Free Campgrounds - Cliffs Park in the Columbia River Gorge

Free campgrounds and camping
WASHINGTON CAMPGROUND DIRECTORY
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
CLIFFS PARK
RAILROAD ISLAND
JOHN DAY DAM
LATITUDE: N 45°42.819
LONGITUDE: W 120°42.718
(GPS from outhouse near John Day Dam)
LATITUDE: N 45°41.383
LONGITUDE: W 120°47.631
(GPS from the west entrance from Maryhill)
LATITUDE: N 45°43.492
LONGITUDE: W 120°41.886
(GPS from Railroad Island)
Elevation around 170'
Dispersed and Primitive Camping
www.dispersedcampgrounds.com

Columbia River

Bring lots of film or batteries for the camera.
Around every turn is a new photo opportunity.

Camp#2

We had camped at French Glen on the
opposite side of the Columbia River and
wondered what was over here. Didn't expect
too much and it was a surprise how extensive
the park is, the road just keeps going with
dispersed campsites everywhere.

Camp#3

Main camp area near John Day Dam
Big parking area and outhouse.

Cliffs Park Road
Mount Hood in the Distance

Cliffs Park Road

Cliffs Park Road
John Day Day in the Background

Cliffs Park Road

John Day Dam from Cliffs Park

Lock at John Day Dam

Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River

John Day Dam

Road looking west from the east entrance
near John Day Dam.

Vaulted toilet at Cliffs Park
LATITUDE: N 45°42.819
LONGITUDE: W 120°42.718
From campsites near the John Day Dam

Flower near John Day Dam

Flowers

Road follows the banks of the Columbia River
between the John Day Dam and Maryhill, WA.
There are some great dispersed campsites...

Camp#1

Campsite near the west entrance
Funny rock formations...

First campsite and funny rock formations from
the west entrance to Cliffs Park.
LATITUDE: N 45°41.402
LONGITUDE: W 120°47.488

Portable toilet at above campsite
(During summer months)

Road looking east from above campsite

Primitive Dispersed Campsites
Vaulted Toilet
Portable Toilets
No Garbage Service- Pack It Out
Garbage containers at Railroad Island
14 Day Camping Limit

US Army Corps of Engineers

Very limited people on this side of the river.

Sign for John Day Dam and Railroad Island

View from Railroad Island

Campers at the Railroad Island Boat
Launch (You could camp here, but it
seems better suited for a Day Use Area.
It would be okay for camp trailers and
Recreational Vehicles)

RAILROAD ISLAND BOAT LAUNCH
LATITUDE: N 45°43.492
LONGITUDE: W 120°41.886
Vaulted Toilet
Garbage Containers (Seasonal)
14 Day Camping Limit
Paved Parking Area
This is a good spot for Camp Trailers and
Recreational Vehicles with paved surfaces
and easy to access. Near John Day Dam
on the road towards Cliffs Park.

North Shore Site on Railroad Island
Treaty Fishing Access Site
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs

John Day Dam Petroglyphs
Indian Petroglyphs at Cliffs Park

JOHN DAY DAM PETROGLYPHS
LATITUDE: N 45°42.981
LONGITUDE: W 120°42.272
From the fishing platform nearest to
John Day Dam walk along the river
towards the lock. The petroglyphs
are on the cliff face. There are Bear
Paws and other symbols.

Samuel Hill Memorial Bridge.
Built in 1962
Hwy.97 over the Columbia River
Viewed from Cliffs Park at the first
campsite east of Maryhill, WA

Columbia Gorge Aluminum Company
Hwy.14 / MP 108-109
At the exit to John Day Dam

Train viewed from Cliffs Park

Train and railroad tracks

Maryhill Community Church
Built in 1888

Maryhill, WA

Maryhill Fruit Stand Billboard

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW
WHAT FIRE RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT
WOOD FIRES ARE PROHIBITED
FIREWORKS ARE PROHIBITED

Learn to Swim...
While you still have a chance

Always presume someone is watching
you, from game wardens to Homeland
Security with terrorist threats to John Day
Dam, ect... always someone is watching.

