Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Tillamook State Forest

Just off highway 6 (between Portland and Tillamook) is a series of lovely campgrounds in the Tillamook State Forest. Gales Creek is the first one you'll find on your way coming from Portland, and it's one of my favorites. The sites are surrounded by trees, and, if you're lucky, you can grab one next to the cute river than runs through the camp. Enough fun things to do like hikes or play with the water pump. The bathrooms are nothing fancy, and there's no showers, but the price is also right ($15). The main issue is that all sites are first-come/first-served, and there aren't too many sites, so hard to get something on a nice weekend or a holiday. But if you can snag a spot, you're in for a nice time.

Elk Creek Campground in Oregon is a real paradise for those looking for peace and unity with nature. I stumbled upon this place quite by accident when I was vacationing on the LuckyTrunk website. I saw a photo of this campsite in the ad block, and something inside me made me immediately add it to the list of places worth visiting. And I was right- this place left an unforgettable impression. Elk Creek is located near Highway 6, which makes it easily accessible even for those who are not used to long-distance travel. The campsite is located in the heart of the Tillamook State Forest, surrounded by majestic Douglas firs that create an atmosphere of comfort and harmony. There is no city noise or bustle here- only nature, fresh air and tranquility. The peculiarity of this campsite is its simplicity and convenience. All tent sites are pedestrianized, which adds to the sense of privacy. Each campsite is well screened by trees, has its own parking, a fire pit with a grill for cooking, and a special platform for a tent. Although there are no RV hookups, many sites are suitable for small trailers or campers.

Agreed, the secret’s out. 80% full on the last Friday (9/14) of the season. Was featured on a TV show about 3 years ago and a popular camping book gives it a scenic rating of 10/10, though I wouldn’t go quite that high. The friendly, professional camp host told me not to write a review-“don’t do that, it’s too busy already!” So I told him I’d also write reviews of some other good campgrounds in the area, so look for-Beaver Eddy (recently closed for logging, though didn’t look like a permanent close + one roadside site was open), Cook Creek (designated dispersed sites), Henry Rierson Spruce Run (larger, more open, right off both road and Nehalem River, with good hikes right there) and Morrison Eddy (my favorite). A Tillamook State Forest Recreation Guide will show you the way. But Nehalem Falls would always work because it has the right mix of fantastic tree cover, decent vegetation between spots, a walk-in campsite area, and being right off the small but self-important Nehalem Falls, set in a picturesque curvy rock valley replete with swimming holes. The whole Nehalem River valley is gorgeous, with minimal traffic noise.

This is my new absolutely favorite Oregon campground. Located within the Tillamook State Forest, Elk Creek campground has about a dozen or so sites located on a slight incline heading down to where the sweet, beautiful little Elk creek and the larger Wilson River converge. The sites are decent size though not huge, and are surrounded by beautiful trees, ferns and greenery. Some sites have more privacy, and since it is first come-first served, obviously best to get here early or before the weekend to snag a spot (which are only $10/night). We spent most of our time on the Elk Creek side since we have kiddos and the stream was the perfect size for playing and swimming without the stress of a larger river.

Pros: Beautiful. Fun creek for kids to play in. Great location only 28 miles from Tillamook. Love the sites and price ($10).

Cons: Walk-in only, which is great if you're in a tent, but out-of-luck if you're in a trailer or RV. Elk Creek is also day-use, so people heading to the creek or river will be walking by your site all day (though not too crowded when we were there).

Facilities: Two vault bathrooms (decently clean) but no showers. Fire pits. New picnic tables. Hand-pump water.

Off highway 6 in the Tillamook State Forest, take the Smith Homestead exit and continue past the Jones Campground turnoff until you see signs on the right for the "Cedar Creek Corridor." This is a funky little area that's not really a campground, but does have some designated camp sites, some parking lots for RVs, and some larger sites further on that are halfway between primitive and dispersed.

The real draw here is motor-biking/ATVs/OHVs, and there's an official turn-out for the "Cedar Creek OHV Staging Area" on the right. There's crazy kids and grownups zooming up and down the road and pathways at all times. If you're looking to party, drink beer with friends, and drive around (hopefully not at the same time), come on by. If you're looking for a nice relaxing place to pitch your tent and hang out by the river, this is not it. Smaller camp sites are right on the road and nothing fancy at all, though there are some larger sites down by the river if you keep going another mile or two.

Pros: Great for HOVs. Cheap (0-$5/night). Some nicer group spots further on.

Cons: Busy, full of crazy bikers and riders zooming up and down the road.

Tips: Just past the first campsites there's a little spot where the road goes over the river. We found some small simple agates and other fun rocks down in the riverbed.

We stayed here for about 5 days while we tested out our new trailer prior to a longer cross country trip. We are from Portland and this is a short drive from home.

Sites here are spacious and have picnic tables and firepits. We had room for our 28 foot trailer plus 2 pickups (extra charge for extra vehicle though).

Shower facilities were ok - typical campground facilities in my opinion, but at least it was an actual toilet and hot water in the showers.

Not a ton of privacy at each site, but got some shade during each day and plenty of space to stretch out and cook/eat outside or just sit and chill.

There are miles of hiking trails that are family friendly and the dog park has one of the best views I've ever seen from a dog park.

The camp host we met was super friendly and very helpful. They sell firewood and ice every evening.