Best Glamping near Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

This review is for the open camping.

I arrived and after looking around for a long while for someone, I was given a quick pointing out of where everything generally was. A map or better signage is sorely needed.

The grounds were peaceful. There are open-air showers, a community kitchen, sauna and swimming hole. The mini A-frames and dome look very cool, even from a distance.

I tried out the sauna. It didn’t seem to be working for over 40 minutes. No one was around to troubleshoot. It just started working eventually on its own and was nice, relaxing.

I've never been to land more beautiful than this place - as soon as I arrived, I felt a sense of arriving home. A place to completely relax. There are 2 areas with river access, a shallow area and a deep swimming hole, with the option to float down some mild (and fun!) rapids. The children running around were so happy here - it feels like a safe place to be, tucked away in a private area of Cave Junction. During my stay, there were beautiful fresh flowers that decorated all the main areas. There are 2 shower houses, one which has an incredible view of the river. The shower water was hot and refreshing, it was so special to know the water came directly from the river. It felt so healing. The communal kitchen was perfect for prepping breakfast, lunch, and dinner - and the staff was sanitizing all the commonly touched areas. The composting toilets were a cool touch knowing that our 'waste' would soon become a gardening resource again one day. The tea house was a perfect place to catch some shade on hot sunny days. The women's gathering they host here is also so inspiring! I imagine many women pass through this place feeling grounded and nourished afterward. Highly recommend!

Now branded as Smoke on the Water, the former Lake Selmac Resort is one of Oregon's first cannabis-friendly campgrounds. The tent camping area is shaded by huge, old pines and firs, keeping your tent fairly pleasant even on a hot day. There are electrical hookups and some limited RV spots, as well as picnic tables and fire rings. Along one side is a fence separating the campground from a neighboring property.

The whole campground is right across the main road from Lake Selmac. There is some traffic noise at night, but very little. This is a small town and the road isn't very busy late. You're more likely to hear the wild turkeys calling or a bullfrog down by the lake. There's a nice dock and plenty of toys to enjoy the water. You can take out a paddleboat, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, or inner tubes. You can also just sit on the shore or fish.

There's also a large lawn area at the campground that is great for larger gatherings, as is the thee sided barn on the property. While basic, the restrooms are clean and accessible with showers. There's also laundry facilities and a general store on site. The signs say no alcohol is allowed, only cannabis, but they do sell beer in the general store along with food and other basic supplies. If there's something you need that the store doesn't have, town isn't far away. Eventually the owners intend to have a dispensary on site, too, though right now you'll have to plan ahead.

Despite those private campground perks, this isn't a hazy party spot, however. Tou don't have to partake to feel welcome or have a positive experience here. Everyone seems nice and respectful, and the campground host makes the rounds and keeps up with chores like taking out the trash on the regular. In addition to the campground host, the owner is sometimes on site as well in the living area behind the general store. The hospitality is genuine and you can tell that management really cares about making Smoke on the Water as inviting, comfortable, and pleasant as possible.

------- Product Review -------

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - on this trip I got to test out the OOFOS Women's OOmg Black and Black Shoe.

This is one of OOFOS's first closed-toe offerings, providing the same support from their proprietary sole design and foam recipe as their sport slide sandals and clogs. The OOmg shoe upper is a breathable mesh sock, not unlike water shoes, but softer. The sole is thick enough that you don't feel the ground beneath you, yet somehow is also soft enough to sink into, all while feeling supported. I appreciate the way the sole encourages a heel-strike gait and takes the pressure off my toes. I have very high arches and experience frequent foot pain after walking and hiking. OOFOS felt like they were realigning my feet and I did feel a lot of relief after trying them all weekend.

While OOFOS are intended as a "recovery shoe" you slip on after you're done working out in your sneakers, I found they work really well as an all around leisure shoe. I wore them all weekend while I was camping, and they remained ultra comfortable even in very hot weather that caused my feet and legs to swell up. They were breathable, provided good traction, and stayed aligned with my feet despite plenty of moving around on my part and experiencing different temperatures throughout the day.

