Searching for a spot on Saturday during Memorial Day weekend was probably not the best idea, but we were able to land a decent space in this BLM rec area.

Priest Hole has a few kinds of spots, some at the banks of the John Day River, some in the hills and some in the open. The riverside areas are really rocky and would be hard pressed to ground tent there, but trailer mounted and RV’s would do fine (assuming you can get them there).

We stayed on the bluff overlooking the River and hills. No shade, so we had to make our own, as it was pretty hot. This created another problem when the wind howled down the canyon, kicking up dust and rolling tents and anything not staked down!

The River is a few hundred yards away, and the single vault toilet was close by.

After exploring the area we did discover many more areas for dispersed camping, and will be back to try some of those!

Campfires may or may not be prohibited, or may have modified rules, so be sure to check the board for updates.

Something about Central Oregon. The smells, the sounds and the views are all found right here at the BLM Lone Pine campground.

We grabbed up the group site, right near the entrance. It’s only about 25 yards from the river, but other sites are closer. No deal breaker by any means. Plenty of room for everyone at this group site!

Two tables at the fire ring, and some nice shade as well. It’s quiet, and the river rolls by with a light rush. There is a loft toilet at the day use area a few yards away as well as in the main camp area.

You’ll have to bring your own firewood as collecting is prohibited.

Keeping in mind that we went during a rainy season (fall), this wasn’t a terrible place.

On the way to Mt St Helens, it is a nice base camp for exploring the area a bit, though we didn’t do much of that. I would certainly expect that we would the next trip here.

The good: Fairly Quiet. And that’s staying in the full service trailer area, which is more of a parking lot than a camp ground.

The bad: the loops are not clear on the direction of travel in this spot, and we had a fellow drag his trailer across the front bumper of my Jeep soon after I was backed in and settling the details of my placement. I’m not certain if he was traveling the correct way, but he didn’t have enough room to accomplish his mission and he definitely was traveling the opposite direction that I used to correctly back my trailer in.

Now he has a hole in his trailer which didn’t seem bother him as much as the twisted bracket on my bumper bothered me.

My brother and his wife tent camped on our site, and ended up swimming in rainwater overnight (the slope of the land didn’t help, but they have since also purchased an RV after this final tent experience).

This section also had no tree cover and was widely exposed to the elements.

I would definitely try this campground out again, but for now it was slightly disappointing.

Up at the base of Mt Hood, this large resort style campground (operates by Thousand Trails/Encore) offers various areas for camping. There are full RV hookup sites, tent sites, group tent sites, E/W RV hookups and cabins/yurts throughout. It seems most, of not all, RV sites have room for at least a small tent or more and they do allow that. There also is a few group tent sites that I saw.

As for amenities, the campground has a small store that sells the basics and some RV parts, a deli/restaurant, playground and pool.

There are trails to get to the Salmon River, not difficult by any means.

Being just a dozen miles or so from Government Camp, there are so many things to do when you want to get out of the campground.

It’s open year round, and many folks use Mt Hood Village RV Resort as a basecamp for activities for all seasons.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay, though the limited restroom and showers are oddly placed, with access only by walking the loop. There are no trails to get to them, so if you are at the other end, it’s a small hike. The plus is that the restrooms are clean and well stocked.

This is one of the largest state park campgrounds in Oregon! Nice location near Astoria and Seaside, with lots of things to do and explore.

There are different “loops” available, with many RV sites. We were the only tent campers we could see in our RV loop, the sizes vary, but their website gives you a general size idea. All the loops have restroom/shower facilities that were regularly stocked and cleaned.

There is a lake within the park that you can boat or go fishing. Also, there is access to the beach right in the park. This beach is one of the few that allow motor vehicle use.

Check out the old military sites and the shipwreck while at the park, and head in to Astoria for a day of exploration!

A typical KOA, with a store, cabins, deluxe cabins, tent sites and RV sites. What they don’t tell you is the freight train runs about every 30 minutes including overnight. The first time was a big surprise, but we got used to it.

The facilities were stocked and mostly clean. Unfortunately, campfires were not allowed when we stayed, but it wasn’t their fault. There were also a ton of yellow-jacket bees, but they worked hard to control them with effective traps.

Don’t miss this little gem on the Oregon coast! They have a few full hookup RV sites that have an unbeatable view of Alsea Bay and the Pacific Ocean, but they reserve fast. Clean and private bathrooms and showers, a small laundromat and a great little store that has almost everything that you forgot to bring complete the site. For those with families, there is a playground. Doesn’t get 5 stars because you aren’t allowed to have fires after 10PM.