By:
Submission
Shady Cove Campground, located within the Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area, offers visitors a primitive camping experience along the Little North Fork of the Santiam River. Numerous trails within a short distance of the campground offer scenic mountain vistas, waterfalls, and hikes through majestic old-growth forests. Three Pools Day Use Site is also nearby The campground is open year-round but access is dependent on road conditions and weather. In the winter the road can become impassable, as it is not maintained for snow and ice. Travel is at your own risk. Early season (April and May) may provide a wet experience, but late season (September and October) is usually a grea time for camping.
18.5 miles northeast of Mehama, Oregon. From Salem, Oregon, travel east on State Highway 22 to Mehama. At milepost 23, turn left (north) onto Little North Fork Road (next to the Oregon Department of Forestry building) and proceed for 15.3 miles to the Forest Boundary. Continue of gravel, FS Road 2209 for 1.3 miles to the intersection of FS Road 2207. Turn right and continue another 1.9 miles to Shady Cove Campground on the right.
