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Submission
Located in the Marine Park on a bluff overlooking the Cascade locks on the Columbia River. All sites are situated in a open grassy area with views of the water. 10 sites offer water and electric hook ups and 5 are dry camping. The entrance to the park has a 12 foot clearance.
W'bound From: I-84 (Cascade Locks exit 44): Go 1/4 mi W on Wa-Na-Pa St. E'bound from: I-84 (exit 44) & Hwy 30: Go 1 mi E on Hwy 30.
Nice location next to the old locks, though EXTREMELY noizy. Long freight trains passing just 30 yards away from campsite at least once each hour, day an night!!! If one derails you are toast!!
Beautiful by day, horrible by night. The area is really beautiful and we thought we had the perfect spot. Until we noticed the trains, they came by allllll night long. Too bad because the rest was pretty awesome but will not visit again because of this. The noise of the trains was deafening.
If you have an RV it's just fine, and the people in town are great, But if you try to camp in a tent! you'll realize it's not designed for you.
Having no fires, even in the cold season, and bathrooms locked, so you have to drive in town to go every time makes you just go home sadly. The BBQs are also off limits at night, when you'll want to use them, and the actual island should be where the tent areas are. Camping between the buildings on the lawn by the train track feels like a bad backyard, despite being in such a beautiful location.
The camp host is awful. If she doesn't like or want you there, she will make your time there hell.
When we got there, the camp host seemed pleasant enough until it came time to park our trailer. I was directing my husband back into the spot. She came over and was behind the trailer attempting to help. I had it. When my husband didn't follow her directions because I was helping him, she commented on how "he doesn't listen very well apparently." He listens just fine TO ME! I let that go, and she left.
About 2 hours later, my brother, who lives in town, came down to see us. I haven't seen him in years. As soon as he hot there, she came over. I saw her coming, and I walked over to greet her. As soon as she saw me she started screaming, "Which site are you with? You need to leave! You can't park here! You need to leave! What site are you with?!" I had no time to respond. I am a quiet person, and I don't like being yelled at. I go into panic attacks and get physically ill. I shut down with her yelling at me. My brother came around the trick to see what was going on, and she continued to scream at him. She did eventually yell and tell my brother where to park. He parked where she said, and she proceeded to follow him. When he got out of the truck, she continued to yell at him about some permit. He said he had it, but she kept screaming. My brother got mad, and rightfully so, and he left.
The next evening, my brother came over to celebrate my 4 year old's birthday with us. He parked where she had yelled at him to park the night before. When he arrived, she drove over to his truck and started taking pictures of it. He went over to show her his parking permit and tell her to stop. Before he even made it to his truck, we could hear here yelling at him from our camp site. So could everyone else in the park. It's extremely embarrassing. Apparently, he had the wrong permit. I don't know. He or I would have bought the right permit for him to park had I known about it. Rather than explain how to get the permit, she just screamed, "You need to leave. What site are you with?" Over and over. Then she threatened to call the police and my brother said to do it. By this time, my son is so upset as am I, my brother left. My husband, who is quiet as well, walked over to talk to the camp host, and she waved him off and drove away.
My brother wanted to come back down to celebrate my son's birthday a while later. My husband left to go pick him up. I was sitting at the picnic table next to our trailer. As soon as my husband left, she came and stood in our parking spot. I didn't say anything because I was having a major anxiety attack because of everything. She stood there until my husband got back with my brother. He was trying to back in, but she wouldn't move. I asked her if she needed something, and she said, "No, just checking everything out." She started to walk towards me, and I asked her if she was going to yell at us again? She stopped and said, "No," long pause, "I never yelled." Our camp neighbors laughed at that. And she walked away. We celebrated my son's birthday with my brother. I was sick and couldn't stop shaking. My son, thankfully, won't remember it, but I will.
The next day, we were packing up to leave. She watched us the whole time. When we were almost done packing, I walked over towards her because I wanted to talk to her and kind of resolve the situation. When she saw me coming, she went into her trailer and didn't come back out.
We camp a lot. I have camped in many campgrounds throughout my life. I have never on my 37 years been treated so badly by a camp host. My husband saidis the same. We will never go back there. It is sad because Thunder Island and the Port were always where my Dad and I spent most of our time when I would visit him. I have many positive memories there with him. I am sad now that this memory is there too.
If you are thinking of staying there and have people who want to visit you, look elsewhere to camp. The place is beautiful, but the host ruins it. We stayed July 21-23, 2023.
