I’ve camped at this state park three times, and each time has been exceptionally fantastic. The first two times I camped in a travel trailer, with the last time being in a yurt. Whichever way you decide to camp, you likely will not be disappointed.

It’s easy to tell at this campground that cleanliness is a top priority. The grounds are very clean and cleared of debris, as are the yurts. The washrooms and showers, the two parts of a campground that people normally dread going to, were next to spotless. Very impressed with this aspect of staying at this state park.

Aside from the cleanliness, the geographical location of the park is also a major plus. The park is within 10-15 mins of most of downtown Bend. Other places to visit—such as Smith Rock State Park, the High Desert Museum, parts of Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Riley Ranch Nature Reserve, Tumalo Falls, and Shelvin Park are all within 30-45 mins of the campground.

The geography of the park itself is very unique, with the Deschutes River flowing right through it underneath cliffs of ancient volcanic rock. The scenes are picturesque and I can say after my third visit to the park, they never get old.

The day-use area, located right across road from the campground, has some fun activities to do. The Deschutes River provides swimming opportunities and people often bring their inner-tubes to float down the river to another spot in the day-use area. This part of the park does get extremely busy in the summer, however, so I recommend coming early in the day.

The only downside comes from my most recent stay at the park—and it’s one that is out of anybody’s control—the noise from the highway. The campground is right next to a fairly busy road, and so loud cars at night can be heard every once in a while. In particular, during my most recent stay, some moron was doing donuts down on the road at 10:30pm, well after most people are trying to sleep. Unfortunately, the hosts said that this has become a near weekly occurrence. The noise bothers me, however not nearly as much as the safety of others being compromised.

Overall, aside from this one unfortunate aspect, the camping experience here is sublime. I’ve made lots of great memories in the area and I hope to make many more down the road!