Three weekend getaways for river lovers

July 4th has passed, meaning it is officially summer in Oregon—time to get out and enjoy all the beauty this state has to offer. Here are a three of my favorite spots for an easy weekend camping trip by the river. While you’re out, be sure to take OEC’s Love Your River challenge and leave these beautiful places cleaner than you found them.

Alder Flat Campground (Clackamas River)

Alder Flat is a cross between car camping and backpacking, and it also makes a nice day trip for swimming on a hot day. The trail is 0.9 miles one way on a gentle downhill slope, so you can carry whatever you want in, but the short hike keeps the rowdy crowds away. The trail passes through large old growth fir trees that cool you off even before you’ve reached the river. Try out the swimming hole right at the campground, or walk upstream to a few big rocks. It’s cold and refreshing! There are six campsites under the trees with picnic tables and fire rings; no bathroom or drinking water. The trailhead is 26 miles south of Estacada on Highway 224. More info.

Spruce Run Campground (Nehalem River)

This campground is off of Highway 26 in the Coast Range. It features five walk-in tent sites that are far enough apart for plenty of privacy, yet only a few yards away from your car. There is a bathroom and a drinking water pump in the main campground just down the road. The sites are all along the Nehalem River, which is lovely even though the shores are choked with knotweed. I like to come here in the spring or fall, when it’s not crowded and the low elevation keeps it warm and snow-free. If you want some easy fishing, drive up to nearby Lost Lake, which is stocked with trout. There’s also a trailhead that starts in the main campground and rises along Spruce Run Creek a little over two miles to a small lake. It makes for a pretty hike through the woods, and along the way you’ll find a bench someone carved into a downed tree. More info.

Lakes End Campground (Smith River, tributary to the McKenzie)

I’m a big fan of canoe camping. You can bring a cooler and everything else you might take car camping, but it feels more adventurous to paddle all your gear in a canoe like Lewis & Clark did, if only for a few miles. Smith Reservoir has a campground at the far end of it called Lakes End Campground that you can only get to by boat. I like the campsites that are nestled up alongside the river that feeds into the reservoir; there are also some on the lake. You can paddle on the reservoir, fish for trout, and watch osprey dive into the lake to catch their dinner, and then sleep to the sound of a babbling brook. The drive is a little long from Portland, but it’s perfect if you live in Salem or Eugene. Smith Reservoir is off of Hwy 126, the McKenzie River Highway. If you’re coming from the north, take Highway 20 east from the Albany area, and then head south on Hwy 126. There are usually people fishing near the dam. Once you paddle less than two miles to the campground at the other end (which usually takes less than an hour), you’ll find more seclusion. More info. Learn about the Carmen-Smith dams.