Rujada Campground

This was a last-minute find. It was packed and every site was taken. We were able to book because someone just happened to cancel their trip. Bathrooms are clean, but the trash can pile up pretty high from people packing water jugs and cardboard that they should probably take home and put in the trash. Sites are surrounded by trees to give privacy and not feel like you are sharing a site with your neighbor. There is a good hiking trail by the park Swordfern trail. Lots of trees were down when we went from the previous storm. But they were actively clearing them out.

I had a great experience here The campground was clean, the leave no trace policy is followed here. Quiet hours are 10pm - 6am, it was quiet even during the non-quit hours. Very private. There are running water spigots strategically placed throughout the camp, each water station has a waste water dump, and trash can. There are flush toilets with running, a sink and trash can. The garbage was picked up daily. Each site was a tent pad, fire pit and large table. Each site was very private, I couldn't see the other campers unless they were passing by our site. There is no internet, no electricity, and no showers, bring your own. The only negative was the mosquitos - easily resolved with a netted day tent or pop-up with mesh. Laying Creek sounds heavenly all throughout the camp, the trails are great to walk, and you will eventually wander to a swimming hole. Beautiful campground, with a great history going back to 1933. Highly recommend!

I had a great time camping here. The sites are mostly private, though some of them are really close together (ideal if you're camping as a group!). I enjoyed walking the small trails at all the camp sites that wind between other sites and to amenities along the paved loop.

Lots of potable water access and big fire pits. The tent areas are nice and flat, I wanted mine to catch some more sunlight so I scooted over a little and opted to not use the designated area.

Currently there seems to be no camp host, and I had to clear a lot of trash from my fire pit before setting up camp. It was unfortunately crowded when I was here, so lots of dad rock from the RV down the way and a few groups of screaming children (and parents who don't know how to parent other than screaming at their children, yikes).

When it was quiet, I could still hear the river even though I was in the far side of the camping sites. The plethora of birds in the trees alone made the trip worth the while. Watch out for the large slugs! They're beautiful and a part of nature that needs to be respected.

Some road noise from logging trucks and other vehicles, but once the sun went down it was fairly peaceful Highly recommend coming out this way for a weekend camp. Site 11 is nice and isolated and well insulated by vegetation. Site 12 is very exposed to the loop. Make sure you check the campground map before you pick a spot! The reservation system seems to be lackluster, but nice to know you can snag a site for your specific time.

This campground is way out on the road less travel..literally. We made reservations online but once we got to the campground we discovered reservations meant nothing as there was someone in our spot. We did end up being accommodated and were given another site for the night before moving again to a different spot for the remainder of our stay.

This is a primitive campground. So bring your generator if you need it!

There was a nice playground which did surprise us that my kiddos liked. Along with access to a nice swimming hole next to the campground. Be advised getting to it was not easy especially with small kiddos.

You are next to a few waterfall hiking trails, one of which was pretty kid friendly.

Overall this was a cool one time deal for us, if anything go and check out the nearby waterfalls.

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the distinct pleasure to tryout and review gear from great outdoor companies. This is my ranger review of the Primus Lite+ backpacking stove kit at Rujada campground in Oregon.

Campground review

Rujada is smaller campground located just south-east of Cottage Grove, Oregon; up Bryce creek rd.

This is a nice, well-maintained campground right on Layng Creek, in a heavily wooded area. It offers 15 campsites, some of which can be reserved online and others are first come, first served. The sites are quite unique to each other, some offering privacy, some larger and open, and a couple just off the "Swordfern trail" next to the creek. You can hear the creek's small waterfall from most of the sites, and there is even a couple of spots on the creek to take a dip; if you wish.

The "Swordfern trail" starts at the day use area; where you can find a large ball field, horseshoe pits and a tiny playground. The trail continues into the forest following the creek, until it takes a big bend back around to the campground. It is an easy to moderate 2 or so miles, that I feel is family and dog friendly, as the grounds allows pets. If you want bigger hiking payoffs, just up the road approx. 6 miles, you can find "Pinard", "Moon", and "Spirit falls". Each are around 2 easy hiking miles and worth hitting, you can easily do all three in one day. I highly recommend these falls as they are some of the better, lesser known falls in Oregon.

As for amenities; Rujada has two restroom facilities, one pit and one gender-specific flush, with sinks, located nearby the day use area. They also have trash service, recycling, water bibs and dish water troughs. There are no r.v. specific sites, so no power or sewer hookups. Each site also offers the expected firepit rings as well as awesome picnic tables made from big timbers from back in the day.`

I liked this campground overall for its small size and more primitive nature, I will return and use it for a good jumpoff point for the many beautiful hikes nearby.

Product review

Primus Lite +

https://primus.us/products/eta-lite-7?variant=17262691525

The Primus Lite+ is a great, light and well built integrated backpacking stove/pot kit from the makers of the original soot free kerosene stove back in 1892. These stoves have come a long way, now offering auto start piezo igniters, no need for manually lighting with a match.

The integrated pot system is attached with a grasp on the neoprene surround and a twist. No need to worry about your pot falling off while boiling water. If you would rather use your ol' trusty pot or kettle; it does have 3 small pegs that can be screwed into the burner to better balance your cookware. These pegs also attach to the pots strap and are at hand anytime. For more stability it also comes with two more options, one is an included tripod stand that fits 3 size fuel bottles. The other is a sweet, included hanging lanyard, so if you can't find a suitable surface, you can hang it from a nearby branch.

If you purchase the smallest size fuel canister, all items(less the tripod) will fit into the integrated pot, taking up the least amount of space possible in your pack.

This unit burns very hot, as the flame is concentrated directly on the pot and is not very adjustable. It does boil water very quickly though, 3-4 min. depending on conditions. I do feel that it might not be the best unit for cooking food as I could see it easily burning the food to the bottom. I might try rice or soup, just keep an eye on it. It is a perfect setup for making Mountain house meals and I love it for my coffee.

My only criticism would be the pouring spout, or lack thereof. The cap has a hole for pouring with two alongside to allow for airflow. My problem, which may be user error, is most times I'm pouring, the water spills down the side of the pot. I tried to pour quicker, or slower, at an angle, and almost always have this problem. It is getting better each time I try, so hopefully I can solve this soon.

All and all a great unit and does all that would be expected from this type of system, with some cool unique features. I recommend this to any backpacker or even the casual camper.

Was not impressed with this campground. I thought going on a Monday and Tuesday it would be nice and quiet, but that was far from the case. The chainsaws and falling trees from a nearby logging operation started at 0530 my first morning there and continued through the day, with an addition of logging trucks barreling down the road very close to the campground. Needless to say not the relaxing camp trip I was hoping for. The spot I had, spot 2, was very open to all people walking by on 3 sides of the spot. The campground was very busy for being there during the week. On the plus side there were flush toilets in the main campground area and they had a later check out of 1400. The trail leading from the campground was also a nice trail.