10 Campgrounds Near Mount Hood, Oregon

Still Creek Campground is located off HWY 26 about a mile from Government Camp and roughly an hour and a half drive from Portland. The campground sits about a half mile from the noise of the highway and near the edge of Still Creek as the name suggests. This is an excellent and often overlooked campground that serves as a great hub for those looking to play on Mt. Hood, enjoy the waters of Trillium Lake or even hike into Government Camp. Some of the sites are right on the waters of Still Creek and there is a easy to navigate dirt road that is just a short drive down to Trillium Lake.

Trillium Lake is quite possibly one of the most photographed lakes on all of Mt. Hood and is a popular day use destination for many Oregonians. It is located just an hour and a half drive from Portland and is situation on Mount Hood roughly 5 minutes from Government Camp. The campground is large with 57 sites and is a great destination for those looking to relax on the shores of Trillium Lake. This campground does fill up so either make reservations or plan or arriving early.

Lost Lake Campground is located on the north side of Mt. Hood and is a two hour drive from Portland through Hood River. Lost Lake is one of the most popular campgrounds on all of Mt. Hood and can be one of the most difficult to find an open campsite at. While most campsites at Lost Lake are not located on the lake shore they do offer access to one of the most amazing views of Mt. Hood in all of Oregon. Couple that with warm waters, boat rentals, a lake store and even a lodge and cabins and you have a recipe for a very likable campground. Lost Lake is one of our favorite places but be sure to get there early to ensure you can get a campsite. The road to Lost Lake is long and if the campground is full it feels like an even longer drive back out.

Timothy Lake is located roughly two and a half hours from Portland off of HWY 26 and is home to 8 campgrounds and too many campsites to count. This is another VERY popular camping destination on Mt. Hood and most campgrounds offer incredible lake shore access for boating, swimming, fishing, biking and hiking. There is a 12 mile trail around the lake, several boat launches, docks and even a hike in only campground. With some much to do at Timothy Lake it is no wonder this popular camping area fills up quickly and reservations book out months in advance. A few of our favorite campgrounds at Timothy Lake are Hood View Campground and Gone Creek Campground.

Wanna get away from the crowds? Barlow Crossing Campground is a small campground located about 2 hours from Portland and has just 6 campsites nestled on the edge of the White River. Barlow Crossing is difficult to get as you must navigate a long dirt road after you leave HWY 26 but its isolation is worth the effort. There is no drinking water here and only one vault toilet so it can almost be considered primitive camping. The White River is strong and silty so swimming is not much of an option here but you get a true mountain camp vibe that is hard to find at the larger campgrounds.

Nottingham Campground is roughly 2 hours from Portland, has 20 campsites and is nestled along the East Fork of Hood River. It is a beautiful mountain campground and the nearby river is an a amazing demonstration of the power of nature. Though the campground sites high above the flood plane, you can see how high the river can get and the washed up debris and log jams is a site to see. This is another less populated mountain campground that is great if you want to get away from the crowds. Be sure to bring your own water as there is none at this campground. The nearby river is swift and cold so don’t expect to do much swimming here.

Camp Creek Campground just of HWY 26 past Rhododendron has 25 campsites and is a quick hour and fifteen minute drive from Portland. The campground sits about a quarter mile from HWY 26 so you can hear some road noise but lots of it is drowned out by the nearby Zigzag River. This is a beautiful little campground with access to nearby hiking trails and excellent river views. Many of the campsites sit on the edge of the river and a few even have some amazing old chimney style fire pits. The close in location of Camp Creek makes it ideal for a quick weekend getaway.

Frog Lake Campground is located off of HWY 26 just an hour and a half drive from Portland and features 33 campsites. Frog Lake is a small lake with views of Mt. Hood on the opposite side of the lake from the campground. This is not much of a recreation lake however it is another great campground if you want to get the feel of mountain lake camping. There is plenty of nearby hiking trails and you can even hike into other more isolated lakes that are better for swimming than Frog Lake. Frog Lake Campground is smaller than many of the other larger lake campgrounds on Mt. Hood and as a result has a more peaceful vibe to it.

Clear Lake campground is just an hour and a half drive from Portland, has 28 campsites and is located about a mile off of HWY 26. Clear Lake is a popular boating destination even though the speed limit is 10mph. The campground sits on the lake shore though depending on the time of year the water level may be low making the walk down a little bit further than normal. There are beautiful views of Mt. Hood from clear lake and the campground is nice with many sites offering decent privacy. This is another great lake side campground and may be an easier alternative to the longer drive to Timothy Lake.

Lost Creek Campground is roughly an hour and half from Portland and has 17 campsites to choose from. Getting here can be tricky as the campground is far from HWY 26 but the long trek may be worth it. Lost Creek Campground is fairly isolated and will definitely give you that feeling of being “out there”. Perhaps one of the huge benefits of camping here is the nearby access to many popular hiking trails including Lost Creek Trail, Burnt Lake and Ramona Falls. The nearby Lost Creek is an added benefit as you get the lovely sound of running water in your campground. This another great spot for those looking to get away from crowds.