Rainbow Campground: An Advanced Wheelchair Camping Experience In Oregon's Wilderness
By Guest Author: West Livaudais
Are you thinking about heading out on an adventure this summer? Not sure where to go? Try Rainbow Campground in Mt. Hood National Forest.
Open your maps app and zoom in along the Clackamas River. Follow Highway 224 southeast — beyond Estacada, beyond the North Fork Reservoir and beyond Promontory Park — where the highway begins to hug the river’s every twist and turn.
Keep going, and you’ll begin to see little campgrounds dotted along the way. Find where Highway 224 ends at Ripplebrook Campground and becomes National Forest Road 46. Zoom in here until you see Rainbow Campground pop up. This little spot captured my imagination. I was curious to see how it was being rebuilt after the devastating fires of 2020, and being in the mood for an adventure, I struck out for an overnight camping trip.
On a warm Sunday afternoon, I threw my camping gear, a little food and water into my car and headed out of the city. As I escaped the urban traffic, I ascended the Cascade foothills along Highway 224. The sun cast a golden glow across the trees. I saw sunburned weekend warriors pulling their rafts and inner tubes out of the river. With my sunroof open, I could smell the conifer trees, the river and sun-baked boulders. Soon, my only company were the towering trees, rocky cliffs and waterfalls on my left — and the roaring river to my right. The wilderness melted my stresses into awe and contentment.
Finally, I arrived at Rainbow Campground. It’s just off the main road, tucked behind a bend in the foothills, where the river orchestrates the sounds of birds and laughing eddies in a cove of trees. All around, I could see green returning after the fire damage of 2020. The newly restored campground is primitive and overall it really is not that wheelchair accessible — but it does make for a great adventure for folks who are prepared and ready for a modest challenge. There is no potable water or electricity, but as an adventuring wheelchair user, I was prepared. Site 13 was flat-ish and right next to the creek. It had a beautiful accessible picnic table, fire pit and was not too far from the bathroom. Many of the other spots were less suitable to me as a wheelchair user, and throughout the campground, the gravel was deep and a bit difficult to maneuver. But hey — I was in the mix of wilderness doing its summer happy dance. As the sun set, the bats emerged for their dinner of night-flying insects. I settled into my sleeping bag and dozed off under a sky full of stars.
Here's a few things that I learned on my trip to help you plan your own adventure. Rainbow Campground really is not that wheelchair accessible, but be prepared and if you're a more advanced wheelchair camper, it can be a great time. The campground is deep in the wilderness of Clackamas County, and yet drivable so you can tote everything you need. This is also a US Forest Service fee area, so make sure you bring some cash to put in the dropbox. Remember that there is no running water at most of the campground, little cell service and you may need to pack out all of your trash. Be prepared with everything you need for a remote adventure. Also, the new gravel was difficult to maneuver so keep that in mind.
However, if you’re up for it, this relatively accessible campground is a safe escape to the deep wilderness with little effort.
West Livaudais is a forest gnome at heart. In previous lives he has enjoyed multi-day minimalist backcountry backpacking and snowshoeing adventures with friends. Since his spinal cord injury in 2013, excursions into the deep wilderness are more choreographed and less spontaneous, but enjoyable nonetheless. As a husband and father, he enjoys bike rides, road trips and exploring Oregon’s nature with his loved ones. In his free time, he serves as the executive director of Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection where much of his work is to make the road post injury easier for those who must take it.
