McNeil Campground (Mt Hood NF, OR): which site to take

McNeil Campground

McNeil Campground lies along the Wild and Scenic Sandy River that is 3 minute walk away. The sites are half open. Peak summer is very hot in here

McNeil is a big, flat, first-come campground in open lodgepole pine and fir, a few minutes from the Wild and Scenic Sandy River and an hour and a half from Portland. There is no water and no reservations.

The sites are large and well spaced, and most get a good deal of sun. Sites 14, 15, 16 and 18, and 25, 27 and 28, are the closest to the river; 1, 2 and 21 have the most room around them.

Quick facts

Sites: 33 on our map, numbered 1 to 34 (there is no 22)
Booking: First come, first served; no reservations
Fee (2026): $21 a night per site, $10 for an extra vehicle
Season (2026): May 22 to September 21; a gate closes it for the winter
Water: None. Bring your own
Toilets: Vault toilets
Vehicles: Up to 22 feet
From Portland: About 51 miles, an hour and a half: US 26 to Zigzag, then Lolo Pass Road (FR 18) and FR 1825

Which site to take

Closest to the river: 16, 15, 14, 18, 25, 27, 28 About 440 to 500 feet from the main channel.
Most room around you: 1, 2, 21, 23 130 to 180 feet to the next site.
Two families side by side: 3, 4, 6, 8, 17, 19 Pairs 30 to 50 feet apart: 3 and 4, 6 and 8, 17 and 19.
Shadier in our photos: 16, 21, 24, 27, 29, 31
Sunniest in our photos: 3, 4, 7, 9, 30, 32 Good in May and September; hot in July.

Every site

Site	To the river	Next site	In our photo
1	1,120 ft	180 ft	dappled, open pine stand
2	920 ft	180 ft	dappled, among firs
3	890 ft	50 ft	sunny, big open gravel pad
4	890 ft	50 ft	sunny, open pad with boulders
5	980 ft	80 ft	dappled
6	850 ft	50 ft	partly shaded, young firs around it
7	980 ft	80 ft	sunny, big flat pad
8	850 ft	50 ft	sunny, table under a lone tree
9	850 ft	80 ft	sunny, large open pad
10	750 ft	70 ft	dappled, boulders at the edge
11	750 ft	80 ft	dappled, thin trees
12	690 ft	70 ft	dappled
13	590 ft	150 ft	no photo
14	490 ft	100 ft	sunny, stumps around the fire ring
15	460 ft	100 ft	dappled
16	430 ft	110 ft	shaded, shrubs and green around the pad
17	560 ft	30 ft	shaded
18	490 ft	110 ft	sunny, open
19	590 ft	30 ft	shaded
20	620 ft	80 ft	shaded
21	560 ft	160 ft	shaded, set back
23	720 ft	130 ft	partly shaded, boulders
24	590 ft	110 ft	shaded, under firs
25	490 ft	110 ft	partly shaded, roomy
26	590 ft	80 ft	partly shaded
27	490 ft	110 ft	shaded
28	490 ft	110 ft	partly shaded
29	660 ft	110 ft	shaded, a log bench by the fire ring
30	660 ft	80 ft	sunny, boulders
31	790 ft	70 ft	shaded, tall firs
32	750 ft	100 ft	sunny, grassy edge
33	820 ft	70 ft	shaded
34	820 ft	100 ft	partly shaded

Distances are straight lines from each pin, to the water and to the nearest neighbor, so read them as “about”. Photos from August 2019.

Questions

Can you reserve a site at McNeil?: No. Every site is first come, first served.
Is there drinking water?: No. The Forest Service lists no potable water, so bring all you need.
How far is the Sandy River?: From the closest sites, about 440 to 500 feet in a straight line to the main channel; from the farthest, site 1, about 1,100 feet. Our note from 2019 calls it a three-minute walk.
Can I bring a trailer?: Vehicles up to 22 feet, the Forest Service says.
When is it open?: In 2026, May 22 to September 21. A seasonal gate closes the campground for the winter.

Nearby

Lost Creek Campground 1.5 miles
Ramona Falls trailhead 1.7 miles
A dispersed spot on the river Half a mile. “One of the best spots close to Portland,” says the note on it.
Sandy river bank Half a mile. A small spot on a raised bank; loud when the river is high.

About 80 more places to pitch a tent outside any campground are on the map within a mile and a half; 50 of them are within 500 feet of the river.

All of them, and nine more at the Ramona Falls trailhead, on one page: dispersed camping on the Sandy River

Checked October 2026 with Forest Service: McNeil Campground and OpenStreetMap (the Sandy River). Been there since? Tell us what has changed: support@tentspots.com.