I was just there for the day to flag, however here is so beautiful there and if you need to get away from Portland get away from all the chaos, I would suggest go to the nature like there
If you're looking for a quiet, beautiful place to relax and gather your thoughts, this is one of those places.
Love this little local gem. For a small fee you can enjoy a day at a beautiful little quiet spot with access to the water ( respectfully). Overnight camping also available. You can catch the salmon spawn in the winter and see crawdads in the spring. Great little place.
Here's a hidden gem that I hesitate to share. But I trust anyone who follows me will be most respectful and chill. If you like the old forest vibe with badic amenities, this is a sweet spot. Less than an hour from Portland. Easy to miss on the road to Vernonia, so don't blink. First come gets you one of only seven spots along a chatty creek running alongside a forest that curves around and forms a sort of amphitheater.. And at dawn and again in the late afternoon everything living in this forest had something to say. It was like a musical performance of a live forest amphitheater.
Each site has creek access, a picnic table and a few sites have a grill. Some of the sites are somewhat close together so don't expect to be completely alone as my photos show, as we have only been there during the week. I really think this is the place where you want to be alone so try to get there during the week. Number 1 and 7 are my picks.