Best Tent Camping: Oregon. Becky Ohlsen
December–March)
SITES: Dovre: 10; Fan Creek: 11; Elk Bend: 5; Alder Glen: 11
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Not designated
EACH SITE HAS: Picnic table, fire ring with grill
ASSIGNMENT: First come, first served
REGISTRATION: Self-registration on-site
AMENITIES: All: Vault toilets, solar-pumped water; Dovre also has group shelter with fire ring with grill
PARKING: At campsites; $5/additional vehicle
FEE: Elk Bend: Free; other campgrounds: $10; no fee December–March
ELEVATION: 745'–1,500'
RESTRICTIONS:
PETS: On leash only
QUIET HOURS: None specified
FIRES: In fire rings only
ALCOHOL: Permitted
OTHER: RVs up to 21'; 14-day stay limit
Not too far out there, but definitely out there, is a series of pretty, tree-covered campgrounds on the Nestucca River, remote feeling but easily accessible via the official Nestucca River National Back Country Byway. You’ll have the distinct feeling that you’ve stumbled upon someone’s private party when you arrive at these campgrounds. They’re that intimate—and largely unknown to the hordes that congregate along the coast.
Four Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites make up the Nestucca River chain of campgrounds; from east to west, they are Dovre, Fan Creek, Elk Bend, and Alder Glen. Collectively, they offer an extraordinary selection of 37 tent-camping sites spread across 9 miles of beautiful forested river frontage, so we’ve decided to lump them all together. Take your pick or try them all.
The campgrounds highlighted here are under the jurisdiction of the BLM’s Northwest Oregon District. True to BLM campground style, the sites along the Nestucca are well-designed (albeit compact), primitive sites tucked along the banks of the river. They range in altitude from 745 feet at Alder Glen up to 1,500 feet at Dovre.
Of the four, when it comes to tent camping, Elk Bend has the most going for it. It’s five walk-in sites have no fee. The three other campgrounds have either 10 or 11 campsites and a $10-per-night fee. Elk Bend stays open all year long; the others are maintained between early April and the end of November.
Elk Bend is one of several primitive campgrounds tucked away beside the Nestucca River.
All campgrounds have piped water. All but Elk Bend offer wheelchair accessibility at some sites. Picnic tables and fire pits are standard issue in each campsite, and Dovre has one group shelter with its own fire pit. Alder Glen sports its own fishing pier. Garbage must be packed out of all sites.
Unless you’re an avid angler, don’t even think about vying for a spot along the Nestucca during the height of fall steelhead or spring and summer Chinook runs. The river is known throughout the western hemisphere for its excellent runs of both species, as well as a year-round stocked supply of cutthroat trout.
If you are a paddler, be mindful that running the river at its peak (most likely when the fish are running as well) carries the risk of getting tangled in fishing lines. (Upper portions of the Nestucca River are innavigable.) Hopefully, there’s room for everyone. The rains in winter can produce a good volume of water for boaters, but the river can also achieve flood stage quickly. Use common sense, and certainly don’t boat alone in peak-flow periods.
The main attraction of the Nestucca River Byway is the river itself and activities that relate to it. However, the coast and all its fascinations are not far away. Driving through the lowland meadows and farmlands on your way there, you may get sidetracked by the quaint villages that stay alive, thanks to busy US 101, but retain a few artifacts from their pre-tourism heritage. Don’t blink or you’ll miss Blaine, where the Nestucca River Byway takes a hard left to the west. Then comes Beaver at the byway’s junction with US 101. Heading south, Hebo is home to the district office of the Siuslaw National Forest, a good place to pick up maps and information. Cloverdale calls itself “Oregon’s Best Kept Secret,” and I guess most people who breeze through would agree.
Hiking options are not immediately apparent at the Nestucca campgrounds. The forestlands surrounding the Nestucca River are broken up into a mix of federal, state, and private stewardship. It’s difficult to know whose territory you might be stepping onto, so it is a good idea to check with either the Siuslaw National Forest, BLM, or Tillamook State Forest authorities before setting out. Recognizable hiking trails are not too far away on Mount Hebo, where you can walk through some very old second-growth forest or clamber along an even older pioneer road converted to trail. Although there’s a trail to the summit of Mount Hebo for die-hard hikers, you can also drive up for expansive views of the Nestucca Valley and west to the Pacific Ocean.
GETTING THERE
From I-5 in Portland, take Exit 294 and head south on OR 99W. Drive 27.3 miles. Turn right onto OR 47 N and drive 4.4 miles to Carlton. Turn left onto OR 47 N/W Main Street, which quickly becomes NW Meadowlake Road. Drive 12.5 miles; NW Meadowlake Road becomes Nestucca Access Road (also known as the Nestucca River Byway). Drive 7.3 more miles to the Dovre Campground on the left. There are numerous side roads that depart from the main road, so check road signs occasionally to make sure you’re on the right track.
To reach Fan Creek Campground, follow the directions above to Dovre Campground, and continue another 2.7 miles; Fan Creek is on the left. To reach Elk Bend Campground, from Dovre, continue another 5.9 miles, and the campground will be on the left. To reach Alder Glen Campground, from Dovre, continue another 8.9 miles, and the campground will be on the left.
From the intersection of US 101 and OR 6 in Tillamook, drive 14.5 miles south on US 101 to Beaver. Turn left (east) onto Blaine Road and drive 6.6 miles. Continue onto Forest Service Road 85/Upper Nestucca River Road and drive 19.1 miles to the Dovre Campground on the right. Follow signs, as the road takes many jogs and twists.
To reach Fan Creek Campground, follow the directions above to FS 85/Upper Nestucca River Road, and go 16.4 miles; the campground will be on the right. To reach Elk Bend Campground, follow the directions above to FS 85/Upper Nestucca River Road, and go 13.2 miles; the campground will be on the right. To reach Alder Glen Campground, follow the directions above to FS 85/Upper Nestucca River Road, and go 10.2 miles; the campground will be on the right.
GPS COORDINATES:
DOVRE: N45º 18.998' W123º 28.724'
FAN CREEK: N45º 17.478' W123º 29.632'
ELK BEND: N45º 16.974' W123º 32.405'
ALDER GLEN: N45º 15.993' W123º 34.893'
4
Saddle Mountain State Natural Area Campground
Beauty
In early to mid-June, the alpine wildflowers here put on one of the most colorful shows in the region.
KEY INFORMATION
CONTACT: 503-368-5943, oregonstateparks.org