Best Glamping near Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Iron Creek is a great camp site in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The river runs near the camp was a great spot for the kids and dogs to play. Camp sites were large spacious and private. I would highly recommend this campground!

This is a great base camp for exploring the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

The campground and facilities is very clean and well maintained. Most sites are in a wooded area with good shade. 

The day use area is along the river with boat ramp and dock. However, THERE ARE NO FALLS. The other reviewer's photos are not from here. There is a damn downstream which creates a slow moving river good for boating. The river is very cloudy murky green a result of ash and sediment runoff from the Mt St Helens eruption. 

Loops:

A-Loop: water & electric. A mix of shaded and open grassy sites. Outer are pull through, inner are back in. You will find the most private sites in this loop. 

B-Loop: no utilities, possibly tents only. These are the only sites which are not paved. Many are right next each other. It's like they had it laid out well but then jammed in a few more as an afterthought. 

C-Loop: Group RV water & electric. This loop is interesting. It’s a paved circle with a treed center with group tables and firepit. Circle your RVs like a wagon train.

D-Loop: water & electric. This is an RV neighborhood where everyone has a "Welcome to our campsite" sign and there's a common covered area with tables. Sites have the table to rear of site.

Stunning view of the mountain backdrop- crystal clear waters-access to a small shop and water activity rentals which is fun. There is a resort , and cabins as well as tent camping which I prefer. The lake itself is “busy”with families and kids during the day but nice clean camping otherwise -some might even call it glamping but it’s worth it for the view and having access to the activities the next morning.

Our family has had the privilege of enjoying Columbia Gorge Getaways on three separate occasions and each time was a joyous and exceptional experience. Our first time staying was for a friend's wedding. Everything was perfect from start to finish and hands down one of the best weddings we have been to from the stunning Ceremony site overlooking the luscious forest to the fun event space perfect for any gathering. We stayed in a Bell tent and I have never slept so soundly as I did for this cozy glamping weekend. The bathrooms have everything you need and being amongst friends and family in such a gorgeous space was pure bliss. 

We gathered again for a lovely baby shower on a perfect Spring day! Again, the event space was such a great spot and our kids loved play area and fun lawn games! 

The last time we stayed we brought our tent and loved it. We were amazed at how comfortable and spacious our site was along with a lovely picnic table to enjoy our meals. The kids loved running around the safe and friendly campsite and playing in the play space. They have been hounding us to return and we cannot wait! We will be recommending Columbia Gorge Getaways to everyone as the perfect gathering spot! Thank you for the wonderful experiences each and every time.

The camping area isnt close to the water at all, unless you have a cabin or yurt spot, but its a fairly nice campground, we went in early May and there was stilk snow where our tent was gonna go, so watch for that! It’s a beautiful view though!

We have stayed at Lost Lake a couple of times now, once in a tent and once in a yurt. The lake is fun for fishing and renting a little boat or canoe to get onto the water. The store has a little of everything, though as you would expect, a little pricey.

The only thing missing from this amazing camping spot is electricity and running water. Otherwise, it’s perfect! Absolutely gorgeous view of Mt. Hood, tons of hiking, a beautiful lake and camping spots for everyone. They have walk-in spots, yurts, a-frames, RV spots, a horse camp and even a few rooms at the lodge. Make sure to spend at least 3-4 days!

The views of Mt. Hood are amazing from this lake. Spent the day in a canoe, exploring the lake. Stayed in one of the yurts, which would have been better if it was away from the tent camping. Neighbors were a bit close. After exploring we did see that there were many sites that were more private...next time we will reserve those. You can rent boats, canoes, etc, and there is a store that has anything you would need. Very nice staff.

This place gets CROWDED, and is hard to drive around/walk around due to the amount of day users.  Stayed in a cute yurt which was a bit of walk from the lake (~.25 mi) which is fine but getting my kayak down was a bit of a pain due to the amount of people occupying the road/parking etc.   Stunning views and didn't see anybody on the hike up to lost lake.  Store was poorly set up and chaotic, check in process took quite some time and was confusing.

I have kind of a love/hate thing going on for Lost Lake Campgrounds.

Pros: It is beautiful. There's a reason it's one of Oregon's most photographed sites. There's a 3-mile hike around the lake that shows Mt. Hood and its lovely reflection in the lake. There's fishing, swimming, boating, and a camp store that has "It's It" ice cream (definitely a pro). The camp sites are nice, decent sized, and surrounded by trees.

