Eight Mile

If you’re on the Eastside of Mt Hood this is a good campground to head too, if you like primitive and remote. The campground is a lot bigger than I thought it would be, I think there’s 21 sites. Not a lot happening. I was shocked it’s $21 to camp, thought it would be cheaper. There’s several day use spots in the campground too, for $5 (or free if the NW Forest Pass). Hiking trails nearby, that’s why I was there.

Also called Eightmile Crossing. We liked it here, so much to do and explore. We had loud neighbors addressing their kids at 10:30 PM - the dad yelling "Turn off the TV!" 8-10 times in a row, at a higher volume each time so the whole campground could know what an effective parent he was - but the camp host couple (Dean was the guy) were active and empathetic. They knew how important it is to explain the WHY of certain rules and considerations, and it was fun to hear their background to ending up here. The parents were quieter the 2nd night. The trail system throughout the area is tremendous. We did most of the Eightmile trail loop that starts in the campground. The signage indicated that one way around the circle was easy, the other more difficult, depending on the challenge you wanted. The especially cool aspect of Eightmile is that it's just on the "no rain" side of the climate divide with Portland/the coast, yet still tree-rich. Downsides were being in a sound corridor for planes landing at PDX, no significant distance between sites or between sites and the roads, and the overall typical/routine feel of the place. Bring your fun friends and/or your journal.

We were staying at Eightmile Crossing Campground, so I came down the half-mile trail to walk around Lower Eightmile for a bit. I think it might reach 4-star status if there wasn't a lot of traffic down the dirt road the 2-3 campsites are along, or you didn't get the airplane noise like you do at Eightmile Crossing, but I didn't stay overnight to find out. No traffic or traffic noise during the 30 minutes I was there, though. Fantastic trees/greenery and a healthy stream, plus wide-open spaces and a wide road make for great star-gazing opportunities. Don't forget about the nearby Bald Butte hike, a tougher but relatively off-the-map route ending with humongous views.