From Maryhill take road through the
orchards towards Blanck's Winery

Siren in Maryhill, WA

DIRECTIONS:
From Hwy.97 / Biggs, OR
Take Hwy.97 north across the bridge
Turn Right towards Maryhill State Park
Continue past the park about a mile
See directions below from Maryhill, WA
See directions below for John Day Dam

From Maryhill, WA (West Entrance)
Maryhill Road and Stonehenge Road
(See the Maryhill Community Church)
Take Maryhill Road towards xx Orchards
The first 1/2 mile is paved
The road becomes gravel and continues
several miles with dispersed campsites
along the Columbia River.

Sign when entering Cliffs Park
near the John Day Dam

From John Day Dam (East Entrance)
Hwy.14 / MP 108.2
Turn towards John Day Dam
Follow signs towards Cliffs Park
Campsites start in about 2 miles

ROAD CONDITIONS:
Kind of a rough gravel road.
Some narrow sections.
Passenger vehicles need to use caution
RVs recommended to camp on the east
section that is accessed from Hwy.14
at John Day Dam.

Photo taken from ODOT Road Cams
December 21, 2008

While the weather can be more moderate
in this area, it can and does snow in winter.
Usually the snow only last a couple days...

PHOTO HERE
Maryhill State Park
LATITUDE: N 45°41.021
LONGITUDE: W 120°49.381
From the Day Use Area

Showers at Maryhill State Park and Historic Site.
$.50 for 3 minutes. (Need to use quarters)
Also garbage service and drinking water
(Main water spigots turned off in late October)
Free Day Use Area and Parking

Showers at Pilot Travel Center in Biggs, OR
Cost $ xx

Showers at Ainsworth SP Campground
Closed in Winter Months
$2.00
I-84 / MP35 towards Portland, OR

There are supposed to be showers in Rufus, OR
At the RV Park???

Road west from Fruit Stand on Hwy.97

Fruit Stand Road

Indian Fishing Pier on the Columbia River
Photo from Fruit Stand Road west from the
Sam Hill Memorial Bridge.

FRUIT STAND ROAD???
There is a road that follows along the
north bank of the Columbia River going
west from Sam Hill Memorial Bridge
No camping allowed, but there are some
great scenic views worth time to photograph.
Road can be accessed from the fruit stand on
Hwy.97 near the bridge.

Hwy.14 / MP107

Hwy.97 Bridge over the Columbia River
(Sam Hill Memorial Bridge)

Hwy.14 / MP106

Columbia River Gorge from Rufus Landing
On the Oregon side of the Columbia River
Opposite side of river from Cliffs Park

RUFUS LANDING
LATITUDE: N 45°41.593
LONGITUDE: W 120°45.288
Dispersed and primitive camping on
the Oregon side of the Columbia River
opposite of Cliffs Park.

French Glen and Giles French Park

FRENCH GLEN
LATITUDE: N 45°42.175
LONGITUDE: W 120°43.466
Dispersed and primitive camping on
the Oregon side of the Columbia River
opposite of Cliffs Park.

Avery Park and Fishing Treaty Site

AVERY PARK
LATITUDE: N 45°39.748
LONGITUDE: W 121°02.117
Hwy.14 between milepost 89-90
(3 miles west from Wishram, WA)

Sundale Park and Fishing Treaty Site

SUNDALE PARK
LATITUDE: N 45°43.134
LONGITUDE: W 120°18.924
Indian Fishing Treaty Access Site
Hwy.14 at milepost 128

Rock Creek Boat Ramp

ROCK CREEK BOAT RAMP
LATITUDE: N 45°43.165
LONGITUDE: W 120°27.649
Hwy.14 / Milepost 121
Take Rock Creek Road for xx miles

Stonehenge Memorial

STONEHENGE MEMORIAL
LATITUDE: N 45°41.660
LONGITUDE: W 120°48.380
Hwy.14 east from Maryhill, WA
Stonehenge Memorial is a replica of
the Stonehenge Monument in England.
Built by Samuel Hill as a memorial to
Klickitat County soldiers who lost their
lives in World War One. Construction
was completed in 1929.

War Memorial

Maryhill Loops Road

MARYHILL LOOPS ROAD
Maryhill Loops Road was the first
paved road in America. It is closed
to cars and now a skateboard mecca.
Hwy.14 about 1/4 mile east from Stonehenge.

