The Columbia River Gorge attracts visitors from all over the world. Most camp on the Oregon side of the Gorge because Interstate Highway 84 is in Oregon. The north side, in Washington, attracts fewer people. Three camping sites offer opportunities to explore this "scar" on the Earth, the result of multiple glacial floods.
Beacon Rock's year-round campground is about 35 miles east of Vancouver, Washington. Beacon Rock is a first-come, first-served campsite; it is not possible to make reservations. There are 28 campsites in the park, which are better suited to tents than RVs. There are limited sites that will accommodate a 20-plus-foot RV. It costs $21 per night for a campsite and $28 for a full-utility campsite, as of 2009.
Beacon Rock is the second-largest monolith in the world, only Gibraltar is bigger. A switchback trail up to its 848-foot summit is accompanied by handrails and stairs, so you do not need rock-climbing gear to make the ascent.
Beacon Rock was named by the Lewis and Clark expedition more than 200 years ago. It was the first place on the Columbia River where the group discovered evidence of tidal fluctuations.
A trail head leaves the northeast part of the loop defining the campground. This trail goes to Rodney and Hardy waterfalls, or you can hike to the top of Hamilton Mountain (2,445 feet) for a view of Bonneville Dam.
Beacon Rock State Park
34841 State Road 14
Stevenson, WA 98648-6081
(509) 427-8265
http://www.stateparks.com/beacon_rock.html
Maryhill RV Park is at the east end of the Columbia River Gorge. The site was settled by Sam Hill, the primary force behind the scenic highway between The Dalles and the mouth of the Columbia. The campground has 50 RV sites and 20 tent-camping sites. The Maryhill museum, built by Hill for his daughter, is nearby and features American and European art. Hill put a life-size replica of Stonehenge on the bluff at the top of the Gorge. The campground is at the river bank, about three miles away.
Fourteen miles west is Horsethief Lake State Park. Ancient petroglyphs were relocated to this park when the building of The Dalles dam would have been made inaccessible.
Maryhill State Park
50 Highway 97
Goldendale, WA 98620
(888) 226-7688
http://www.stateparks.com/maryhill.html
Six miles north of the Columbia outside Carson, Washington, is Panther Creek, a 33-site campground with pads for 20- to 40-foot trailers. Some campsites are on the creek. Reservations are required three days in advance. The park is open year-round and charges $15 to $34 for nonelectric campsites, as of 2009. Nearby is a short hike to a wide waterfall that gently drips down a mossy cliff with a few places where water actually pours down, although there are seasonal changes.
Panther Creek Campground
c/o Gifford Pinchot National Forest Headquarters
10600 N.E. 51st Circle
Vancouver, WA 98682
(360) 891-5000
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/campgrounds/sites/panther-creek.shtml
