Campgrounds and RV parks near Dallesport, WA

The Columbia River anchors most trips. Windsurfing is a signature activity on this stretch, and Maryhill's waterfront supports boating, fishing and swimming, with a roped-off swim area at the day-use section. The Deschutes confluence adds one of Oregon's premier steelhead and trout fisheries. On land, Columbia Hills offers hiking and Native American rock art. North of State Route 14, the Crawford Oaks and Dalles Mountain Ranch Trailheads access miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails with views of Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson and the Columbia River Gorge, and in spring the hills are dotted with arrow-leaf balsam root and lupine. Ranger-led pictograph and petroglyph tours run on Fridays and Saturdays from April to October, and reservations are required. Near Maryhill, families can walk to a full-scale concrete replica of Stonehenge completed in 1930 as a monument to Klickitat County soldiers killed in World War I, located about a mile from the park, then visit the Maryhill Museum of Art.

Spring is the signature season east of the Cascades. Lupine and balsam root bloom in mid-April making spectacular fields of purple and gold, and the shoulder months stay mild before the summer heat sets in. Crawford Oaks, Dalles Mountain Ranch and Horsethief Butte trailheads can be crowded on the weekends during peak wildflower season, so weekday visits help avoid crowds. Summer brings hot, dry weather and the strongest demand for waterfront sites. Park conditions are often extremely windy, so awnings and tents need to be secured. Wildfire activity is a real planning factor: the Lower Deschutes River is closed to all campfires and charcoal fires from June 1 through October 15 each year due to high fire danger, and visitors should check park alerts and burn restrictions before lighting any fires. Fall cools quickly and crowds thin. Winter access varies by park. Memaloose campground is only open from mid-March to the end of October, and there is no off-season access to the park itself, while Maryhill Campground is open all year with reduced services in winter.

Most gorge campgrounds share two traits: river views and persistent noise. The Horsethief Lake portion of Columbia Hills State Park is bordered by train tracks, which can be a plus for trainspotters, but light sleepers may want to come prepared with ear plugs. Memaloose and Deschutes River sit beside active rail lines as well, and I-84 adds highway noise on the Oregon shore. Sites tend to be open and close together. Several Columbia Hills guests have reported issues with wind conditions, train noise, and cramped parking lot-style sites that lack privacy. At Maryhill, tent campers are required to set up on gravel pads due to the heavy-duty irrigation system that waters the grass areas nightly. Winter services are limited. At Maryhill during winter, water is only available at the dump station, while electricity and sewer remain available at RV sites, and Deschutes River has no water available from late fall to mid-March.