Hood River camping 2009

johnl · Joined: 05 Jun 1994 Posts: 1330 Location: Hood River OR

I've been staying at Viento for about 10 years now. The riverside had power hookups ($16 a night), nice bathrooms. HOT showers, and is pretty quiet Sunday - Thursday night. You can sail at Viento (but you have to drive about 150 yards). The trains run all night and sound their horn THREE TIMES every time they go bye. Earplugs solve it, and I sleep just fine.

I have friendswho stay on the south side and they love it. It's a bit more primative (more dirt, less asphalt), simple bathrooms, they have to come across to our showers, and they don't have power. But it's $2 cheaper...

cgoudie1 · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:19 pm Post subject: Re: Hood River camping 2009

What about Peach? Or, dare I say, Avery West. When I was last there
(about a year ago), you could still sneak in and camp. Just be 12 pack
prepared for the ground to rumble with train noise as it goes by about
20 feet from your camp spot. The upside, lay your rig next to where
you camped 15 ft from the launch, never need to derig. Watch for
SW wind component.

-Craig

Mulekick84 · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 407

Tabou,

You should really plan to be mobile in the Gorge. Staying in one place really limits your experience and with differentiating wind directions, you could simply be on the wrong side of the river to get to it.

There is tons of camping for free and the showers at the marina are .25 cents. I would save my camp money for essentials like: beer, ice for beer, and gas.

Check out free camping along the road up to Mt. Hood, many pull offs along nice streams like the east fork of the Hood River. Excellent MTBing up there for a morning ride.

Other great spots are along the road up by the Post Canyon trails or the Buck Creek Trailhead on the way to BZ Corner on the Washington side. I can't begin to tell you all the free spots we've poached. Beautiful spots along the Klickitat, but some are marked. Just be adventurous and I promise you'll have a better time and do more sailing. The tip on Avery is a good one. That place can go off on a SW wind and you can sail til dark. The camping is tree protected from the wind, but that train, she sucks.

RIP

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Bret · Joined: 28 Apr 2006 Posts: 149 Location: Up State New York

"Listen" I have heard enough about the Train, ok!

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935