Windsurfers in Columbia Gorge

Wishram, WA

Stone House on Hwy.14 / Milepost 85
Near Horse Thief State Park

Wind Turbines on Smith Road in Oregon

Looks like an amusement park.
Part of the fish ladder system for
migrating salmon. It was a big issue
in the past about the dams preventing
the migrating salmon and steelhead
from the river...

Part of the fish ladder system for
migrating salmon

Gas Pumps in Kent, OR
LATITUDE: N 45°11.755
LONGITUDE: W 120°41.773
Hwy.97 / MP 40-41

PHOTO HERE
Mountain Identifier
LATITUDE: 44°59.440
LONGITUDE:120°50.960
Oregon Hwy.97 MP 62
Mount Rainer, Adams, St.Helens, Hood,
Jefferson, Three Finger Jack, Washington,
Three Sisters, and Broken Top.

Old Church on Hwy.206 / MP11
About 3 miles north of Wasco, OR

Old Buildings on Haggerty Lane
LATITUDE: N 45°10.239
LONGITUDE: W 120°42.075
South from Kent, OR
Hwy.97 / MP 42-43

Historic Cemetery
LATITUDE: N 45°09.371
LONGITUDE: W 120°41.211
South from Kent, OR
Hwy.97 / MP 43-44
Most of the dates are from the early 1900's

DeMoss Memorial Park on Hwy.197
LATITUDE: 45°30.715
LONGITUDE:120°40.975
Oregon Hwy.97 MP 15
3 miles north from Moro, OR
Vaulted Toilets, Garbage, Picnic,
Water in Season
Historical Structures and Information

Bridge of the Gods
West from Stevenson, WA

Columbia River Gorge from Hwy.30 OR

Highway 30

Columbia River Gorge towards Portland

Liberty Site, WA
Near Williams Campground in Washington.

Also see: 29 PINES CAMPGROUND
Also see: AVERY PARK
Also see: FRENCH GLEN
Also see: GLENWOOD-GOLDENDALE
Also see: MOUNT SAINT HELENS
Also see: ROCK CREEK BOAT RAMP
Also see: RUFUS LANDING
Also see: SUNDALE PARK
Also see: TEANAWAY CAMPGROUND
Also see: WILLIAMS CAMPGROUND

Deschutes River from Buck Hollow
LATITUDE: 45°16.050
LONGITUDE:121°01.135
Highway 216 between Maupin and Grass Valley

Train Bridge over the Deschutes River
(North from Buckhollow)

Sherars Bridge
LATITUDE: 45°15.650
LONGITUDE:121°02.250

SHERARS BRIDGE
This area of the Deschutes River has
been a river crossing and fishing location
for thousands of years. Peter Skene Ogden
made note of an Indian camp and bridge
when he crossed here in 1826.

White River Falls SP
LATITUDE: 45°14.600
LONGITUDE:121°05.815

There are a series of waterfalls as the river
snakes it's way through the canyon. From
the viewpoint you only see the main set of
falls, but this is a double waterfall. The
lower pool and falls can be viewed by
walking down the trail a short distance.

If you walk down past the old powerhouse
there is another waterfall.

White River Falls Powerhouse

White River Recreation Site
LATITUDE: 45°13.940
LONGITUDE:121°04.050
Confluence of the Deschutes and White Rivers.
Road xx East from Maupin, OR.

Peace Treaty of 1855

By R.E. Pierce and Don Prechtel

Peace Treaty of 1855
Tum-A-Lum Lumber Company
811 E.2nd
The Dalles, OR

Maupin 1921

MAUPIN 1921
Mural painted on side of
Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
Hwy.191 in Maupin, OR

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CAMPING ADVICE AND TIPS

TOURIST PHOTOS

Camped here October 19, 2007
Camped here January 14, 2008
It snowed here a couple times this year.
It only lasted a couple days. Several times
the Interstates and roads have been closed.
Camped here Feb. 22, 2008
Camped here March 16, 2008
Camped here December 8, 2008
Camped here March 29, 2009

www.dispersedcampgrounds.com
Free campgrounds and camping
WASHINGTON CAMPGROUND DIRECTORY
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE SCENIC AREA
CLIFFS PARK