Memaloose State Park Campground

Large, well kept, full  hookup and tent area, this State Park is a nice option for exploring the Gorge.  Yes, there is highway noise, and some train noise, but there is basically no avoiding either one in the Oregon state parks in the Columbia River Gorge.  Popular with boarders of all kinds, near Hood River and the spectacular Memaloose Overlook.

So far I checked in just today so haven’t explored too much I will update when necessary.

Even though the campground is located between I-84 and a railroad track it is surprisingly peaceful. Although the sites were fairly close there were trees and the layout made it comfortable.

The train does run several times through the night, but it didn’t really bother me us.

Clean bathrooms and showers at the larger building, hosts available and ice and firewood to purchase.

Our site had a beautiful view of the river.

Campground is close to many hikes and wineries. We also checked out Ferment Brewing in Mount Hood, which was dog friendly and delicious.

Nice quiet state park campground with river views. Great spot to set up camp and hit the trails for wildflower season. Tons of hiking trails nearby. At night you will hear the highway traffic and trains. Very clean campground.

Stayed here for a night before an alignment job in Portland. Beautiful state park right on the Columbia River. Beautiful 180 degree views from our camp site of the river, river gorge. Song birds galore. You get traffic noise anywhere in the park and the closer you are to the river the closer you are to the train tracks. Didn’t bother us at all but I could see people not loving it. Very clean bathrooms, full hook up sites for $30 with a view. Can’t beat that.

Great camp ground. Every October our friends and us say here in the last week. Wonderful view of the Columbia River and the Washington side of the river. Easy drive to the Dalles to get anything you might need. Bathrooms are very clean, showers are hot and long. This last week its mostly empty with campers. We always camp next to the river side so we don't have to hear the highway noise. Only the occasional train passing thru that is mostly quite. This location is usually the last camping site of the year. We camped at Memaloose State Park in a Travel Trailer.

Quiet (and dark) rest stop with a view of the water. Several picnic tables, flushable toilets and reliable ATT service.

Planned on staying the night at the Memaloose rest stop across the way in OR but it bright, noisy, was practically on highway 84, and full of semis.

This rest stop is just across the water ($2 toll for the bridge) and on a much quieter road.

I do not like to write long reviews but Very nice campground thanks a lot, everything what you need

We stopped in for the night while passing through. The park and facilities were clean, but the park was only half full. The park is right below the freeway, so there is some road noise, though we didn’t find it to be too bad. The biggest issue here is access from the west. You have to drive several miles past the park to the east to the next available exit, then come back headed west to get to it. If you leave to head east, you have to enter onto the freeway headed west then exit and turn around. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning.

Just pulled in on our way back from the coast, I never would have thought there were so many sites. Nothing was to close to other sites and everything was kept up nicely. They had firewood on site and fire pits at every site. We had a site with full hookups, it seemed the lower ones only had water, check the map and make sure you get what you need. The only downside was we had to drive past to the next exit to come back because the only access is on the west bound side of the freeway.

Our second stay here. Our first time we were next to the highway, this time next to the river.  As stated in other reviews you have the sound of the highway or the sound of the trains.  Neither bother us.

The campsites have enough room between them so that you don't feel crowded.  We had full hookups although some sites don't have full hookups.

It is a great site to stop for a night.

If you get the chance take the old highway 30 that runs on the gorge rim above this site, the views are well worth the slight detour.

Very nice park, conveniently just off the freeway. The freeway noise on one side and train on the other is something to consider fir the light sleeper however our soundproofing and the trees helped lots.

First off you can not access the campgrounds going East towards the Dalles on 84. Not convenient at all. You have to drive through the VERY busy truck stop to enter the campground. Huge campground. For the amount of sites there are not nearly enough bathrooms. There are two women’s stalls for approximately 50 sites in one section. There were only two open working showers as well- which can be accessed by the truck stop. Not maintained at all- never had toilet paper, Camp Hosts were not available to purchase ice. Very very loud. Constant highway noise and train. The wind is super super strong so unless you have a camper don’t bother. Not a lot of trees to cut the wind. Sites have little to no privacy. Only positive is the view of the gorge. Very pretty!!

June 2021 this campground is full of trees that give shade all around most of the campsites. We stayed at site A-13 which is up against highway#84 westbound traffic so there is noise 24hrs a day especially when trucks are using their Jake brakes to slow down with. There are loops A and B. So, B loop starts inside the middle of the park and A loop goes around until about A-45 then it meets B loop then continues around the outside of the campground back to A-1. Site A-1 thru A-15 and most all of B loop have full hookups otherwise there are many tent sites that have water and a sewer drain at each site. The sites on the lower part of the campground against the river are quieter and have a wonderful view of the river and the Washington side of the river along with some river traffic. However there still is some noise from the railroad tracks once about every 2-3 hrs. But not nearly as noisy as the highway side. All and all this park is very nicely laid out and has many amenities to offer.

This park is beautiful and well-maintained right on the Columbia river. The bathrooms are clean, the showers are hot, and the views of the river are gorgeous. But do not book sites A1 through A 17 as they are right under Highway 84. It’s not very relaxing sitting by the fire with trucks whizzing overhead. 

