## Overview

 Little Crater Lake Campground is one of the most scenic spots in Mt. Hood National Forest and a very comfortable place to camp. It is not far from Little Crater Lake, a cold, crystal clear, spring-fed pond. Also nearby is Timothy Lake, where boaters and anglers enjoy recreating, all in the shadows of Mt. Hood, Oregon\'s highest point.
## Recreation

 A short path to view Little Crater Lake begins in the campground. It connects to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which winds its way through the area, past Timothy Lake and up the slopes of Mt. Hood. The long-distance trail is popular among hikers and backpackers, stretches 2,650 miles through California, Oregon and Washington, from Canada to Mexico. Visitors enjoy fishing at Timothy Lake, which covers roughly 1,400 acres. Anglers will find Kokanee salmon and a variety of stocked trout.
## Facilities

 The campground offers more than a dozen single-family sites for tent and RV camping. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring with grill. Accessible vault toilets are provided. A hand-pump water spigot is located near the campground\'s entrance and is the only source of water within the facility. Utility hookups are not available. Parking surfaces are grass, dirt and irregularly shaped.
## Natural Features

 The quiet campground is nestled in an evergreen forest at an elevation of 3,300 feet. Little Crater Lake is a geologic oddity, possibly formed by artesian water forcing its way through soft, volcanic rock. The beautiful, turquoise water is a wonder to see. The surrounding meadow is a great place for observing birds and other wildlife. The region is ripe for huckleberry picking as well. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station Historic District is less than 10 miles from the campground. It was built to house forest service workers in the early 1900s. The rustic architecture and historic nature of the buildings and the surrounding area draws thousands of visitors each year.

Little Crater Lake

Campground Review:

If you’ve ever been to Big Crater Lake (as in the actual Crater Lake deep in southern Oregon) you might have some expectations when you head over to this little beauty for a night of camping. Let me reset your expectations if you were expecting a giant lake created by a volcano years ago… Little Crater lake is just that - little. Tiny might even be a better word for it. But let me tell you, it is 100% worth your journey, and the water is some of the bluest I’ve seen! The road to this campground is a bit treacherous, as in one of the potholes even gave my decked out Jeep Wrangler a rattle, so be careful on your way in. This campsite is out there a bit, but you will enjoy striking views of Mt. Hood on your way in, and if you’ve never seen it up close you should definitely make it point to drive those roads. This campground features huge campsites that leave plenty of room for recreation vehicles for overland camping like my Jeep! We weren’t able to enjoy a campfire due to the season, but the morning and evening views at little crater lake are something else entirely. You really have to see it for yourself, and as an added bonus the Little Crater Lake trail connects to the Pacific Crest Trail so you can get a little dose of Wild if you care for a day hike. Nothing gives you a spirit of adventure like running into hikers that are tackling that amazing trail. While this site isn’t luxury by any means, it includes a minimalist bathroom and some of the most beautiful hikes! Highly recommend.

Little Crater Lake - Beauty just off the Pacific Crest Trail!

The campground itself is not anything special. Little crater lake is located less than 1/4 mile away from the campground. It is absolutely beautiful, and there are plenty of places to go hiking around it. Timothy lake is located about 5 miles away.

Awesome!

Such a nice getaway spot from Portland in the ever beautiful Mt. Hood National Forest. Not too busy and had a wonderful 3 nights visiting. Great summer weather in August and not too buggy. Short walk to Little Crater Lake and from there you can continue onto the PCT to walk towards Timothy Lake. We did this and had a lovely picnic lunch and afternoon swim in Timothy Lake. Great scenic views and relatively quiet.

Little Crater Lake Campground - Beautiful

Absolutely amazing. Little crater lake is spectacular, and only a 5 min walk from the campsites. Clean vault toilets, large campsites pretty well spaced out. Very quite, 10 miles or so from the highway. Pump your own cold spring water to drink. Timothy lake and the Pacific Crest Trail are less than a mile from camp. Timothy lake has good Kokanee fishing and is an easy walk even with fishing gear. Mount Hood is nearby, although not visible from the campground. An alpine meadow nearby makes things a little buggy, but the good far outweighs the bad here. One of the best, if not the best, campgrounds I have visited.

Spectacular

My girlfriend, puppy and I had amazing time here. It's by far one the most beautiful places we have camped since we stared this van trip over a year ago. The hiking trails, crystal clear water...very very cold haha. Small campground to which was perfect for us. Maybe 20 sites I can't remember. I think part of the pacific crest trail ran through as well. Well worth the stop incredibly beautiful.

Absolutely wonderful.

ok, so little crater lake is appropriately named...it's small but man is it gorgeous!! you can see all the way down and see the fallen trees. 
the walk from the campsites is less than a city block.

Little Crater lake

Nature lovers dream

Bring fire wood, bathrooms are clean, easy walk to Timothy lake to swim. Cell service extremely limited

Hidden treasure with a mystical small lake that captures your spirit 

Great little camping area with beautiful scenery. Lots of hiking and large lake not to far away

Awesome!!!

We stayed in spot 7 and it was absolutely perfect! We were close enough to the bathroom to not have to worry too much about the kids getting there, but far away enough not to smell it. The short trail to the lake is directly across the street. Views are breathtaking and only 1/2 mile hike on the PCT to Timothy Lake. My favorite campground in Oregon, so far. 


Perfect & Quiet Little Campground 

Intimate &amp; quiet little campground close to Portland. Little crater lake is beautiful and a quick walk from the campsite. The PCT is a minute or two walk from the lake. Lots of hiking &amp; lake options nearby if you’re looking for a day-trip. Site size varies a lot — we landed site 11 which was big &amp; pretty private. Bathrooms (not the cleanest), garbage and water were close by.

Quiet campground with good hiking nearby 

Sites are close but private and big! Vault toilets so be prepared for that. There is a pioneer pump for water a bit up the road. Little crater lake is a short walk from the campground and it’s gorgeous. Trail connects to the pct and you can take it to timothy lake so there are things to do. No camp host on site for my visit but that wasn’t an issue for us. 