Patio RV Park

We decided to spend some time exploring the McKenzie River area on the way to Bend and were so glad we did! We were not so glad, however, that we stayed at this park.

First, the positives: the location was a terrific surprise. The campground is right on the McKenzie River and has a nice place to sit to cool down and watch the river go by. You're about five minutes from the McKenzie General Store that had a great selection of food and beverages and free outdoor concerts in a peaceful setting under the stars. And about thirty minutes drive from the trailhead to an awesome hike to Koosah and Sahalie Falls along the McKenzie River as well as Clear Lake. They were so beautiful and uncrowded during the week that we went back three times.

Downsides: While we knew this was an older park, it didn't make up for the lack of upkeep to some of the sites- ours had a pile of gravel on our lawn that we had to walk over every time we wanted to go to our camper. We were also sandwiched between two permanent sites that were pretty rundown. And, some of the rigs and sites that appeared to be longer-term were not well kept up. The management was also not the most accommodating and suggested we go into town to get quarters for the onsite laundry machines. Finally, the wi-fi that was a big selling point of us staying was slow and sporadic.

Dog's Perspective: the gravel road around the park is not great for dog walking. If you can get past that, the river access makes for a relaxing place to lay down.

Runner's Rave: the central location of the park made for some really good runs (and bike rides.) You can run east and get to the McKenzie River trail in just about three miles- just know that the three miles are on the highway. It has a really wide shoulder so if you don't mind that, you have a lot of options. You can also run west along the River past a covered bridge and through a couple cute small towns.

Overall, we'd recommend finding a different park to enjoy this terrific area. The McKenzie River area is really scenic and seems relatively undiscovered compared to many of the other places we visited in Oregon.