Molalla

Show on map 503-375-5646 blm_or_no_mail@blm.gov

Northwest Oregon District Office, 1717 Fabry Road SE
Salem, OR 97306

Enjoy a scenic drive along the Molalla River, which offers easy river access and opportunities for picnicking, swimming, camping, whitewater boating and fishing. The Molalla River is one of the few undammed tributaries of the Willamette River and cuts a picturesque gorge on its way to the valley floor. The river was designated by Congress as a Wild and Scenic River in 2019, and is managed for its unique scenic, recreational, geological and cultural values.

Three Bears and Cedar Grove campgrounds offer a total of 26 walk-in tent campsites. Aquila Vista Campground offers one overnight group campsite for up to 20 people. These campsites are available by reservation only on www.recreation.gov or the Recreation.gov Mobile App.

The Molalla River Trail System is an extensive network of more than 20 miles of trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. The system combines both single-track trails and old forest roads. The trails wind through the forested foothills and slopes of the Molalla River Valley, occasionally offering scenic glimpses of the forests and mountains of the Cascade Range. The system offers a variety of difficulty levels for a wide range of mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding enthusiasts. Trails are generally marked with directional signs and levels of difficulty. The best equestrian access to the trail system is from Hardy Creek or Annie’s Cabin Trailheads where there is ample parking for horse trailers. Mountain bikers and hikers may prefer to access the trail system via Amanda’s, AmeriCorps, and Sandquist’s Trailheads.

Know Before You Go

Camping is limited to the Three Bears and Cedar Grove Campgrounds along the Molalla River. Make a reservation at the above links. Campsites are $15-30 per night plus applicable fees.
There is no cell phone service in the corridor. Depending on your service provider, you will need to head to the phone booth or old Dickey Prairie store.
Caution: Watch out for log trucks that frequently use the road.
Fires are limited to the steel fire rings or BBQ grills provided.
No firewood collection is allowed at the developed campgrounds.
Pack-it in, pack-it out.

Point of Interest

Molalla Recreation Area is the gateway to Table Rock Wilderness.

Directions

The Molalla River Recreation Area is located approximately 10 miles southeast of Molalla in Clackamas County. From the town of Molalla, drive east on Main St/OR 211. Veer right at the OR 211/Mathias Road intersection, follow signs for Feyrer Park. Once past Feyrer Park, cross over the Molalla River, turn right, and follow signs for Dickey Prairie Rd. Continue south on Dickey Prairie Rd, keeping the Dickey Prairie Store on your left. At 3.7 miles past the store, turn right on Molalla Forest Rd and cross Glen Avon Bridge.

Fees

$15-30 per campsite in Three Bears or Cedar Grove plus applicable non-refundable service fees

Reviews

84 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Asa W

Campground:Three Bears Campground

Loop:Camp

Site:

Reviewed 18 days ago

Very nice spot. Lots of trees. Being near the water was nice too. Pretty quiet, though that could be down to it being the last weekend it was open

Ling S

Campground:Three Bears Campground

Loop:Camp

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

The campsite is pretty spacious and walkable through a trail. We camped at #13 campsite which is a bit noise since it's adjacent to the main road, though. Unfortunately, the tap water was locked when we're there.

Andrea G

Campground:Cedar Grove Campground

Loop:Camp

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Site that was reserved was unavailable. So chose another unavailable one and it was reserved so moved then again moved. Not happy. My name and reservation was no where on the posts or board

Mark C

Campground:Cedar Grove Campground

Loop:Camp

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Great campground! Nice sounds of the river behind it, clean, quiet. Somewhat close to the road but stayed Friday - Saturday and just a handful of cars passed by.

William J

Campground:Cedar Grove Campground

Loop:Camp

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

Site #1 was well equipped and had plenty of room. An ambitious group could fit 3-4 tents and even a couple hammocks there. Picnic tables seemed new. Only complaint is that there was some broken glass scattered around the site, but that’s only the fault of the a**holes who made the mess. Some other reviews said river access was ‘sketchy’ however there’s straight up a gravel path with nice stone steps all the way down to the shoreline. Water pump worked great, bathrooms on par. Site 1 is far removed from the rest which was very nice, however after taking a quick peek at the rest I could see how it could feel crowded and not very private if you were there during a busy week. The other sites are all very close to one another with little to no vegetation separating them. If you can’t get site 1 then I’d recommend only going during the middle of the week or slightly off season to avoid a crowd.

Tripp B

Campground:Three Bears Campground

Loop:Camp

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

The campground was nice and spacious for 6 people and had privacy in between other sites. We weren't able to see or hear people at the other sites almost at all, which was pretty nice. There was staff there to make sure there were no problems and that the bathroom was clean, but they weren't monitoring us or checking in too much which was good. There were trails nearby for hiking and the river was very close, too. I was worried about mosquitoes but I don't think there was much, if any. Overall, I would definitely come back here again.

Keep your options open

Watch for a matching campsite across monitored campgrounds in Molalla.