| RECREATION |
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| Recreation Program |
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The recreation program on the Clatsop State Forest is relatively new and ODF staff members are striving to expand and improve opportunities. Traditionally, recreation has been limited to camping, hunting, fishing, and off-highway use. However, we realize the increasing value of recreation to local residents, as well as visitors from the Willamette Valley and Washington. One of our main goals is to provide diverse forest recreation opportunities that add to, rather than duplicate, existing resources.
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| Campgrounds |
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Come and see what the Clatsop State Forest has to offer while enjoying time with your family and friends at one of the campgrounds. Each campground has a unique atmosphere and is waiting for you to make it your new favorite place to be! There are sealed vault toilets at each campground and some have drinking water on site. Campsites include a picnic table and fire ring. Campgrounds are managed on a first-come first-served basis; there are no reservations.
Clatsop State Forest showing highways and campground locations.
Visit any or all of the Clatsop State Forest campgrounds, each with its own unique setting and view of the forest.
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Henry Rierson Spruce Run Campground
Established in 1947, Henry Rierson Spruce Run Campground is one of the oldest established campgrounds in Clatsop County, located 5 miles south of Highway 26 near milepost 20, along the Nehalem River on Lower Nehalem River Road. Spruce Run Creek cuts through the camping area, making it a beautiful place for a summer getaway. The campground is open year-round, although garbage/recycling service and firewood are only available May through October. Each site offers a picnic table and fire ring. Fishing at nearby Lost Lake is a favorite activity of veteran campers.
The campground has 32 drive-in sites and 5 walk-in tent sites, a day use picnic area, sealed vault toilets and, in the summer season, flush toilets. There is also a hand pump drinking water source.
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Camping fees are:
Vehicle site:
$10.00/night
Each extra vehicle:
$2.00/night
Walk-in tent site:
$5.00/night
Firewood is available for sale from May through September.
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Walk-in campsite at Spruce Run Campground
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The Oregon Department of Forestry has set up 4 dispersed sites for camping, which include a picnic table and fire ring, on the Lower Nehalem Road beyond Spruce Run Campground. There are no camping fees for the dispersed sites. However, there is no access to a restroom or garbage service.
Nearby services on Hwy 26:
- Baker General Store, 7 miles east
- Elderberry Inn, 7 miles east
- Oney’s Restaurant, 6 miles west
- Hamlet Quick Stop, 15 miles west
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Gnat Creek Campground
Gnat Creek is located 18 miles east of Astoria, just off Highway 30, near milepost 78 along beautiful Gnat Creek, in the midst of tall western hemlock trees. It is managed year-round as a semi-primitive campground with walk-in sites only and no access to drinking water. A 1 ¼ mile hiking trail connects the campground to nearby Gnat Creek Fish hatchery. As a tributary to the Columbia River, Gnat Creek attracts anglers with several salmon and steelhead runs throughout the year. Native trout are also present, but are catch-and-release only. Anglers should consult the Department of Fish and Wildlife for fishing regulations.
The campground has 6 walk-in tent sites, a sealed vault toilet, and a spacious parking lot.
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Camping fees are:
Walk-in tent :
$5.00/night
Each extra vehicle:
$2.00/night
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Campsite at Gnat Creek
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Nearby Services on Hwy. 30:
- Knappa Market 3 miles west
- Westport West-Mart 7 miles east
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Northrup Creek Horse Camp
Northrup Creek Horse Camp, completed in late 2005, is primarily designed for equestrian use but is also available for tent camping. The campground is located about 4 miles north of Highway 202, near milepost 35, on the Northrup Creek Forest Road. The 8 campsites have parking for a horse trailer and vehicle, a corral, and a tent or trailer site with table and fire ring. Across the road are also 3 campsites without horse facilities. Nearby is also a large parking area for vehicles with horse trailers and a picnic site, situated at the trail head for the Northrup Creek equestrian trail network.
There are horse manure bins, a sealed vault toilet at the campground and another at the picnic site, and a hand pump style drinking water source in the campground.
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Camping fees are:
Vehicle site:
$10.00/night
Extra vehicle:
$2.00/night
Firewood is available from May through September.
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Northrup Creek Horse Camp
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Nearby Services on Hwy. 202:
- Birkenfeld Store 11 miles east
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Lost Lake (planned campground)
Lost Lake is a 15 acre natural forest lake nestled in the mountains. It makes a great day trip for fishing or just relaxing in a quiet place. Currently, Lost Lake can be accessed from Lost Lake Road near the entrance to Henry Rierson Spruce Run Campground and from Quartz Creek Forest Road off Hwy 26 at milepost 27. Drivers should be aware that these are one way gravel logging roads that require more caution and slower speeds. Stay to the right and expect a vehicle around every corner. Lost Lake is stocked with fish a few times during the year and fishing information can be found at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
Currently, developed facilities at the lake are limited to a primitive boat launch, an information kiosk and portable toilets are provided during the summer months.
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Lost lake is suited to non-motorized water craft. There are no fees required to use the lake.
