Campground · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
A wooded base close to Waterfall Corridor hikes.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
The Tunnel They Buried“At Oneonta Gorge, the old highway went through a basalt bluff because the railroad occupied the easier route around it. The fractured rock raised fears that a tunnel could collapse toward the tracks.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from Ainsworth State Park Campground in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Ainsworth State Park Campground is a seasonal, wooded campground near the east end of the Historic Columbia River Highway Waterfall Corridor. It makes a handy base for several waterfall stops and Gorge hikes. If you are setting up for a few days in the corridor, the location saves some backtracking; if quiet matters most, nearby traffic and trains can be a dealbreaker.
There are full-hookup sites, six walk-in tent sites with parking nearby, and a hiker/biker area that does not take reservations. The campground has flush toilets, hot showers, and a dump station. One full-hookup site is listed as accessible, though how easy it is to reach the toilet and shower block is less clear; check those details if you need step-free access.
The campground is about half a mile off I-84 at Exit 35. Roadside parking areas west of the entrance connect to Gorge 400 and Horsetail Falls trails. John and Alice Ainsworth donated the park’s first 40 acres in 1933, and Civilian Conservation Corps workers built its original picnic facilities and trails in 1935. Camping is seasonal, so check current dates before planning a winter stay.
Wildlife
267 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
51 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
136 sightingsAmerican PikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
16 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
195 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
74 sightingsChinook SalmonMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Columbia River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateHorsetail, Ponytail, & Triple Falls4.1 mi · 3 hr · 0.8 mi awayWalk behind one waterfall on your way to two more.
ModerateHorsetail Falls Loop2.5 mi · 1.8 hr · 0.8 mi awayWalk behind Ponytail Falls, then follow Oneonta Creek back.
EasySams Walker Loop1.1 mi · 36 min · 1.1 mi awayA gentle gravel circuit reaches river views through varied woods.ModerateOneonta Trail to Triple Falls3.5 mi · 2.8 hr · 1.3 mi awayThree falls reward a rocky, exposed climb above Oneonta Creek.ChallengingOneonta Trail #4248.2 mi · 7.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayWaterfalls first, then a steep climb all the way to Larch Mountain.
ChallengingHorsetail Creek Trail (#425)8.6 mi · 7.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayAn 8.6-mile one-way climb from Oneonta to Nesmith Point Road.
EasyDoetsch Walking Path1.2 mi · 36 min · 2.1 mi awayA nearly flat meadow loop with Gorge views and ranch history.
EasyRiver to Rock Trail1.5 mi · 54 min · 2.3 mi awayA short forest connector with a Beacon Rock view at Riddell Lake
Sight · 0.9 mi awayHorsetail FallsA basalt cascade you can see without hiking uphill.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayPonytail FallsWalk behind an 88-foot waterfall through its basalt alcove.
Picnic area · 1.1 mi awaySams Walker Day Use AreaFlat loops link former fields, oak woods and river overlooks.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayOneonta GorgeA lichen-lined slot canyon, still closed after the 2017 fire.Sight · 1.5 mi awayTriple FallsThree creek-fed cascades reward a steep, rocky climb.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayFranz Lake ViewpointA roadside view into a rare lower Columbia marsh.
Sight · 2.7 mi awayBeacon RockA basalt landmark with a switchback trail above the Columbia.
Picnic area · 2.9 mi awaySt. Cloud Day Use AreaA river picnic with views and an old apple orchard.Parkwolf’s Columbia River Gorge ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
