Tualatin is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Tualatin and user-submitted reviews.
"Accessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise!"
"My mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road."
"South Lake is fairly small, I consider it more of a pond to be honest, but a great place for disperse camping. The quickest drive in is a bit sketchy."
"Do not drive here if you can't drive on the edge of a cliff on gravel roads. it's bumpy and definitely not for the faint of heart. other than that, it's a great site with nice pullouts and camping for"
"This gorgeous trail and dispersed camp is so unrecognizable from the 2021 fires that there is no turn off. May we remember it’s memories!"
"Dispersal camping all year."
"There are several backpacking campsites that are on the water, there is nothing more beautiful than watching the sunrise over the lake with Mt.Hood in the background."
"It's best to come up with a couple backup plans as this is a popular spot! The hike in off the road isn't difficult, and the tent sites are all situated relatively close to the trail."
"River access and a fire pit. Dirt bike parking adjacent but pretty private."
"River rushing near the spots makes for a really nice sound to fall asleep to. Not crowded and really peaceful. Clear skies so got to see a beautiful array of stars."
"There’s a pretty decent sized gravel turnout… It’s the only big gravel turn out like this on this part of the road … you’ll see what looks like a logging road with a steep decline."
"We found this dispersed site by driving on Mt. Hebo Road about 20 minutes past Hebo Lake Campground."
"Dispersed camping at McNeil point is a backpackers dream — you get to hike far into the clouds, far away from the people, yet this location is nearly as convenient as car camping. "
"I started at the Top Spur trailhead and hiked the clockwise route up to McNeil (a little longer but saved be the scramble through rocks)."
"Road got a little bumpy getting out here but once we found a spot right near the riverbank, you felt like you were deep in it. Saw a few people on the way out."
TravelerAccessible through the Jones Creek campground turn off, continue up the forest roads past the OHV staging area and you’re in paradise! Gorgeous spots all over that are accessible in most 4WD/off-road capable vehicles. There is a massive network of forest service roads many with spots to set up your own quiet camp away from all the dirt bikes and RVs. No facilities obviously but that’s what makes this place special. It’s incredibly quiet and peaceful and a gorgeous piece of the PNW coastal area.
RangerMy mistake, these coordinates took us to the top of the mountain. It is currently an active logging area, so the truckers are out at 3am. The road up was a very narrow road. So careful if there’s other cars coming through, especially the logging semis.
Nonetheless a cool spot. Dry camping. Please clean up after yourselves.
LegendWe took a ride from Hebo up road 14 or 1400 to South Lake. The trip took over 1 hour down a partly paved road with lots of pot holes then the rest of the way down a very narrow pot hole dirt road to South Lake. Along the way we passed Hebo Lake Campground that had many tent camp sites. Once we arrived at South Lake we found the lake to be somewhat small and there were a few tent sites somewhat close together. We had been told this lake was always stocked with Trout. We suggest only using a 4x4 or a high clearance vehicle to make this trip.
GuideDiamond Milld rd is a tight logging rd with a kinda steep danger zone cliff on this edge. If you get to spot (the coordinates on dyrt arent exact but close) you will see basically the only part of the rd with a pull aside areai prob for two vans or cars. Its a nice view but kinda creepy if alone IMO. The dispersed camping for this St Forest applies to tenters mainly being 1 mile away from a paid campground. But for just car and van camp youd have to chance it at day area or drive way in to the forest down a rd.
TravelerSouth Lake is fairly small, I consider it more of a pond to be honest, but a great place for disperse camping. The quickest drive in is a bit sketchy. I recommend taking a slight slower route to avoid scratches on your vehicle from branches. We checked out a few dispersed sites before we picked our spot. We managed to get a spot that was a 1 minute walk to the water, and about the same to the vaulted toilets. The vaulted toilet is on the NW side of the lake. It must’ve been checked often for toilet paper because we were there for 4 nights and it always had some in there.
We caught trout every day we were there. Most are small but was fun nonetheless. There is an old boat without a motor tied up for anyone to use. Only had one ore that was half broke but it still managed to get us across the water 🤷🏻♂️. We found a decent amount of firewood, just have to make sure it’s try if course. It’s all hidden below the ferns/greenery. No picnic tables or metal fire rings but who needs them? Plenty of rocks for a fire pit were already set up. Plenty of shade. Only downside was precious campers leaving toilet paper near the trees when you are literally a minute or less walk to the vaulted toilet.
TravelerDo not drive here if you can't drive on the edge of a cliff on gravel roads. it's bumpy and definitely not for the faint of heart. other than that, it's a great site with nice pullouts and camping for car campers, vans, etc... I was fortunate and I have a black series off road trailer behind a 4runner, and we were fine. I would not recommend a trailer for this location. great for tents and the lake is ok, not too appealing to us, though.
LegendLoved this spot. Gorgeous, lots of unique sites. Only downside is incredibly loud atv and dirt bike activity.
These sites are beautiful and really meant for tent camping—but you can park an rv in most of the spots.
There is a vault toilet closer to site 14 but no hookups.
OHV vehicles are incredibly loud and ran throughout the weekend— but I have a feeling it’s very quiet on the week days.
Gorgeous—lovely area, no real amenities or ATT/ Verizon service.
LegendDispersed camping at McNeil point is a backpackers dream — you get to hike far into the clouds, far away from the people, yet this location is nearly as convenient as car camping.
While McNeil point is a popular hike, most people visiting are day hikers, or backpackers taking a few days for circumnavigating the Timberline trail. Since we only had one day, we left Portland at 2 pm on a summer Friday, hiked in the four miles most of the way to McNeil, pitched the tent in time for dinner and sunset, then got up early and summited McNeil far before the summer crowds from town had time to make it to the trail head.
There are quite a few dispersed, designated spots to camp. The most obvious ones are those along the Timberline trail—and they are also likely the busiest. There are also obvious sites well up near the McNeil summit. These aren't as busy, but you'll have to haul your packs up the whole way. We chose a site that we found in a clearing that had a good view of the mountain. Note - You cannot camp in most of the meadows around the lakes. There are signs that designate this.
When we hiked up to the McNeil summit in the morning, we only took our day packs, and left our big packs in our tents. After summiting we hiked back down, cooked lunch at the campsite, and then packed out. It's definitely a recommended trip if you have a short time, but still want to feel like you got far, far away.
ScoutGreat views, easy drive, AWD car would have been able to make it. The road to South lake was gated off so we used this turn out, there are many along the road. A slight drive on the forest access road leads to the top of the hill. Plenty of dead standing wood for fires.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Tualatin, Oregon, where nature enthusiasts can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, you can enjoy the great outdoors while embracing the freedom of camping without designated sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Tualatin, OR is Tillamook State Forest Dispersed Camping with a 4.4-star rating from 14 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 20 dispersed camping locations near Tualatin, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
