Avery Recreation Area

This is almost the perfect campsite. It backs directly up to the water of the Columbia River. We had a beautiful night with a full moon and a gorgeous sunrise that lit up Mt. Hood. We even got a visit from a river otter which was amazing. Perfect!!!… except for those dang trains. The tracks are very close and the trains come by about every 15-minutes throughout the night and because of the road crossing they lay on the horn. It sucks! So close to perfection but we had a few rough nights of sleep.

We camped right next to the River (5 feet). We had a great after noon there. The temps were in the high 80's, but there was a cool wind next to the river to keep things cool.

There are no designated spots, but we easily found a spot for our 35 ' 5th wheel. There were a few old beat up RV's there taking advantage of the free camping, but we had no problems.

One great perk was that Jacob Williams winery was a short walk of the hill. We took advantage of that had went and tasted some of there great wine.

The one problem was that we were a couple of hundred feet from a very busy train track, I would guess that there were 3 to 4 trains per hour there all through the night,

If coming from the east on hwy 14, and your pulling a trailer, go just past the road, and turn into the view point area so you can make it to the road.

Free up to 14 days. Able to back 35 foot 5th wheel into shaded site.
Pros: easy access, on the river, pit toilet. Saw 1 sheriff and 1 ranger patrol the area.
Cons: The train is frequent and SO loud, shook the rig all night long=no sleep. Fine for 1 night if needed, but most folks were in old trashy trailers and looked like they were trying to live here..digging in the trash, clothes lines etc.

Stayed there One night. Fantastic view from our campsite. Loved seeing the lights across the Columbia River. So peaceful even though there was a train track behind us it did not bother us at all. I enjoyed listening to the train thunder on the tracks, brings back memories of when I was a youth. Only problem was the drilling behind us but they were done by 5pm. Very isolated only one other camper . My wife was a little afraid since this was her first boondocking. I would definitely stay again.

Free dry camping on the Columbia River, courtesy Corps Of Engineers. There's a vault toilet, dumpster, a few (new) picnic tables, and a boat ramp.

There are also railroad tracks nearby, which I don't mind but many will. It's not right next to the tracks like Viento SP, so it's not quite that loud, but you'll hear some horn blasts from the westbounds. I assume that's the reason this otherwise great spot gets very little use.

I visited three times over the course of a month. There are about 3 spots where you can back right up to the river's edge, and I was always able to snag one in a 33' Class A. There isn't a lot of shade, but you can find some if you need it.

While there, I saw a couple of Class B, small trailer and truck campers, a few tent campers, and some overnight cars. But I didn't see anybody too sketchy, no beat up Class C's that barely roll. It was never crowded, and some nights I had the place to myself. There is some day use, too, mostly boaters and windsurfers. Rangers stopped by with a questionnaire, and police rolled by a couple times a day. I felt safe locking the RV and running errands or exploring, something I'm usually uncomfortable with when boondocking. Your sentiments may vary, of course.

Nights were very quiet except for the trains. Dark skies were great for stargazing, and 10-15 miles east it gets even better. It's a short drive to The Dalles for groceries, etc.

There are seasonal closure for native tribal fishing. While I was in the area, there were three Monday-Friday closures in late June/early July. It looks like the next closures are in late August. These vary, and are scheduled by the native tribes as fishing season progresses. I called CoE for info but they don't get much advance notice.

Some days are very windy, and some are calm. The wind can be pretty strong, and I had to pull in my slide one night.

ATT & Verizon were both very good.

Edit: I forgot to mention: it has a great view of Mt Hood on most days.