Our Favorite Camping Spots to Take The Ford Bronco

Ask anyone from the Portland or Vancouver area what their hobbies are, chances are pretty good they will mention something to do with the outdoors. One of our favorite activities in the Pacific Northwest is camping.  Being so close to mountains, deserts, and the coast means there are some amazing places to go sit around a fire and roast marshmallows, here are three of our favorite places to pitch our tent. 

The Ford Bronco is a great choice of SUV to take camping. It comes with Trail Controls. Having trail control is like having cruise control, but for off-road. The system handles acceleration and braking in off road conditions,which means you can focus on the path ahead of you! 

Three of our Favorite Camping spots near Portland and Vancouver 

Crater Lake & Umpqua National Forest 

Crater Lake is an amazing place to spend a long weekend. Between the views, the hikes, the swimming, and all the other activities you will have plenty to keep you, and your kids, plenty busy during the day, and you will have spectacular views of the stars at night. 

The Ford Bronco will have no trouble hauling your kayaks, canoes, and other small watercraft out to Crater Lake with its 3,500lb Towing Capacity. And, having 4×4 standard on this SUV means when packing your PWC into the water you’ll have no problems with slippage.  

Mazama Campground 

If you’ve camped near Crater Lake, chances are good that you were at the Mazama Campground. This campground is only open during the summer, and typically opens in June and stays open till September. This can vary a little based on snow levels.  

Features 

• Amenities – Seasonal camp store, Trash/Recycling collection, staff on site, potable water, Coin-operated Showers 
• Fire/Stove Policy – Each campsite has a fire ring with a grilling ring. Firewood can be bought, or you are welcome to bring you own, but it must be from Washington, Oregon, or Idaho or labeled pest free 

Sites – 214 total 

• Electric Hookups – 18 
• RV Only Spots – 75 
• Tent Only Spots – 121 

Season and Fees 

• Mazama is typically open from June 30 till September 25th, but this can vary based on the snow 
• Check-in and out is before 12 PM 
• Fees 
• Tent Site – $21 
• RV No-hookup – $31 
• RV electric hookup – $36 
• RV Full hookup – $42 
• Hikers & Bicycle walk-in – $5 

Diamond Lake 

Diamond Lake is a great place to take the family on a camping adventure. With amazing views of Mount Baily and Mount Thielsen, you will have an amazing backdrop for those vacation photos. You are also just 15 minutes away from Crater Lake if you want to go and explore that area as well. The fishing and kayaking are top-notch, and you really don’t want to miss the amazing hiking. This site doesn’t have electric hookups if you are planning on taking your toy hauler or RV out to the park.  

Features 

Fishing – The Rainbow Trout fishing here is not to be missed. Annually there are around 300,000 fingerlings released into the lake. 

Amenities – Flush Toilets, Showers, Boat Ramp, trash collections, grills, and fire rings 

Sites – 238 total 

• Various sites available including double and standard sites, are able to accommodate tents, RVs, and Trailers. Each site has picnic tables and fire pits/stoves. There are 51 lakeside sites available. 

Season and Fees 

• Diamond Lake opens Mid-June and goes through the start of September 
• Standard non-electric – $16 
• Standard nonelectric Double Site – $21 
• Standard nonelectric Single Lakefront Site – $22 
• Standard nonelectric Double Lakefront Site – $27 

 

Broken Arrow Campground 

On the south end of Diamond Lake in the Lodgepole Pine Forest lies the Broken Arrow Campground. This is a very picturesque spot to take your family if you are looking for a quiet retreat. One of the stand-out features here will be the 11-mile paved trail around the lake you can take with your bicycle for a nice ride, or if you aren’t great on two wheels there is a plethora of amazing hiking trails and horseback riding trails.  

Features 

Amenities – Flush toilets, Boat Ramp, Drinking Water, Trash Collections, Fire Rings/Grills, Picnic Tables 

Sites – 123 Total

Broken Arrow Campground has 120 Standard sites for tent camping and 3 group sites that you must reserve ahead of time. The Group sites can also accommodate an RV and these sites are only available with reservations.  

