1. Clyde Holliday State Park

    1. Clyde Holliday State Park

    0

    Mount Vernon, OR

    Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Clyde Holliday State Park

    4.1 (16 reviews)

    Clyde Holliday State Park Photos

    More like Clyde Holliday State Park

    Recommended Reviews - Clyde Holliday State Park

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Dead mosquito
    Jenny M.

    The park looks great with lots of greenery but it is infested with mosquitoes. It's surrounded by wetlands. This year the mosquitoes are extra big. The are aggressive as well. I would not come during spring or summer. Not recommended unless you're fond of mosquitoes.

    Sweet trail along the John Day river.
    Leisyka P.

    Really sweet campground right off highway 126 west of John Day. Well maintained picnic and day use area along the John Day River. Nice bathrooms, lots of birds, friendly park host, and not full on Memorial Day weekend!

    Monique F.

    What a gorgeous state park!!!! We were traveling from Prineville to Boise and I asked an rv group for recommendations on a half way point. They delivered in that and the winner was us! We got spot 17 and it was fabulous! The sunsets are gorgeous and the vegetation and upkeep of the park is incredible! You won't want to miss this one!!

    Teepee
    Angelique L.

    This is a beautiful park on the road outside of John Day. It's right on the river with benches along, to view across the river to the hills, forests and fields. There's also river access and though I'm not sure what kinds of activity the river supports, you could just dip your toes in! There are also many picnic benches, BBQ pits, lawns for sitting or playing, trees for shade, horseshoe pitching courts, and bird nesting boxes which provide many birdwatching opportunities. It's a lovely place to spend an afternoon, have a party or even camp. There are campgrounds here as well as large teepees for rent for events. The restrooms are adequate though there are only a few stalls and I imagine on busy days, there would be a lineup. There seems to be plenty of parking but again on busy days, this could be tricky.

    Teepees available.
    Kathy F.

    Oregon state parks are the best. I camped here in October 2013 and it was only $17 for a hookup (water & electric site). Great deal! Sites are a good distance apart, in a loop bordering the river, forest, or road. Heated push button showers- you push the button and the water comes on and stays on for a couple of minutes... No temperature control but the water temp was comfortable. Two regular showers and one ADA. Pretty river trail. I followed it for a ways past the campground into the woods.... It also connects to the day use area in the opposite direction.

    The John Day river, right next to the Teepee. Beautiful.

    See all

    Photo of Shaun B.
    256
    28
    1

    8 months ago

    Beautiful well kept park! Loved it. Really beautiful and fishing was fun too. Site were long enough for our 35ft rig.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cori L.
    272
    66
    94

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ruth R.
    29
    40
    9

    3 years ago

    This was a beautiful park with great pad sites for big rvs and tents. The bathrooms and showers were very clean and heated.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff H.
    2
    56
    18

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sue W.
    37
    18
    2

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Roy S.
    3
    548
    0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Clyde Holliday State Park

    Review Highlights - Clyde Holliday State Park

    Really sweet campground right off highway 126 west of John Day.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Joaquin Miller Trail #219 - Joaqum Miller Trail, May 2012

    Joaquin Miller Trail #219

    (1 review)

