10 First Come, First Serve Campgrounds Near Portland, OR
If you’re camping or RVing near Portland, Oregon and you need a place to stay for the night, but neglected to make reservations, a first come, first serve (FCFS) campground can come to your rescue. These ten first come first serve campgrounds are perfect for those looking for a spontaneous weekend or weeknight getaway from the city.
These campgrounds are all within an hour and a half from Portland, Oregon, all have first come, first serve (FCFS) sites for tents and RVs and most of them have some cell reception. I’ve stayed at them all, so I can offer first-hand knowledge of these first come, first serve sites near Portland.
While these are great spots, with first come, first serve, there is no guarantee that you will find an open campsite at the time of your visit. You might have a tough time snagging one of these spots on a weekend in August (but who knows, you might get lucky!) but other times of the year, especially during the week, you will likely be able to find a spot. I’ve stayed at each of these campgrounds during the week in August or July and even on holiday weekends.
The first four first come first serve campgrounds in this list are all in a row along the Columbia River Gorge—an amazingly beautiful place—so if the first one is full, continue on to the next 3. Likewise 9 & 10 are also along the same road, so if one is full, continue on to the next.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase via my links.
First Come First Serve Campground East of Portland
1. Ainsworth State Park (45 mins from Portland)
Like most of Oregon State Parks, Ainsworth State Park campground takes reservations online, but when the sites are not booked, they are available first come, first serve. When I visited in August 2022, there was a list of 6 sites in the B loop that were first come, first serve sites. As one of the closest state parks to Portland and in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, Ainsworth can get busy during the summer months. First come, first serve sites are typically available for one night only.
Ainsworth State Park has 40 full hook-up sites, 6 walk-in tent sites and a hiker/biker campground with no reservations required.
The campground itself unremarkable, with a bathroom/shower house, dump station and play ground, but it is a great jumping off point for exploring all things Columbia River Gorge.
- Number of sites: 40
- Cost: $29
- Amenities: electric and water at site, dump station, showers, playground
- Other things to note: Without a reservation at the park, you will need a timed-entry pass to drive along this stretch of the Columbia River Highway from May through September. Check Recreation.gov for details.
- For more information Oregon State Parks
2. Port of Cascade Locks (50 mins from Portland)
The Port of Cascade Locks is one of my favorite campgrounds. Set right on the Columbia River in the small town of Cascade Locks, this small campground has some of the best scenery in Oregon. (And that’s saying a lot!)
There are 16 sites total, 12 with power and water. There is a dump station and bath house that is shared with the tent campers through hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs right through here.
One downside: like a lot of campgrounds in the gorge, this campground sits close to train tracks and the trains come by quite frequently.
- Number of sites: 16
- Cost: $21-41
- Amenities: Electric, water, showers, dump station
- Other things to note: You must pass under a 12 foot clearance railroad bridge to reach the campsite
- For more information: Cascade Locks Campground
3. Wyeth (1 hour from Portland)
Once a camp for Conscientious Objectors during World War II, Wyeth is a National Forest Service campground in the Columbia River Gorge just East of Portland with several first come, first serve sites. There are 13 large dry camping sites and three group sites. The campground has easy access to Interstate 84 and there will be some traffic noise. This campground is wooded with decent amount of privacy between sites.
There are both hiking and paved biking trails right from this campground and the sites are spaced with plenty of room and privacy between them.
- Number of sites: 13
- Cost: $20-30
- Amenities: Dry camping. Flush toilets
- Other things to note: Super easy access from the highway, but you can hear the traffic from most sites.
- More information: Wyeth Campground
4. Tucker County Park (1 hour, 15 mins)
Just outside of the town of Hood River and situated on Hood River, Tucker County Park is one of the best places to snag a first come, first serve spot close to Portland, even on busy summer weekends. The 88 sites are no-frills and best suited for small RVs and tents. Sites are $25 or $35 for riverside sites. Although this campground is on Hood River, there are only a few points of access. Your best bet is via the day use area. Sites with access to the river cost more. Fun fact, I named my cat Tucker after this campground because I picked her up in Hood River.
