I just love camping here! We have come here since my kids were babies. We swim in the calm sandy river bend, forage for red huckleberries, they used to have an amphitheater they did little performances in but sadly due to erosion had to get rid of it. We will always camp here as it's just so peaceful. The showers are clean and have hot water if you go early. Bathrooms are also not terrible. read more

Oxbow Regional Park - Us paddling around - Parks Near Me - Gresham, Oregon

I fell in love with this place the moment I arrived. Deer everywhere, well managed and maintained. A little paradise just outside of Portland read more

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I visited Oxbow on a rainy day for a hike. I haven't camped here or used the facilities but I'd be happy to update this review when I do! Oxbow's so close to Portland, it's easy to get out there. Parking does come with a fee. It's a very lush park, with lots of greenery and tall trees. We stopped by the front office to check the map and decide where to go. We decided to head up to Elk Meadow (if I'm remembering the name correctly). Starting as a gravel road up, getting up to a meadow, and then dirt paths to the left and right through the ferns and firs. A well-maintained trail that was a pleasant hike. We also drove around the park a little to get situated. There are many access points to the river, picnic tables and day-use areas, and campsites. (Some people at the day-use site were playing music very loudly via speakers, so I might be careful choosing a campsite further from the day-use area and from other people in general were I to stay here. Or I would inquire about their noise policies and enforcement.) Heads up - no dogs allowed here. It's a nature preserve so they don't want dogs chasing birds, introducing parasites, etc. Leave the pups home this time! read more

I've been here many times, as the put-in for a float down the Sandy River to Dabney. It's $5 for day use, there's plenty of parking near the boat ramp, and a rustic restroom too. It's pretty steep to get down there, and the beach is rocky. For tubing: wear river shoes, not flip-flops. Bring lots of water, it's going to take longer than you think, especially late in the summer. Many people get a little wastey out there, but it's a little challenging at some spots so hopefully, you can handle steering and make good choices on how to approach the rapids. Also, you'll probably scrape rocks in some spots so either your craft needs to be able to handle it ("butts up!") or you will need to stand up and pull it along. You'll know you've hit Dabney when you encounter all of the people partying on the shore. I've only hiked a few trails but they are lush, shady, and have views of the river. read more

We've visited this park several times now it's one of our favorite places to hike, so I'm updating my review to up them to 5-star status. We love how you can walk right along the river, and the scenery is beautiful at any time of year. See my original review below for additional details. read more

This is a great park to visit and camp at - it's far enough away from Portland to allow for peace and beautiful stars at night, yet close enough to be a quick trip back to civilization. I stayed here for 2 nights while visiting Portland. I found this to be the closest campground to Portland that wasn't specifically for RV's. I stayed on a Thurs & Fri night in September and it wasn't crowded at all - most sites were empty. The bathrooms here are really clean and warm, they have showers with hot water, and best of all - security at night! The park gate closes at 8pm and a security guard is on duty for the night. This level of security offers a real peace of mind. There is no service available here, allowing for true un-plugging. They also have life jackets hanging near entries to water which I found to be a nice amenity. The park itself is nice enough but my 5-star rating is really for the camping - I would certainly recommend this campground for anyone looking to camp close to Portland. read more

Oxbow Regional Park - Down by the river - Parks Near Me - Gresham, Oregon

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YIKES. We camped here about a year ago and I will never. EVER. Go back. The restrooms were filthy. The campsites were dirty and unkept. We had LOADS of mice later in the evening at our campsite, but kept our feet up and shut our tents tight and didn't have issues. I was DISGUSTED by the restrooms though. I would have peed in the woods and felt less dirty than the bathrooms. Dirty diapers on the floor, pads that were used STUCK to the bathroom floor. APPALLED. And so sandy. Geez there was so much sand. I am sure this would be a great place to hike, but I will never ever camp here again. TOTALLY disappointed. read more

