SP Campground Review – Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area, Pendleton, OR

Polly checks out a historic display at Emigrant Springs

Not a “destination”, but a convenient and green stop along I-84 in Oregon

Link to campground here: Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area, Pendleton, OR
Link to map location here: Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area, Pendleton, OR

1. Site Quality = 3/5
   Decent, but not spectacular sites here. They are all paved back-ins, with a selection of either full hookups (18 sites total -> 30 amp/water/sewer) or tent (32 sites -> no hookups) and on-site picnic table and fire-pit. Decent separation, although some are closer than we’d like plus good all-round green and trees everywhere. Biggest ding is unlevel sites (ours required all the levelers we had on our back wheels) and several of the “tent” sites are at right-angles to the road and have rather difficult access for bigger rigs. There is also a separate cabin loop (C-loop) and horse-camp area.
2.  Facilities = 3.5/5
   Basic, good facilities here. Large warm, individual showers and toilets all kept spotlessly clean. Biggest ding is showers have those annoying spray-heads (except disabled shower). Small picnic area on-site plus large green lawn behind the community building.
3. Location = 2/5
   This is not exactly a “destination” location. It’s a convenient stop on I-84 and is not that far from La Grande, plus it does have some OR trail history (a few displays), but not much else.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Good doggie site. There are no “official” trails in the park, but plenty of “unofficial” logging trails behind the facilities which go for miles into the woods. Decent space in camp, plus there is a large, green lawn for doggie to play behind the community building.

Overall Rating = 3.4
BONUS ALERT = Explore a historic stop on the Oregon Trail!

Summary: I would call this a convenient & green stop along I-84, but not exactly a “destination” location. It’s a good all-around State Park set in a thick fir forest just off I-84. The positives are the green environment and the Oregon trail history (the spring here was a common stop for emigrants and the park a few displays on it). Sites are OK, but not spectacular. They are paved and mostly quite large, but quite a few are rather uneven. All sites are back-in and have fire-pit, picnic table and a selection of either full hookups (30 amp/water/sewer) or “tent” (no hookups). Decent separation, although a few are closer than we like. There is also a separate loop (C-loop) with cabins and a horse-camp area set nicely back from the road. There are no official hiking trails, but many “unofficial” logging trails right from camp (explore behind the facilities and you’ll find quite a few miles). The biggest issue is road-noise. This campground is literally right off the I-84 so you will get constant day-and-night noise from the freeway no matter which site you choose. Not a big issue for a short stop, but it makes it way too noisy for a longer stay.

Extra Info:  Good Verizon 3G signal. Sites cost $20/night for full hookups (18 sites -> 30 amp/water/sewer), $17 for tent sites (32 sites -> no hookups) in summer season. On-site dump station and water.

Typical site view. This is a non-hookup (“tent”) site A5

View of our site A4. We had full hookups and a HUGE “sitting area” but our site sloped to the back.

View down middle of campground. RV in site #A9 which was nicely private. You can see a “peek” of our site A4 behind the trees to the left.

View of corner of park. Site B15 in front with B13, B12 behind. These were all full hookup, but too close together for our liking.

View down back-side of campground. RV in site #B25 with B23, B21 behind it. These are all full hookup

View of “sitting” area showing fire-pit and picnic table. This was our site A4.

View of cabins in C-loop

View of facilities

Hiking on the “unofficial” hiking trails

NFS Campground Review – Diamond Lake, Diamond Lake OR

The lovely Diamond Lake

A lovely lakeside forest service campground only ~10 miles from the entrance to Crater Lake, OR

Link to campground here: Diamond Lake NFS, OR 
Link to map location here: Diamond Lake NFS, OR

