Timberlake Campground and RV Park in Home Valley, Washington

The Columbia River Gorge is just a day trip from Portland, Oregon, but what if you want to stay a few days? If you need a base of operations in the Gorge, Timberlake Campground and RV Park is a great choice.

My family had planned one weekend in early summer to spend a couple of nights in the Gorge. I'd researched a few different state parks and campgrounds, but we weren't sure which we would choose. We were setting out on a Thursday, so we decided to take our chances without a reservation.

We cruised through the campgrounds at Eagle Creek and Ainsworth State Park, but didn't see anything we liked, so we decided to cross the river and check out Timberlake (near Home Valley, Washington), calling ahead briefly to see whether they had sites available. We couldn't reach anyone by phone, but we continued on anyway.

Owner LeRoy Anderson greeted us warmly at his trailer office and checked us in, recommending a nice, secluded tent site. We paid for our site and bought some firewood, which he had delivered directly to our site. Anderson also has coffee, ice, and ice cream for sale, as well as a selection of free tourist brochures.

Timberlake has both tent and RV sites. 25 RV sites are full hookup (water, sewer, and electricity), and 18 have only water and electricity (but there is a dump station on-site). Tent sites are walk-in (you can't pull directly into the campsite), but it's a very short walk from the parking area to the tent sites. There are 22 tent sites available. Each tent site has a picnic table, fire ring, and flat area for a tent. The tent areas have been spread with bark chips, making them more comfortable for sleeping.

The facilities at Timberlake are clean and well-kept. The campground is set up in a loop around a central lawn area with a playground and a community hall with kitchen, which is available for group events. There's only one restroom building, but all sites are close enough to it.

Timberlake also provides free wi-fi service (works better if you're close to the office), although we purposely did not bring a computer on our camping trip.

Timberlake has few drawbacks. I did feel guilty about the green lawn. They do water it, and it is attractive, but lawns are also not very environmentally friendly, and a lawn isn't something you normally find in a Columbia River Gorge forest. Also, there isn't much to do on-site. If you want to go hiking, fishing, swimming, or windsurfing, you'll have to drive somewhere else nearby. On the other hand, Timberlake is off the beaten path, so you don't hear freeway noise or trains going by, and if you just want to hang out and relax, this is the perfect place.

Timberlake's rates are very reasonable for a private campground. Currently, full hookup sites are $28 per night and tent sites are $19 per night. They also offer weekly rates. For more information or to make a reservation, call (503) 427-CAMP or visit timberlakecampgroundandrvpark.com.