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Established Camping

Clay Creek Recreation Site

Clay Creek Recreation Site is located near Springfield, Oregon, within the Siuslaw National Forest. The area features forested terrain with a river running nearby. Temperatures range from 30°F in winter to 80°F in summer. Visitors can explore the nearby Siuslaw River for fishing and enjoy hiking trails in the forest.

Description

Bureau of Land Management

Siuslaw National Forest

Overview

Reserve a site at Clay Creek on recreation.gov or pay when you arrive for non-reserved campsites using the Recreation.gov Mobile App. You must download before you reach the site since there is no cell reception in the drainage. Clay Creek Recreation Site is nestled in the Coast Range of Oregon between Eugene and the Oregon coast at an elevation of 436-492 feet. Located at the confluence of Clay Creek and the Siuslaw River, this recreation site offers a wealth of activities including forest hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, picnicking and camping. The Springfield Office of the Northwest Oregon District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the Clay Creek Recreation Site.

Recreation

This quiet family oriented recreation site is a favorite if you enjoy riverside camping with an interpretive trail to old-growth timber. Spacious campsites with paved parking pads, mossy vine-maple tangles, and tall straight firs make up this camping area. The recreation site also boasts large group shelters available by reservation for group outings, weddings, or other events. The Clay Creek Trail, created in 1991 for hiking, provides access to a stand of Douglas fir high above the campground and the Siuslaw River. The sites Clay Creek Trail ascends a ridge above the campground to a remnant old-growth stand. From camp, you cross the concrete bridge on Clay Creek Road and river to begin the hike.

Natural Features

Clay Creek campground and the surrounding area are home to large canopy trees such as Douglas fir, western hemlock, red cedar, red alder and big leaf maple. The forest understory features a host of native plants like rhododendron, salal, various fern species, salmonberry and vine maple. On the forest floor, oxalis, Calypso orchids and mosses compliment the scenery. A diverse variety of bird life, from the seldom seen pileated woodpecker, northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet to the ever-present Oregon junco, frequent this area. Signs of larger animals, such as raccoon, mink, bear, elk, deer and beaver are evident. Clay Creek is part of the Siuslaw River watershed that drains water from the Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean. The river flows broad, cloudy, and green and calls to anglers; check current fishing regulations before casting your line. The Siuslaw River is a salmon watch site that runs fast and cold during the winter months, where you can observe spawning Coho and Chinook salmon in the rivers exceptional habitat during the fall and winter.

Nearby Attractions

Put-ins for the river downstream, along the Siuslaw River Road. No permit required to paddle the 6.5 mile river, with Class II - III rapids. Whittaker Creek Recreation Site (Florence) Alder Dune Campground (Florence) Archie Knowles Campground (Florence) B & E Wayside Mobile and RV Park (Cottage Grove) Baker Bay Campground (Dorena) Baker Bay County Park (Westfir) Bedrock Camp

Contact Info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (541) 683-6600.

Charges & Cancellations

Standard fees apply and are non-refundable. Visit https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies for more information.

Fee Info

Campsite fee includes one vehicle per site. Extra camping vehicle fee of $5 each is collected at the site. Cash or check, made out to Bureau of Land Management, is accepted. Fee envelope receipt stub must be displayed on the dash.

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Location

Clay Creek Recreation Site is located in Oregon

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Eugene (valley): From Interstate 5 go west on Beltline Road to West 11th Avenue. Turn right onto West 11th Avenue (Highway OR-126). Follow Highway 126 about 29 miles to Siuslaw River Road just west of Walton. Turn left on Siuslaw River Road and follow about 10 miles to the intersection of BLM Road 19-7-20.1. Keep left on Siuslaw River Road for about 6 miles. The main entrance to the recreation site is located on the right. From Florence (coast): Take Highway OR-126 east about 14 miles to Mapleton. Turn right and follow Highway 126 for about 12 miles to Siuslaw River Road. Turn right on Siuslaw River Road and follow about 16 miles to the intersection of BLM Road 19-7-20.1. Keep left on Siuslaw River Road for about 6 miles. The main entrance to the recreation site is located on the right.

Address

No physical address
Walton, OR 97490

Coordinates

43.90508 N
123.56833 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Good
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Available
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Drinking Water
  • Pets
  • Fires

Reviews

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4.0

out of 5

1 Review

Reviewed Jul. 4, 2021

Very remote and quiet

First, the road to get to the campground was super super narrow and winding. Scary to drive-don’t drive at night! Potholes in some areas and branches have fallen onto the road. Drive very slow! Water system at campground was shut down during my visit-some repair work is needed apparently. My site (non-electric) was a bit tricky to find once I got to the campground and it wasn’t a drive in site, but the parking lot next to the site was where I parked. Nice and flat. A little shade. The campsite itself was right next to the creek. Lots of trees and bushes so the site was private. Tent pad area was a decent size. Be mindful of the lower hanging branches on the tree surrounding the tent pad. I had a tough time getting my stakes for the small sun shade tent into the ground-bring a mallet! There were bugs, but not too horrible. Flies, spiders, and butterflies mostly. Saw a couple chipmunks and loved the sound of the creek and cool birds. Very peaceful. The vault toilets were pretty clean and didn’t smell bad and were located on the other side of the paved parking lot from my site, maybe 50 yards away. The campground also had two huge picnic shelters and trails near the creek and a “swimming” area. The creek is only a foot and a half deep. I hiked most of the Clay Creek Trail. It is about a mile and a half and has a 1,000 foot elevation climb but feels steeper. It had so many weeds and other brush that frequently went over the trail so you kinda had to wade through it in some spots and I ended up turning around when I got too hot and tired after about 40 minutes of hiking. The trail was also treacherous in several spots where the trail was narrow (one misstep and you would plummet down the mountain. Note there is absolutely no cell service for about 15 miles! I feel I would be open to staying at this campground again.

Site15
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Clay Creek Recreation Site by Lauren A., July 4, 2021
  • Review photo of Clay Creek Recreation Site by Lauren A., July 4, 2021
  • Review photo of Clay Creek Recreation Site by Lauren A., July 4, 2021
  • (15) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Clay Creek Recreation Site?

    Clay Creek Recreation Site allows vehicles up to 30 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Clay Creek Recreation Site?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Clay Creek Recreation Site, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Clay Creek Recreation Site?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Clay Creek Recreation Site. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Clay Creek Recreation Site, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Clay Creek Recreation Site?

    There are 23 campsites at Clay Creek Recreation Site and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts