Best Glamping near Wishram, WA

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.

Ccottonwood Canyon State Park Campground is a lovely, remote primitive camp experience. For the uninitiated, this means no electric sites, no running water, no flush toilets. Its also a rattlesnake habitat in Eastern Oregon's high desert biome, within 30 miles or so of The Dalles, a city marking the change in the Columbia River Gorge from high desert to wooded mountainsides. This camp ground us located deep in a canyon 15 miles from Wasco, Oregon. Before descending into the canyon, you'll see Eastern Oregon's classic golden wheatfields, then a wind farm, with scores of white windmills. The evening I arrived was the night before a full moon, so the setting sun over the canyon and the waxing moon gave a lovely glow to the sights. Unfortunately, my camera phone and photographer skills are lacking; sorry. If you love truly getting away from it all, as I do, you'll appreciate the absolute peace at Cottonwood Canyon. We arrived at dusk, late in July, and as is typical for the region, it was still 90 degrees. Fortunately, my summer tent is mostly screen, allowing the cool canyon breeze in, and it erects quickly and easily. It was full dark by the time I'd pitched it, and outfitted it with my airbed. Because of all the rattlesnake warning signs, I kept my dog leashed or tied out on a campsite-length cable. We parked across the campground from the pit toilets, which were not lighted, so bring a flashlight, cell phone, or lantern for inside the biffy. If this kind of camping appeals to you, you'll be rewarded with a quiet night of no traffic noise, only the sound of the nearby murmuring creek and the breeze in the trees. The other campers here were very quiet and respectful of the rules. The beautiful moonlight set one side of the canyon aglow and the clear sky was filled with stars. I didn't need my rain fly, so could enjoy finding the constellations as I lay in my tent. In the morning, I awoke just before dawn when my dog sat bolt upright and intently watched with me as an elk cow walked through our campsite. The fee here is $10 a.night, and worth every penny!

Here is the one caveat: as of this writing, (late July 2018) the loud diesel pickup truck that came through to empty trash bins at 6am was jarring. It was followed by the back-up beeping of heavy machinery by 6:30am, as work on a new building commenced near the campground. This was so unfortunate, and I pity the folks that had hoped to sleep in.

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

The camp site is less than 10 minutes from Hood River. The location is on a tucked away bend of the Hood River and feels rather secluded. There is a gun club just down the river which may impede on the serenity, but only for a few hours in the early evening. The camp sites had nice fire pits with grills. The sites by the river sit right on the water, and cost $10 more. The don't offer much privacy so we took a hill side site. There was a host who was friendly and helpful. The RV sites looked less inspiring. The bathrooms and showers were clean and functional. There are only swings at the playground which was a let down for my girls. All and all nice spot.

**The Good: **This is an absolutely beautiful park surrounded by a lake with lots of nearby opportunities for short hikes with amazing views of the mountains and water.  The lake is great for canoeing or paddle boarding.  The campsite hosts were welcoming and provided local firewood for a small fee. (There were no fire bans in effect at the time we camped.) It felt very safe.

I typically prefer roughing-it on a dispersed camping site.  This is definitely not that.  For camping at a site with bathrooms, this is the way to do it!  The facilities were some of the best I've seen - super clean with running water and flushing toilets.  There were even indoor and outdoor showers and 2 single occupant bathrooms which is great for privacy, and for folks who may not feel comfortable using a gender-specific bathroom.  

The Bad: The site had said it was good for an RV or 2 tents.  It is basically a large parking spot on gravel and our tent space was sandwiched in between 2 RVs in a long line of RVs.  The camp area is also on the most open and least scenic part of the site.  _So - not really good for a tent.  We actually drove past our site twice because we were convinced it couldn't possibly be the correct camp site. _Really- it is like camping in a parking lot at a rest stop or maybe like a tailgate party at a college football game.

The RV campers told us they were also super disappointed in the site as there is no privacy whatsoever.  I don't usually chat with other campers, but it was a bit like a big family as we were practically sharing one campsite.  And happily, we had good neighbors.  

We moved our tent slightly off our spot next to a bush so we could have a bit more privacy.  There appeared to be a few tent only sites that were on the grass - I would only stay here again if I could reserve one of those sites.  I found the site arrangement strange as the park area is huge and there is ample opportunity to have the sites distanced apart and bordering the lake rather than a dusty open field.  

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW: It is windy!  I love the wind so I found it invigorating - but it was even a bit too much for me at times.  Winds hit 29 MPH at some points of our stay.  Make sure you plan accordingly and have a tent that can withstand winds and look for heavy rocks to weigh down your ground stakes.  I'd recommend loading up your tent with packs etc to keep it from blowing away.  If you have a canvas tent, that would probably fair better in the wind and dust.  There are not trees near the camp sites so there is no shelter from the wind.

Bonus - with all that wind, I didn't hear, see, or feel one mosquito or no-see-um! 

There is a train nearby and you can hear the horn.  Personally, I found it haunting and a bit romantic - I enjoyed hearing the train as it went by.  If you're sensitive to noise or a light sleeper, it may be something to consider. 

At night it is incredibly dark.  This was the best part!  You can almost forget that there is an RV 5' away.  Open sky and the stars are beautiful!

Final Thoughts: I like to visit the gorge and might consider staying here again only if the tent site at the far end of the campsite is available.  I would definitely come here for a day trip.