    Two Joaquin Miler trails diverged in the woods. I chose the one less taken. That made all the…read moredifference. The name Joaquin Miller, a one-time pony express rider, gold miner, judge, teacher, ex-lawyer, and critically praised poet of the American West, is closely connected to Oakland, California, where MIller lived for many years. As is the case with Jack London's former ranch near Glen Ellen, part of Miller's tree-filled estate ended up being preserved as a park. It grew over time to 500 acres of open space and trails, making it a popular destination for local residents and visitors, for whom the park is a welcome breath of fresh air: http://www.yelp.com/biz/joaquin-miller-park-oakland. It's an inspiring story of how local activists and boosters worked (and still work) to protect the land from private development. The result is a beautiful public space mere miles from one of America's most densely populated and culturally vibrant urban areas. While it certainly has lots of trees in common, the Joaquin Miller trail in Eastern Oregon is a different kind of outdoor experience entirely. It's located in the rugged and (arguably) remote Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, about a 45 minute drive from Canyon City, where Miller worked as a lawyer and judge during the Oregon gold rush of the 1860s. Over the course of about 6 miles, the trail leads from a modest dirt and gravel parking area into a valley filled with rare old-growth Ponderosa pines. It then meanders, steeply at times, to the jagged crest of Strawberry Ridge, past cascading mountain streams, and offers hikers and equestrians spacious views of snow-covered peaks, rocky ridgelines, and dense forests. That's about it. This is not a Yosemite kind of place, filled with glamorous granite cliffs and photogenic falling water. It's quiet as hell, though, and extremely beautiful in a simple, unadorned, and unaffected way. Old growth ponderosas don't wow you like a coastal redwood, red cedar, or douglas fir, and Strawberry Ridge is barren, windswept, and patched with snow well into May and June. But there's something startling about the place that is hard to put into words or capture with digital pixels. It's never easy to put a price on solitude. One shouldn't even try. The reason wilderness areas like Strawberry Mountain exist is to make sure that people don't start calculating its potential real estate value in dollar-denominated terms. So what was it worth, then, to me? Well ... for four long and sometimes arduous hours, I wandered in the footsteps of Joaquim Miller's namesake trail, past orange-covered trees and snowmelting streams, up stone-covered mountain switchbacks and through dense stands of trees. I was completely alone in a vast open space with only my thoughts and backpack to keep me company. Sun and clouds kept the temperature mild, even above 7000 ft on the snow-covered ridgeline. At the top, someone had hung a pair of binoculars and a half-empty bottle of whiskey from a low tree branch that was protected from the elements. A nice thought, but I wasn't in the mood for that sort of a drink. Look, you don't just stumble upon a trail like this. You seek it out, like I did, because of an inarticulate but insistent inner need. A Forest Service map and compass sure help, but otherwise the trail is quite clear if unsigned most of the way. There's just not much foot or hoof traffic out here except maybe in peak summer months. It's very well maintained with minimal treefall that is cleared away in late spring. You feel "lost" without actually being lost. That's not always easy to pull off. A single winding path in an ocean of pine, stone, and snow. Just you and lots of wilderness close enough to make it a short day trip.That's what this particular excursion is all about. Nothing more than that. But somehow, for me at least, that was enough. Enough to make all the difference in the world. You don't need to be a famous poet like Joaquin Miller to figure that out. So just do it. Show up and see for yourself. The trail will do the work for you.

    Sheep Rock - Blue Basin - Island in Time Trail.

    Sheep Rock

    (8 reviews)

    I've stopped here a few times over the decades. Handy access right off the highway. Usually not a…read morelot of people here especially on a weekday. Some good photography opportunities and a lot of historical artifacts. There is an interesting information center and historical display up on the hill on the other side of the highway. Worth a stop if you've never been there before. There are hiking trails that go off a ways that I have never gone on but the mile or so round trip from the historic house is interesting enough. They do have staff there and offer tours of the grounds although I have never taken advantage of them.

    The Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds was a fabulous day trip! We were with a toddler and…read morea baby (in a BOB stroller), so we did all of the hikes except the longer two in the Blue Basin area. We started off in the Foree area and worked our way south. Also, the hikes got continuously more disappointing in this direction. I do not recommend the River Trail, as there is no view of the river (not maintained?), and I also did not enjoy the Thomas Condon Overlook Trail as it had almost the same view as the Sheep Rock Overlook Trail. I definitely recommend picking up a passport to the National Parks as well as getting your cancellation stamp for all 3 John Day Fossil Bed Units at the Visitor center. Though it isn't marked on the map, there are a couple of picnic tables at the visitor center as well. The Cant house was OK, but don't be too sad if you miss it due to the limited hours. Only the downstairs is open for viewing, and there are only three small rooms of exhibits. I loved the Flood of Fire and Story in Stone hikes!

    Sumpter Valley Railway

    Sumpter Valley Railway

    (8 reviews)

    Absolutely one of our best experiences. My daughter was beyond excited expecially with so much…read moreauthenticity in the clothing. She wasn't expecting a full shoot out (nearther were we). Everything was so great, so memorable, My daughter dressed up and fit right in, all the volunteers (yes, everyone who took part is a volunteer) wer so kind expecially to the kids in the crowd. We can't believe we learned so much and in such a fun way too. Few helpful tips, we went middle of June and there were soooooo many mosquitoes idk if I just want thinking, or they just tend to eat me alive in the evenings only but bring lots of bug spray. There's 2 cars that have windows and 2 that don't so if it's a full ride be prepared dress appropriately depending on the time of year u visit. Like I mentioned earlier these are all volunteers, they make their clothing and provide their own weapons and blanks. The upkeep of the train and tracks is very costly so donations are very appropriate. Be sure to bring plenty of smaller bills and most of the town would prefer cash purchases as well. There's also a flea market held here so check for that. There's also mining for Gold lessons and some areas to try it first hand. If you find real Gold flakes you can keep up to 3 for 5$ per person because it's coming from an Oregon State Park. There is a lift on the train to help with any handicap needs, and on that note if you end up in Bakers City, OR (were we drove through to get here) is an amazing playground where inclusion of all ability types was number 1 in design. This entire experience was so great, worth Every penny for the steam engine ticket and worth the money we donated at the end.

    Outstanding volunteers and a terrific experience these folks really know how to present living…read morehistory of Sumpter Valley Railroad.

    Clyde Holliday State Park - parks - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...