Bigfoot country~Oregon and PNW

[crofter]

Take Highway 224 east from Estacada OR. 
Memaloose Bridge is the BLM site. This area is nice, although no actual camping on the BLM. 

Waterfalls. Rippling Rocks. First Peoples history. Some spectacular wide spots that are hassle free. Pack in/ pack out please. 

Free camping is on the forest 15 miles farther past the organized forest service campgrounds. There is actually a sign on 224 where the free camping starts. Every small forest road has some fire rings. It's a vanners paradise but most spots are too small for larger rigs. 

No cell service farther up. No gas available on the forest. Water available at FS hand pumps or from creeks.

Urban legend about free camping on Fish Creek Road is false. If you want to stay on Fish Creek, stay at the FS Campground, it's very nice and costs about $10 for seniors. There are usually a few empty spots, but reservations are available at www.recreation.gov look for "Fish Creek Campground"

Clackamas Wild and Scenic River

https://www.blm.gov/visit/search-details/16839/2

National Forest Clackamas River Ranger District[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]r Ranger Dis[/font]

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recreation/camping-cabins

Happy camping!  

~ crofter

 

[lenny flank]

If you get a photo of Bigfoot, you'll post it here before you sell it to CNN, right?

 

[crofter]

That's too funny. 

Although I must admit to looking for tracks a time or two.

 

[Blanch]

I found him down by the beach, on the right hand side of this shot. For some reason CNN isn’t returning my calls.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lenny flank]

Hah! But I'm not quite sure that photo is blurry enough.......

 

[SunDance57]

I live in Bigfoot country, not very far from the sightings at Willow Creek and Bluff Creek, CA. They have always been cool to me, not like the friggin black bears on NPS sites. Anyway thanks for the quality links! I am heading north soon. I may have to check this area out. Anymore, post I am interested.

Thanks mucho!

SD

 

[QinReno]

SD57, I just returned from a month up around Bend. If going that way, here are some possibilities:

- free BLM camping on the banks of the Deschutes River, views of the 3 Sisters all the way to Hood (got this from freecampsites,net):    44.365,-121.259

- pay CGs I liked quite a lot:
 - Skull Hollow: 44.3966,-121.0658
 - Whispering Pines: 44.253,-121.6918

There are wonderful hot showers to be had at the city park on south Elm St in Sisters, the only place I found in the entire area.

 

[crofter]

Thanks for the info QinReno !!

Here is a link for Skull Hollow GC near Smith Rock $10 per night and no water  https://smithrock.com/skull-hollow-campground/

Here is a link for Whispering Pines CG near Sisters $16 per night and no water https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=39266

~crofter

 

[QinReno]

I get 50% discounts with the Senior Pass. For reference, I liked all 3 of those CGs because they are in places that were not totally enveloped by tall trees, as along the Metolius River n.w. of Sisters. There are dozens of CGs in the area around Bend, but many are in deep forest. Skull Hollow is in a huge pretty valley, and is a good spot if you're heading north (except on weekends when the Smith Rock climbers come). There are also many many nice CGs south of Mt Bachelor on the Cascade Lakes Hwy. 

There is also a LOT of BLM land in the area, as shown in the front pages of the Benchmark Maps atlas, but most of it is fenced off and has no access, or is now private. I drove up a lot of roads in the area to check. BTW, on the google maps site, there should be a 3D icon so you can pan around (by holding down the "ctrl" key), and look at the terrain in 3D perspective.

 

[crofter]

Historic Columbia River Highway boondocking- and 20 minutes to Portland.

Take Exit 18 off of I-84 EAST of Portland from either direction.

North side by the Columbia River is a dog park called "Sandy River Delta".

Go south on Jordan Rd which runs into the Historic Columbia River Highway, follows the Sandy River.

There is a large lot in view of I-84 where many people park. I saw a semi with a trailer there today under the trees, slides all out.

There is a nice park with flushies and other amenities at the next turnoff called "Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site", boondockers at the far end of the lot under some small trees. This park has a nature trail.

There are some nice pulloffs along the Historic Columbia River Highway on the Sandy River side. Do not park under the cliffs as stuff falls off from time to time. Bridges turning off toward town should be considered one lane.

There is an artesian well on the uphill side of the road with a small pull off in the area of Dabney park.

There is a park along the Sandy River called "Dabney State Recreation Area" with frisbee golf, trails, a boat ramp, a large flat lot and flushies, but no actual camping. Ainsworth State Park is the closest camping. The few private camps in the area are usually full.

Continue another seven miles on Historic Columbia River Highway past the town of Corbett for the spectacular Gorge views at Portland Women's viewpoint. And for a scary ride, continue to Vista House (narrow windy road along cliffs) picture below. Corbett has good BBQ at the old general store.  

Continuing farther up after the Vista House turnoff, Larch Mountain Road is an option for boondocking but I have not had good luck up there.

The nearest Super WalMart is a couple miles from the Exit 18 areas, at Exit 16 on I-84 East, and unusual for Portland, boondocking is allowed there.

Another day trip is the Rooster Rock State Park, famous for it's beach. It is East on I-84 about 2 miles from the boondocking areas I described.
Rooster Rock State Park - Oregon State Parks and Recreation https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=126

~crofter

 

[crofter]

View attachment 22210
Larch Mountain Road area above Corbett OR

level parking, nothing else there but hiking

View attachment 22210

~     crofter

 

[crofter]

Sorry, pics not posting.  This road is still open and snow free with some boondocking spots along it, and hiking to the top of Larch Mountain.     ~crofter

 

[crofter]

FS info about Larch Mountain https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=29942

Trail to the viewpoint https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=30070 

Larch Mountain Road is closed at the snow gate, and a 4 mile hike to the top.     ~crofter

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Latitude : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]45.528924[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Longitude : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-122.087565[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Elevation : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3900' - 4000'[/font]

 

[crofter]

A winter walk with a birding blind at Sandy River Delta= Confluence Trail.    ~crofter

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5317583.pdf

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Area/Length : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1.1 miles[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Latitude : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]45.546018[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Longitude : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-122.374047[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Elevation : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]50 - 50[/font]

 

[crofter]

View attachment 22212
Larch MT Road area

 

[crofter]

Here is a link for trails and map information if you are touring in the Gorge.     ~crofter
https://gorgefriends.org/hike-the-gorge/larch-mountain-crater-loop.html

To note: These areas are officially opening in 2019, after being closed for 2 years.

 

[crofter]

Snow levels in your favorite places January 2019 are reported here

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/porta...iLSycTQz9TQx8DLwNHA0CnS28w8w8wgz9A4z0w8EKPI0s

Many places still accessible due to warm dry year we are having.   ~crofter

 

[crofter]

For those camping out in Portland Metro area: crossing over into Washington state, the Gifford Pinchot NF is still accessible in many places, with snow level at 3000 feet currently.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/giffordpinchot/recreation#conditions

Link takes you to some open camping spots, roads status.   ~crofter

 

[crofter]

Here is a link to the Dispersed camping rules for Gifford Pinchot NF in southern Washington state. You must move every 14 days at least 5 miles away from the previous spot.     ~crofter

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5291562.pdf

 

[crofter]

Sunset Falls NFCG near Yacolt, WA is open year round, $12 for camping and half off with a pass.     ~crofter
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif]Location[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Latitude : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]45.818734[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Longitude : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-122.250186[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]  Elevation : [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1014[/font]