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Campground Rules
Campground rules and fire regulations
Here are some basic campground rules:
- No loaded firearms
- No fireworks
- Animals must be on 6 foot leash at all times
- Proper disposal of animal waste
- Quiet hours between 10 PM and 7 AM
- No collecting firewood
- Be respectful of picnic tables and surrounding trees
- Please keep your campsite clean
- Obey speed limit and traffic signs
- Pack-it-in, pack-it-out when there are no garbage recepticles
- No OHV use in campgrounds
- Limit of 8 people and 2 vehicles per campsite
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| Dispersed Camping |
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| Dispersed camping is permitted on the Clatsop State Forest. Such camping is usually associated with big game hunting activities, but is welcome for other purposes. Campers are encouraged to seek sites which have seen previous camping use, to reduce impacts to forest values. Camp at least 100 feet from any stream or lake, be careful with campfires, leave your site clean, avoid damage to trees and shrubs, avoid blocking roadways, and be careful when driving narrow forest roads, realizing that large vehicles often use these roads and sight distances are often limited. Campfires are restricted during periods of high fire danger. |
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| Hiking Trails |
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New hiking trails are being planned and constructed on the Clatsop State Forest each year. Current trails are located in the northern and southern portions of the forest.
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Gnat Creek Trail (Click to see a map) Linking the Gnat Creek Campground to the Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery, this 1¼ mile trail winds along Gnat Creek through varying stages of forest growth.
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| Motorized Trails |
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| Currently, there are no designated OHV trails on the Clatsop State Forest. |
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| Archery |
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An archery range has been established on State Forest land in the Astoria Basin, managed by the Saddle Mountain Archers club. This range is about ¾ miles off Hwy. 202, on Christian’s Road, less than a mile south of the Astoria District headquarters.
Hone your skills for the big game archery season, or teach the kids how to shoot a longbow as the unique walking range wanders along a forested trail, offering various targets at varying distances. Please follow the posted rules for a safe and fun time.
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Contact Info:
Saddle Mountain Archers
P.O. Box 204
Hammond, OR 97121
Call: Vern Lamping
503-861-1200
JimBergeron
503-458-6829
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Saddle Mountain
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| Hunting and Fishing |
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Hunting and Fishing opportunities abound on the Clatsop State Forest, where virtually all forest roads are open to the public year-round. Fishing and hunting opportunities are regulated by seasons for various species of fish and game. Check with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for current regulations and fees. Maps are available to help guide your adventure at our District Office in Astoria.
Clatsop State Forest developed sites for fishing:
- Gnat Creek Campground
- Henry Rierson Spruce Run Campground
- Soapstone Lake
- Lost Lake
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW):
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| Day Use |
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The Oregon Department of Forestry has provided Day Use areas at some of our campgrounds to provide for those who are just passing through and not using the facilities overnight. No camping is allowed in the Day Use areas and recreation rules apply.
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| Education and Interpretation |
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The Oregon Department of Forestry seeks to provide education and interpretation opportunities for forest visitors and nearby communities to enhance understanding and appreciation for our native forests and forest management practices. Currently, there are 3 sites on the Clatsop State Forest which provide these opportunities.
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Astoria Demonstration Forest
Completed in the summer of 2006, the Astoria District's Demonstration Forest is located at the Astoria District office. The Forest offers a unique outdoor self-guided walk where visitors can learn about forest management techniques.
In 1993, an old pasture behind the Astoria District office was planted to a variety of northwest commercial tree species, at varying spacing and species compositions. As these stands grow, they are undergoing standard forest management practices on a small scale to demonstrate and explain these practices. An accessible gravel path winds through the 7 acre site, with interpretive panels at strategic locations along the path.
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C.J. Reed Arboretum
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First established in 1967 by Astoria District foresters and redesigned in 2006, this arboretum has been maintained over the years by district staff. In 2006, it went through a major makeover, removing excess trees and adding numerous specimens of native northwest trees and shrubs. A 1/5 mile path leads the visitor past the trees and shrubs, with each variety having an identifying marker. The Arboretum is especially valuable to high school students, 4-H’ers, and scouting groups.
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Henry Rierson Spruce Run Campground
This campground sits on the site of an old logging camp, complete with residences, church and school. An interpretive sign alongside the main road through camp tells about the camp and about early days of living and working in the forests in the early 20th century. See if you can tell where some of the old camp structures used to be.
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| Volunteer Programs |
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Volunteer Camp host:
Spend time camping at one of our 3 forest campgrounds and provide service while there. The host season runs from the first of May through the end of October. Campground hosts are expected to be on site 5 days a week and will need to be present Friday through Sunday each week. Two consecutive days off are available during the week. To best serve the public, the hosts need to be available at varying times throughout the day, and also during emergency situations. Camp hosts generally serve for a one month period and receive a full hookup campsite (water, sewer, power) for the period of their stay. For more information and applications please contact:
Larry Sprouse at Astoria District, 503-325-5451.
For more information on volunteer opportunities and camp host application (click here)
Volunteer Trail Development:
If you have trail layout skills, you could help with development of future hiking, equestrian, or motorized recreation trails. Contact: Larry Sprouse at Astoria District, 503-325-5451.
Adopt a Trail:
You or your club can volunteer to maintain established trails and keep them clean. Contact: Larry Sprouse at Astoria District, 503-325-5451.
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