- Number of sites: 88
- Cost: $25-35
- Amenities: coin showers, campground host
- Other things to note: Not suitable for large RVs
- For more information: Tucker County Park
5. Green Canyon on Salmon River (1.25 hours)
One of my favorite hiking trails crosses through this campground. Although I’ve never camped here, I’ve walked through it plenty of times. With only 15 sites and in a highly sought after area, this campground can fill up pretty quickly. If you do snag a spot, there’s plenty of great hiking, swimming and fishing on the bit of old growth that runs along the Salmon River.
- Number of sites: 15
- Cost: $25
- Amenities: pit toilets
- Other things to note: Maximum vehicle length 22 ft
- Read all about it on The Dyrt
First Come, First Serve Campgrounds North of Portland, OR
6. Merrill Lake (1 hour, 20 minutes)
Merrill Lake, just outside of Cougar, WA feels very remote, despite its relatively close proximity to the Portland/Vancouver area. This campground is best suited for tent camping, as there is only one RV site and sometimes it’s occupied by a camp host. I met a group of friends here and while some were in tents, many of us slept in our vans in the campground parking lot.
- Number of sites: 8
- Cost: Free with Discover Pass
- Amenities: pit toilets
- Other things to note: No trash service, so pack it in and pack it out
- For more information: Merrill Lake
7. Beacon Rock State Park (1 Hour from Portland)
There are two campgrounds at Beacon Rock State Park, a small RV park close to the river and a larger campground across the highway and up in the woods. In the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington side, Beacon Rock boasts a very popular day use area and a hiking trail that climbs up a basalt rock. The lower campground has electric, water and sewer and a shower house. The upper campground offers dry camping and is more suited for tents.
- Number of sites: 28 in upper, 5 in lower
- Cost: $20-50
- Amenities: Full hook-ups in lower camp, dry camping, pit toilets in upper
- Other things to note: Trains are very close to lower campground and get loud at night.
- For more information: Beacon Rock
8. Guler Park, Trout Lake, WA (1.5 hours)
The full hook-up sites are clustered at the entrance, but the rest of the campground is spaced out nicely with lots of trees and privacy. The bathrooms are clean. Bring coins for the shower. No electricity at the sites, but each site has a water hook up. Dump is $10.
It’s in town, but feels like you’re out in the woods. There’s a small stream that runs through and lots of great options to set up near it. I was here on a June weekend and while the hook-up sites were full, there were only about 6 other campers in the rest of the campground.
- Number of sites: 40
- Cost: $8-24
- Amenities: coin showers, paid dump station
- Other things to note: town of Trout lake is within walking distance
- For more information: Guler Campground
First Come, First Serve Camping West of Portland, OR
9. Gales Creek (45 minutes)
This small campground close to Portland in the Tillamook forest has only first come, first serve sites. I’ve lucked out and found spots here even on a Friday in July. Sites are not level and there are no hook-ups. The creek is pretty small and there’s a hiking trail right from the campground. Lots of families here. Peaceful. Little to no cell signal, though.
- Number of sites: 19 total, 3 are walk-in tent sites
- Cost: $15-20
- Amenities: Pit toilets, drinking water, trash service
- Other things to note: No cell service
- For more information: Gales Creek
10. Jones Creek (1 hour)
Jones Creek is also on Highway 6 on the way to the Oregon Coast. The campground is within walking distance of the Wilson River, a beautiful spot to sit for a spell or take a swim on a hot summer day. The campground is open mid-May to mid-September and all sites are first come, first served.
- Number of sites: 42
- Cost: $20
- Amenities: pit toilets, drinking water
- Other things to note: There is a group campsite, which can be reserved for $50/night
- For more information: Jones Creek Campground
No matter where you camp, be sure to practice good campground etiquette!
How do I find all these great campsites? One of my favorite apps is The Dyrt.
Is one of your favorites missing from this list? Be sure to add it to the comments below.