Season and Fees 

• Broken Arrow Campground opens in late June and stays open until early September. 
• Group Campsite M 01 – $95 
• Group Campsite K 01 and N 01 – $70 
• Standard Nonelectric – $15 
• Standard Nonelectric Double – $20 

 Mt. Hood National Forest 

We are lucky in the Portland area in that we often get amazing views of Mount Hood but, it is not just a scenic backdrop for us, it is one of our favorite places to lay down our sleeping bags. Whether you’re looking for hot springs and great hikes to swimming holes and Fishing, Mount Hood National Forest has a ton of activities for summer fun.  

When visiting Mount Hood, you will be able to enjoy all the scenery and take in all the fresh air with the ability to pop the doors and roof off your Ford Bronco. There really is nothing quite like driving through the forest withyour Bronco open to all the sights, sounds, and smells. 

Lost Lake Campground 

Lost Lake Campground is not just a campground, but it also has a resort for those folks in your party who want a little more luxury, but with the amazing availability of recreational activities it made our list. Along with the hiking trails and fishing there the general store where you can rent kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and historic wooden row boats.  

Features 

Amenities – Full-Service Resort next to the campground; Cabins, Yurts, and Lodge rooms available in addition to tent camping, drinking water stations, pit toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, horse stall, horse hitching posts 

Rentals – historic wooden row boats, metal fishing boats, stand-up paddleboards 

Sites – 125 campsites and 4 Double Sites 

Lost Lake Campground has RV, Tent, and group sites. None of these sites have power so plan on bringing extra batteries for your flashlights. It is good to know that for the most part you have a two-night minimum when you reserve a campsite and on weekends and holidays there is a three-night minimum 

Season and Fees 

The season for Lost Lake starts in May, but I would make sure to check the weather and make sure you are prepared since that is still a moist time of year for us in the pacific northwest. Lost Lake also has a price structure that changes based on the seasons so it will be worth double checking before making your plans. 

• Equestrian non-electric – $46.78 (+10%for holidays or weekends) 
• F Loop Tent only non-electric – $46.78 (+10% for holidays or weekends) 
• Group Standard A Loop 6 7 – $72.21 (+10% for holidays or weekends) 
• Group Sites D 19 20 non-electric – $86.45 (+10% for holidays or weekends) 
• Tent-only non-electric – $41.70 (+10% for holidays or weekends) 
• RV non-electric – $46.78 (+10% for holidays or weekends) 

Gone Creek Campground 

If you are into wakeboarding and windsurfing, Gone Creek Campground may be the best bet for you. Timothy Lake is a gorgeous lake with the fantastic Lakeshore Trail, which takes you on a scenic hike around the lake. If you are looking for fishing, Gone Creek Campground has that in store for you as well, you can expect to see some trout and Kokanee Salmon.  

Features 

Amenities – Beach Access, Picnic tables, Vault Toilets, and pets are allowed. 

Sites- 50 total 

Gone Creek Campground has only standard and double non-electric campsites and the nearest store is about 15-ish miles away, so you are going to be a bit away from the busier places. If you are taking an RV, you’ll need to plan on getting a double site. 

Season and Fees 

The season starts in late May and goes through to the start of September.  

• Standard nonelectric – $26 + $2 for holidays 
• Double nonelectric – $52 + $4 for holidays 

Bagby Campground 

Bagby Campground is nestled in the Mt. Hood Nations Forest. Well known locally for its amazing hot springs, this is a campsite that can fill up quickly. And, with only 19 first come, first serve campsites you will want to get out there and stake your claim early. But once you are there you will have the amazing hiking trails that are in the Bull of the Woods Wilderness.  

Features 

This is very much a pack in pack out type of campground. While there are a couple of vault toilets and a few picnic tables you are going to want to bring plenty of your own food and water. You will also want to take extra time since the campsites are rustic.  

The biggest features of the Bagby campground are its popular hot springs and hiking trails. During peak season, this place can get busy, but if you snag a camping spot, you are in for a treat.  

Sites 

There are 19 sites to pick from and camping is $18/night for the site and an extra $8 for each additional vehicle.  

The Oregon Coast 

The Oregon Coast is amazing with its forested shorelines, cliffs, and sand dunes. If you’re heading out to the coast, make sure to pack a sweater, it can get a little chilly out there any time of year. Heading out to the coast you will have the chance to see historical lighthouses, check out sea aquariums, hike through the hills, and ride your ATV through the dunes. Camping on the coast can be as big of an adventure as you want.  