1. Site Quality = 2.5/5
   You have the whole gamut of site types in this place. Although officially a 35-foot max campground there are actually several sites that will fit bigger rigs, but there are also many, many others that are so slanted and small they would barely fit a pop-up. All sites are paved pull-through, back-in or doubles with various sizes of “sitting areas” containing picnic table and fire-pit. Several loops are right on the water with gorgeous water views. No hookups. There are a total of 238 sites in 11 loops and I’ll give a brief description of each:
   -> A Loop - This loop meanders north of the entrance with a portion of sites at the far end on the water. For big rigs the best (flattest) sites are near the entrance around A1,3,4,5 or around A15-17 – no views here, but great sites with huge “sitting areas”. Near the water sites are tighter and more uneven.
   -> B, D Loops – These are tighter loops that wrap behind the campground and sit closest to the road. They get some road noise and I don’t recommend them for bigger rigs.
   -> C Loop - This is probably the nicest water-front loop in the campground with several fabulous lake view spots (C6-C11) large and flat enough for bigger rigs. This would be my #1 pick coming back.
   -> E, F Loops – Water-front loops with mostly uneven sites. There are a few possible big rig spots, but it’s not my favorite area.
   -> G Loop - Southern-most loop along the water. This has some of the sunniest sites and lots of open lake views. Most sites are rather too uneven for big rigs, but a few (G23, 25, 28 and doubles G31, 34, 36) would potentially fit us. There is a tight-ish turn at the end of the loop, so beware of this before you go.
   -> H Loop - This is a large, spacious loop that wraps behind the campground. It has no lake views and sits mostly in shade, but many sites (H1,2,4,5,7,9,12,16,21,25,27) are large and flat enough for bigger rigs If A & C loops are filled, this would be my back-up choice for our size.
   -> K,L Loops – These are very tight, uneven and small sites by the water. Lots of privacy, great views and a good choice for truck-campers or pop-ups, but not recommended at all for big rigs.
   -> M Loop – Selection of sunny sites by the water. Most are too uneven, but a few longer sites (M2,7,13,15,17) would fit us. Nice lake views here and I’d try it if C were filled.
2. Facilities = 4/5  Very nice facilities for a forest service campground. Flush toilets and excellent showers (large stalls with very warm water and great pressure!), kept decently clean. Showers are on “donation” basis asking $1 for 5 minutes (totally worth it!). Only slight ding is showers have those annoying spray-heads. Also on-site dump station, but there’s a ”dip” going into it, so beware of your back-end. Potable water spigots at dump and around camp.
3. Location = 5/5 As far as nature goes this is really a lovely location. You are right by a gorgeous lake with 11-mile bike trail, miles (and miles) of hiking, mountains, great views, nearby lodge. You area also only ~10 miles from Crater Lake and right next to Umpqua River Trail and all the nature that entails. No real shopping here, so load up before coming.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5 Another fabulous location for doggie. Lots of space to hang out in camp and miles of great hiking paths, all paw-friendly. Lake is pooch-swimmable, but watch for algae blooms.

Overall Rating =  4.1
BONUS ALERT: Lake views and miles of hiking & biking!

Summary: This campground came recommended by several blog readers (thanks, folks!) and I’m happy to say it totally lived up to its reputation. The location is fabulous, right on a lake with many sites offering partial or full lake views, and surrounded by miles of lovely hiking and biking trails. It’s the perfect stop-over for Crater Lake lying only ~10 miles from the National Park and also right next to the lovely Umpqua River trail (more hiking, waterfalls, hot tubs…). The campground itself is “officially” a 35-foot max, but you’ll find a few loops (especially A, C, H, G & M) that have select sites which will fit up to 42-foot size and even some with full lake views. Sites are paved but vary ALOT in how flat and accessible they are, so you have the full gamut from really ugly sites to stunning lake-front beauties. Take your time to drive the toad before you bring in the rig! According to locals the mosquitos here can be ferocious in summer, but when we visited (Sept) bugs were gone and the weather perfect. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our time here and I would peg it as our #1 spot to stay in the area when we come back.

Extra Info: Weakish 3G on Verizon (1-2 bars), but totally usable with our external antenna and amp. Total 238 sites , no hookups. Sites cost $16/night for singles, $21/night for doubles (50% off with senior pass). In summer season much of the campground reservable on-line, but it goes to first-come-first-serve after Sept 4th. On-site dump station and water spigots.

Extra, Extra Info – Other Camping, Boondocking: There are actually several other forest service campgrounds around Diamond Lake and nearby Lemolo Lake, plus there is a private RV park (rustic, but with full hookups) just down the road from the NFS site. You can also boondock officially within 300 feet of any forest service road and we scoped a few sites on the SW side of the lake which could fit us.

View of our enormous “sitting area” in A4. We did need levelling blocks under the front wheels to level though.

