We stayed in a camper van over a busy holiday and loved it! We were hoping for a peaceful getaway for us and our dog and found it at Kebler. Yes, some of the spaces are close together but everyone there made it work well. The angled spots and strategic landscaping help too. Plenty of grassy common areas to stretch your legs and your pup’s (on leash), so much so we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything by not being parked with the big coaches along the river. Even better since the large river spots had little/no natural shade (most seemed to have their own awnings that our van didn’t so no worries there I think for them). The tent spots were in a different area on the other side of the property a little away from the busier parts. They also had less shade but had level pads and but seemed closer to the bridge (and hiking). The community vibe was respectful and friendly and it was lovely to stroll about and enjoy it all. Families were out and about, playing with their children and trying different things to do. There was a little playground and some activities in a covered space like velcro axe throwing and corn hole. There were soccer goals set up at one of the grassy areas too. There was also a frisbee golf course, hammocks and picnic tables scattered around the property. A sign by the bathrooms invited camp guests to go gentle group hike if you meet at the bridge at the posted time in the morning. The general store was open during the day and had more than I expected (came for stickers and snacks, left with a game of Bananagrams and more). There wasn’t cell service but wifi worked well for what we needed. The bathrooms were clean and the water was warm. On a busy weekend you might need to use the portable toilets near the tent sites if the regular ones are occupied at a busy time. In the future, splitting the shower and toilet facilities might help with that long term, but I am not sure how hard (and expensive) that is to do in places that are tucked away into the mountains like this. We did use the coin laundry and that worked well. At the time of our visit it was $2 for the washer and $3.50 for the dryer. There was a variety of cute cabins for rent with a good range in size and cost - and some have own their bathroom and even little patio spaces. The hosts and staff were friendly and helpful, even doing trash pickup in the morning if you left it out at a certain time by your site. Kebler is in a beautiful setting, has thoughtfully-designed spaces and is carefully maintained. We would definitely come back - hopefully in a camper van / travel trailer or even just to stay in one of the cabins.

The area is nice with the other lakes and trees. There were loads of chipmunks, and they were super cute, but our dog had a hard time relaxing with so many around. The reservoir was low for sure, but the campground also wasn’t full. There is a good amount of space between most sites. The nearby lakes (short drives away) were much busier and had “resorts” with different amenities. Got bit by a mosquito a few times out at one of the other lakes but not at our site in Gull Point (maybe too dry). The color of the drinking water is slightly off but it was fine. There was one older, not so great flush toilet in our loop and the rest were vault toilets scattered at regular intervals…. The main issue was they were a bit older too and needed emptying. No matter where we were, even walking the loop, we’d get a whiff that did not smell nice. Also our site had half a dozen old cigarette butts when we arrived (we tried to clean them up the best we could). We didn’t get quite enough cell service at our site (41) on Verizon but we did get enough of a signal when we walked out to the boat ramp by the reservoir in our loop. At our site there was a shallow metal fire ring and grill and an old table that has seen better days. It might be a better site for self contained RVs and trailers but I would probably not put on my list for tent camping again.

We stayed a few nights midweek in July and the campsite was full. The campsites are admittedly close together, but where we were on loop C had plenty of trees and foliage at the rear and most had a one or two trees to help delineate boundaries on the sides of sites. The main attaction here is really the beach and ocean. The campsite seems to be just a place to rest and eat in between walks on the beach or other activities further out. The sites had tables and fire rings as well as water and electric hookups and a short paved driveway. There was a good mix of tents, trailers and RVs.

The beach is BEAUTIFUL. It’s also big so even with plenty of people it never felt crowded. The North side of the beach was still open to dogs (parts of the south side are closed to protect local birds seasonally … I think they are endangered) and the dry part of the beach was quite warm in the sun. The wet sand by the waves was cold. It all seemed to balance out and was a great place to relax. The walk from the campsite loops through the dunes was very sandy from the start - plenty of people took off their sneakers and flip flops and carried them. Teva style sandals and hiking boots seems fine. Before you wander too far on the beach make sure to note which big yellow numbered sign is near where your path back to the loops was so you can find your way back later on.

The bathrooms were busy but clean and located in the middle of Loop B (loops A, B and C are connected). There were showers too that plenty of people seemed to use but we didn’t use them. There was a playground/structure in a small field next to the bathrooms and some of the campsites were situated on the same field and they didn’t have any bushes or privacy. You’ll want to actually want to be near the playground if you’re in loop B, if not for easy access to the play area and bathrooms then foe the happy and audible noises of kids playing. A big trash compactor was at the entrance in loop A, there weren’t any smaller bins around the loops that we noticed. Plenty of bikes and scooters and dogs were out and about walking the loop, especially in the mornings and evenings. The overall vibe was nice and family friendly and one neighbor was especially sweet - he spent a good hour or so making giant bubbles for people passing by to pop on their evening walk. Lots of string lights and hammocks added to the atmosphere.

We didn’t notice too many bugs, but we do think we might have put a tent stake into a offshoot of an ant path since our tent had maybe a dozen ants on the outside of our tent each morning, but gently spraying them off with some water worked well and we didn’t notice any more at other times of the day.

This seems like a place people book early and for more than a few days. We’ll probably come back again - there seem to be plenty of small beach towns to explore too if we ever got tired of Nehalem bay.

