Hideaway Lake Campground, near Estacada, Oregon, is a secluded spot tucked away in the Mt. Hood National Forest, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle. With a handful of sites, many right by the water, it offers a peaceful retreat surrounded by nature.

This campground is all about simplicity and natural beauty. Visitors rave about the clean vault toilets and the lovely hiking trails that wind around the lake, making it a great place for kayaking, fishing, or just soaking in the scenery. One camper noted, “The camp itself is wonderful, there’s a few sites on the water and a few away from the lake.”

While the road to get there can be a bit rough, the journey is worth it for the tranquility you’ll find. Just be prepared for the mosquitoes, especially during the warmer months—bring plenty of bug spray! As one reviewer humorously suggested, “A fire finally brought us some respite” from the swarming bugs.

If you’re looking for a quiet getaway, this campground is a solid choice. Just remember, it’s first-come, first-served, so getting there early is key. With its stunning views and serene atmosphere, Hideaway Lake Campground is a fantastic spot to unwind and reconnect with nature.

The campground is a single loop above the scenic high Cascade Hideaway Lake. The campsites are tucked under a heavy canopy of mixed conifers, including douglas fir and hemlock. Rhododendron and ample spacing provide excellent privacy. A very attractive, tranquil campground. Recreation activities include non-motorized boating, and fishing.

Hideaway Lake Campground - Mt. Hood National Forest

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Mt. Hood National Forest, OR has a lot to offer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Mt. Hood National Forest. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.

Mt. Hood National Forest

The Best Camping Near Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon

Trip 1 mid June - Couldn't get drive into the lake, to much snow! Parked and hiked in for an enjoyable day hike.
Trip 2 mid July - Monday - campground was full, many campers said they planned on staying full 2 weeks. Didn't get to stay. Ended up camping at Harritt Lake.
Trip 3 - 2nd week of August. Monday morning and again campground is full! Saw some of same people as we saw before. Talking with them, it seems they were on their 2nd 2week camping trip to the lake! 

This campground would probably be a great late season/fall camping spot, however summer is very difficult to find a spot.. Campground is First come, first served. 

Nice little lake...never got to stay! We made 3 trips to this very pretty lake!
Small lake, very pretty area, small campground - only 5 sites and a outhouse.

Hidden from the main road. Don't even realize it is there until you pull in!! Love it and all the privacy

Hidden by trees

This place is great duringnthe week. Easy access to the lake from all sites. Stars stars Stars! Nice big campsites, felt pretty far away from the neighbors. Great for an easy paddle, also an easy hike around the lake.

Quaint, nice big tent sites.

Very nice during the weekday. Small lake, great for an easy paddle and fishing. Easy hike around the lake and lots of space and privacy at the campgrounds. Easy access to the lake from all sites.

Quiet, separate campsites.

Great Lakeside campground. Road can be a bit rough.  Mosquitos!! Great hiking. 

Small campground 

I used the get directions button. Followed the map. 

First off the reviews said phone service there. How? Cell reception drops before even getting to the Forest Road. 

To say the road is a little rough is a HUGE understatement. The closer I got to this lake the worse the road got. It went from a decent graveled two lane road to a one lane road, then a dirt road with potholes, to a very narrow dirt track. There was winter storm damage everywhere. Many trees had fallen across the road but the road had been cleared. Still some of the tree branches would rub the side of my car. I would have turned around but there was simply no place to do that. I moved forward hoping to find some way to turn around. Then the road had a large area that was just mud. On the right the land rapidly rose and on the left the land sloped rapidly down into a ravine. Going as slow as possible through the mud I felt the car start to slide towards the ravine. My years of driving prevented the slide down into the ravine. Push on looking for any turn place to turn around. The road became worse and the fallen trees become more abundant. Branches brushing the car almost constant. One of the fallen trees must have been precariously balanced because I heard the scrape on the side of the car and suddenly there was a tree trunk smashing through my windshield.  Had there been a passenger in my car they would have died. I did manage to find enough room to turn around a bit farther down the road. After what was a very painful 20 point turn around I made my way out of the nightmare experience and limped back to civilization. 

What a mistake

Only stayed one night ..The drive was intense in a Honda but I made it...followed someone in...otherwise not sure if I could find it with no service. The spot was peaceful , cleanish toilets and there was a fire ban at the time so we had to bring our own fire pit which was tricky and also called for a lot more bugs . Oh yeah bugs- MOSQUITOES and all the other goodies you find high up in the tops of mountain lakes. But a great find none the less would go again and stay longer since it’s such a drive up.

Beautiful place to wake up

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.

A high Cascade wonder

One of my favorite spots to camp, but get there early - the sites fill up fast since The Portlander let this secret out. You will lose cell service, so bring backup guidance with you. It’s a service road, so the road does get rocky and has some potholes. The camp itself is wonderful, there’s a few sites on the water and a few away from the lake. The vault toilets have always been clean when I go. There’s a lovely hike around the lake with a few steep spots. Great for kayaking, floating, and swimming. Wonderful place to get away from it all!

Small, quiet, primitive campground

With fire closures on highway 224 we had to take 26 and then down around Timothy lake. Road was mostly fine. I was glad we were in a big truck though the higher in we got. It’s pretty damn remote.

Camp sites are beautiful. We stayed right on the water. Saw some cute salamanders swimming around.

The mosquitoes were BAD. 
Even with multiple applications of repellent we were getting absolutely swarmed. Especially around dusk. 
A fire finally brought us some respite.

Only stayed one night. Would go back again with a flamethrower for the bugs.

Photos of Hideaway Lake Campground - Mt. Hood National Forest

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