Established Camping
Lazy Bend - TEMP CLOSED DUE TO FIRE DAMAGE
About
National Forest
Mt. Hood National Forest
Overview
Campground closed due to the 2020 Riverside Wildfire Lazy Bend Campground sits next to the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River, close to the city of Estacada. The adjacent river provides countless opportunities for rafting, kayaking, fishing and swimming. The lush, green campground is comfortable for individuals and families who want to escape into nature in Oregon's Mt. Hood National Forest.
Recreation
Fishing is very popular on the Clackamas River. Anglers can expect a catch of winter steelhead, spring Chinook and late summer Coho salmon, as well as other species of freshwater fish. The Clackamas bends and drops through the scenic Cascade Range and offers famous whitewater rafting opportunities. The Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival is held annually in May and attracts rafters from all over the country. A hiking trail follows the river north and south and begins at nearby Fish Creek Campground. A boat ramp is also available there. Scenic driving is available on the West Cascades Scenic Byway, which follows the river.
Facilities
The campground offers single-family sites, most of which are designated for tent camping only. A few RV sites are available within the campground, though large RVs are not recommended and no hookups are available. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring with grill. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Some sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Natural Features
The campground is the forest's westernmost campground, situated at an elevation of 800 feet. It lies between the river and the adjacent highway, nestled among a dense stand of trees. Huckleberry bushes can be found throughout the region. The forest provides habitat for the federally protected bald eagle and northern spotted owl, as well as an occasional peregrine falcon. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area.
Nearby Attractions
North Fork Reservoir is just over 5 miles northeast of the campground. Boating and other water-related recreation opportunities are available there. The campground is 10 miles from Estacada, which offers a variety of dining and shopping options, groceries and fuel.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Firewood Available
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
Great river access
We camped here for 2 days and it was HOT. The water in the river was ice cold though. We had a good time here but unless you want to get into the river there isn’t much to do here.
We didn’t come prepared to float in the lazy section of the river but it seems like a great place to do that.
River and trees
Nice campground along the river. Some sites have river views.
Ranger Review: humangear Duo at Lazy Bend Campground
Campground Review Lazy Bend -- 3/5 Stars
Lazy Bend is a small, nice, basic National Forest campground on the Estacata River. Just off Highway 224, there’s maybe 20 spots or so with a couple of bathrooms (with flush toilets). Each site has a picnic table and fire pit, plus a couple water spigots near the bathrooms.
The sites have a medium amount of privacy, where all of them are pretty much visible from the main campground road, but there’s also trees between most spots. Almost all sites also have river views or easy access down to the river.
Spots are $23 each for up to one vehicle, which seems reasonable for the nice waterfront location and facilities.
Pros:
Overall, a fun little spot to hang out and play in the river for a day or two that’s an easy drive from Portland with some lovely views.
Cons:
Not a ton to do at the actual campground if you’re looking to entertain kids since it doesn't have organized activities such as ranger programs, playgrounds etc., though fishing might be a good option if you’re interested.
Product Review: humangear GoBites Duo -- 5/5 Stars
Several years ago we received a set of GoBites from humangear. This is basically a plastic nylon fork/spoon set that slides together for portability. The faces of the spoon and fork are fairly wide and rounded, so they function almost interchangeably as sporks if needed. For the past three years we’ve used these on an almost daily basis in kids' lunchboxes to eat whatever random food happens to be in the thermos, and they’ve held up incredibly well and functioned pretty much perfectly. We’ve sent these through the dishwasher on the bottom rack, occasionally used them as mini spatulas in frying pans, and generally used them frequently and well.
Recently we received another set of the same GoBites to try out as thedyrt Rangers, and I thought it would be fun to compare how our well-used set held up. Turns out, despite such heavy use, the old and new set are almost indistinguishable. The only difference, and only if you know exactly what you’re looking for, is there’s the tiniest little “scratches” if you hold the GoBites in just the right angle—and the scratches are really more just very fine lines practically indiscernible to the naked eye.
In addition to holding up so well, the GoBites have been practical. They fit well in your mouth and are well designed. The spoon is perfect for cereal and other liquids, while the fork has sharp edges on the sides for cutting and well-formed tines for stabbing. There’s been no gross spots where old food hides and the locking mechanism between the two parts is still in perfect shape.
Overall, I would love a dozen of these in different colors for all our picnics, lunch boxes and camping needs. They even look cute! There’s really nothing I’d change.
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Location
Lazy Bend - TEMP CLOSED DUE TO FIRE DAMAGE is located in Oregon
Directions
From Estacada, travel east on Highway 224 for just over 10 miles to the campground.
Coordinates
45.190487 N
122.207334 W