Still new to Oregon, looking for "primitive" camping

[Nocaster]

Hey guys,

I am still pretty new to Oregon and have some friends coming into town with a 5 year old kid. I have a 5 year old kid, as well.

We like tent camping. I am looking to find some tent camping spots that are hopefully away from a developed campground. Hopefully minimal hike in, although about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile hike in should be ok. Max 4-5 hour driving distance from Beaverton. Don't need showers, toilets, or water hook ups.

Ideally, this would be somewhere with mountain or ocean views, some camping trails, Northwest forest scenery, etc.

Any recommendations? We are safe and sane, and clean up after ourselves.

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[mkwerx]

Mt Hood has some good areas as does the Clackamas river drainage. Dispersed camping as it is now called is still possible but the ninnies in Salem would like to put an end to it. Give the Ripplebrook ranger station a call and they may point you to some good areas.

 

[Goosebrown]

We went to Timothy Lake and it was great. If you go to the end of the dam and turn right and park, you can walk to campsights all along the lake shore. It is first come first serve so if you go on a Monday it is a lot easier to find something. You can walk in 100 yards to 3-4 miles I think. There are toilets every 3 or 4 campgrounds and that is it.

Highly recommended.

Timothy Lake, Oregon - Camping, Swimming, Fishing & More
45°06'55.9"N 121°48'21.3"W

 

[CamoDeafie]

Tillamook State Forest maybe? Suislaw State Forest? what about Willamette National Forest if you can get that far out? I've done some primitive camping...my favorite spots are in the Deschutes National Forest....some in WIllamette but recently some of the areas have been shut down to camping due to trash from people...just like Three Pools and Opal Creek areas

 

[Goosebrown]

Tillamook State Forest maybe? Suislaw State Forest? what about Willamette National Forest if you can get that far out? I've done some primitive camping...my favorite spots are in the Deschutes National Forest....some in WIllamette but recently some of the areas have been shut down to camping due to trash from people...just like Three Pools and Opal Creek areas

Opal Creek is open or was. My kid's troop camped there in May.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Opal Creek is open or was. My kid's troop camped there in May.

I see. Well, the spot I camped before near 3 pools...is now a day use only area There's also the parking problem on the North Fork road right where the Opal Creek wilderness kiosk is..... At least, the last time I went there. The other areas.... Moose Creek road/Moose Mountain, and Gordon Lakes road....they now have a much larger "Day Use only" areas and "No Camping" signs for much farther up the roads..the effect is basically to eliminate the old camp sites and force people to find less suitable sites or to hike through the forests..most of the old NF roads in those areas are closed due to old wildfire evidence...like trenched across the road and not filled in at all...others have new signs mentioning "timber sales" so that means logging activities.... This is off HWY 20 Eastbound past Cascadia though. There are more roads that may be suitable but they're closer to the Valley Junctions and thus it made more sense to just go camp in Deschutes National Forest outside Sisters.

 

[STUKA]

Avoid Mt Hood Natl Forest...
Too many people already!

 

[CamoDeafie]

Avoid Mt Hood Natl Forest...
Too many people already!

Avoid Detroit Lake and Brietenbush Road areas too; unless you wanna find out how many old naked people are at the Springs

SO again...considering OP's location... Tillamook National Forest and Suislaw National Forest areas? Both have dispersed camping site lists I think, and both are relatively close to Beaverton...

 

[Lasers]

Checkout Tin Shack Road in the Tillamook National Forest. Lots of good spots, rarely see anyone.

Pretty good views too

 

[Nocaster]

Really appreciate all the suggestions. We've been down around Mackenzie river, and there is some beautiful country there. Detroit lake is definitely an example of what we are NOT looking for.

 

[Nocaster]

Deschutes and/or Willamette national forests sound like the ticket for us, and we've been in that area a few times already. Any specific spot recommendations? Preferably drive in and away from people

 

[Misteramax]

Willamette nf for the win. Be good to her though...

