You've Been Sleeping on Oregon's Best Camping Spot
Most people blow right past Westfir on their way somewhere else. It’s a small town on Highway 58, about 40 minutes southeast of Eugene, sitting quietly in the Willamette National Forest without much fanfare. There’s no massive billboard. No viral moment. It just exists, doing its thing, waiting for the people who know to stop.
We stopped. And then we didn’t want to leave. Camping near Oakridge Oregon is a repeatable experience.
Team Slay loaded up a six-person trailer through Outdoorsy and spent three nights at Casey’s Riverside RV Resort in Westfir. What followed was swimming in glacier-cold river water, a surprisingly excellent thrift store haul, a fish hatchery with free mini golf (yes, really), and a waterfall that made us stand there in silence for an embarrassing amount of time.
This stretch of Oregon is the kind of place that feels like a secret. We’re telling it anyway. There is a personal connection here too: this is the part of Oregon where grandpa grew up, which made every trail and every bend in the river feel a little more like home. But you don’t need a family connection to fall for Westfir. You just need to show up.
Where We Stayed: Casey’s Riverside RV Resort
Casey’s Riverside RV Resort is set on the banks of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River, inside the Willamette National Forest. It is exclusively for hard-sided RVs and trailers. No tent camping, no dry camping, no roughing it. Full hook-ups across 56 paved sites including water, electric, sewer, cable TV, and Wi-Fi.
We rented a trailer that sleeps six through Outdoorsy and it was the right call. Riverfront sites put you right on the water. Interior sites offer a slightly quieter option if you’re a light sleeper, because there is a train across the river that comes through periodically. It blows its horn. We found this charming. Results may vary.
Amenities include a seasonal swimming pool, a dedicated dog park, covered pavilions with firepits and games, laundry facilities, and clean bathrooms and showers. There is also a $1 soft-serve ice cream machine on the property, which Avery found immediately and reported back on within minutes of arrival.
Reservations: Required. Book ahead, especially in summer. Riverfront sites go first. Visit their site to book.
Dogs: Yes, and there is a dedicated off-leash dog run. Leashes required everywhere else. Sylvia had opinions about this policy.
RV Rates: Approximately $55–$69/night depending on site.
No RV? Here are your other options.
Casey’s has two vacation homes on the property. Not riverfront, but full access to all the amenities. See options on their site.
Blue Pool Campground, right off Highway 58, sits in old-growth forest next to Salt Creek, half a mile from McCredie Hot Springs. 24 sites, picnic tables, toilets, drinking water for tent campers and smaller RVs (no hookups). Open mid-May through late September.
What to Do in Westfir and Oakridge
Swim the Middle Fork Willamette River
The river running through Casey’s property is cold, clear, and completely worth getting in. Avery made instant friends with other kids at the pool, there were s’mores at the communal firepit after dark, and the sound of the river at night is the kind of thing that actually makes you sleep.
Visit Salt Creek Falls
At 286 feet, Salt Creek Falls is the second-highest waterfall in Oregon and it earns every inch of that reputation. There is a short, accessible trail from the parking area to multiple viewpoints. We stood there longer than we planned. Worth it every time. The falls are located off Highway 58 and are open year-round.
Team Slay tip: Go early to beat the summer crowds. Morning light on the falls is something else.
Thrift at St. Vinnie’s Oakridge
Do not skip this. St. Vincent de Paul in Oakridge is 8,000 square feet of well-organized, fairly priced thrift and it is one of the more unexpectedly excellent finds in the entire region. Clothing, housewares, books, furniture, appliances, the works. We went in for a quick browse and came out with way more than intended. That is a win.
The store aligns perfectly with Team Slay’s core value of keeping good stuff in circulation and out of landfills. Shopping here is doing something good and finding something great at the same time.
Address: 47663 OR-58, Oakridge, OR 97463. Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10am–6pm.
Tour the Willamette Fish Hatchery
Bear with us. Fish hatcheries do not sound exciting. This one is the exception. The Willamette Fish Hatchery outside Oakridge is free, open dawn to dusk every day, and has a surprising amount going on. There is a small museum, a nature trail along Salmon Creek, trout and sturgeon on display, and a nine-hole miniature golf course that traces the salmon life cycle. Avery played two rounds.
Chinook salmon and adult steelhead are on-site from June through September, so timing matters if that is the draw. Otherwise it is a genuinely solid stop any time of year.
Address: 76389 Fish Hatchery Road, Oakridge, OR 97463. From Oakridge, take Highway 58 east to Salmon Creek Road (1.7 miles past the stoplight), then one mile down on the left. Free admission.
Ride the Trails
Oakridge is widely recognized as one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the Pacific Northwest. The trail network ranges from accessible to genuinely demanding, and the infrastructure for riders here is better than anywhere else Team Slay has seen in Oregon.
Team Slay note: We did not bring bikes on this trip. That is a mistake we are actively correcting for next time.
Soak at McCredie Hot Springs
McCredie Hot Springs is 8 miles east of Oakridge on Highway 58, between mileposts 46 and 47. Keep an eye out for the McCredie Day Use Area forest park sign, then it’s a quick hike through lush woods to get to the natural rock-walled pools along Salt Creek. Water temperatures are between 98 and 114°F depending on the season. Clothing is optional. Day use only (they say it’s enforced), $5 per vehicle.
The Repeat Factor
Casey’s Riverside RV Resort earns the Repeat tag. It is affordable, comfortable, and positioned perfectly along the I-5 corridor for anyone traveling between Portland and Southern Oregon who wants to actually stop and experience something. Three nights felt like just enough to scratch the surface.
The Westfir and Oakridge area earns its own repeat for a separate reason. It is a genuinely underrated corner of Oregon that rewards the people who find it. The water is beautiful, the trails are world-class, and a certain small-town thrift store has 8,000 square feet of reasons to stay longer than you planned.
- Best for: Families with kids of any age, dog owners, mountain bikers, anyone who wants to camp comfortably without a tent.
- Value or splurge: Value. Firmly.
