Merrill Lake Campground is a pretty awesome spot. Awesome enough that I honestly hemmed and hawed…read moreover whether to even add it to Yelp. Although my better Yelp humanitarian judgment has won out here, I still hope you read this, enjoy it, and camp somewhere else. Why? This little campground only has about 9 sites. It's free but you need a discovery pass. There is a camp host and there are surprisingly clean pit toilets on-site, but no potable water. The sites fill up fast in the summer time, but have a 3-day limit that's enforced by the friendly but vigilant camp host. I don't want it to fill up even faster now that I'm sharing this, since I do plan to hit this spot at least one more time before summer is over. There are no reservations (first-come, first-served) and the campsites are designed to work for larger groups - some of them could easily fit 7-10 tents. Each site is spaced decently well away from the others, and offers a picnic table, fire ring and places to pitch. The sites don't really offer views of the lake, they're set back in the trees, but there's plenty of shade Not too dusty, but some sites are heavy with gravel. While it's car camping, you don't drive right in to your site but park in a common lot, then walk in (the farthest you'll have to walk is about 50 yards). So no car noise up close to your site. This little campground sits just by Merrill Lake, a nice smaller lake that does not (thankfully) allow motorized boats and fishing is restricted to fly only, catch + release. For these reasons the water is calmer, cleaner, and dotted with fly fishermen and specific times of the day. At the mid-July mark the lake was warm and clear... perfect for swimming and canoeing. There are some excellent trout holes around the edges of the lake, however I'm not a fly fisherman and don't believe in torturing anything I'm not able to then eat (so catch + release is not for me). However I can see how this would be an attractive spot for a fly fisherman. This campsite is a great place to get away from PDX. Only about 1h 35m in no traffic, and the drive (especially if you come up the 503) is a nice one. Very pastoral, windy road. Get out of your house this summer and sleep under the stars. Just do it at some other campsite since this one is mine.

We stayed for two nights-three days last weekend for my niece's birthday. We usually stay at a…read morecampsite at Lake Berryessa in California, but most of my family now lives in Vancouver so we opted for somewhere near there. Plus, the lakes in California don't even amount to the lakes in Washington/Oregon. My parents went to Merrill Lake Campground on Thursday to secure us a spot which was first come first serve. They managed to get a campsite (#4) that had a direct path to the lake (not the day use where most of the guests would walk to)! It was really big, the only downside was the hill which isn't ideal with little kiddos. Also, that we couldn't have a campfire due to Washington's high alert for fires. It just wasn't the same. You do need a discovery pass which we got at a store that was twelve minutes from the campsite- Lakeside Deli. It was $11 for a day use. The scenery was amazing. It wasn't hot at all where the campsite was. It was surrounded by trees. The water was so clear and clean. The weather was perfect once we made it out of the campsite, through the trail, and to shore. Oh god, and the drive. The drive up the mountain was the scariest I've ever seen. It was beautiful, but so scary. It was a great stay (for free at that!). I recommend this lake!

I had a great experience at this campground. It's a short walk from the day use park and the Falls…read more The campground offers potable water, bathrooms with showers and has a map of all nearby trails. I typically prefer more privacy in my site than what most of the campsites offered but it wasn't horrible. It did get loud at times from cars speeding by on the main road. Cell service was fair. I could send and receive texts but that was about it. Overall, it really depends on the kind of camper you are, but it still was a great experience.

Pretty nice camp spot, this is a small step up from dry camping as the site only has vault toilets…read moreand campsites, no amenities other then that. Bring all the water you need, no onsite that we found. First come first serve only.

We stumbled on this place while looking for a camping spot for a few days. We got here on a Tuesday…read moreand left on a Thursday in June. The campsite was very quiet and not overly populated. The sites are well kept and clean. It's big enough that you can get in a good walk around or pedal around on your bikes. The surrounding area is not bike friendly though. Pretty much no bike lanes and it's a bit busy on the streets. You can't really hear it from the campground though, except for on the north side. It looks like the kind of place that gets incredibly busy on weekends. There's a large sports field, three playgrounds for kids, horseshoe, etc. I don't think this would be the best campground on a weekend or if it just gets busy in general. Most of the spots are not well covered from your neighbors. Where we stayed, of someone had camped in the spot next to us, we would have been right on top of each other's space. But, if you come on a less busy day, it's great. Also, it's close enough to civilization that you will still have internet and cell service if you need it.

Lovely, quite campground. Hosts are extremely friendly and helpful. Would've been a 5/5 if not for…read morethe having to pay for a shower. Took awhile for water to actually warm, 6min goes by fast.

Our family has gone here every year for a while now with a group of friends. The staff is next…read morelevel, always welcoming and accommodating. They always seem to go the extra mile. The campgrounds are great, perfect for us since we like to let our kids run around between our sites and are able to keep eyes on them. Shirt drive to the boat launch and short walk to the lake shore.

Nice RV park Close to Home. Checked into Columbia Riverfront RV Park for a quick two night…read moregetaway. Check in was smooth and easy. Staff informed us that the park is now owned by the Port of Woodland. Site 55 was gravel and it was level and gave us plenty of room for our truck and trailer. Checked out the upstairs club room and shot a round of pool. There was no one else in the room. Tried my luck fishing on the beach just below the park. No bites during the two days we were there. Obviously the fish didn't care for the coon shrimp offerings. Park is quiet and kept very clean, pool was open but we didn't use it. There is also a horseshoe pit and basketball hoop that we didn't use either. Will return again since it's so close to home and the location on the river can't be beat.