Another one of the larger, flat back-ins. Site A5 near the entrance.

View down the lovely C loop. Site C8 on left, C7 on right.

One of the lakefront sites in G-loop. Site G27. This has way too much lean for us.

View down G-loop. Pull-through G36 on right is a “double” site and would fit us.

View down K loop. Site K25 on left with K23, 22 behind it. These are all too small and unlevel for us, but would be nice sites for smaller campers.

View of one of the impossibly small/uneven sites in K-loop. Site K27 shown.

View down L loop. Lots of privacy and separation here, but very small sites. Site L4 on left.

View of one of the bigger sites in M loop. Site M15 shown.

View of spacious H loop. Site H15 on right with pull-through H16 behind it. No views in H, but lots of bigger sites.

View of typical “sitting area” with fire-pit and picnic table

SP Park Review – Tugman State Park, Lakeside, OR

Paul poses by the lovely Eel Lake

A very pleasant state park ~30 miles south of Florence by a large inland lake on the central OR coast.

Link to campground here: Tugman State Park, OR
Link to map location here: Tugman State Park, OR

1. Site Quality = 3.5/5
   Very decent sites here with just a few dings. All sites are flat paved back-in with 50Amp/water (no sewer), picnic table, fire-pit and good access throughout. Site separation is decent, probably a tad more cramped than other state parks we’ve been to on the coast. However there’s lots of trees/green everywhere so privacy is good. Outer loop sites are nicely slanted and the best bet for big-rigs especially if you can get some of the sites on the back corners (slightly bigger). Inside loop sites are smaller and almost right-angle to the road making poor access for bigger rigs. No lake-views from the sites, but lots of green & trees. The main ding is west-side sites are close to 101 and so get some road noise.
2. Facilities = 4/5
   Good facilities here. Large flush toilets and showers kept nicely clean. Only ding is that showers don’t get quite as warm as I’d like. On-site dump station.
3. Location = 4/5
   Good location here. Campground is on a lovely lake with large grassy day-use area and fishing, canoeing, swimming and pretty 3-mile hiking trail along the lake-side. You are only a few miles from dune access (e.g. John Dellenback Trail) and the lovely Umpqua Lighthouse and Winchester Bay. Only slight ding is no direct beach/dune access from camp.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Great location for doggie. Lots of space to hang out in camp and around the lake and day-use area. Good hiking around the lake with more hiking on the dunes nearby. Dog-friendly beach only a few miles away at Ziolkouski Beach Park‎ . Poo bags provided in camp.

Overall Rating =  4.1
BONUS ALERT: Lovely Eel Lake right by the campground!

Summary: Another lovely Oregon State Park. This is dune-county so this particular park is actually a few miles in-land and on the other side of 101 by a lake. Well-sized flat, paved sites with decent privacy and 50Amp/water. Outsite loop sites are nicely slanted and good for big rigs. The only real dings are that west-side sites are close to 101 and so get some road-noise plus inner-loop sites are almost at right angles to the road (poor access). Lovely large green day-use area and beautiful lake access (no-wake boating, canoeing, fishing, swimming etc.) with cute hiking trail around part of the lake. Location is great for exploring the Oregon Dunes and the surrounding area. There is no direct access from camp, but you’re only ~1 mile drive from the fabulous John Dellenback Trail and short drive to Umpqua Lighthouse and Winchester Bay (ATVing, beach, harbor). At this time of year the campground was was relatively empty during the week, but completely full on the week-end. Big bonus is excellent Verizon signal! Overall a relaxing and pleasant campground at a very reasonable price. We’d stay here again.

Extra Info: Very good 3G on Verizon (3-4 bars). Total 40 sites (50Amp/water). Sites cost $20/night in summer season, $17/night in off-season, all reservable on-line. On-site dump station.

Extra, Extra Info – Camping Closer to Dunes/Water?: There is actually a ton of other camping in the immediate area some of which gets you closer to the dunes/water if that’s your goal:
1/ For avid ATVers there are 2 campgrounds with direct ATV access to the dunes in Winchester Bay -> Discovery Point RV and county-owned Half Moon Bay (non hook-up). If you’re into dune-buggy riding it doesn’t get much closer than this.
2/ For water-lovers Winchester Bay offers no less than 3 RV options and if you want water-views this is the place to go. Upscale county-owned Winchester Bay RV Resort offers manicured, gorgeous full water views for $42/night, laid-back Windy Cove offers FHU for $23/night just across the street from the resort, and finally Salmon Harbor Marina  offers dry-camp water-front parking for $14/night.

