Ripplebrook is a small first-come campground on the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas, an hour and a half from Portland. The 2020 Riverside Fire damaged it; the Forest Service repaired it and reopened it, and in August 2026 the Austin Fire closure shut it again. Check the Forest Service before you plan next summer.
Our photos are from July 2019, when nearly every site sat in deep shade; since the fire, the Forest Service says, some don’t have much shade yet. Sites 3 to 6 are right on the river, and, as our note says, the further in you go, the quieter it gets.
Quick facts
- Sites
- 14 on our map
- Booking
- First come, first served; no reservations
- Season (2026)
- Set for May 23 to September 30; closed in late August by the Austin Fire
- Fee (2026)
- $19 a night, $8 for an extra vehicle; day use $5
- Water
- None. Bring your own
- Toilets
- Vault toilets
- Vehicles
- Up to 16 feet
- After the 2020 fire
- Repaired and reopened, run by a concessionaire. Some sites have little shade
- From Portland
- About 54 miles, an hour and a half, up OR 224
Which site to take
- On the river: 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2 About 70 to 90 feet from the water.
- Quietest: 14, 13, 12, 11 At the far end, about 1,500 to 1,800 feet from the highway.
- Nearest the highway: 1, 2 130 to 210 feet from OR 224.
- Not on the water: 7, 11 “No river access :(” says the note on 7.
Every site, in our 2019 photos
| Site | To the river | Next site | In our photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90 ft | 80 ft | shaded, tall mossy trees |
| 2 | 90 ft | 80 ft | no photo |
| 3 | 70 ft | 170 ft | the river right behind the table, mossy boulders |
| 4 | 70 ft | 110 ft | a big fir and a boulder, in shade |
| 5 | 70 ft | 110 ft | shaded, ferns, the river beyond |
| 6 | 90 ft | 210 ft | open and sunny, dry ground |
| 7 | 200 ft | 130 ft | shaded, a table and fire ring |
| 8 | 190 ft | 130 ft | deep shade under tall firs |
| 9 | 140 ft | 100 ft | no photo |
| 10 | 190 ft | 100 ft | no photo |
| 11 | 310 ft | 130 ft | a log bench and fire ring, in shade |
| 12 | 190 ft | 100 ft | no photo |
| 13 | 130 ft | 160 ft | no photo |
| 14 | 150 ft | 160 ft | no photo |
Distances are straight lines from each pin, to the water and to the nearest neighbor, so read them as “about”. Photos from July 2019, a year before the fire.
Questions
- Is Ripplebrook open?
- It reopened after the 2020 Riverside Fire, with a concessionaire running it, and its 2026 season was set for May 23 to September 30. In late August 2026 the Austin Fire closure took it in, and the Forest Service page still showed it closed in October. Check before you go.
- Is there shade?
- Less than in our 2019 photos. The Forest Service says some sites don’t have much shade yet since the fire, so a pop-up canopy might be handy.
- Can you reserve a site?
- No. Every site is first come, first served.
- Is there drinking water?
- No. Bring your own.
- Can I bring a trailer?
- Only a small one: vehicles up to 16 feet.
Nearby
- Lake Harriet Campground about 4 miles; closed for 2026 after the Austin Fire
- Sunstrip Campground about 6 miles; closed since the 2020 fire
- Roaring River Campground about 6.5 miles; closed since the 2020 fire
- Armstrong Campground about 8 miles; reopened after the 2020 fire; closed for a time by the 2026 Austin Fire
The places to camp outside the campgrounds on this river, photographed the same summer
Checked October 2026 with Forest Service: Ripplebrook Campground, Forest Service: Upper Clackamas campground redesign and OpenStreetMap (the Oak Grove Fork). Been there since? Tell us what has changed: support@tentspots.com.
Amenities
ACCESSIBLE
WATER
14 Camping Spots