We loved this little first-come, first-serve campground. It's small and squeezed in between the creek, mountain highway (only 2 lanes) and steep hillside with some grazing cattle on the other side. The cattle and road noise was okay for us at night, but if you are a light sleeper it might not be for you. There is plenty of shade with all the trees and it does get a little dark earlier because of all the shade. While the toilet facilities are a bit older, they flush and are clean where it counts. We stayed at campsite 5, which seems like an odd choice since it's right next to the welcome signage and fee drop box, but we really liked it because we were able to spread out along the side of the creek with our tent as well as our Big Agnes shade/bug screen we have as well. No fires allowed this time around, but we were fine with our camp stove on the picnic table. There were a few water spigots around and a trash can for each site. It was lovely listening to the creek all day (and waking up to it). A good number of spots in the middle of the campground seemed better suited to small-medium pull behinds since there wasn't as much separating the individual sites. The sites around the edges had a bit more privacy since they abut the edges of the creek or heavier brush. The day use area is a short 1/2 mile drive up the road or a 1 mile hike (0.5 there and 0.5 back) and we saw a few families enjoying the picnic and creek area over the weekend. We saw people using it as a one-night stopover on longer trips and a few campers stayed a few nights like we did. Besides the short hikes and a bit of splashing around in the creek in the day use area there isn't a lot to do in the area (no cell service on Verizon) besides relaxing. The creek side has been undergoing some restoration work so it's not a free-for-all access anywhere. It seems to be working since at campsite 5, being right next to the creek, we had plenty of critters - plenty of butterflies, a few more spiders than I usually notice. There were the usual gnats, mozzies, bees, wasps, and flies too, but no more than any other campground, as well as some creek specific ones since we were so close to the creek - I want to say mayflies or something similar. We also saw plenty of birds, snacking away on bugs in the trees or grass, as well as a few hummingbirds that really liked when the park ranger had put some sprinklers on to water the grass.

Alturas Lake Inlet campground is tucked into the lovely, shady forest around it. We saw plenty of birds, chipmunks and tiny wildflowers were all over our site in early July. The lake is a short walk but some campers drove over just to make it easier to tote their chairs and water gear. Bring layers - it can is cool in the evenings and at night (40s F) even in July but warm in the day, especially if you are out by the lake. We tent camped at site 17 and although it was near one of the many vault toilets, smaller trash dumpsters, and water spigots, our site was bigger and we set up a decent distance from it. Most sites seemed to have a good distance between each other and enough privacy courtesy of trees and various plant life. We didn’t have any issues, but there plenty of signs reminding campers to be bear aware. (We are pretty careful to keep our food, cooking supplies, toiletries and whatnot in our car when not in use anyway). We did not have cell service (Verizon) and it was a bit of a drive before we got it again. Overall, it’s a beautiful retreat well suited to escaping the heat of summer if you have a tent or small trailer/pull behind.

The area is so pretty! We tent camped in the Great Horned Owl loop and it was a well kept and tidy. The hosts were friendly and helpful. The sites are a bit close together but that could be a bonus for small groups that want to be near to each other. The day use parking lot is adjacent to sites 20 and 21. Read the descriptions when you book if you are tent camping, not all the sites are suitable for it. Site 20 was okay, but our tent ended up having to be on slight slope. We might try site 4 when the weather is cooler since it was a little more flat for tent camping, but it didn’t have much shade. The flush bathrooms were clean and the showers warm and convenient.

We tent camped at Arnica Loop for 3 nights in early August and we would definitely come back. It’s a solid camp ground, a half mile hike or short drive to the marina and swim beach. You can buy ice and firewood at the marina The descriptions of each site are helpful. Bring a shade to sit under if your site doesn’t have as many trees (check the descriptions). There are two flush toilets on the first loop of Arnica and a vault toilet in the second loop. The flush bathroom gets cleaned regularly and is fine. Another set of flush toilets would go a long way to making it even better and tidier as the day goes on. Hosts were just the right amount of friendly and helpful without being intrusive. Only 4 stars because some of the groups can be… trickier. Most around us were very self contained and fine, but it only takes one group or neighbor. Still enjoyed our time!

We loved tent camping here with our dog. We saw plenty of trailers and smaller RVs as well. The road around the loop is paved but the sites themselves are not. You tent peg into the dirt. It’s a 5, 10-minute walk to the reservoir but you feel a world away from it’s busy day visitors. All the spots are a little different, a few in the inner campsites have less shade, but most make the use of trees, tall grasses, and positioning of each site and where you’d park your car, for privacy. The flush toilets at Little Maud are immaculate and well-spaced at the top and bottom of the loop. Be bear aware: there are great bear-proof storage lockers on each site to use. Keep your toiletries in your car or bear locker too - your toothpaste, sunscreen, all of that, smells like food. The local black bears are shy but they do come around. One came quite close to us at site #4. We think it wanted the cool shade of the stream. It was a little hard to hear it’s rustling/approach with the white noise of the stream. The hosts said to make a lot of noise and they will leave. Our banging of the fire grate wasn’t noisy enough but the host had an air horn that worked. No cell service here or on most of the road up after you leave nearby Basalt. We loved it and will definitely be back.