Shadow Bay

Show on map 801-226-3564 help.willamette.middlefork@americanll.com

P.O. Box 8516
Oakridge, OR 97463

Overview

Shadow Bay Campground rests on the shores of Waldo Lake in a forest of towering conifers. This large recreation area provides plenty of things to see and do like sailing, canoeing, fishing and swimming.

Recreation

Waldo Lake is circled by the Jim Weaver Loop, a 22-mile hiking and biking trail. The Shoreline Trail lines the lakeside of the campground and takes hikers and bikers to a network of other trails. From there, hikers can continue into the Waldo Lake Wilderness, but mountain bikers are not allowed in Wilderness. The lake offers boating and swimming. A boat ramp is located on-site.

Facilities

This 92 site campground is less busy than its neighboring campground, North Waldo, resulting in a quieter atmosphere. Nineteen sites are reservable. Garbage containers and gray water disposal areas are available at the campground.

Natural Features

Shadow Bay Campground is located on a large bay at the south end of Waldo Lake. It is considerably wetter than either North Waldo or Islet Campground, supporting a more diverse and prolific ground cover, and also more mosquitos. Situated high on the western slopes of the Oregon Cascades at 5,400 feet in elevation, Waldo Lake is one of the purest lakes in Oregon (9.8 square miles with a maximum depth of 427 feet). It has no permanent inlet to bring nutrients into the lake for plant growth. The lack of plant life contributes to its purity, allowing you to see to depths of 120 feet on a calm day.

Nearby Attractions

Explore Waldo Lake and surrounding hiking trails for views of the snow-capped North, Middle and South Sisters, three of the seven major peaks in Willamette National Forest.

Camp site features

Across 55 camp sites:

Fire pit: 21 of 55 sites
Picnic table: 21 of 55 sites
Pets allowed: 21 of 55 sites
Group sites: 3 of 55 sites
Longest RV: 40 ft
Largest party: 120 people
Equipment: RV, Tent, Trailer

Directions

From Oakridge, Oregon: At the intersection of Crestview Street and Oregon State Highway 58 (the only traffic light on State Highway 58 in Oakridge), travel east on Highway 58 for 23.3 miles. Turn left on the Waldo Lake Road/Forest Road 5897 and travel 6.7 miles to Forest Road 5896. Turn left onto Forest Road 5896, travel 1.7 miles and the destination will be on your right.

Stay Limit

Check in from 12 AM, check out by 12 AM.

Reviews

79 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

BRUCE F

Loop:Loof

Site:

Reviewed 24 days ago

Great hiking, boating in good weather, bike riding on roads with light traffic. Campsites are nice (lots of trees) and restrooms clean. No water available, though, bring your own. The camp hosts were friendly and responsible. They were able to jump start our truck when it was time to leave. This campground is packed full in th summer, but not in spring or fall.

Mike H

Loop:Loof

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

The negative: Site host was seen once in a 3 day stay. No potable water and really stinky outhouses. Be cautious on selecting your site - insufficient info on the reservation page to ensure your equipment will fit in the site (we chose 81 and the only area available for our tent was on a slope). The positive: Waldo is beautifully clean, we had great weather for canoeing around the lake. No mosquitos, or nearly none as we didn't get eaten alive. Quiet and peaceful. Our fellow campers were also well mannered with zero generator noise or barking dogs. Other: Can't wait for North and Islet campgrounds reopen.

Howard S

Loop:Loof

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

We've been coming to Waldo Lake for about years. The lake is beautiful and not too crowded. No motors makes it even better. The lake was very placid this year maybe because of the late date that we camped. Did not see any whitecaps. And no mosquitoes, definitely because of the date. The campground was quiet. Only drawback is the lack of drinking water. But we were prepared and brought plenty. Hopefully fixed by next year. We are planning to be back next year in August if we can get reservations then.

Jerome B

Loop:Looe

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

They still haven't fixed the water system.

Melanie H

Loop:Loof

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

We have visited Shadow Bay many times over the past two decades and have always loved it. While we still had a wonderful time biking and swimming in the lake, we were disappointed by the condition of the campground during our most recent visit. The potable water system is still not repaired, and the composting toilets—which we have used in the past and are very familiar with—were in extremely poor condition. The anaerobic smell was unbearable, and it was clear that they were not functioning as intended. The garbage can next to our campsite was full for several days. When the garbage truck came to empty the garbage skip, we asked the driver if he could also empty our campsite garbage, which he very kindly did. He mentioned that emptying those cans was the responsibility of the camp hosts. The garbage cans in the bathroom facilities were also regularly overflowing. We stayed for five days mid-week, when the campground was mostly empty, but we never once had a hello or any interaction with the camp hosts aside from when they removed our fire pit flag. While that certainly isn't a prerequisite for a good camping experience, it would have been nice. We love Shadow Bay campground, but the overall condition and poor maintenance on this most recent visit was extremely concerning and disappointing.

Bruce H

Loop:Loof

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

Waldo Lake was a beautiful as ever. We were disappointed that the water at the launch dock was not deep enough to launch our boat but we were able to kayak and enjoy the beautiful weather. The campground was pretty empty due to the big rain the day before we arrived. We were delighted to have the fire ring ban lifted our last night. First campfire all summer. We appreciated the email before our camp date letting us know there was no water available at the camp.

Availability

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

Reserve