We loved everything about Crow Butte and plan to return next year around the same time. Sites have…read moregrills and fire pits, and I'm pretty sure every site has a great view of the water surrounding the island. Mary and Wayne were incredibly helpful and accommodating of our family, as this was our maiden voyage! The place is well lit, but not intrusively so. The bathrooms are clean and have a shower area inside. It was a bit to cold and windy to swim so we took full advantage of the park and playground while we were here! We had a peaceful, pleasant stay here for two days and nights, and are looking forward to returning.

Can not say enough wonderful things about this Campground/Park. The hosts Dwayne and Mary were…read moreabsolutely wonderful and available for any questions etc. They even let us switch to a better site our 2nd night without any problems. The campground and facilities are wonderfully maintained. The huge park is maintained beautifully as well and has a wonderful playground for kids. Located right on the river makes for a beautiful backdrop with a boat launch and marina. I highly recommend staying here and enjoying the peace and quiet. We are scheduled to come back in Sept for 3 night and are looking forward to it.

Hidden treasure in Sherman County. Yet another well maintained and placed Oregon State Park…read moreCampground. I am so impressed by all Oregon SP's. especially their campgrounds. Wow! We stayed in Cliff Swallow Cabin which was beautiful. Smelled like Juniper inside. The park boosts many amenities. Including a bike repair and tire fill station clean and hot water showers, and in each cabin was a small fridge and conditioner and heaters. Plus there is a bbq and big sinks on the side of the bathroom/showers to wash dishes if you wanted to cook. We saw Nighthawks and heard Common Poorwills in the evening. I will definitely be back!

This is a nice State park as most of Oregon State parks are. Well kept, helpful Rangers, great…read moreviews and perfect for a picnic lunch. Several hiking trails. This is one of the better State parks in Oregon. Right off SR206 south of Wasco. $30/yr for an annual pass or $50 for a two year pass and well worth it. Oregon has one of the best State park systems in the USA.

With plenty of shaded picnic tables, a walking path, large open grass area, water access and public…read morerestrooms, this is a family friendly park. There is even a small, very small, playground area for little kids. There are beach / river access areas but I didn't see any lifeguards. If you aren't from this area, be aware of the extremely high wind speeds and currents. I'd recommend just dipping your feet, not swimming! There is plenty of parking, even on the busiest days. Located off exit 85 on I-84, just minutes from downtown The Dalles, the Riverfront Park is open Memorial Day through October 31st, Dawn til dusk.

The marina park and campground is fabulous. Nice paved path along the riverfront. Beautiful lawns…read moreand two group pavilions. Basketball court baseball fields horse shoe pits boat launch. Fabulous for group events or just a lunchtime visit.

The park is very beautiful. Right next to the Columbia river. Large camping spot, plenty of room…read morefor the kids to run and play. Biggest downside is people don't clean up after their pets. And they close the restroom at 7:00am for cleaning. Wish they would be like most parks and clean at 10:00 and 6:00. Or at least put up a cleaning schedule. The other thing, you never see anyone to check in. It's all phone/message. And your names on a board. We've been lucky both times we've been there. No one taken our spot.

Lovely setting...but way too loud to stay overnight…read more Decided to stay at the campground while exploring the area. The setting of the campground is really pretty, and felt quite peaceful until dark. I'd noticed the sign on the info board warning of noise. But honestly I assumed it would be the normal passing train noise we always experience when staying along the gorge. But this location was something different...train whistles were sounded throughout the entire night. No sleep was to be had for me here. Regardless, we prepped to roam the trails that morning. While I didn't have big expectations when we started off along the river we really ended up enjoying the trails. The hillsides around the Deschutes provide a simply stunning landscape. There are multiple, parallel levels of trails from which to choose. We opted to take about 5 miles round trip, starting on the lowest trail and looping back via the next level up. The trails are narrow & winding, with uneven surfaces. On that sunny day it was very serene, with only the sounds of the river and birds. I wouldn't consider using the campground again, simply due to the train whistles. The sites weren't at all private, some level/some not...but all with nice river views. I would definitely recommend use of the trail system, however.