The Columbia Riverfront RV park runs along the Columbia River and offers beautiful views…read more Great for birding, fishing and watching ships sail by. The sites are level and not too close together, each spot features a grass area and picnic table. The park offers a lovely community center that includes a pool table, foosball table, puzzles and board games. The room also includes tables, a seating area and a small kitchen. There is also an outdoor swimming pool. Hello. WiFi is spotty and there is no cable television - but - then that's not what you're here for, is it? For more information see photos.

Huge swimming area under the bridge, Trails were closed for maintenance when we went. The lake is…read morecozy and the campground pretty large with camp hosts on site. Picnic tables*limited restrooms* Amble Parking* paid entry

I absolutely love it here. I come camping here all the time and it feels comfortable here. It's…read moresmall. It's easy and it's familiar. It's beautiful.

Beware of racist Karen!! our experience was deeply upsetting due to the behavior of one of your…read morestaff members, an older white woman who interacted with us throughout our stay. she approached us in an aggressive, dismissive, and disrespectful manner. Her behavior made us feel unwelcome and unwanted. The way she spoke to us and interacted with us left us feeling humiliated and discriminated against. Rather than providing a welcoming and respectful environment, her conduct created an atmosphere of hostility that significantly impacted our stay. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race or background. We hope you will take this complaint seriously, investigate the incident, and take appropriate steps to ensure that no other guests have to endure a similar experience. Our stay was overshadowed by this treatment, and we left feeling deeply disappointed by what we experienced.

Beware of racist staff!!! From the beginning of our stay, we…read moreobserved that one staff member treated us in a manner that was noticeably different from other guests. She was an older white lady and from here on I will call her Karen. While she greeted and interacted with other campers in a friendly, welcoming, and respectful manner, her behavior toward us was consistently rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. Mind you we were the only ppl of color on this camp ground. She repeatedly singled us out and made comments such as .. "you guys got 30 min to pack up and leave or I will charge you late fee" like lady stop with the threats. Like who talk to people like that? And how would you react if that's how someone chose to speak to you and your family? These interactions were not handled in a consistent or respectful manner compared to how other guests were addressed. Instead, we felt targeted and unfairly scrutinized throughout our stay. We also observed a clear difference in tone and demeanor in her interactions with us compared to others, which made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. The overall experience left us feeling singled out in a way that we believe was Racist, inappropriate and unacceptable for a hospitality environment. We are particularly concerned that these actions may have been influenced by bias, as we were the only guests of our background present in the campground at the time. Regardless of intent, the behavior we experienced created a hostile and unwelcoming environment. We chose Kalamat RV Resort expecting a safe, respectful, and inclusive atmosphere. Unfortunately, our experience did not reflect those expectations. We are requesting that management conduct a thorough investigation into this matter, review staff conduct, and take appropriate corrective action to ensure all guests are treated fairly and respectfully. If you are anything but white stay away, they do not respect your kind!

We purchased in May then bought another site and sold our first. It's a great getaway and something…read morewe love to do. We use our boat a lot more now and less hassle putting boat in. Beautiful view of the lake.

This is my 2nd review now. I had my remaining lot for sale but last weekend a giant tree snapped…read moreand went through my roof. The damage from this makes my little place a total loss. I needed several people to have access for insurance as well as workers. The people contracted with insurance are not on some list the office has so they can't be let in unless Im present to do so AND stay onsite the entire time they're working. Im 2 hours away and recently had hip revision surgery. If I were able to stay up in camp it wouldn't be so bad but there's a huge hole in my roof and the interior is soaked. The staff has not been helpful one bit. My hope is to clean this site up and sell it so I never, ever have to deal with these people again. BUYERS BEWARE! Membership is about 3k a year. Power and water are frequently out for days. There are frequent rule changes that you aren't aware of unless you attend meetings or hear about it from other members. What a disaster this place has become. Poor communication and frequent misunderstandings among staff, expensive, and just not the carefree relaxed experience it was 9 years ago.

Clean, quiet park on the river. Showers and bathrooms clean,…read moregrounds are well maintained

Beautiful park with so much potential, like other reviews have said the noise levels is quite high…read moredue to constant traffic over a nearby bridge,when we arrived it was like a ghost town something may have been going on with whoever was running the place, we didn't really see but the one person who came over to check us in the entire stay which was a couple of days. We couldn't find where to take the trash unless it was supposed to be left in a pile with the overloaded can we did see so we took our trash with us when we left which wasn't convenient to say the least.

This review is day use only, and trail hiking…read more This is an excellent spot to jump on several trails that circle the area. Today I did an 8 mile loop that took me south for a bit then back around. My goal was to stay on the Storey Burn Loop Trail, and I mostly did. It turned into Gale Creek Trail and there were many places where I could have diverted. Watch your map or it will have you darting across highway 6 - don't do it! Although, University Falls is over there and its gorgeous. On the east side there are lots of dirt bikes and hand cannons. The west side is blissfully free of that noise. Now you know. It was super muddy today, suck you out of your boots muddy. The water is flowing with all the rain we've had, and the rain forest is lush with growth. Enjoy!

I haven't stayed here as a camper, but I've come often for the Day Use Area and to go hiking on the…read morenearby trails around the campground. The facilities are great. Clean, well-kept, and clearly marked. The campsites aren't right on top of each other which is nice! Definitely room to spread out and have a little privacy. The river runs through and it is beautiful! It's a fantastic place to just hang out. Bring the dog and a beer and you're golden! There are a few moderate to difficult hikes that run from the trailhead at the entrance of the campground, so there's always something to do and see! There are multiple points where you can access the river, so you don't have a bottleneck on one trail. You also won't have an issue of people trying to walk through your campsite for river access. Hoping to actually camp here soon, and I'll update my review. But at least for day use I can say it's fab!