Typical outer-loop back-in site (C12 shown)

View near loop entrance. Empty site A11 on right, with trailer in A9 behind it.

View down far end of loop. Site C18 on right with C16 behind it.

View towards our rig in corner of loop. Empty site C18 on left with our rig in C20 behind it.

View of sites nearest 101. These have some road-noise. Empty sites B22 and B24 on left with trailer in B26 behind.

View down one of center roads. Rig in site B15 on right with B13 behind it.

View of our “sitting area” at C20. This was (by far) the largest in the loop we thought.

View of facilities

Biking around the large, grassy day-use area. Lake in the back.

CP Campground Review – Emigrant Lake County Park, Ashland, OR

Enjoying the view at MPRSE Site#21B at Emigrant Lake County Park

A lovely county park with simply stunning lake views right outside of Ashland in S.Central OR. This review is for the RV area “The Point RV Park”.

Link to campground here: Emigrant Lake County Park, Ashland, OR
Link to map location here: Emigrant Lake County Park, Ashland, OR

1. Site Quality = 4/5
   Overall very nice sites here, with only a few dings. Sites are all large paved surfaces with full hookups (50Amp/water/sewer), nice “sitting areas” containing picnic table and fire-pit and good separation. The sites are all well-tiered on a hill with sites along the front lake-side of the loop at a lower level than the back-side of the loop so views are tremendous with almost full lake/hill views out of every single site. Easy access and space for big rigs all around. The only dings are that there is sparse shade and some sites are very unlevel with rather large leans in the parking pad. Flattest sites are 2,3,4,6,7,14,16,18,19,20,22, 27,28,29, and then there is the “super-prime” site #21 which sits all by itself in a huge flat pull-out at the very end of the loop. This site, on its own, gets 10/10 for space, views & access. If you can get it, book it!!
2. Facilities = 4/5
   Good facilities here. Large and clean toilets, plus big individual pay ($0.25 for 4 mins) shower stalls. Several boat-ramps around the lake. On-site dump station.
3. Location = 5/5
   We absolutely loved the location here. You are right on a gorgeous lake with access to day-use areas, boating & lake activities, lots of hiking, fishing and swimming, and even a water-slide for the kids. Ashland is only a few miles away and has golf, a lovely downtown and strong theatre scene, plus you can access mountain hiking in nearby Mt.Ashland.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Great spot for doggie. You are right on a lake and pooch can access/swim in the water right from the campground. Also easy hiking directly from your campsite. Only place you can’t take doggie is the day-use areas, but there is plenty of other space around.

Overall Rating = 4.5
BONUS ALERT = Gorgeous lake-views from just about every campsite!

Summary: I can already tell you that based on views alone this campground is going to make our top 10 of the year. Campsites are nicely tiered with lake-side sites at a lower level than back-side of the loop so you get outstanding lake & hill views out of pretty much every single site. Add to that full hook-ups, good “sitting areas”, water activities, lots of nearby hiking and fabulous theatre-going in Ashland and I think this place is a super-sweet combo. It ALSO has the MPRSE, site #21 which is a huge pull-through at the very end of the loop and really worth the booking, if you can get it. The only possible dings I can give is that some of the sites are rather unlevel (see above for details) and there’s only sparse shade. At the time of year and temps we were here this place was quiet and absolutely lovely, but I gather from others that it gets rather hot and very crowded in the summer, esp. when kids are out of school & everybody uses the lake. For that reason it seems to get rather mixed reviews on the web. As far as our experience goes, however, this is a prime campground. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay as well as the surrounding area and there’s no doubt we’ll be coming back for more.

Extra Info: Good 3G on Verizon (3-4 bars). Total 32 sites all full hookup (50 amp/water/sewer) and all reservable on-line. Sites cost $26/night. On-site dump station.

View of one of back-ins near beginning of loop (site #8 shown). This has some lean to it.

View of one of the lower back-ins, Site #19

View of one of the pull-through sites. #22 shown.