Great campground between Hood River and the Dalles. The spots closest to the water have great views and trees for shade during the summer. If you’re there during blackberry season you’ll find lots of blackberry bushes to pick. Definitely check out the kite surfers in Hood River as well as several breweries. The only drawback is that you have to drive past it coming back from Hood River and then turn around to enter but it’s not that bad.

We ended up here by accident. We tried to go to a different park, but it was first come/first served and it was full.  We were headed home along the highway and decided to try Memaloose. To our surprise, there were plenty of open sites, so we decided to give it a shot. We couldn't tell what had power and what didn't in the dark, so we ended up in an interior site that ended up being pretty nice.  We were under a few big trees, so it provided shade and felt kind of like we were in a cave when we were sitting by the fire.  

A few things to note - 1) The hookup sites are only on the outside of the B loop. 2) It's close to the highway and there is a train that goes by, so there is some noise, but it's not bad. 3) Most of the fire pits are really tall/deep. It's not ideal for roasting marshmallows.

Overall, it's a good park.  Some sites have great views of the river, and it's very central to exploring lots of stuff in the eastern Gorge area.

Awsome spot just off the highway. I pulled in to see how much for the night, and everything was free for one night! Awsome! As I pulled they had full hookups to the left and down further camp spots with just water and views of the river! Very clean and well maintained! I will be back!

Memaloose State Park is much bigger than I anticipated. There are several loops and the incline makes it interesting for biking and walks around the park. I like that the park is along the Columbia River Gorge but, it is difficult to access the park if you are driving east and there isn't access to the river. 

The coolest part about the park is that there is a trail leading to an active railroad which is great for train spotting and photos. Not so great for noise.

This campground is hard to find as it is located through the off ramp rest area - but worth the find. There are trains on one side and the freeway on the other - but lots of spots and beautiful views of the river.

I really liked this campground. My site was right by the entrance with a direct view of I-84 but I didn’t care, the road noise and the train felt peaceful to me. It was HOT, 100 degrees July 19-21 and many sites have no shade from sun or wind so do be aware of that, however, there was a nice breeze and a stillness that was lovely. No bugs. No water access either but I knew that prior to and drove very close by to Mayer State Park to cool off, also checked out Rowena Point. The staff here is friendly and watchful, and as I was alone I felt safe. Mostly older RVers, very quiet campground.

Snagged one of the coveted sites overlooking the Columbia River Gorge (A45) at Memaloose.

Pros: THE VIEWS. No filters needed for your photos. Must catch a sunset! Bathroom is clean. Hot showers for $. Water available. Good recycling facilities. Dog friendly.

Cons: Little privacy from other campers. Hard to snag a good site. Campground was fully booked, however the majority of reserved sites went unfilled.

Tips: Know how to set up your tent in the wind. The spot gets some healthy gusts of wind, so come prepared. If you come without a reservation and the campground is full, take a look at the list of incoming reservations for the day to get an idea which of the empty “reserved” sites may be no-shows. The list is published at the pay station.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into with this site. We wanted to be a little further from Portland in the Columbia River Gorge. We knew that you can't get away from train sounds at any of those sites. We packed our car-camping setup (an old, tall Coleman tent) and set out.  We reserved the site closest to the river (also closest to the train). Our tent was too tall for our site, which had no wind protection. At times, the tent was flat. We had to ask our neighbors uphill if we could move up between their trees to sleep. 

So if you camp in the back of your car or have a low tent (or catch a less windy day), maybe this site can be nice. The colors were beautiful, the sightseeing we did nearby was fun. The view from the picnic table was great. The bathrooms were well equipped. But are tent was flat...

We stayed here for eight nights and enjoyed the peacefulness of this park.  The Host/Volunteers are very friendly and keep the park very clean.  There is no direct access to the Columbia River but the views of the river and opposite shore are very pretty.  The interstate is close by, but other than that, it's a beautiful park with mature/older trees and plenty of shade.

Very nice state park. Stayed here for 8 nights. Some interstate noise but didn’t bother me. Little disappointed that there was no direct access to the river. Views of Columbia River were beautiful!! Lot of trees and shade.

I love this campground for its location on the gorge. In the right time of season you’ll find beautiful blackberry bushes in front of your campsite that you can snack on. Beautiful views and wonderful shade in the summer. Great location to head to the local area Town’s and hang out for the afternoon.. I love going into town and watching the kite surfers as well as hang out at the local breweries for a bite to eat and a beer.

Do not fall prey to a river view spot! There are no trees to provide shade or protection from the wind! There are burn marks on my tent from the polls rubbing together. It is also a little weird only being able to access the campground from one side of the 84.

Memaloose is a popular busy Oregon State Park with a compact layout and close together, less than private sites.  Not our ideal campground.  What it does offer to offset the negatives though are beautiful views of the Columbia River and easy access to Hood River and all of its attractions.   We had no reservations on a Sunday in July and lucked out and a pretty decent spot was available, B35, with views of the river.*** I think B33, might be the best spot in the park. For a crowded park, with close together sites, it was surprisingly quiet and we had a great night sleep.