Since this first weekend trying OOFOS at Lake Selmac, I've worn my OOmg around town to run weekend errands, on a hike to the top of Spencer Butte in Eugene (quite the uphill slog), to ease foot pain after a day in heels, during a long day in the car without cruise control. In every setting they've remained comfortable, supportive, and don't seem to wear down even after hours of my weight pressing into the foam. They clean up easily and seem really durable. They lack some of the traction and control sneakers or hiking boots would on steep descents, but are perfectly adequate for casual tromping around.

The only downside I can find with my OOFOS OOmg is that the heel is made of a harder rubber substance than the mesh upper or foam sole. I assume this is to help give the shoe some structure and keep your foot where it needs to be. If you're like me, however, and sometimes put your shoes on in a hurry and step on the heel and sort of slip on your shoes like they're clogs, you might mash down that hard material and either wrinkle it or find it doesn't bounce back. If you smoosh it too much, it could kind of get stuck in a way that rubs uncomfortably or blisters a bit. So always be sure to tug the heel part of your OOmg up all the way and finish putting on your shoes so they stay the right shape.

Overall, I'm really happy to have a pair of OOFOS in my closet and I'm definitely bringing them on all my camping trips. They're so lightweight they go right in my pack and I don't have to worry about my feet getting tired of my one pair of hiking boots or sneakers. These are perfect for when you need to get up and poke the fire real quick and don't want to shove your feet back into a more fitted pair of lace-up shoes that you were already wearing all day.

This large campground is off highway 62 at Lost Creek Lake. There are water and electric hook ups and non hook up sites available.

$25/dry 

$30/water and electric

 We stayed here twice, once in a non-hookup site and we used a hook up site during a heatwave so we could have a/c. Nicely paved loops and sites with mix of sun and shade and grass and dirt. There is also paved trails for hiking and biking all over the area. From the campground the access to the lake is small trek on one of the paved trails which was a nice bike ride. Near the day use is also a store and deli and signs for various water craft rentals. The camp sites all have water (even in dry camping area though spigots were not threaded), picnic tables, BBQs and fire pits. There are amazing free hot showers and bathrooms in each of the loops. Rangers make frequent rounds. It can be quite crowded here on weekends and though sites aren’t very private they are spaced a decent amount.  

There is a trash compactor near the RV dump. No recycling other than a "Kids Can" program which I believe only accepts aluminum cans?  There was no sign to let you know.

You can either make a reservation in advance or show up and see if there are any free sites for the night.

There were also multiple playgrounds and a large gorgeous dog park. We would stay here again. Good ATT service, TMobile had bars but service was inconsistent and Verizon had 3-4 bars of LTE roaming.

This county park just outside of Grants Pass along the Rogue River is a good overnighter because it is convenient and inexpensive. 

It’s $20/night for the tent/ non-hookup sites, $25 for water and electric (30 and 50 amp), and $30 for full hookup. Group camp is $60 and there’s a $5 per add’l vehicle fee. 

There’s also a yurt but we didn’t see a cost listed for it. 

The park also has FREE hot showers (trick to turn hot water on is to turn the old coin op knob). There is a boat ramp, dog park, and kid park adjacent to camping area. Park takes cash payments at kiosk near the entrance. 

The place seems to be a local’s camp as some sites looked more like homeless camps with tarps and and array of stuff laying about. We did not feel unsafe here and everyone minded their own business, were quiet and kept to themselves. The hosts do make frequent rounds throughout the park and offer firewood for sale at $5 for 10 pieces of wood. 

We stayed in our 26ft RV in the tent area as it was cheaper and less crowded and we backed up near the river. There is a lot of road noise especially from the road across the river. The roadway within the park is paved and sites are paved or gravel with grass surrounding. All sites are fairly level and have plenty of room. More trees in the hook up areas; the tent areas had few trees and was more open. Picnic tables and fire pits also at every site. We would stay here again if traveling through and needed a place for the night. We stayed here 2 nights during a weekend while waiting for an appointment in Grants Pass. 

There are dumpsters here as well as trash bins throughout the campground, but no recycling. 

Walkup sites available for that night only, or you can make online reservations 3 days in advance. 

Good cell reception with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.