I was extremely grateful to have looked at my " Take a Walk Portland" book for trails in Portland. This one hit the spot today. I had no idea what to expect and when I saw that scenic route with the beautiful views of The Sandy River it was all worth the drive. There's a $5.00 per car to park. The visitors center is extremely helpful at the entrance. Bring a picnic! I forgot mine and his Park has several areas to relax and trials. Drive towards the end of the park and take a look at the Boat Ramp area, the river looks great there as well. My favorite place to rest is along the Sandy River located at the Happy Trail area. You will feel a trail that takes you down to the river. Amazing ...A must see! Lots of wild life and people fishing. Happy Trails ! read more

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We reserved #34 for 3 nights. It was our first time at Oxbow for camping. We love the park and all the great swim spots so we figured we would try camping. It was okay. We may try again but next time be more prepared. Pros: lots of staff. Maintenance and upkeep happen daily. Lots of wildlife including deer that wander right into your camp. Showers (I know, not real camping). Pretty decent bathrooms that have flushing toilets. Easy access to the river. Campground is close to Portland for a quick getaway. Cons: camp sites are practically on top of each other (you will be right next to your neighbor). There were some that were a bit more separated so do research if you want a bit of privacy. Our neighbor had a barking dog that chased deer and ran unleashed. She also smoked cigs like a chimney. She played her car radio all day and night. We asked staff about her dog and they responded "people can bring their service animals and they are not allowed to ask any questions". Well, then we noticed lots of campers have dogs. So use the service dog line and you too can bring your beloved pet. There are no staff patrolling at night so barking dogs, loud music, and loud neighbors will have to be tolerated. We camped Sunday to Wednesday...I can not imagine a weekend here. #33 and 73 were pretty decent sites. read more

Are you if-y if the camping thing is for you but want to give it a try? Want to get out in the great outdoors but don't have much time? Love tubing? Cruise on down to Oxbow! Who knew that a mere half hour from the Portland metro area lies the breathtaking great outdoors! Owbow has clean lemony fresh bathrooms, showers with piping hot water (.25cents for 2.5 mins), and clean water for cooking / drinking! It's not exactly ruffing it, but it's perfect for relaxing and getting away from it all. Truth be told I'm not much of a camper , but I was lured in by the prospect of tubing. I've been tubing twice on the Sandy river both of which were a blast. It's tame enough to enjoy a nice brew and take in the scenery, but it keeps you on your toes. And you can stumble back to your camp site for s'mores! read more

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This place is pretty Amazing and located about 30 minutes from Portland depending on traffic. Coming from NoPo it was great to get there without even having to get on the highway at all via Marine Drive. We camped for one night, the staff was very friendly and helpful, they had firewood for sale near the entrance. We waded in the river near the boat launch and hiked a bit. The view from the trail on the bluff near the campground was great for the meteor shower. Overall it was clean except one toilet which was very gross the whole time we were there. Luckily there are many. Deer visited our campsite as we were leaving around 11 am and we also saw them near the beach the previous night near dusk. We were in campsite 52. I felt we had enough privacy from our neighbors. My only complaints are two things that can't really be helped. The crows that are so noisy before the sun comes up and the airplanes. From about 10-11:30 pm at least (during quiet time) it was seriously a plane every three-five minutes coming into land at PDX and maybe Troutdale airports. It started right up again around 5:30 am. Bring some ear plugs! read more

Oxbow Regional Park - Parks Near Me - Gresham, Oregon

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This is a lovely hidden gem only about thirty minutes from Portland! The trails are tucked above a campground, and there's lots of trail to be explored here. Beautiful sights amongst the trees, and there's a charming river coasted along a beach to check out. From the trail we took, it was a little hard to get to; a very steep slope to climb down, but it was harder to get back up. Only downside is that if you stray off the trails, you're pretty much right next to passing cars that zoom past you. Don't get hit! read more

