Gorge Amphitheatre Campground

OK. Some friends and I arrived the day before the first of 2 shows by Dead& Company. We had Big Rig Gold camping tickets. First off they searched every vehicle for guns(I get it) but the dogs would alert if there were any, right? So why do they have some 20 something enter my RV afterward and search it while I'm being FRISKED! Here again wouldn't the dogs work for this. Second it wasn't an organized ordeal getting in at all. You have all these big motorhomes and travel trailers you know are coming so they water the grass? Yes alot of people got stuck in mud and had to be towed out. There was a paved road(for the staff) right next to where we had to enter. I guess they count and we didn't. Personally I think whoever was in charge of Big Rig Camping entrance should be fired. I sounds harsh but it was a complete cluster F%#k! Ok then we get in and it's a beautiful campground with a staff that didnt seem to have the slightest clue of where peoples awnings would be in relation to the sun in 90+ degree weather or how to park vehicles accordingly. I had to argue with the kid to park so we wouldn't fry in the sun for 3 days. He kept telling me"So you can get out easy". I finally told him"I know how to drive" and after 5 or 10 minutes he FINALLY gave up and I parked correctly for the weather. So finally all is well(I thought) LOL. 5 in our party with 3 vehicles and three disabled ADA customers. Day 2 time to go in. The regular ADA gate as shown on their website map is closed off and we have to cross several lines of people(At least the other customers were helpful-to the extreme) to get to the ADA entrance into the venue. Finally got there and all went well. Day 3 the same thing crossing through all the other people in line to get to our entrance(ADA gate on map still not open) Then someone obviously decided all the disabled people had to be searched AGAIN after the front gate fiasco. I felt like I was being punished for being disabled. The search relulted in all the cripples baking in the sun with no shade and warm water to drink(That is if you brought your own). All in all another Cluster F%#k. LiveNation obviously doesn't care about their customers since they practically have a monopoly on large venues. Tickets were grossly oversold. I went in 2019 and there was no problem finding a place to sit on the grassy hill to watch the show then. This time it was standing room only and still hundreds and hundreds of people kept coming in until it was so crowded it got very uncomfortable with no real air circulation due to it being so crowded and 90+ degrees. Before LiveNation they used to have misting stations for people that overheated. So crowded my wife fainted(I've been with her 22 years and have NEVER seen her faint or wilt in the heat in the slightest. She's always lived in central Washington and is used to the heat. Thank God there was a nurse behind us that took charge and helped her. Kudos to the medical staff that did get there once a customer dialed for help. 911 I think. Once they arrived they acted in a very efficient and kind manner and checked ALL her vitals right down to blood sugar levels at the medical tent. They gave her 2 IV's of saline and the Doctor made sure she was OK before releasing her. They then gave us a ride back to our campsite. The medical staff was amazing! The rest of the personel NAH. LiveNation ruined yet another venue. I will NEVER EVER go to another LiveNation venue, I'm done! For the prices they charge, what you get in return is pathetic.

First off, my type of camping is getting as far away from other people as possible. That is absolutely not going to happen when you are at the Gorge, but that is not why you camp at the Gorge. I’m giving it 4 stars because for what it is, it was decent enough and clean.

On a whim my husband and I decided to book camping along with our concert tickets since it was being offered and was fairly inexpensive. Our motivations for doing so were 1) not having to drive to and from the venue on the day of the show and 2) it’s an experience, might as well try it at least once right?

We went with standard camping, the cheapest option.

As you arrive at the camping area a number of attendants will direct you where to go. Your car will queue up to be sniffed by some sniffer dogs and then if you get the go ahead you will be directed to your site sandwiched in between the other cars that are arriving at around the same time as you. You’ll feel a slight sense of panic and dread as you realize how tightly everyone is packed in and how tricky it will be to carefully navigate your vehicle through the narrow patch of grass that is left between the tents and vehicles if you decide to leave. You will then take a deep breath, crack open a beer, and start settling in.

We had enough room in our designated space for our “6 person” cabin tent, and for our fairly large shade tent that we set up between the tent and the back of the car. You will absolutely want to bring some sort of shade tent if you plan on hanging out in the campground before the concert. It gets uncomfortably hot very fast if you are not shielded from the sun.

We had originally planned on driving out in the morning to explore the area, maybe find some water to cool off in, but ultimately decided not to due to the previously mentioned difficulties of navigating our car out of our site and through the sea of other campers. Fortunately we had plenty of food, snacks and a cooler full of ice and beer. If you find yourself lacking these things, there is a small general store a short walk away that has some camping supplies, beer, snacks, water, that kind of thing (sold at “we’ve got you trapped here, so just suck it up and fork over the money” prices).

The toilets were porta potties but they were kept surprisingly clean and there were plenty of them. There was a sink with running water, soap, and paper towels. I only visited the station closest to our tent but I think there were a few scattered about.

There was someone blaring loud music past midnight the first night, but that was pretty much what I expected. I didn’t encounter any issues with other campers.

It’s about a mile (or maybe it just felt like it?) walk on a dusty road from standard camping to the venue. Wear good shoes and sunscreen!

Ok, that’s about it. Everything I would have liked to know in advance to be prepared. I might camp again if I see another show at the Gorge, but I’d probably upgrade to get a bit more space and wiggle room.