Viento State Park Campground

This was a very last-minute stop for us & we didn’t look up the reviews first. To mirror what the other reviews have said, the trains run all throughout the night. Because of that, plus the noise from the freeway, I was surprised by the 3-star rating, so gave my rating accordingly. We’ve been on a month-long trip & would not consider this place 3 stars. The location is convenient & the campground is nestled in the trees, but it’s not enough to offset the noise. Speaking of the trains again — we’ve stayed at many campgrounds where trains can be heard, but never like this… We were woken up by blaring train horns at least 8 times in the middle of the night. So if you value sleep at all, I would say there are plenty of other options in the area to choose from

First time here, not particularly enamored with the campground for several reasons. 

Nestled in the trees and between Hwy 84 and the Union Pacific Railroad, both are busy and can be heard all day and night. 

No dump station anywhere in this campground, you can dump and either campground to the west or the east but not convenient. 

Spaces are tight and we would not have been able to get into our spot if the person across from us did not kindly move her vehicle. Our rig is not that large, at 26'. 

The good is the river which is an easy walk or e-bike ride. Lots of trails to ride but they say no e-scooters but okay for e-bikes. This was not enforced since my brother and sister in law rode their scooters all over the place. 

RV camping is separated from the tent camping which would make it nice for tent campers. 

Fun to ride the paved trails, go to the Columbia River and watch the sail boarders doing their thing.

This is a nice campground with lots of trees and shade but it sits between I-84 and the Columbia River which has a major train line so it's not necessarily a quiet campground (trains run all night). No dump station available but we had electric and water. Not much grass anywhere and things were really dusty due to dryness and heat of the summer. You can't see the river from the campground but you can walk to it (or drive to it) and there are several picnic tables near the river. There is a nature trail but it is not marked well at all to find the beginning of it. Convenient to Hood River though and an easy drive to Cascade Locks for ice cream at the local dairy dine.

The campground is pretty nice. Clean showers and restrooms. Spaces are small and you will see your neighbors. It is a good place to establish a base if you want to do hikes in the eastern half of the gorge. You can hike / walk to Starvation Creek SP and Lindsey Creek SP. This CG also has river access for activities like wind surfing or kite boarding. No boat launch that I saw. WA side is also accessible via the bridge in Hood River. Hood River is close for resupply or a meal.

Nice campground, pretty trees and river access. Freeway noise and trains make it a bit noisy, but for a one night travel stop it’s just fine.

The first night we stayed at Viento State Park I was unprepared for the very active, incredibly loud trains that ran ALL NIGHT! I was ready to pack up immediately until my family told me that they hadn’t slept that GOOD in forever. They loved the trains. It wasn’t until we spent time walking along the beach, took a few good hikes and bike rides that I started to see the charm in Viento.

There are two campgrounds; one near the water and train tracks, and the other across the interstate that is for tents only.

Take your bikes for a great ride along the Historic Columbia River Highway, or your kiteboards to play in the gorge!

All in all, I think this a great camping spot. Just be prepared for the sound of trains!

Really loud because of the train and the highway. Not a huge issue for me but not ideal. The train blew its horn a couple times in the middle of the night. The river is close and the gorge is beautiful. Probably would be difficult to swim with the constant high winds. The dirt is really dry and dusty so it gets everywhere.

Nice campground and location to Hood River but between the highway traffic and trains running all night makes for long nights. Unfortunately cannot recommend.

Well, that was an adventure. The campground(site A39) is more like an overnight rest stop. It sits on the site of the old Viento railroad station with the railroad on one side and the highway on the other. That configuration works well for loading and unloading of trains but not so good for the city dweller who's trying to get away for a few days. 

The site was level and nice enough, but it sits approximately 25 feet from Interstate 84 where the sustained decibel level is 71db. That's not enough to cause permanent damage but it will prevent normal conversation. More like a constant running vacuum cleaner. 

