Clearwater Forebay Number 2

This place is best described as somewhere between dispersed camping and a state park campground. Beautiful wooded setting with semi developed campsites (picnic table, rock fire pits) but all dry camping. Close to Watson falls trailhead. Access road is long, poorly marked, and somewhat steep but our class b didn’t have any issues whatsoever. Turns seem wide enough for TTs and class A. Verizon service is great (4bars, 12.7down, 15.1up). AT&T service is non existent (zero bars). Buy groceries, gas, and firewood well before arrival.

The campground is wonderful and has spacious sites. It is right in the middle of all the Umpqua River has to offer. It didn’t receive 5-star rating due to other campers. As mentioned, many sites are huge which allows very large groups to congregate, which was the case this weekend. One site had well over a dozen tents and a handful of trailers, not in and of itself bad, however the road around the Forebay became a racetrack for the kids on atv’s and dirt bikes. Thankfully they did quiet down around 9 at night.

I will definitely go back during a less busy time of year.

What can you add to 12 five-star reviews?! A few details that I wish I had had before we arrived:

This is National Forest land but the dispersed campground is managed by the utility company because the forebay is part of a low-impact hydroelectric project that takes advantage of the ~2500 foot drop in elevation from Lake Lemolo to Toketee Lake. The project dates back to the 1940s-50s - and it looks like the picnic tables are the same age (!). At least once a day a utility truck was in the area and the Sheriff also patrolled the CG so, even though quite remote, we felt safe. The road that encircles the forebay is well maintained - drive all the way around before selecting your camp site. Most of the sites are back-in but there's a nice pull through suitable for smaller RVs in the back corner. The established sites are gravel with fire pits and most have a picnic table, but on the other side of the forebay, there are several small pull-off sites suitable for a van or small camper. It's OK to put float toys in the water most of the time - according to a utility worker there are times when the water flows too fast. The embankment down to the water is quite steep.

According to the information I got from the Ranger District office (around the corner from the campsite) you can fill water containers at the ranger station and it's OK to use the dump at Broken Arrow campground on Diamond Lake. We left $5 in the dump donation box and also used their trash cans and showers. When I asked the ranger where to buy groceries, her response was "wherever you're coming from." Seriously, nothing within an hour drive.

Due to the ranger station and the utility "village" in Clearwater, there is a Verizon cell tower within eye sight of the campground which equaled excellent cell service. Highway 138 is a Scenic Byway and known as the Highway of Waterfalls. There are between 20 and 30 waterfalls in the area. We had a lot of fun riding NF roads to Lemolo Lake on our dual sport bike. Lake Toketee is suitable for kayaking and only a short drive away.

People came to fish quite often and there were a few other campers but we mostly had the CG to ourselves. Very peaceful. Quite scenic - there are utility lines, which is why the forebay exists. Overall, an excellent home base to explore the area, work, or just hang out.

We stayed here in August. The road up to the camping spot is a slightly rough dirt road that has lots of turns, but is manageable if you go slow and put it in 4 wheel drive to be safe. We were able to get up there just fine with our 36 ft fifth wheel toy hauler.

There are about 8 spots at the campground all together, 6 of which are big rig comparable. This is free camping but is managed by the water/electric department. The views at the top are great, and there are plenty of trails/roads to explore. Our spot had a fire ring (although there was a fire ban at the time we were there and wild fires nearby), and a table.

About a 15 minute drive to Toketee Falls and Umpqua Hot springs!

Watch our full video review here: https://youtu.be/3qQO4ExOAr0

Beautiful spot in Umpqua NF. Dirt road a little under 2 miles long, very well maintained though. Each spot is roomy and distant from one another, I felt totally private with other campers in spots. Writing this from on-site, my Verizon is getting 4-5 bars and 4g LTE. I only bring my SUV so I can't vouch for trailer ease/access. (I'm sure other reviews will). Overall, great place to stay

My wife and I took a drive to scout out the location with our dogs for a potential deer/elk camp. We live in Roseburg. The campsites are not bad, easily accessible and there is a restroom vault. The water is clean an clear, saw some people fishing in the forebay. The west end provides some really great views. The road loops completely around the forebay.
During our scouting trip, it looked like some squatters have taken up residence.