 

[Hawaiian]

We go up in the mountains south of Sisters Oregon. Lots of places up there off the timber roads. Take Elm street south out of sisters, drive 7 miles on the paved road and then turn right onto a gravel road. We usually go where you can drive to a camp site. I am not comfortable leaving my car parked in the middle of nowhere and hiking in. Too many crooks around these days to break into your car.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

If you don't mind a really beautiful hike, pansy lakes basin in the "bull of the woods" wilderness on the upper Callawash river is on hell of a pretty place.
It's upriver from Estacada, approx. a two and a 2-1/2 to 3 hour drive for you.
Lenore, slide, big and little surprise and pansy lake are all
Within a two/ three day loop.
I used to disappear in there for a week or so and have an arraigned pick up near elk lake. Me and a few friends,,, good times man, good times. Look it up
They have some excellent fishing (bring the bug spray) and really good trail access.
As was said earlier, be good to her and treat her right though.

 

[DirectDrive]

Hey guys,

I am still pretty new to Oregon and have some friends coming into town with a 5 year old kid. I have a 5 year old kid, as well.

We like tent camping. I am looking to find some tent camping spots that are hopefully away from a developed campground. Hopefully minimal hike in, although about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile hike in should be ok. Max 4-5 hour driving distance from Beaverton. Don't need showers, toilets, or water hook ups.

Ideally, this would be somewhere with mountain or ocean views, some camping trails, Northwest forest scenery, etc.

Any recommendations? We are safe and sane, and clean up after ourselves.

Joseph, OR is about 5-1/2 hours away but it puts you in some great country.

 

[Stomper]

It don't get more primitive than under the west end of the Burnside bridge... but you got a kid.

 

[BigBull 301]

I was gonna say Springwater Trail...

 

[mkwerx]

Heh Stomper gave me a thought - Guided Urban Camping. They had the urban safari thing years back where you rolled through the ghetto in up armored SUVs (which the snowflakes decried as racist) - but the next big thing could be guided urban camping trips. For only $500 per day per person you and yours get outfitted with a ragged tent acquired at a local goodwill and outfitted with dirty ill fitting clothes from same goodwill. You are given a 1 liter Aquafina, a package of ramen, a cheap chinese knife, a tetanus and hep booster shot, and you get dropped off on a random street corner and set up your camp. For an extra $100 you are given two brand new medium moving boxes from Lowes and a black Marksalot marker to create your own custom pan handling sign. Then you can experience the thrill of standing on an on ramp or in the center divider of a street begging for money. At night you get 6 hours of your own personal armed guard to keep real homeless people from rolling, raping, or flat out murdering you in your sleep. At the end of the experience you can keep or donate your goodwill gear.

For the more adventurous and thrifty types for only $1500 you get dropped off for 1 full week at Dignity Village. An armed and armored extraction team will come escort you out or retrieve your corpse at the conclusion of day 7.

Anyone willing to start such business has my blessing but as I am publicly stating this I demand 10% royalty for your first year in operation and 2% per year theteafter.

 

[Nocaster]

I lived in Chicago for 21 years. I've had enough "urban exploration".

 

[Stomper]

Heh Stomper gave me a thought - Guided Urban Camping. They had the urban safari thing years back where you rolled through the ghetto in up armored SUVs (which the snowflakes decried as racist) - but the next big thing could be guided urban camping trips. For only $500 per day per person you and yours get outfitted with a ragged tent acquired at a local goodwill and outfitted with dirty ill fitting clothes from same goodwill. You are given a 1 liter Aquafina, a package of ramen, a cheap chinese knife, a tetanus and hep booster shot, and you get dropped off on a random street corner and set up your camp. For an extra $100 you are given two brand new medium moving boxes from Lowes and a black Marksalot marker to create your own custom pan handling sign. Then you can experience the thrill of standing on an on ramp or in the center divider of a street begging for money. At night you get 6 hours of your own personal armed guard to keep real homeless people from rolling, raping, or flat out murdering you in your sleep. At the end of the experience you can keep or donate your goodwill gear.

For the more adventurous and thrifty types for only $1500 you get dropped off for 1 full week at Dignity Village. An armed and armored extraction team will come escort you out or retrieve your corpse at the conclusion of day 7.

Anyone willing to start such business has my blessing but as I am publicly stating this I demand 10% royalty for your first year in operation and 2% per year theteafter.

Hell, those dopes make $40k a year tax-free working them offramps.