Dispersed camping boondocking oregon free#

The temperature dropped below freezing each night.

The campfire kept us nice and warm and we were blessed with a beautiful sunset but once that sun went down we had to go inside. It was cold outside so after taking a walk around we decided to build a campfire. That was my first time building a campfire ring and the engineer in me enjoyed it. Our spot didn’t have a campfire ring, like some of the other spots did, so we collected some nearby lava rocks and built one. Our spot didn’t have any trash but as we explored we found an abandoned mattress, lots of broken glass and trash, and half-burned cushions in other areas. This was a nice boondocking area and has the potential to be a great area if people would pick up after themselves. There was a spot that we could back in to without too much trouble not too far from the canyon. We decided on BLM land near the Deschutes River. This spot would be a great spot for smaller rigs but not for us. We looked at Henderson Flat but the entry would not work for our motorhome. After walking around the park we unhooked the Jeep and started on our adventure to find a good boondocking spot for the next three nights. This state park has an impressive canyon and three cool bridges worth seeing. There were a few boondocking options near Terrebonne, OR and we didn’t know which one would work best for our motorhome so we stopped at Peter Skene Ogden State Park. Overall we wouldn’t recommend White River West Sno-Park when it is freezing and windy but this spot would be amazing when the weather is nice and no Sno Park permit is required. They eventually thawed in a few hours, but we decided it was best to continue on our journey and stay an extra night in our next boondocking spot.

While it wasn’t below freezing much, the wind chill was significant. We have a heater to prevent this from happening, but we hadn’t set it up yet. When we woke up our freshwater inlet pipes were frozen since they were exposed to cold temps in the wet bay. Even then, I couldn’t sleep because the wind was so loud all night and I was freaking out that it was going to knock us over even though Penguin assured me that wasn’t going to happen. We realized quickly we would need to bring in all our pop-out slides making it a little tight. This is not typical since our motorhome self-levels so that gives you an idea of the slope of this parking lot.Īnother downside was the freezing temperatures and high winds that started in the evening and went all night long. Our front tires and jacks were on blocks but not the back tires or jacks. The view of Mount Hood was spectacular, but one downside was that the parking lot was on a significant slope so lots of leveling blocks were needed. It was the end of October so no permit was required.

Dispersed camping boondocking oregon free#

This parking lot is a free boondocking spot, except that a Sno Park permit is required from November 1 - April 30. Our plan was to stay two nights in the White River West Sno-Park parking lot near Mount Hood so we could explore the area. We left Portland and started our journey to Bend. The Northwest Youth Corps also help with maintenance on this trail.Mount Hood, OR | White River West Sno-Park Sections of this trail are maintained by the Back Country Horsemen of Oregon Columbia Gorge Chapter volunteers.

The route stays relatively close to Badger Creek, crossing numerous streams along the way. The Badger Creek trail travels from oak and pine woods at Bonney Crossing to Badger Creek Trailhead on a high saddle above Badger Lake. Large natural rock formations are along the lower section of this trail. Visitors can try to catch small rainbow trout in Badger Creek, as it runs along the entire length of the trail. From oak thickets to sub alpine fir meadows at Badger Lake. This trail makes an excellent backpack route as an out and back route to Badger Lake also you come across many different forest types. It is usually best to hike during the period of June-September. There have been reports of snakes this year. This trail is one of the most popular trails in Badger Creek Wilderness.