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Great park. Clean sites. Clean restrooms. Good River view. Had a E.F.M. Youth Campout here. Everyone had a fun time. Plenty to do. We swam in the Sandy River via the well marked trails. Had a lovely camp fire with the firewood we bought on site at $5.00 a bundle. We had a good fire that lasted all night only using 2 bundles and slept like a baby to the sounds of the river. Lots of different camping options from Group Sites to Yurts. Being only 22.2 miles from Portlandia makes me long to come back. read more

Beautiful park on the Sandy river. Picknicking, fishing, summer swimming, hiking and camping. Use Google maps for directions as Apple maps takes you to the wrong side of the river where there is no entrance. I reported this several times to Apple. Apple may fix this in 2020... read more

I always come here with family and friends during the summer the place is very beautiful only flaw is I got a parking ticket for parking on the side when there was literally no where to park! read more

The Oxbow Loop, is within the regional park, starting at the Northern Trail Head. The trail is just under 8 miles. Where the rest of the park, is crowded with dog owners, most of the loop is undiscovered. I've yet to see anyone for long stretches of the trail besides fisherman. The trail can be rough, as it is mostly an abandoned logging road. You will need an Annual Metro Parks pass, or Day Pass for parking. read more

This park is stunning! The campsite are beautiful, secluded, and quite with trees everywhere. Wildlife will always come for a visit, so put your food or anything else you'd rather not have inspected away. The river is a short walk to refreshingly freezing water but do not fear this is Oregon 68 or 70 out your good. You can hear the water from most sites, some are smaller than others but all are gorgeous. Well maintained, clean, staff is always informative and pleasant. Miles and miles of trails to explore. I love it here def top 10 for me. read more

Oxbow is a highly underrated Portland-area gem. The trails are beautiful and the river offers a perfect summer lazy river ride. Not crowded and easy to access. read more

What type of park does not allow dogs? Stupid. I was stopped at the gate and not allowed in, because I had a dog in my car. We were just wanting to see the park...i understand not allowing dogs on trails etc, but literally not letting me in the gate? Come on. I could even tell the ranger thought it was dumb, she was really really nice. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars. read more

Despite its location on the outskirts of Gresham (I know what you're thinking!) Oxbow park is a beauty of a park. Although managed by Metro, it more resembles a State Park than a City Park. This protected area along the Sandy River Gorge is a great place to hike, swim in the river, camp, or spot deer and other wildlife. And its biggest draw is how close it is to the city. You don't need to spend hours in the car to get to a beautiful slice of wilderness--this one is waiting for you just on the edge of the suburbs! read more

I love this place. It's so close to town and is great for my small kiddos. The different areas to choose from are all awesome and the play area is pretty sweet. I went there twice this week and will likely be back again. Salmon berries are ripening now. Get em while you can. read more

Love this place! Though you are not that far out of town, you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. There is a lot of wildlife - Bambi and her mom were in our campsite a few times! The Sandy River runs right next to it, so you can hop in and go tubing. There are two playgrounds for the kiddies. And for those who are a little skittish about the outdoors (like my sister) this is a place I like to call "Princess Camping." They have bathrooms with automatic toilets, hand dryers and sinks, as well as coin operated showers. This place is kept up well and actually smelled lemony fresh when I walked in. Go here for the day or for a nice weekend getaway! You won't regret it! read more

I am limiting my observations to floating down the Sandy River. Floating down the Sandy is like nothing anyone who lives on the East Coast would ever experience. It is the most laissez-faire run park I have ever experience. Unlike the more uptight and rule bound folks on the East Coast it appears the folks here take a much more catholic approach to the happenings on the river. There is ample parking for folks to blow up their inflatables, fill up their coolers and / or pipes for the float down the river. Folks are very respectful in terms of keeping the river clean which means despite the upteen cases of beer consumed no cans are seen floating in the river. You need to wear some sort of footwear since the river at times is full of rocks on the bottom of the river bed. It can take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours to float down the river depending upon where you start. While the views are incredible almost as entertaining is watching the folks on the banks of the river. You will see a cast of characters including yesterday a full scale Baptism. At five bucks to park this is one hell of deal. read more