When heading to the Oregon Coast the Ford Bronco has all the features that will help make your coast trip one to remember. You can tow your PWC or ATV out to the coast with its amazing towing capacity, the 4-wheel drives means you won’t have to worry about going off road and cruising the beach, and not to mention the ability to pop the door and roof off to really enjoy the coast all with the new Bronco. 

Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park 

The Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, or Honeyman if you don’t want to use the full name, is a great spot if you love the dunes. Honeyman is about 2 miles from the ocean, so you aren’t too far away from hitting the surf. If you time it right and head out during the spring, you will get to experience the pink rhododendrons and if you hit this park up in the fall you can find plenty of huckleberries and blackberries ready to pluck off the vine.  

Features 

You can book up to 6 months in advance and you really should. The campgrounds have plenty of spots for your trip, but it is best to be prepared.  

Amenities – Group camping, full-hookup sites, RV Dump Stations, flush toilets, hot showers, Yurts, and firewood for sale 

Sites – 362 Total 

There are a lot of sites in this park. If you want to camp with a tent there is that, along with several ADA sites, additionally, there are a few full RV Hookup sites available as well as 10 Yurts.  

Season and Fees 

Honeyman is open year-round, but OHV dune access is from Oct. 1 to April 30, and from May 1st to Sept. 30th no ATVs untrailered in the park.  

Tent sites start at $23, but this can vary based on the time of the year. For this park, it is best to pop onto their reservation site and find the best day and sites for your budget 

Sunset State Park 

Sunset State Park is another great park to camp in and it, like Honeyman, is open year-round. This park is near Coos bay and features some of the most beautiful beaches along the coast. Additionally, there are plenty of hiking trails that connect with Shore Acres and Cape Argo state parks. And if you are out there you should check out the golf course and visit Charleston to do some crabbing, clamming, or fishing.  

Features 

With the views, trails, fishing, golf, and all the other amazing things that make this campsite popular, it also means it can get a bit busy. You can make your reservation up to 6 months in advance, and we suggest you do.  

Sites – 138 sites + 1 Meeting Hall 

There is a huge variety of sites available including 8 yurts, full-hook-up sites, sites with electrical and water, and 65 tent sites that are near the water.  

Season and Fees 

Sunset has a year-round season, and you can make reservations same day up to 6 months in advance.  

• Full Hook-up sites – $30 
• Electric and water sites – $30 
• Tents Sites – $19 
• Hike and Bike – $7/person 
• Yurts (no pets) – $48 
• Yurts (pets) – $58 

It should be noted for our RV friends, if you are from outside of Oregon there is an additional 25% fee for sites with hookups.  

Essential Tips for an Amazing Camping Trip 

Tip #1 – Check the Rules for fires at the campground you are visiting. 

We are in the PNW and must be careful about fire when things get dry. Most campsites have pits or fire circles for your use, but you will want to double-check with the campground if there are any alerts that would prevent you from using them. 

Tip #2 – Firewood in the PNW 

Another good thing to remember is that if you are coming from out of state you will need to buy your own firewood. Check ahead and see if your campground sells firewood or if there is a place nearby where you can pick some up on your way.  

Tip #3 – Check your packing list, and check it again

You will want to make a list of the items you want to pack in with you ahead of time. It is good to set up a list on your phone that way when you come back you can easily add the things you didn’t think of and remove the things that you didn’t really need, leaving your list set up and ready to go for next time. 

Here are a few basic you’ll want to make sure to put on your packing list 

• Bug Repellent 
• Sunscreen 
• Tent 
• A tarp 
• Cooler 
• Folding Chair 
• Headlamps 
• Lanterns 

Tip #4 – Leave no Trace 

We love our outdoors, so when you wrap up your visit make sure to clean up your site and the area around it to make sure it is going to be a great place for the next person. Also, be prepared to take out all the trash you produce while on your trip.  

Wrap Up 

The Pacific Northwest is a wonderland of outdoor adventures. The new Ford Bronco will be an excellent companion for you and your family for your next outdoor adventure. Swing by Dick Hannah Ford in Sandy and take a Bronco on a test drive and let us know some of your favorite camping spots!