Tent sites by the water near Portland
Ask anyone which site they want and the answer is the one by the water. These are those sites: every one we pinned within 100 feet of a river or a lake, in the campgrounds within two hours of Portland, each with our own photo, closest first.
Some of the best river sites near Portland are not there any more. The 2020 Riverside Fire closed the campgrounds on the upper Clackamas, and in 2026 the Austin Fire closed Ripplebrook again, not long after it had come back. They are at the bottom of the page, as we photographed them.
Open, and close to the water
Promontory Park Campground 14
Portland General Electric’s campground where the Clackamas widens into North Fork Reservoir, an hour from Portland. By reservation, from Memorial Day weekend to the second full weekend in September.
Site 2530 ft to the Clackamas
Site 4130 ft to the Clackamas
Site 4040 ft to the Clackamas
Site 2440 ft to the Clackamas
Site 1870 ft to the Clackamas
Site 1970 ft to the Clackamas
Site 3370 ft to the Clackamas
Site 1670 ft to the Clackamas
Site 1770 ft to the Clackamas
Site 1570 ft to the Clackamas
Site 3970 ft to the Clackamas
Site 1480 ft to the Clackamas
Site 4290 ft to the Clackamas
Site 30100 ft to the Clackamas
Black Lake Campground 5
A few primitive sites on a small lake at 3,740 feet above Hood River, two hours from Portland. First come, first served; $20 a night, cash or check; no water.
Sunset Falls Campground 4
A waterfall inside the campground, an hour and a quarter from Portland, open all year. Reservations from Memorial Day to Labor Day, first come the rest of the year.
By the water, and closed by the fires
The 2020 Riverside Fire and the 2026 Austin Fire, on the Clackamas. No site at the campgrounds closed since 2020 was within 100 feet of the river, so for them this goes out to about 160. What happened to each campground.
Ripplebrook Campground 5
Reopened after the 2020 Riverside Fire; closed again by the 2026 Austin Fire. Photographed July 2019, a year before the fire.
Fish Creek Campground 4
Closed since the 2020 Riverside Fire. Photographed July 2019, a year before the fire.
Roaring River Campground 2
Closed since the 2020 Riverside Fire. Photographed July 2019, a year before the fire.
“River is really roaring loud! Luckily the campsites are not next to it.”
Lazy Bend Campground 1
Closed since the 2020 Riverside Fire. Photographed July 2019, a year before the fire.
Sunstrip Campground 1
Closed since the 2020 Riverside Fire. Photographed July 2019, a year before the fire.
Camping outside a campground works the other way round: the Forest Service asks you to pitch at least 100 feet from streams, rivers and lakes.
Distances are straight lines from our pins to the water as OpenStreetMap draws it, from each campground's guide, where the sources are. Checked October 2026. Been there since? Tell us what has changed: support@tentspots.com.