Hey, all, I am looking for a place to have my 50th b'day camping trip. I'd love to do it as a backpack trip into the wilderness, but this will include some people who aren't very outdoorsy or athletic, so I'm looking for a non-primitive campground (toilets, at least) that is still pretty and not a tent city. No RVs would be a huge plus, and the more quiet/privacy the better.
Bear Springs Group campground, west of Pin Grove, showed up on my radar. Anyone know anything about it?
Thanks!
Tod
Portland
Info about Bear Springs Group campground?
Re: Info about Bear Springs Group campground?
The camp ground at beacon Rock State park has some nice sites no Rvs but busy on the weekends good restrooms.TodF wrote:Hey, all, I am looking for a place to have my 50th b'day camping trip. I'd love to do it as a backpack trip into the wilderness, but this will include some people who aren't very outdoorsy or athletic, so I'm looking for a non-primitive campground (toilets, at least) that is still pretty and not a tent city. No RVs would be a huge plus, and the more quiet/privacy the better.
Bear Springs Group campground, west of Pin Grove, showed up on my radar. Anyone know anything about it?
Thanks!
Tod
Portland
you don't have to worry about tweekers up there.
They have a group camp west of the park if you have a lot of you might be able to reserve it. Nice big secluded grassy area for tents and a covered cooking area nice place to get out of the rain. cant remember the restroom situation.Not sure about booze i don't think they allow it.
hardy.hamilton and beacon rock all close by hikes happy birthday
congrats on you milestone.
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura
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retired jerry
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Re: Info about Bear Springs Group campground?
McNeil Campground isn't bad, if it's open when you're doing your trip. Near Zigzag on highway 26. It's surprising for how un-busy it is for being so close. Probably because it has no drinking water - you have to bring your own. There are some RVs but not many, and the campground is large so you can camp away from others. It even has vacancies on holiday weekends in my experience.
Re: Info about Bear Springs Group campground?
Like you I've only noticed the Bear Springs campground by name, not firsthand experience. It would definitely be remote and quiet.
There is a nice group campground on the Breitenbush River outside Detroit, OR at Cleator Bend. It used to be a site-by-site campground and was always a favorite of my wife and I before they converted it to a group CG. Since the entire campground is reserved to your group, there would be no RVs unless your group brought one. You could inquire about details at the Detroit FS ranger station.
There is a nice group campground on the Breitenbush River outside Detroit, OR at Cleator Bend. It used to be a site-by-site campground and was always a favorite of my wife and I before they converted it to a group CG. Since the entire campground is reserved to your group, there would be no RVs unless your group brought one. You could inquire about details at the Detroit FS ranger station.
Re: Info about Bear Springs Group campground?
I have camped in this area many times and did a 'drive-by' at Bear Springs two years ago. This campground does not have anything remarkable to offer. It is a quick pull-in pull-out type of stop
which easily accommodates RVs and such. No hiking that I know of originates from this campground.
It definitely is far from a wilderness experience.
Just before this campground (if approaching from Portland on Route 216) there is a turn-off
directed North which heads toward Clear Creek Campground. This Campground offers a lovely
setting which could easily accommodate a large family gathering, has several (marked and unmarked)
trails leading directly from the Campground, and is mostly vacant save for the typical holidays.
If you manage to get this place to yourself, it is actually very pretty.
Occasionally, there is a cattle drive through this site, but in my experience this is limited to early
Spring and late Fall.
Best,
Scott
which easily accommodates RVs and such. No hiking that I know of originates from this campground.
It definitely is far from a wilderness experience.
Just before this campground (if approaching from Portland on Route 216) there is a turn-off
directed North which heads toward Clear Creek Campground. This Campground offers a lovely
setting which could easily accommodate a large family gathering, has several (marked and unmarked)
trails leading directly from the Campground, and is mostly vacant save for the typical holidays.
If you manage to get this place to yourself, it is actually very pretty.
Occasionally, there is a cattle drive through this site, but in my experience this is limited to early
Spring and late Fall.
Best,
Scott
Re: Info about Bear Springs Group campground?
Thank you to everyone for the suggestions. I went and checked out Bear Springs group campsite, and it was indeed nothing to write home about.
Anybody have experience with Nehalem Falls campground in Tillamook SF? We checked it out last weekend, and it is very pretty there, with enough amenities (toilet, water, firewood) that hopefully no one in my group will have a panic attack at being outside
I have reserved the Nehalem Falls group campsite as my default so I don't have to worry about not having a place to stay. The site is very close to the falls, so presumably the sound of the falls will mask any noise people in the main campsite area make at night, and the presence of a camp host will also hopefully decrease the likelihood of poor camper behavior.
In the meantime I'll have a good excuse for checking out other campsites, so that if nothing else I will have an option in case the mosquitoes at Nehalem Falls are terrible then. I wouldn't expect it, though.
Anybody have experience with Nehalem Falls campground in Tillamook SF? We checked it out last weekend, and it is very pretty there, with enough amenities (toilet, water, firewood) that hopefully no one in my group will have a panic attack at being outside
I have reserved the Nehalem Falls group campsite as my default so I don't have to worry about not having a place to stay. The site is very close to the falls, so presumably the sound of the falls will mask any noise people in the main campsite area make at night, and the presence of a camp host will also hopefully decrease the likelihood of poor camper behavior.In the meantime I'll have a good excuse for checking out other campsites, so that if nothing else I will have an option in case the mosquitoes at Nehalem Falls are terrible then. I wouldn't expect it, though.