This is the kind of campground that we love, small, quiet and lovely. Tucked right on the banks of the East Fork of the Lewis River and on the edge of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, this is a great get away for anyone in the Vancouver / Portland area. The campsites are small with pull-through parking that could accommodate rigs up to 35’ or up to three vehicles. It’s short enough to walk it before pulling in to see if you’ve got enough room to turn around. 

The sites all have fire rings, and picnic tables and a small tent pad. The vault toilet buildings have taken the brunt of 3 decades of the Washington moss and lichen so were further along the way toward decomposition than I normally like in a bathroom building and smelly, but they were clean enough to use. The water was clean and good tasting and the campground hosts were friendly and efficient. 

The campground was pretty forested, but we were able to still charge up our solar powered system even on cloudy days in one of the less wooded sites. We didn’t even need to pull out our portable solar panel, which we often do when camping in forested areas, allowing the camper to be in the shade, keeping it cool, and being able to put the panel out in the sun. 

Nearby recreation opportunities are endless, from the world-class paddling on the Lewis River to many nearby creeks and streams. The area is a waterfall chaser’s dream, with many parks and hiking trails within 20 miles, just follow the road back downstream and stop at the many parks along the way. The road is pretty narrow and I wouldn’t recommend riding road bikes along the busy paved roads, but further into the forest the dirt road offers some great access and is perfect for gravel bikes. 

In this area you’re about 20-30 minutes from suburban Vancouver WA, where pretty much everything is available, including some pretty fabulous wineries. Check 'em out!