Cons: It is crowded. We're talking thousands of people on a nice summer weekend, traffic jams, and no place to actually make it into the lake (except right at the boat dock) unless you claim your picnic spot really early. There's also no cell phone reception (at all), and while that may sound lovely in theory, when you're a family trying to find each other somewhere on the trail or in the campground it's a real pain.

On weekends and holidays, you also need to book not two, but three nights in a row (Thursday/Friday and Saturday, for example), so if you're trying to get away for a regular 2-day weekend you're out of luck.

In general: 140+ camp sites including several walk-in-only sites right near the lake. There's also cabins and yurts, though those don't include a bathroom on site, so the $70-$150+ seems pretty steep for still having to use an outhouse (we haven't stayed in the cabins personally yet, but have seen them in person). You can book online for both cabins and camp sites (reserveamerica for the camping).

Tips: For day trips, there's a $8 parking fee that you can avoid if you park outside of the entrance and walk the 1/4 mile or so. Also, cabins and yurts are half-price in May, something we may remember for next Memorial Day well in advance (since everything books up so quickly).

We have camped here three times over the last 7 years.  Sometimes for full vacations, sometimes just as part of a larger trip, and I always love it.  The lake is beautiful, with great views of Mt. Hood.  The little store has snacks and some food as treats and rents kayaks, row boats, etc.  The showers are very nice and clean.  The campsites are huge and very private.  There are even a few trails which leave from the campground if you want to hike.  And for those that want less rustic they even have yurts!

Now, it is busy, especially on the weekends.  There is a reason for that.  If you want to spend the day at one of the spots on the lake, you have to get up early and get your spot (by 9am, even on a weekday).  On the weekend it can be a bit of a mad house with people coming from outside the campground, so I recommend staying during the week.

Also, the bathrooms are pit toilets.  They aren't bad, but still pits. :)

Pros:

* Beautiful lake

* Close to Hood River

* Hiking from the campground

* Store with treats

* Very nice showers

* Very nice campsites with lots of space

Cons:

* Very crowded on the weekends

OK:

* Pit toilets

I stayed here during a two day ride through the Cascades on the Washington BDR. You can tell when the owners of a place like this really care. From being greeted by name as I pulled in to time spent talking with the owners under their lovely shared social hangout area with other campers, it was a very welcoming experience. I'll be staying here again for sure.

Let me start off by saying - if there are so many campsites in Washington, why would you want to stay at the same place multiple times???

Ike Kinswa is the place I would stay at repeatedly. Between the incredibly helpful and friendly staff, to the private tent sites, to the water access, we’ve already stayed twice this summer!! So incredibly impressed with this gem!

One of my favorite campgrounds in Washington! Lots of camping spots right on Lake Mayfield with tons of trails in and around the campground. Private swimming areas are awesome for paddle boarding and kayaking. Also has its own boat launch which is great during the summer. Really quiet in the spring and fall which is my favorite time to go. Make sure to take one of the hikes north from the campground along the Tilton river, it's beautiful.

This campground is a very nice one to check out when adventuring in the lower portion of Washington.    Much like its single site counterpart the options offered at this campsite are well thought and well placed.    I noticed that the campground itself was very well maintained and offered many features including water spigots in common areas, clear walking paths to facilities and ample parking for the campers.   

Each site was equipped with standard features including fire rings and picnic tables.  But the real advantage to this location in particular is its proximity to some of the more lengthy trails in the park.   

Initially I was a bit confused as to where the camp was, my cell signal was weak and I could not seem to find the campground until I finally gave up and just decided to go on a hike first.    In doing so I was able to navigate to higher ground closer to the Beacon Rock and from there I pulled up a map to locate.    My suggestion is with AT&T to have an offline map loaded when traveling to this area.    While some areas do feature great signal others are more spotty like this one.

The campground was filled with campers and I spoke to a ranger when visiting who mentioned that group sites typically book in advance on weekends but can be more easily picked up on the fly during weekdays from Monday to Thursday with Tuesdays and Wednesdays being the optimum day for last minute travelers to the area.

Sites here can be a bit costly depending on the group size, but the additional offering the camp provides is the ability to rent all sites for those needing a large group. This must be done well in advance but can offer many benefits for larger groups. Much like other state facilities in Washington you will need to display your Discover Pass on each vehicle parked on property. One pass does not cover multiple cars upon a single use.

