Black canyon campground review…read more
43.8055° N, 122.5650° W (or exact decimal coordinates 43.8055099, -122.5649710
OR-58, Oakridge, OR 97463
We went looking for campgrounds with lake or river access in late August and decided to check out Black Canyon Campground. The entrance is easy to find right off Highway 58, and once you turn in, the campground almost immediately disappears into the trees. This is one of those places where the word campground does not quite describe the setting. It feels much more like camping inside the forest.
The campsites begin fairly close to the highway, and the dense trees and vegetation provide a surprising amount of visual privacy. They do not, however, eliminate the sound of passing traffic. As you continue farther into the campground, the loops wander away from Highway 58 and toward the Middle Fork Willamette River, and the vehicle noise becomes much less noticeable. Site selection would definitely make a difference here.
We drove through a good portion of the campground and found that the individual sites vary considerably in size and usable space. Some are fairly compact, while others provide considerably more room around the picnic table and camping area. We stopped at one of the designated accessible sites, and it was noticeably larger, with a broader and more level area. The interior roads are paved, narrow in places, and wind naturally through the trees rather than feeling like rows of campsites in a parking lot.
There are numerous vault restrooms throughout the campground, including accessible restrooms, and they appeared well maintained during our visit. Drinking water is also available from hand pumps. According to the information we checked, there are 75 campsites, with 19 that can be reserved ahead of time. During our late-August visit, the posted single-site fee was $27, or $26 when reserved online. Fire restrictions were also in effect, so campfires and charcoal grills were not allowed at that time.
What really caught our attention were the campsites closer to the Middle Fork Willamette River. Several are only a short walk from the water, and there are informal paths leading through the vegetation to a rocky gravel shoreline. The river was very low in late August, with large gravel bars, shallow sections and exposed rocks. In some areas it resembled more of a large creek, although there were still deeper pools and channels of moving water. The clear water, forested hillsides and mature trees make this a beautiful area even when the river is low.
For kayakers, I would describe the access as hand-carry access rather than a developed launch. You would need to carry the kayak down one of the paths and across the gravel shoreline. During our visit, the low water level would also make choosing where to launch important. I would like to see this same stretch earlier in the season when the river is carrying more water.
Black Canyon also has a separate day-use area inside the campground, which deserves its own review.
We originally came here simply looking at possible campgrounds and river access. By the time we finished driving through it, Black Canyon had moved onto our list of places where we actually want to come back and camp. I would probably choose one of the sites deeper in the campground and closer to the river rather than one immediately inside the entrance.
We'll be back -- next time with the camping gear and kayaks.