For all the people complaining about dogs not being allowed in Oxbow Regional Park, there is a good reason for the dog ban. There are lots of deer in the park, a few coyotes and elk, an occasional cougar, black bear, or bobcat among other critters. The dog ban is for the safety of wildlife, but also for your dog's safety. I don't camp at Oxbow, but I fish there often and have found the park staff friendly and cooperative. The covid pandemic has unfortunately forced closure of the bathrooms, but for two reasons: 1) your own safety, and 2) because of the vandalism of certain greedy, thoughtless hoarders who stripped bathrooms of toilet paper and destroyed toilet paper dispensers in the process. Other than this, my only complaint is of fishermen who leave discarded monofilament line and leaders, broken lures and lure packaging, and filtered cigarette butts on the river bank and trails. Pick up your mess, people! read more

Camped there for 2 nights. Love the location, not too far from the city but you pretty much felt like you were in the middle of the forest. The campground is nice and peaceful. The rangers were not super friendly which I was a bit taken back by. We spent an entire day at the day use area by the boat ramp, floating on the river with the our kids and friends. It was very nice and not too crowded for a nice summer weekend. If you are going to camp or for the day, please note they do not allow dogs or alcohol. We were a bit bummed out by this at first but had a great time despite. I would have given it 4 stars if we had our dog with us and had I not had to be super sneaky with the vodka :) read more

No Dogs allowed? I am very disgusted! I pay Taxes for Parks just like People with Children do.... The Park Rangers gave us such a hard time it was unbelievable and gross! read more

Drove all the way out here and it's closed early. Also they are charging for parking despite all amenities being closed. You pass at least five signs before you get to the park and NONE stated the early closing, but had signs saying restrooms are closed. Like you have signs, post the hours if your remote af park is closing early. Second time I drove all tf out here, never again. Every other Metro park has free parking. You should too. read more

Awesome spot for a day outdoors! Great day use area, lots of space to explore. The only bummer is that it's not free to get in, but as long as you plan to spend some time here, its worth it. For those who are interested, parts of Twilight were filmed here, and are accessible to fans! read more

This is a quick trip out of Portland to enjoy mother nature. My kids, a 7.5 year old boy and a 15 month girl love this place too! The camping is a great intro for the kids and you can enjoy the beach that runs along the Sandy River. They have decent bathrooms and coin operated showers. Beware, the camping spots are first come, first serve. It gets pretty packed during the holidays and warm season. If you prefer to take a day trip to the beach, it is located off the boating dock. No dogs and booze are allowed so it makes it more relaxing than some areas along the river. I suggest getting there by 11 during the super hot days in Portland to get your ideal spot, and finding parking that isn't too far from the beach. There isn't a lifeguard, so you want to be sure the kids are supervised well. We witnessed a teenage boy almost drown! Be safe amd have fun! read more

We visited to see the salmon run/spawning. The entrance fee was $5 per car. However, nature did not cooperate. Due to heavy rainfalls of previous week, the river level was too high and the water was running too fast for the salmons to spawn. However the park was beautiful and captivating, so we enjoyed our morning hike even though we were unsuccessful in our goal of seeing salmon. read more

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I enjoyed everything with the exception that even if you book a campsite for $30 ( taxes included ) you still have to pay per car, the $5 fee. I get charging the "extra" car, but the main car??? So it ended up costing $40 to camp for 1 night. I have never stayed somewhere where you pay for the camp site, plus for the main vehicle. Lame read more

This was my first stop on a solo bikepacking trip. I showed up right before sunset which was rad because there's about a 2 mile, steep, downhill that's a blast to bomb down on your bike. (Going back up the next day makes you question how fun it really was.) The two night rangers at the park were super nice and helpful. They made change for a dollar in quarters so I could check in using their pay phone (side note- no cell reception). I biked the 2ish more miles to pick out my campsite in the cul-de-sac-ish environment. $22 bucks is a little steep for an overnight (dark-dawn). Optimistically, they do have showers and water faucets. When I got to camp I spent the 10 bucks and bought two bundles of wood from one of the rangers (free delivery A+) BUT.... the wood must have been freshly cut, it just ended up being a smoky mess that wouldn't stay lit. (The last thing you want to do after biking 70+ miles is squat/kneel to get wet wood going. Ha) read more

