Sports
B1
Appeal Tribune, www.silvertonappeal.com
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
ZACH URNESS / STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE
Robyn Orr looks at the water at Riverside Campground near Detroit.
17 ‘mellow’ places to camp
around Detroit Lake area
week ideal, or getting a campground
early for weekends.
The sites have a basic setup including
a fire pit, picnic table and water. The
highlight is what’s nearby: fishing, boat-
ing and swimming in Elk Lake, nestled
below Battle Axe Mountain. But you can-
hike a wonderful loop to the top of Battle
Axe Mountain on a trail that starts near-
by.
Directions: In Detroit, turn left on
Breitenbush Road 46 and drive 4.3 miles.
Turn left onto Forest Service Road 4696
and follow it for 0.7 miles. Turn left on
Forest Service Road 4697 and drive 4.7
miles. Bare left at the Y intersection and
follow to Elk Lake. The campground is at
the road’s end. Coordinates: 44.82206,-
122.127414.
ZACH URNESS
STATESMAN JOURNAL
During the peak of summer tourism
season, the scene around Detroit Lake
can be a little overwhelming.
Crowds of visitors arrive at this
famed reservoir from across the state,
and the result is a lot of people all in one
place. That’s reflected at Detroit Lake
State Park, the largest campground in
the area, which becomes a small town on
busy weekends.
For a more mellow experience, con-
sider one of these smaller campgrounds
in the area surrounding Detroit Lake. It
doesn’t mean they’ll bring solitude —
many fill quickly on summer weekends
— but they do offer a quieter, more se-
cluded experience.
Breitenbush campsites
South Detroit Lake
The quiet side of Detroit offers three
campgrounds on the southeast side of
the reservoir: Hoover, Cove Creek and
South Shore.
Cove Creek and South Shore are both
nice, but Hoover is a local favorite be-
cause of a newly refurbished fishing
dock ideal for young anglers. All three
campgrounds also are close to Stahlman
Point Trail.
South Shore, another favorite, has 30
sites with water and restrooms. It has
nice access for fishing and boating, and
with the exception of the busiest week-
ends, it’s the quietest of the trio. There is
a fun nearby trail and swimming area at
the Blowout Creek arm of the reservoir.
Directions: In Detroit, drive High-
way 22 east to the far east side of the res-
ervoir, and turn right onto Blowout Road/
Road 10 and follow them to all three
campgrounds.
STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE
Cameron Henry, 4, of Mill City, checks to make sure that the worm is still on his hook while
taking advantage of free fishing day at Hoover Campground on Detroit Lake in 2008.
Olallie Lake area
Upper North Santiam River
These campsites are a little close to
Highway 22 and get a bit of noise, but all
feature nice forested sites along the up-
per North Santiam River.
Located just east of Detroit, the camp-
sites include Whispering Falls, River-
side and Marion Forks. My favorites are
Whispering Falls and Riverside; they of-
fer a wonderful setting along the river.
But Marion Forks has been completely
renovated the past two years.
The site that offers the best odds for
scoring a nice spot is Riverside, home to
32 sites. A bathroom and water are the
only amenities. You can reserve many of
the sites in advance and should plan on
doing so for summer weekends.
Directions: Follow Highway 22 south-
east of Detroit, and you’ll come across all
three in 8 to 20 miles.
Elk Lake
There’s a lot to love about this small
campsite nestled on the side of a scenic
mountain lake north of Detroit.
The only downside is a long and very
rough drive. The campground is small at
17 sites, while the number of people who
want to stay there is often higher on sum-
mer weekends. That makes visiting mid-
One of Oregon’s most beautiful rivers
takes center stage just north of Detroit
with three nice campsites.
Old-growth forest, wildflowers and
swimming holes are the highlight at
Humbug, Cleator Bend and Breitenbush
campgrounds.
My favorite is the not-so-well named
Humbug. Many of the sites have river
views in an old-growth setting, along
with picnic tables, grills and easy access
to the vault toilets. Breitenbush Hot
Springs is a short drive away. The down-
side is crowds on summer weekends.
Campsites can be reserved at
Recreation.Gov.
Directions: From Highway 22 at De-
troit, turn onto Breitenbush Road (FSR
46) and continue for 4.6 to 10 miles to all
three campgrounds.
ZACH URNESS / STATESMAN JOURNAL
A campsite at Southshore Campground at Detroit Lake.
It’s a long and rough drive to reach
them, but some of the best campgrounds
near Detroit are in the Olallie Lake area.
Home to numerous mountain lakes that
invite swimming — along with blooms of
huckleberries in early summer — the
Olallie is a wonderful spot to fish, hike or
just relax.
All totaled, there are seven small and
mellow campgrounds on the south and
north end of the lake. They provide easy
hiking access into the Olallie Lake back-
country, where you’ll find even more
mountain lakes.
The main attraction is Olallie Lake,
where Mount Jefferson looms overhead.
The campgrounds along the main lake
are Olallie Lake, Camp Ten and Peninsu-
la. Just down the road, campgrounds also
can be found at Monon, Horseshoe and
Breitenbush lakes.
My favorite site is Lower Lake Camp-
ground, which provides instant trail ac-
cess and is a short distance from the par-
adise of Lower Lake and Gifford Lake.
All the campgrounds are small, remote
and simple.
Directions: Follow Highway 22 east
to Detroit, and turn left on Breitenbush
Road 46 for 28 miles. Turn right at signs
for Olallie Lake and follow Forest Road
4220 to campground. Coordinates:
44.8231, -121.7956.