Riverside (Mt. Hood National Forest, OR)

Overview

Riverside Campground is a charming and rustic campground, situated alongside the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River in Mt. Hood National Forest. It provides access to a variety of hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails and is a great place to experience nature.

Recreation

Fishing is very popular in the Oak Fork and anglers can expect a catch of winter steelhead, spring Chinook and late summer Kokanee salmon, as well as other species of freshwater fish. The Clackamas River also provides miles of wild water as it bends through the scenic Cascade range, making whitewater rafting a popular activity.

The 5-mile Riverside National Recreation Trail, popular for hiking and mountain biking, is located not far from the campground. The surrounding area provides numerous additional opportunities for hiking.

Facilities

The campground offers more than a dozen single-family sites for tent and small conversion van camping. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring with grill. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided, but no hookups are available. Parking surfaces are paved and gravel. Sites 1-4 are walk in sites with a common parking area or ideal for hiker/cyclists.

Natural Features

The campground is located in Mt. Hood National Forest along the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River at an elevation of about 1,400 feet. Huge maple and Douglas fir trees cover the area, and dense shrubbery provides some privacy between campsites. The campground is not far from the Ripplebrook Ranger Station and Ripplebrook Pond.

The river provides habitat for the federally protected bald eagle and northern spotted owl, as well as an occasional peregrine falcon. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area.

Nearby Attractions

Bagby Hot Springs is located about 14 miles southwest of the campground. A popular site for soaking and relaxing, the springs are in a heavily wooded area in the scenic Cascade Range. The available bathhouses are fed by three major hot water springs and several minor outlets in the area. A historic guard station was built there in 1913.

Camp site features

Across 15 camp sites:

  • Fire pit: all 15 sites
  • Pets allowed: all 15 sites
  • Longest RV: 24 ft
  • Largest party: 6 people

Directions

From Estacada, travel east on Highway 224 for approximately 26 miles, then keep right onto Highway 46 for approximately 2 miles to the campground.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

17 reviews
5 stars
7
4 stars
4
3 stars
2
2 stars
3
1 stars
1
Julie C
Loop:Area Riverside
Site:
Reviewed 2 months ago
Beautiful camp by the river... Until their was a fire down the road and we had to evaluate 🔥
Irene R
Loop:Area Riverside
Site:
Reviewed 3 months ago
Sign for campground was covered by bushes coming from the south, drove passed it. Campground needs work, our sight didn’t have a good place for a tent, good thing we were in a small RV. Uneven ground, weeds all over the sight. Sad that USFS has let a lot of campsights and pit toilets get covered over and not usable any longer. It’s been six years since the big fire. You can do better.
Leah K
Loop:Area Riverside
Site:
Reviewed 4 months ago
Bathrooms were absolutely unusable. Of the 3 outhouses, 1 was closed down (but smelled horrendous when you walk by) and 2 were clearly never cleaned. It was so bad that we were gagging when trying to use them. Also, with the burned trees the area seems hazardous. We heard and watched 3 different trees fall near us when camping here...and decided to leave early.
Damon R
Loop:Area Riverside
Site:
Reviewed 4 months ago
Stayed at site #1 (hike in) and loved it. Lots of room (3 dudes, bikes, and tents with plenty of room leftover). Right by the river (too fast for swimming, fyi, but good for filtering!). Quiet space (especially with the river nearby). Nice camp host. Didn't really appraise the none-hike in options. Looked like other hike in sites we're similar in vibe, but you'll have to see for yourself :-)
Molly T
Loop:Area Riverside
Site:
Reviewed 4 months ago
I reserved #3 and #4. I was unaware that sites 1 thru 4 were HIKE IN ONLY. I ended up moving to a first come first serve site because we had a pop up camper. Sites 3 and 4 are along the river with shade. Not really enough room for a 6 man tent but would work for smaller tents. Camp host was very awesome. Quiet little campground . I will return.
Jack W
Loop:Area Riverside
Site:
Reviewed 5 months ago
The bank was loaded with down tree limbs and other brush. The abandon outhouse should be removed. Limited additional parking was a problem. Having a trail to lead to good fishing access was a plus. I think the rules preventing burning of local wood was a bad decision. With all the brush laying around, using some of it for fire wood would help with the overall condition of the camp.
Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve

Season dates

Peak season

May 23, 2027 – Sep 1, 2027

Reservable online

Peak season

May 23, 2028 – Sep 1, 2028

Reservable online

Camp Sites

Availability not checked yet

No availability

We don't have availability data yet for camp sites at .

Interested in seeing what camp sites you can reserve here? Check it now, or watch this campground so we keep checking it for you.

Nearby Campgrounds