Soooo beautiful! Not too far outside of the city, however, you FEEL like you are miles and miles out in the middle of BFE. Hiking, water activities, clean camp sites, toilets... this park has it all. read more

This park is NOT dog friendly. Leaving this review for the several reviews here that state it's a great place to bring your dogs. I drove 45 mins out here from Portland without checking the official website (depended on the recent reviews here, totally dumb move on my part) only to be told at the gate no dogs allowed. I'm sure it's a beautiful park, but don't bring your pets! read more

This park is my favorite of all the parks and natural areas in the Portland (OR) area! I love big trees, and Oxbow has them--Douglas firs up to 8.3 ft. in diameter and 286 feet tall; some of the tallest western redcedars in Oregon, huge big-leaf maples, and amazing cottonwoods down by the river! Don't be afraid to wander off-trail to see these monsters! Get superb views of the ancient forest, the Sandy River Gorge, and Mt. Hood on the trail leading up to the western rim. read more

Stayed here 3 full days during a road trip through Oregon, and happened to be there the july 4th weekend. Obviously this was a busy weekend, but I really don't consider that a great excuse for our experience. Read below.... Here are some "pros", I guess, on why we reserved a spot here, it is: 1) the closest non-RV type camping to portland 2) Reviews seemed ok, although most are "oh its so pretty! and deer!" 3) price is right. ** On these three meager and expected things I give it 2 stars, but there is A LOTof issues that lowered the rating. BUT after this stay, I would NOT recommend staying here if you are: 1) Camping here and using it as a base camp to check out Portland/surrounding area, or expect to have "late" nights visiting the city (this was our NUMERO UNO issue, see extended review for details). There is a gate, it locks at 9m, you WILL get locked out.... 2) Interested in getting a good nights sleep or expect a person of authority (i.e. rangers) to care about noise 3) a person that enjoys more that 15ft of space from their camping neighbors 4) Someone with a dog 5) Someone that enjoys having some of Oregon's delicious and legendary craft beer at your campsite 6) Someone that dislikes a "touristy" feeling or people that disrespect nature while camping If you match to a couple of these, you'll probably be disappointed by Oxbow... That is my quick review, if you'd like to read on, here is in some more info on some of those points: 1) THIS IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE BY FAR.... Since this is the closet normal camping to Portland (it seems out there, but only takes about 30 mins by car or 1hr by train to get into city) it is the natural pick to use as a base camp if your on a road trip or visiting this awesome city. It is also in a pretty good location if you want to wander east towards the overly-touristy falls, and the pretty cool Hood River. BUT BE WARNED!!! There is an unlisted rule that the parks gates CLOSE at 9pm and you CANNOT get in if you are not at your campsite by this time. That's right, they literally lock the gates on you and you cannot get to your campsite unless you walk the almost 2.5 miles from the gate to the campground at the center of the park. You can leave the park after 9pm, but you can't get back in. So if you are feeling like you want to explore the city past sunset in the summer or fall, when the sun SETS at almost 10pm, be aware that you will be crap-outta-luck. This issue had us annoyed over the fourth of july weekend, when our family couldn't even go to see any fireworks shows, or jazz concerts in the surrounding towns, because the sun wasnt even down but it was 8:30....They enforce this rule above all the other ridiculous ones and its absolutely stupid (especially since they have staff on site to guard 24hrs and living 20ft from the gate.) 2) Yes, we stayed there during the 4th weekend. Yes, people like to party. But no, no, no... This is not the place to have a massive party. But apparently you can and that's not a problem. There are several rules posted that the max # of persons at a site is 6, and 2 cars. But on 3 out of 4 nights there were campsites of tents and people numbering from 10-15, and tons of cars. At no point when these campsites were up being loud way past 11 did the sight of a ranger patrol even occur. Its one thing to allow alot of people at campsites, even beyond the "rules", but its a matter of poor park management when you cant have patrols to enforce some simple rules on turning down the music past 11. 3) Our campsite was literally connected to another. The table was 15 ft from another families tent. The campsites were separated by a log. That is all... So I'm all for making friends with camping neighbors, in fact we make it a point to be friendly, share food and drink, and hang out with as many as we can and share stories around campfires. But some measure of privacy is nice. 15ft is not that measure, and doesn't make for a fun camping time (and luckily our neighbors were quiet and nice which was a massive grace). 4) No Dogs? Seriously? = Nuff said. 5) No Alcohol? Seriously? = OK I get the idea behind this one, because most people are jerks and dont know how to drink responsibly. But when you walk around the campsite and find cans of tecate and liquor bottles in the hands of people at the crazy rediculous sites, it again brings the failures of management and unbalanced enforcement of park rules into the light. But seriously, having to enjoy Oregon's amazing craft beers in secret (responsibly) totally sucks 6) This place is crowded, like REALLY crowded. At first I thought it was just because it was the 4th weekend, but the main park and swimming areas get CRAZY with people during a regular day in the summer. And if your not into people who seem to have little to no respect for nature or others, then avoid this place like the plague. read more