The amenities on site were fine but the weekend we were there, there was a problem with both the water pressure and drainage in the bathrooms. The showers didn’t seem to experience the same issues. 

The water was beautiful and a short walk from the camp to the day use on the river. We also explored the backwater referred to as Viento Lake. It's more of a stagnant pond but a nice walk none the less. We had some difficulty finding the improved path due to the only entrances being through occupied campsites(and those are unmarked). I think 17 and 39? 

On Saturday we took the 11-minute drive into Hood River and the Western Antique Aero/Auto Museum (WAAAM). They have the largest collection of still operating antique airplanes in the US. I highly recommend visiting them on a Second Saturday when they select some cars and planes for'exercising'. 

On Sunday by midday, we packed up, leaving Viento State Park knowing that we would likely never visit again.

Spent two nights here with my kids. It was well maintained, clean restrooms and was right near a creek. It was about .5 miles away from the Columbia but it wasn’t really safe to travel by foot since it crossed the freeway. It’s right by I-84 and the railroad track so there was constant noise. Bring ear plugs and be prepared for the sound of cars, trucks and trains at all hours. It’s about 5 miles south of Hood River, so it was easy to hop in the car and have some fun there as well. Despite the noise, we had a great time. My kids enjoyed themselves, made friends and even had a visit from a friend beaver passing out stickers and junior ranger pins

This is very close to I-84 and to a very active railroad, so it's pretty noise.  The sites are small (we were cramped with 1 large tent and a small trailer).  BUT, it's less than an hour prom Portland, and when other sites are booked, this one still had a few options.  The camp hosts were very kind and helpful

Nice campground. Clean, plenty of rv hookups.

Short, 5 minute walk to the river.

A train track runs throught the middle of the campground. Trains run every hour or so. VERY loud.

Tent spots were $8. Rv spots were $24.

Lots to offer here and is good for one night for more avid tenters wanting the sights or nature, or multiple nights for social campers or RVs. Good trails, well run, clean, and smack dab in the middle of Columbia Gorge, one of the most beautiful places in the country. Plenty of tall trees. I grew up next to a freeway and I love trains, though the highway and train honks are substantial if your idea was to relax in nature for the weekend. Would be four stars if the sites were a little more spread out, I reckon'. Bring your kayak, fishing pole or wetsuit - as of today, theswimguide.org indicated locations up- and downriver from Viento were safe (though it's harder than it should be to find that kind of information). Video from the tent sites south of I-84, most of the photos are from the north, river more RV-ish side.

Viento is a nice state park along 84 right outside of hood river. It is along the columbia river and has beach access. The campground is split in two with the tent sites on one side and the rv sites on the other. The highway and a railroad track run right through the campground. There are mulitple trails perfect for day hikes. The sites and bathrooms are clean. Oregon State Parks offer free showers.

When I camped here it felt like I was at a local park. The sites here are walk in and it is not necessary to make a reservation. Came in on a weekday and a local told me that if you were to camp here on the weekend the sites would be full. There a two sections where you can camp: a north and south. The north had a majority of the campgrounds.

The weather was pretty unstable and drizzled in the middle of the night. The sites were pretty beautiful. There is a fire pit and table. The restrooms were surprisingly clean and well stocked but had no lights and was pitch dark

This campground was a last minute overnight stop on a long road trip. It was very close to the interstate and also very close to a railroad, which is not good if you are tent camping. Sites are well maintained and very close together. Bathrooms and showers were clean. This would be an ok place to stop and sleep in an RV that can block out the noise.

We were so happy to find a last minute spot here after all of Lost Lake filled up while we were en route one Friday evening. There is however a reason why it was not also full. It is close to the freeway and the sites are not at all secluded. We were happy to stumble upon it in a pinch, though.

Pretty clean and can take a short walk to the river. The bathrooms were clean. Really the only complaints can't be fixed. The campground is a non private loop where if you park on one side you are right next to freeway and the other side is a pretty busy rail line and most trains use their horn there which is extremely loud!