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The North Arm Campground sits on the shores of Timothy Lake, in the shadow of Oregon's Mt. Hood. The surrounding forest setting offers spectacular views, wetlands, trails for exploration, and abundant fishing. Recreation Timothy Lake Camping allows campers to enjoy a variety of water-related recreation, including boating and sailing, as well as swimming, windsurfing and fishing. Anglers can expect a catch of kokanee salmon and a variety of trout, as well as crayfish. This area has wonderful canoeing and kayaking opportunities. A variety of trails are located in the area. The Timothy Lake Trail is popular for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The 12 miles of relatively level terrain loops trekkers around the lake, providing scenic views of the area. It connects to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, a lengthy hike that extends across three states, from the borders of Canada and Mexico. Portions of that trail also lead southwest to Clackamas Lake Campground and a historic site. The Little Crater Lake is only a short hike away. Little Crater Lake is a geologic oddity, possibly formed by artesian water forcing its way through soft, volcanic rock. The beautiful, turquoise water is a wonder to see. The surrounding meadow is a great place for observing birds and other wildlife. The region is ripe for huckleberry picking as well. Facilities The campground offers 14 campsites for tent and RV camping. There are four hike-in campsites available as well. Each site is equipped with a table and a fire ring. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. A campground host is also available onsite. Natural Features The campground is situated on the northeastern shore of the roughly 1,400-acre lake, at an elevation of 3,400 feet. Timothy Lake was created in 1956 as a storage reservoir for the Oak Grove Hydroelectric Project. It is one of the larger lakes in the Mt. Hood National Forest. The campground is nestled in a dense mix conifer forest close to the shoreline. Most sites have a thick understory to provide privacy between sites. The wetlands nearby provide an opportunity to observe many species of wildlife. Nearby Attractions The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station Historic District is less than 10 miles from the campground. It was built to house Forest Service workers in the early 1900s. The rustic architecture and historic nature of the buildings and the surrounding area draws thousands of tourists each year. Charges & Cancellations A service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. For full details see the Recreation.Gov, Rules & Reservation Policies. ADA Access: N
From Sandy, Oregon, travel east on Highway 26 for approximately 40 miles to Skyline Road (Rd 42). Turn right on Skyline Road, travel south 4 miles. Turn right on FS Road 58 and follow for 4 miles. Turn left onto 5890 for 3 mile.
Payment in-full will be charged to your credit card upon completion of the reservation. A non-refundable online reservation fee may be charged for some facilities.
Clean, beautiful, extremely quiet campsites. We left some of our s'mores fixings out and woke up to a chipmunk gnawing on the chocolate. It was super cute but I'm sure it wasn't good for him. The bathrooms are nice and clean as well. The lake was chilly but you could still swim in it. I love Timothy Lake and will be back to camp!
Pros... secluded. Private spots. Clean bathrooms. Beautiful views. Cons... LOTS of mosquitos, bugs and wildlife. Spots need to be cleared out more, lots of dead trees, little small.
This campground (and all the other campgrounds and day use sites at Timothy Lake) are run in coordination with PGE. They do an amazing job keeping the vault toilets and day use sites clean. The PGE workers we talked to were extremely friendly and helpful. The site host at North Arm, Bruce, was also very welcoming and helpful giving us advice on what to do and answering any questions we had. The sites were well maintained and at least the one we stayed in (13) was pretty large. There were bundles of wood available for $6, we bought two and grabbed some that was left behind from other sites and it was more than enough to last our three nights. There were tons of mosquitoes, so come prepared for those.
We love spending time here. I've been coming here since I was a kid. The park is always clean and they have great hosts.
