Willamette National Forest Middle Fork District

THE WILLAMETTE NAT’L FOREST – MIDDLE FORK DISTRICT is located off Hwy 58 stretching from Lowell and Fall Creek Dam to the top of summit at Willamette Pass and Waldo Lake. It is made up of three basic areas. The first is on the Fall Creek Area Drainage just above Fall Creek Reservoir. These campgrounds for the most part have few sites, which give them a quiet laid-back feeling, however while the campgrounds are laid back many of the campers are not. Campers looking for a quiet night on the weekends should choose their sites carefully to avoid being next to a loud group Bedrock and Puma can be loud and if you want to sleep early these two should be avoided.. There are several swimming holes along the creek. Being able to cool off in the swimming holes is probably the best reason for camping here, but the fact that it is easily reachable from the Eugene/Springfield area makes these sites more popular especially early in the season. If you need a laundry, showers or RV dump all are available to Hoodoo's campers for a fee at the Dexter Shores RV park located directly across from the state park and between Pleasant Hill and Oakridge. Check with our host.

    The Oakridge Area  is appropriately located within a few miles of the small city of Oakridge. There are several great campgrounds with access to the Willamette River located just off Hwy 58. The most popular campground in the area is Packard Creek, located outside Oakridge on Hill's Creek Reservoir. This campground has an excellent year around boat ramp to the reservoir and an either day or overnight group site that can be reserved through the National Reservation System. The campgrounds on the reservoir are sunnier than those off Hwy 58. One of the best campgrounds in this area is located north of Oakridge, Salmon Creek Campground. It is well known locally for the beauty of the nearby creek and falls. Black Canyon is located before Oakridge and is an easy trip from Eugene and the U of O if you are attending a function there and would like something priced a little more reasonably. Anybody interested in a $14 stay while attending a Duck football game?

          When it comes to an exciting place to camp it is hard to beat the Waldo Lake Area. Each year in August there are weekly lectures and fun guided hikes to take. This schedule will be posted with the Waldo Lake Area page. This group of campgrounds is worth traveling to from all over the country and world and many do. The lake is reputed to be one of the three most pristine lakes in the world. On a clear day you can see down to the bottom of the lake wherever you go. These campgrounds usually open in late June, but watch the weather reports and our website. We will let you know when the snow goes down and if we can we will open earlier. With the smell of pines and firs in the air, a pristine lake feet away, and majestic Diamond Peak on the horizon, this is what camping should be like. In 2005 new bathrooms were installed along with lots of improvements for ADA access.