I strongly think that Washington State has the best places to camp and hike. The Pacific Northwest has a large array of amazing camp grounds and hikes, and I love it!! I recently wanted to hike within the Goat Rock area, and decided to stay at the Walupt Lake Campground so I could be closer to the trailhead. I left Friday evening after work and headed to the campground. There wasn't as many people as I expected, but the weather forecast was calling for some rain. I went in the beginning of September, so was bummed that I wasn't going to see the fall colors (usually the end of September-beginning of October is when this happens). The campground was great, and I was glad that I stayed here. Because we got here around 7:00pm, we really only pitched our tent and grabbed a quick bite to eat. I didn't tour the campground because it was already getting dark. We woke up early in the morning and headed to the Goat Rock Wilderness. We spent the entire day hiking (13 miles to be exact!). From the top of the hike we were able to see Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier. It doesn't get any better than that!! I would highly recommend this campground if you are just looking to camp, but also if you have a hike you want to do in the area early in the morning. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: Amber 28 Gregory Pack

As a DYRT Ranger, I was able to test the Amber 28 Gregory Pack. I was pretty excited to get to test this pack, because I have a few other Gregory Packs and have been eyeing this pack for awhile. During my 13 mile hike I was able to test this pack. 

3 reasons why I love the Amber 28 Gregory Pack:

1. Comfortable- I love how comfortable and form fitting this pack is. I love packs that don't sit right on my shoulders. This pack gave a little room between by shoulder and the pack which is great! I like being able to carry the weight of the pack by my hips, and this pack allowed that.

2. The space and pockets- I appreciate a pack that allows me to pack multiple items (10 essentials!). The pack had plenty of room, and extra zipper pockets. I was able to utilize all the space in this pack, and it still didn't feel heavy.

3. Breath-ability- The back of this pack has a wire meshing and pads to help with the breath-ability. I do sweat a lot when I hike, so I like this component of the pack.

Overall, I would highly recommend this pack. It comes in a few colors as well which is always nice :) You can find the Amber 28 pack here:

https://www.gregorypacks.com/packs-bags/day-packs/amber-28-77831XXXX.html?dwvar\_77831XXXX\_color=778315590&cgidmaster=packs-day-packs#sz=18&start=37

I was at Twin Falls Campground for the day (fishing) in July 2019, and stayed here back in June 2018. It's another of the smaller campgrounds with only 5 walk in sites. I usually stay in smaller places or go dispersed style when possible. 

It's a bumpy windy road down to the campground. I just drove through here (Aug 7th, 2019) and I wouldn't take a car down to the campground without high clearance.  Didn't need 4WD to get around but the ruts are deep in certain spots. Please don't try to drag a trailer down.

The sites are FREE, which is alway nice, and 1st come 1st serve. The sites are limited in number, but each site is pretty large. The river access is great. The sound is a little loud when sleeping, if you're here when the river is really flowing.

Decent fly fishing in the bend of the Lewis River. 

The falls itself is pretty. While not exactly twins, there are 2 waterfalls.

There is a clean vault toilet, but no running water. 

Kinda awkward that when parking for day use of the river, you still have to walk through a couple sites to get to the water.

The campsites here were pretty spacious. With the road coming to a dead end, you simply find a place to park and carry your stuff to one of numerous sites (I think there were 8-10), with other spots where you could easily pitch a tent. The ground was soft, with the occasional root, and heavy tree coverage, with the only light sporadically shining through spots of the forest. Some brave chipmunks and squirrels to deal with, but nothing too difficult.

The waterfalls were beautiful, with a passing river that had a short hiking trail (< .5 miles) along it. We didn't do our research, but the site doesn't offer much in terms of hiking. It's perfect for people that want a relaxing camping trip, without the need to hike. Most of the spots had a table and fire pit, but some did not. It's essentially a car-camping site, so no need to pack super light. The campsite we stayed at was tucked away and with the white noise of the falls (they were that close), you couldn't even hear those in adjacent campsites. Sleeping near the falls was amazing, as it drowns out so much, especially at night. 

There was a pit toilet near the dead-end/parking lot, but no water available other than from the river. No permits required, and camping was considered dispersed when we went, so no charges or reservations were necessary. Definitely recommended for those looking to get into nature to simply relax and enjoy their time outside.

We spent 10 days here, and would spend the rest of the summer if allowed.  The site was a huge pull-through with all hookups. A Lake or a pond is your front view, the back is cliffs, prairie, and wildlife. Spent the day with a Fishing Guide (1-509-860-7233).  I hope the pictures show how great this place is. Showers are clean and modern. Long trails that are bike-friendly.