Note: Some areas including Table Rock Wilderness are closed due to wildfire impacts. Please see below for more information.
Warm days and cool nights, sounds like perfect camping weather to us. Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory boasts 50 different campgrounds with a wide range of options. Weekends tend to fill up fast, so it's a good idea to book your camping as far in advance as possible. If you're looking for something more immediate, mid-week stays tend to have options for spontaneous or planned trips all summer long.
If you're into really roughing it, check out the Pechuck Lookout in the Table Rock Wilderness. It is first-come first-served, so you can't reserve it. But this old fire lookout offers a truly unique camping experience that is the definition of rustic. And the views are incredible. For a not so rustic experience, rest your head at one of the three new campgrounds run by the BLM along the nearby Molalla River Corridor. Please Note: As of spring 2021, Table Rock Wilderness is closed until further notice due to impacts from 2020 wildfires. Check the BLM website for updates.
Want something a bit more comfortable? Then check out the yomes at Promontory Park outside of Estacada. In addition to several of the yurt-like camping structures, they have cabins, and tent camping sites. There's a 350-acre reservoir with great fishing as well as a one-acre lake for kids under the age of 17 to fish. Also near Estacada, Milo McIver State Park is an excellent adventure site with trails, river and lake access, campsites and group camp areas. For more camping along the rivers of Mt. Hood Territory, check out the three Clackamas County campgrounds.
Dodge Park is a beautiful campsite outside of Sandy. Located at the confluence of the Bull Run and Sandy Rivers, the park offers a perfect escape from city life, but still only a short drive from Portland. If you're hoping for a lake view with a little less traffic, head on up to the Hoodview Campround at Timothy Lake. The views are outstanding, and the fishing on Timothy Lake is excellent.
While you're camping, remember to be a good neighbor. Keep your food and your trash secure from animals, and pack out what you pack in. Practice fire safety and check for fire regulations or burn ban information. There are many more great campgrounds to explore as well. Hit a few of them up and tell us in the comments which one is your favorite. And don't forget to use our #omht hashtag when posting pictures to instagram, so we can follow along on your adventures.
