Daniel L.

St Helens, OR

Joined January 2015

Camping in a teardrop trailer. Luxuriously primitive.

Base camp for Gifford Pinchot exploration with a good variety of sites

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.

Near Mesa Verde National Park

Very nice campground close to Mesa Verde National Park.

There's plenty of shade and much cooler than the NP campground.

Sites are gravel and don't restrict where in the site you can park your camper.

Convenient access while travelling

Sites have good shade. Many of the RV sites are close and open.  

There are"companion" sites which can accommodate 2 large campers side-by-side. Many of these are also more private, facing away from other sites.

The cabins are walk-in with parking 50 to 100 ft away.

A cool getaway

Sites are small and primarily tent sites. There are a couple sites which would accommodate a small 16 ft trailer. We had to unhook and park diagonal to fit small trailer and short truck.

We didn't spend much time during the day as we were visiting relatives near Provo and enjoyed the cooler getaway in the evening.

The drive up here was beautiful and the hiking trails probably have amazing views.

Cooler temp at the top of the ridge

This campground is at the top of the ridge and much cooler than lower elevations. 

We didn’t have reservations and they do not do registration at the gatehouse. You are required to go online, create an account, and then register. On your phone with sketchy cell reception. Very inconvenient.1 

Many sites are paved. Due to the steep terrain, many sites are small, or the parking pad is not level. It was very full after labor day and didn’t have many choices, but were able to find a level pull-through site.

Private campground with primarily seasonal semi permanent sites

Most sites are seasonal semi permanent and are well manicured. It was very quiet considering how many people were there.  The facilities and grounds are clean and well maintained. Full hookups are available at most daily sites but pay only for what you need. 

Sites are gravel and moderately spaced with good privacy. 

Camping is on the hill above the lake. The pond(lake) is a short walk or drive down a steep hill. Children may wade in the roped beach area while swimmers go out to the raft. Take advantage of the Kayaks available for rent and explore this quiet pond. Listen for the Loons in the evening.

Grass sites with plenty of trees for shade

Small campground with 30+ sites. Grass sites with plenty of trees for shade.

There's little undergrowth between sites for privacy but spacious sites makes up for it. We found a site on the edge for good privacy.

Sites are well maintained. Bath facilities need maintenance. 

There are 2 sites immediately on the river but many others with unobstructed views. 

You can hear the clip clip of horses from the Amish buggys on the road across the river.

Primarily RV with nice Tent area

This is primarily an RV park, with monthly rates. It is very well manicured and maintained.

There is however a nice tenting area with plenty of shade and grass. This is separate from the RVs and you might be the only one in the tent area. There was only one other group during our stay of a few days. Leave your vehicle in the parking area and walk to your site.

It's a good place to stop if you're on your way through, or visiting in the area. Much nicer than anything else in the area.

Family oriented and busy. Beautiful beach.

The campground is very family oriented and active. Lots of kids on bikes and scooters. Don't be surprised to find them riding through your site.

A short walk on the trail over the dunes leads to a beautiful beach. This is the primary attraction.

Many sites are very close together, but there are a few with a little more distance. I wouldn't say any are private. Sites on the inside of the loops are setup for tents or a small camper and generally have more space. Site F19 is larger and near the restroom path which provides for more distance from neighbors. I might choose F1 if we were to stay again. It's an RV site, but you could be further from the road.

Secluded island across from Downtown St Helens

Accessible by boat or kayak. Sites are primitive, no tables. This is on the columbia river water kayak trail.

On Mayfield Lake

The Mayfield Lake is the main attraction. Be sure to visit the day use area across the road for lake access with swimming, picnic, and a dog park on the water.

Very good privacy for the standard campsite loop. Standard campsites are either pull through or back in.

There's a trail around the edge of the lake in campsite loop. Find the point, you wont be disappointed.