Riverford Campground

Had a wonderful weekend the camp host was awesome. Especially when a group complained about our camp and he said we were good. The only bad thing I can say is the forest ranger driving the white truck with a ponytail was a jerk ripping up peoples camp signs and smoking in a government vehicle.
10 years ago (08-09-2015)

My family and I stayed here from Thursday, through Sunday (July 9-12, 2015). The sites were pretty large, with a few smaller sites. We were able to fit a large 2 room tent, and two smaller two person tents, two pop up canopy/gazebo's, with room to spare. The sites have a good size man-made fire pit with a grill top over it. We stayed in site #4, (we had to walk down several large steps) which was one site away from the Clackamas River. The area is very pretty! The river here was very low, couldn't swim in most areas as it is shallow, but there are lots of areas nearby that are very deep (where the two rivers meet, as well as farther upriver). It has a basic vault toilet (men's/women's), and is right off both main roads. NF-63 has logging trucks traveling it from early morning, through the day, and it is somewhat disconcerting that they are just yards away from your tent. It would be nice if they had potable water available. There is plenty of parking available, and the campground was well maintained. There is a dumpster provided for trash. The camp host shows up several times within the day to check the facility, check for newcomers, take payments, etc. We didn't have a reservation, so set up our tents at a site that didn't have a reservation attached to the post. We paid the next day. ($18 per night at the time of this post) (The gentleman at this time was very nice and personable) The nearest basic store is the Ripplebrook Ranger Station appx 4 mi west. There are trails nearby if you feel like hiking as well. Walk across the bridge and upriver. If you follow the path you will see some amazing old-growth forest, with thick moss carpets and beautiful river scenes. If you like hot springs, go east on Clackamas River Rd (right out of the campground), drive three miles, and find a spot on the side of the road to park. I'm not sure what the property owner-ship is, but there were several families enjoying the water when we went. Walk to the river side of the road (over the birm, towards the river), right on the river you will see small pools that were created to hold the natural hot springs. But... be careful and mindful that these are not regulated, so use good judgement when entering the pools!! The water can scald you if it comes out of the ground unexpectedly. Wear some shoes too. I wouldn't recommend small children be allowed in as the temps can vary. And PICK UP YOUR TRASH!!! People have left so much trash here it is very sad to see. Enjoy your stay!
10 years ago (13-07-2015)