This is an ok park if you are stopping for a picnic or to take a hike. It's right on the river so…read morethere are great views, fresh air and all that the Gorge has to offer. However, being the Gorge it can get windy. Sometimes very windy. I don't camp but if I did it wouldn't be here. It's right on the rail line and five mile long freight rains pass by a few hundred feet away every five minutes..... literally. Other than that, it's a good State park with all the amenities. Easy to get to so if you are on the Interstate and need a break you'll find this area more refreshing than a highway rest area.

Bring your binoculars! This is a hidden treasure well kept by the locals I'm sure! There are…read morestunning views everywhere you turn, so many picnic tables, and plenty of trees for shade at the top, there are restrooms, and the trail has different experience levels. It's a pretty beginner friendly hike going down to the first part and then from there, you can decide if you want to continue. You definitely need to be more experienced when you reach the sharper edges. There was a Ranger on site and I can honestly say I've never seen anyone do their job with such enthusiasm or efficiency in my entire life. I didn't even interact with them, but you could tell from every task they truly cared.

Love this State Park!…read more This place is a little gem amongst state parks. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere...wouldn't have come upon it most likely had the hubby not seen note of it on a waterfall blog. First impression, the grounds are pristine. Perfectly manicured grasses scattered with picnic tables. Restrooms...extremely clean. There's a decent amount of parking near the restrooms/upper falls, as well as some right off the highway. A genius idea really, they made a now ghostly, obsolete hydroelectric power plant into a park. You can hear the upper falls as soon as you pull up, running hard and fast right now! You get great views from the overlook at the end of the lot, which is very accessible to most anyone. From there you can take the trail down to peek into the rusty, old ruins of the plant, as well as further down to another smaller, but still impressive falls. Heads up though, the trail down is NOT accessible to everyone. The footing is loose and fairly steep. BUT, if you can at least get down to the overlook above the old building do it...the view of the upper falls from that point is extraordinary. Really a gorgeous falls, much more than I expected. Just a great park, I highly recommend a visit to this one!

Wow. The views! We came by to use the clean restrooms on our way home. We were blown away by the…read morefantastic views from the parking lot. I wonder what the policy is for parking overnight? There is lots of picnic benches and plenty of green space to stretch out. I didn't check out the boat launch, but I saw it from the freeway and it looked nice. Another great rest stop on our way home.

I stayed here twice: 08/25 and 09/25. The most peaceful, quiet, and calming place. I felt so at…read morepeace here. my service dog loved it, too. Unfortunately we were on a time crunch both ways. We will be heading there again this year to stay for a few days.

Nice park with fabulous views…read more We dropped by Sorosis this weekend, looking for somewhere new to stretch the legs. It's a lovely drive up, and you get amazing views of the gorge from the lot. There's plenty of parking around, and it appeared that the park has a little something for everyone: ball fields, play ground, disc golf, green space, and a walking path around the perimeter. You're not going to get a hike in here, but a spot to stretch it's got. The grounds looked clean and it appeared there were some improvements in the works. Nice, peaceful park. :)

With expansive views of The Dalles and the majestic Columbia River, Sorosis Park is a gem! Located…read moreat the top of the appropriately named Scenic Drive, this beautiful park has an abundance of offerings. Lots of grass and shady spots to keep you cool on a sunny day with several picnic tables, too. Even a gazebo. A large playground and sprinklers to keep the kids entertained. For those interested in a run or walk, the mile long trail provides great views along the way in every season. There is a softball field and a disc golf park plus a small rose garden. Lots of parking and there are bathrooms, too. Plan your time there so you can catch a spectacular sunset as the day comes to an end.

Hat Rock state park is a quiet and underloved place. You…read morecan walk from waterside to the dessert in 10 minutes. It is a small park and easy to explore.

Stopped off while driving through to see about ole Hat Rock. The rock itself is on a short trail…read morefrom the parking lot on to the pond at the bottom and back up to the lot. Hat is fenced off so there's no climbing or touching...it's cool to see for a couple minutes...but then it's time to move on. We took the trail down to see the ducks, loads of fowl residents right now, as well some deer hanging around near the bridge at the end of the pond. You'll find a massive amount of parking, and a large grassy area with lots of picnic tables and a volleyball net. Nothing spectacular this time of year I'd say, but it was nice for a quick leg stretch while driving through.