Cascade Locks, Oregon, is nestled in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland Oregon. Known for its stunning scenery and numerous waterfalls the area is named after the historic locks built to navigate the rapids of the Columbia River before the construction of the Bonneville Dam.
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Hammond, Oregon, is a small, unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Columbia River in Clatsop County Oregon. It’s part of the Astoria-Warrenton-Hammond area and is known for its coastal charm and proximity to outdoor recreation. Hammond is a gateway to Fort Stevens State Park, a popular destination for camping, hiking, and exploring historical military sites, including the remnants of Fort Stevens itself. The area is also rich in maritime history and is close to the Columbia River Bar, famously known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific.”
We spent a week in the Hammond/Astoria area in early September 2024. Unfortunately Anna had hurt her back just before we got there and I was feeling a bit under the weather so we didn’t get to see everything we wanted to. We did manage to get in a day trip in the the beautiful Cannon Beach area as well as a visit to Fort Clatsop.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Location: La Grande, OR
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 1:00/12:00
Site Quality / Amenities: Sites and roads are gravel/dirt. There was grass/weeds between each site and each site had a picnic table. There were tent sites and a couple of Yurts for those who don’t have an RV. The main attraction is that the park has two thermal soaking pools using hot water from the nearby Hot Lake.
Access: From I-84 take exit 265 (exit 268 is closer but requires driving several miles on a dirt road). Go southeast on OR-203 to Hot Lake Ln. and turn right. The park is on the left a short way down.
Staff: Check-in was easy and the staff were fast and efficient.
Cellular/WiFi: WiFi was available but we didn’t use it. Verizon 4GLte was good at 50Mbps download and 3Mbps upload. Starlink was unobstructed although there are some smaller trees around the park.
Restaurants: La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant – Acceptable Mexican although as expected it wasn’t Tex-Mex.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks nearby.
What we liked: The hot tub was large and provided water from a nearby mineral hot spring. Unfortunately it and the larger warm pool were also chlorinated so you didn’t get the full experience of a mineral bath. There was a train track nearby but we hardly ever heard the trains.
What we didn’t like: We had planned to visit The Oregon Trail Interpretive Park at Blue Mountain Crossing but it closed after Labor Day. Another museum called Union County Museum would have also been interesting but it was closed on the days we were in town.
Verdict: Good stop for a few nights to swim in the mineral bath hot tub.