A warning to anyone looking at camping here. As mentioned by other reviewers below, they lock the park gates after sunset! Forget going to watch the stars somewhere, forget running out to Portland for extra diapers, or going for a late-night drive. Once that sun goes down, you are confined to your campsite. The prison atmosphere detracts a bit from the outdoor experience, I do have to say. read more

Amazing beautiful place. Hard to believe this place exists just on the very outskirts of Portland.My family camped here two nights. The first night was killer we had a nice spot 41 second night not so much...we got spot 46 was terrible right out in the open with all our neighbors looking at us lol apparently this place is very popular and fills up quite fast it is something to note that if all of the campsites are gone you are able to actually use the RV only drive-through sites or the ADA sites which are actually much larger. I wish we had known this prior to setting up our stuff in space 46 because many of the other RV only an ADA sites were much nicer than that one. There are some pros and cons to this place...this place had awesome free showers, however I would recommend avoiding the ADA shower as the light in there shut off on me in at random times, i had to repeatedly flick the switch to get it back on. There are lots of hiking trails, a very friendly and helpful ranger,friendly wildlife. The downsides were no alchohol, (however when we were there we saw numerous empties in the trash bin)nasty bucks porto toilets piled high with no toilet paper. Overall this was a absolute gem cant wait to come back! read more

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This place was an okay swimming spot. It costs $5 a car to get into the place, but it wasn't to crowded. This is a family friendly area, but secluded spots can also be found. Although the sandy river is not my favorite, it is pretty clean compared to some parts I've seen of it. read more

Terrible park management, I do NOT recommend camping here. They close the gates at a ridiculously early time (8:30pm) and so you can't re-enter, and are left with a 3 mile hike to get from the gate to the campground. The ranger at the gate was grumpy and actually ROLLED HER EYES at my disabled veteran's park pass because it got me in for free. Despite being a popular spot for river tubing they also ban alcohol! (It's owned by the YMCA, I guess you can't expect any different?) They also selectively enforce their noise complaints. My campsite was hounded by the park ranger for being too loud (claiming we'd had 3 noise complaints at 7pm, after being at our site for 20 minutes) and not doing a thing to the campsite across the road who was simply out of control. At 10pm the police showed up with assault rifles and forced us into our tents (again, for these imaginary noise complaints) even though everyone tried to tell the officer that it wasn't us! They wouldn't listen, and still did NOTHING to the campsite that was causing the noise. The next morning the ranger was badgering us at 10am (checkout isn't until 11am) to get packed up! I will NEVER come here again, and would definitely not recommend it. There are too many awesome campsites in the area to bother with this place. read more