Camp sites in Portland area? (St. Helens: rentals, hotel, camping)

[pete6032]

I've been to Portland a couple of times but only last time did I venture outside the city. I drove along the Columbia River gorge out to Multnomah Falls and enjoyed it. I'm thinking of going back this summer to spend some time in the city and I might rent a car and try and camp somewhere since its so beautiful out there. I'm thinking somewhere in the gorge or somwhere on the coast. Can anyone recommend a camping area for a day or two? I wont have any camping gear of my own since I'll be flying in. I'm a very novice camper, so I'm looking for somewhere that is within a few hour drive of Portland. Looking for some hiking trails nearby.

[Nell Plotts]

Humm, no camping gear but want a camping place within an hour of a city? I suppose you could find a camping gear rental place but between the cost of renting gear and travel for one person a budget hotel room would be cheaper.

[hamellr]

It looks like Next Adventure and REI both have camping gear rentals.

Fort Stevens, Beverly Beach, South Beach (all on the Coast) are the busiest parks in the summer and need reservations ahead of time. The same with any of the campgrounds right on the Columbia River. Those places are more geared towards RVs, so you may want to avoid them anyways.

Keep in mind that you don't need a permit or anything to camp on Forest Service or BLM land, although you do need a Wilderness Pass for Forest Service Lands.

There will be more hiking trails up around the Gorge though. Don't forget to look up around Mt. St. Helens for places to camp, again you'll need a pass, but there is some gorgeous areas up there.

[carpenterant]

The Gorge and the coast are two of the most popular and crowded areas for camping in the state. I would recommend backcountry or dispersed camping, because it's really difficult to find an empty camping space in an established campground in either of those areas between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Since you mentioned that you're a novice, you might want to look into reserving a yurt or a small cabin. Some parks even have teepees. Then all you'll need to bring in is a sleeping bag, your food and cooking stuff. The Oregon State Parks website has a list of campgrounds by region, including maps, and from there you can make reservations. I would recommend making a reservation NOW. Don't wait until spring, all of the reservations will be taken.

Edited to add state park website: http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/
Actually, this is a more direct link: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/searchpark.php

[bledsoe3]

Champoeg has yurts. It's a little south of Portland.
Ainsworth in in the gorge about 17 miles east of Portland and it's first come first serve.
Stub Stewart is a little west of Portland and it's the newest park.