Cougar Rock is a quiet campground. The ranger at the entrance was friendly. We were able to secure a reservation by waiting until the one- week out release date.
Unfortunately, the forest health surrounding the campground is suffering. There are many standing dead and fallen trees in and around campsites - it seems as though the USFS is unable to keep up. The sites and roads in the campground are tight. We had to be cautious parking our 23 ft. van. There are several restrooms around the campground and convenient trash and recycling bins, but the dump station was closed, and there was no water available for filling RVs - just personal bottles.
We stayed at the Base Camp for 2 nights and used it as a base for exploring the Mount Hood Fruit Loop area. First, note that the name has changed to Gorge Base Camp RV Park. It is right across the bridge from Hood River, Or (Note that this is a very NARROW bridge with a $2.00 toll). The park is paved in asphalt, and each site has grass that is well maintained. Some reviewers complain about the noise of the train tracks, but they didn't bother us. The tracks are below the level of the park, and we quite like the train rumble. The highway is at a higher elevation than the park, so that noise didn't particularly bother us either. Perhaps it is just that our van is well sound insulated or we're not light sleepers! The restrooms and shower were quite large and immaculate. There is a gas and go next door within walking distance for incidental purchases. A bit pricey, but the full hook ups were worth it to us on 100 degree days!
What a nice city park! Fourteen spaces with full hookups back up to a small creek and surround the city baseball diamond. It's $40 per night, and Maria was so friendly! Came out to greet us when we pulled in. Nice shady spot in the trees. Highly recommend! Don't be fooled by the Dufur RV Park. This is a separate place and much nicer!
There were several sites open to choose from when we drove in without a reservation on a Wed. evening. Some sites were unlevel and wouldn't work for our Class B van. Nice and quiet with good distance between sites. Sites don't overlook the reservoir but a nice place to land.
Welcome Station is the perfect stopping place between Idaho and places to the south! Just when you thought stopping in Wells was icky, drive a few miles west to the BEST little park operated by the friendliest people! Carefully tended grass, huge trees, a creek, beautiful flowers… just what you need when you're sick of driving in desert! Full hookups, quaint, clean restrooms - even a museum! Steve and Nancy are the greatest!