Here are the directions to Forebay No. 2 from Roseburg.
Travel east on 138 for about 60 miles. On your way, stop at the Dry Creek store for refreshments or snacks. Neat little store. It will be on the left. You will turn left onto NF-4776 to the Tokatee Ranger Station (there is a sign on the right side of the road noting the road and the ranger station). After turning left onto NF-4776, take your first right onto road 200 (there is a thin plastic road marker denoting the road - Road NF-200 turns into Road **NF-300). Once on Road 200, take your first left. This will be Road NF-252 and there is not sign (Google Maps shows this as NF-252. Stay on this road. It has a few sharp turns and is a little rough in some spots with "wash boards". The road will take you to the east end of the forebay.

**NF-300 will take you to Forebay No. 1. It's easier and quicker to stay on 138 East and take a left at Stump Lake onto Mowich Loop. Only found one large camp site there.

NOTE: If you use Google Maps, "Tokatee Ranger Station" is called "Diamond Lake Ranger District".

We arrived to Oregon from California in early April and knew that Toketee Falls had to be one of the first destinations on our list. When we searched for camping in the area, the reviews for Clearwater really impressed us. What others have said here is accurate and incredibly informative!

Instead of repeating what others have shared, we want to highlight what this location is like with kids. We have four children ages 7, 5, 5 and 5.

Here are kid-minded details for Clearwater:

• Camping is tucked back from the water however, the drop from road to water is steep so we recommend exploring with an adult.

• The road that circles the water and campground is not heavily trafficked and is a great loop for bike riding. The dirt is packed, but can be dusty with fine gravel. Have the first aide kit on hand.

• When we were there in April, we did have some rain and our campsite had standing water. We also found standing water in a few other places, while hiking. This is likely not true for all seasons of the year, but we did encounter bugs near those areas, mostly wasps.

• We found a few bug traps hanging from trees, marked for testing purposes. One of the traps was on the ground and though we usually pick up any trash we find, we encouraged our children to leave the bug bag alone. Something to be aware of if your children are old enough to explore on their own.

• Most of the sites have full visibility of the area, making it a great location for kids to explore without mom and dad in helicopter mode. It is a very safe location as long as they respect the water and keep a safe distance.

• Trucks came and went during the weekend to fish. They were familiar with the area and drove in pretty quickly, kicking up dust. If your kids explore on their own, be sure to put them in reflective, neon vests or stick a flag on the back of their bikes so that the fisherman see them.

• The access to nearby areas is incredible! The hikes are great (we loved Toketee Falls!) and there is a small community at the bottom of the hill near the campsites that has a great playground.

We loved this location and will be back again!

I’m camped in a 28’ fifth wheel and I don’t want to leave this magical place. Quiet. Beautiful. Plenty of space so the other campers (very few if any at all) won’t see you. I had the 2nd site as you come in, very shaded but still enough sunshine to rock my solar panels and fill my batteries. It was a bit nerve wracking bringing a 5th wheel up here, not knowing exactly what I’d find, and it IS a narrow and steep road full of s curves; however, nothing dangerous. Just don’t look over the edge. Beautiful waterfalls all up and down this highway, two being within 5 minute drive. As one reviewer wrote, there are NO facilities nearby - Roseburg 50 miles away, otherwise a very small convenience store is it for groceries and beyond milk, there’s not much there although the owner is a delightful man! There is a nice path around the “lake” and folks come to fish on the weekend, otherwise, you’ll see the Pacific Energy truck 2x a day or so. The forest service comes by on Sunday to check the toilets, always clean. I understand there are two of these and it is a bit confusing if you aren’t following GPS. When you turn in, you can go right or left. Go right, then take the first two roads. The Ranger station is also at this turn off - stop in for a map of all the waterfalls in the area.