View of one of the upper-level sites (#26 shown)

View of another of upper-level sites (#28 shown)

View of picnic table and fire-pit (site #22 pictured)

View of our site (#21) at very end of loop

Another view of our site #21 without the RV (only the car is parked there)

View down front of loop.From left to right site #14 (empty), #13 (diabled), #12 (RV), #11 (empty), #10 (RV)

View near far end of loop. Site #19 on left, RV in 18 and 16 on right.

View down back-side of loop. RV on right in site#25. Sites 24, 23, 22 shown down the hill. Our RV is just visible at the end in site #21.

View of facilities

View of hiking trail right by the campground

RV Park Review – Orange Grove RV Park, Bakerfield, CA

Hanging in the orange grove at Orange Grove RV Park

An immaculate RV park set in a lovely orange grove in S. CA. Great stop-over spot for anyone travelling I-5.

Link to park here: Orange Grove RV Park
Link to map location here: Orange Grove RV Park

1. Site quality = 4/5 Very nice sites here. They are all spacious, flat dirt, but kept in very good condition with picnic table, individual orange trees (you can pluck as much fruit as you like in season) and good hookups (50Amp/water/sewer and cable). Most are pull-throughs with a few back-ins along the far rear. Only slight ding is that there is not much separation between sites (apart from the orange trees). Most sites are very similar, but edge sites (on end of every row) do have some extra space.
2. Facilities = 5/5 Very nice facilities here. Large, clean toilets with very big individual showers (huge in fact) with table and hooks for your clothes. Nice modern feel.
3. Amenities = 5/5 Very good amenities. There is a cute country store and lodge (with books, puzzles and tables), a decent pool area (just a tad small, but otherwise very nice), playground, laundry, fitness room (all new equipment). RV & car washing section in back (nice, little touch), plus free WiFi (which works well -> I gather it was just updated recently). Also on-site propane and dump station.
4. Location = 3/5 Bakersfield is not exactly a location destination (for most folks), but the park is a very convenient stopover for anyone travelling on I-5/99. In addition it’s nicely set ~9 miles out of town and inside an orange grove which means peace and relaxation -> a real bonus for the area. You are also just around the corner from the CA Fruit Depot.
5. Pet friendliness = 4/5 Great doggie spot. There is a walking area in the orange groves all around the park, plus a very cute (and nicely sized) off-leash area in the shaded grove on the SW corner. No bags, but poop-scooper areas all around. Only ding is no real hiking out the door. Nearest hiking w/ pooch is ~10 miles away at Kern River County Park.

Overall rating = 4.2
BONUS ALERT = Pluck oranges from the tree next to your site!

Summary: We needed a good stop-over with hookups (because of the heat) on I-5 and this park had been highly recommended by just about everyone we talked to. It definitely lived up to its reputation. Set quietly ~9 miles out of town the entire park is in the middle of an orange grove, with trees at each and every site. It’s immaculately kept with large, dirt sites, good hookups and great amenities (pool, hangout room, fitness room, RV washing station…you name it). Even the WiFi works well! The only slight dings are that sites do not really have much separation (apart from the orange trees) and there’s no real hiking directly from the park. In low-season the owners book everyone with space between, but in high-season (snowbird migration) I gather it’s packed. There are a few things to do and see around town. A lovely and relaxing stop-over and one I would definitely recommend to others.

Extra Info: Good 4G & 3G Signal on Verizon. Free WiFi on-site (works well). Sites $39/night ($35 for Good Sam’s or seniors), $195/week or $450/mo (all-inclusive).

Extra, Extra Info – Other Camping? There are a few other camping options which I can recommend in the area. For smaller rigs (I would say 35-max. It’s a tad tight for our size) nearby Kern River County Park is a lovely non-hookup park set beautifully right next to the river. Surrounding area has lots of hiking, trees, picnic area and recreation. For those looking for a “freebie” Camping World allows overnight camping in their lot.

Front view of our site (#161). All sites are very similar.

Another typical site view. RV in site #171

View down front empty row showing sites & picnic tables

Another view down a typical row. Our RV is on the left.

View down one of the back rows. Most of the monthly residents stay here. Front RV in site #67 on left.

View of facilities

View of pool area

View of playground

View of off-leash dog run