and the rest of the gorge just steps away!
The parking for the tent sites is close to the walk in trail. There are only 6 tent sites and they can be reserved online so it is not easy to roll up to a free spot in hiking season.
The sites themselves are basic and offer much more privacy than your neighbors in the RV section of the park are getting. There is water near the tent site entrance. Toilets are a bit of a walk from the tent sites.
This site does take credit cards for campground registration.
Legend
Humbug is one of our favorite campgrounds. We love the easy access to the beach and the beautiful hikes. Showers are hot and free, rangers are always friendly.
Cell service is pretty iffy here, but we manage to make it work with the cell booster.
There's a dump station and water fill, trash and recycling, water spigots throughout campground, and firewood for sale.
Tent sites in Oregon don't currently have the 25% non-resident surcharge (though I've heard that's changing soon) and there are plenty of non-hookup/tent sites that will fit RVs. There are also FHU and pull through sites.
Traveler
Tent camping sites looked amazing next to the river! Sadly, RVs are only allowed in a handful of sites which were all very sandy and less shaded. We stayed at site #5 which was probably the worst site for both issues but it was also the only one left on a weekend. We tried to cross the river to access to Tamanawas Falls trail but the water was too deep. Moral: tent camp in the highest # site available and reserve your spot!
Scout
You never see any stinking trailers at this campground. It's perfect for tent camping.
GuideThis small campground has just 2 tent sites and 5 rv sites. We stayed at the biggest of the two tent sites and enjoyed complete privacy and easy access to water, toilet and shower. While the train track is very close and trains are frequent, they do not usually use their horns or break at night, so they are not really a bother, even at night (and I'm a light sleeper). Overall a pleasant experience.
TravelerThis campground gets really crowded from the day use/dam side of the lake. Great for tent camping/swimming. The lake actually gets pretty warm starting in August.
ScoutWe didn't stay even 24 hours. We only stayed for a place to sleep overnight, but I'm eager to return and stay longer. I was super impressed with the size and location of the tent sites. The tent sites were also secluded and flat. (But a far walk to the bathrooms/showers). There seemed to be a lot of hiking trails. I couldn't check them out because of our schedule, but I would 100% return. We drove to the boat launch area and it was easily accessible.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
This is Santiam State campground that is for basically tent camping. Water and Pit toilet. Some sights next to Butte Creek. The best part is that you very close to Butte creek water falls.
Legend
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.
LegendCampground 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:
Tent camping near Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon offers a unique blend of stunning natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mt. Hood National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mt. Hood National Forest is Meditation Point Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Mt. Hood National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 82 tent camping locations near Mt. Hood National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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