Waterloo County Park

We are staying here two nights starting on Sunday 9/24. There are two loops, A & B, B loop is closed for the season. There were only about 6 campers and there must be more than 40 sites in this one loop. The park is very clean, has a friendly host, bathrooms are clean, roads are blacktop and in terrific shape, each site is paved and has water/electric. There is a dump station and dumpsters. There is a dog park within the park and a disc golf course. The park is very quiet. We were very pleased and would certainly stay here again..

Lesson learned. Read reviews a little more carefully.

Campground could use some TLC. Paved pads are very narrow so depending on which site you are in, you are likely to have very close neighbors.

We paid for an electric hookup, but our surge protector blinked wildly and popped ‘off’ as soon as it was plugged in.

Flies seem to love this place and were quite the nuisance in the very short time we were parked there.

After reading another camper’s review about having money stolen at night, we honestly weren’t surprised given the somewhat questionable ‘campers’ in the park.

We opted to forfeit our fee and move on, Sometimes you just have to trust your gut.

Not one of the best places we stayed but it was ok for the few days we were there.

The sites are old and could use some "TLC!" The one park hoast does the best he can maintaining 50+ sites. We did have someone get into our truck and steal some money out during the night. (I know, should have locked the truck, but to know people are wandering around looking in vehicles is not a good thing. Some say local "tweekers" are in here a lot. ARGH.)

It does offer things to do such as, swimming, fishing, hiking (walking) , just watch out for poison ivy and raspberry vine thorns, bike riding and great Disc Golf Course. There are large places for group gatherings as well.

It's ok, just use caution. That's all.

FYI, it gets a bit trashy during the weekend as people do not pick up after themselves. There are plenty of trash cans around, they just don't seem to want to use them.

We arrived here opening weekend following the coronavirus shutdown. I would give this place 4.5 stars. Sites are paved and mostly level. All sites but 60A are 30amp. No sewer hookups, but the dump station is free. No Wifi, but the cell connection was good enough for us to work while we were here. I have AT&T and my husband has Google Fi. Both fluctuated between 1 and 2 bars.

When we arrived on a Saturday, the A loop was about 75% full, and the B loop hasn't opened yet. By Tuesday, all but 2 other RVs had left, so it seems to be mostly locals staying here for the weekend. Even on the weekend, the atmosphere was peaceful.

The price was $30/night, with a $12 reservation fee. The $32 I listed is the 30 plus the reservation fee averaged over the days we were here.

Our site, 60A, is easily the best in the campground. Someone must have just canceled when we were booking for us to be able to get it. It is on the end right next to a field (though hedged by some trees for privacy), and the only site with 50amp service. We have been bringing our table and chairs out into the field in the mornings since no one is using it. Great birding here!

Not a lot to do in the area, but I recommend Marks Ridge Winery for a tasting and a picnic.

Waterloo is another of the little known Linn County Parks. This one is located along the shore of the South Santiam River but the river is not easily accessed from the campground. There is a boat launch, fishing platform, and and frisbee golf course in the day use section of the park.

There are 60 sites that are open year around (A loop) and another 60 that are only open during peak season (B loop.) All of the sites are back-in asphalt drives with a separate concrete pad for the picnic table and fire pit. Most of the sites have water and 30A electric. My price reflects the senior discount AND the buy two, get a third free discount that was valid in the 2015/2016 off season. Regular price is $30 for the W/E sites. You can't get the senior discount online - you must call them to reserve. Good luck getting them to answer the phone!

Each loop has a restroom building that has three separate shower rooms. The showers are free, timer-less, and have adjustable flow and temperature. The shower rooms and restrooms are not heated.

The sites are easy to access with approach angles appropriate to the one-way travel on the loop. The driveways are quite level side-to-side with minimal slope back to front. The sites have no shrubbery or trees separating them. The grass was nicely mowed and trimmed. There are enough trees around that using solar would be problematic in the handful of "tent" sites. (The only difference between a tent site and an RV site is the water & electric service.)

There appears to be some individuals that float from one empty site to another that left me wondering about safety and security when the park is lightly used. We also had a fellow that came by every day to sort through the trash for anything of value. This issue may not be an issue, but was my biggest concern.