It feels greedy to be choosy about alpine lake campgrounds, but what can I say, Oregon has spoiled me. Hear me out. Lost Lake is almost perfect, but the campsites are way too far from the lake. Elk Lake is beautiful and less competitive to book, but only a few sites have a view and even fewer have water access. You see where I’m going with this… Timothy Lake has it all. Mountain view, check. Easy water access, check. Cleanest campground I’ve ever visited, check. Plenty of excellent sites to choose from, check check check.
Where We Stayed: Gone Creek Campground at Timothy Lake
You’ve got seven options for campsites around Timothy Lake, and, admittedly, I only tried one of them, but I would be shocked if the others are better. The views are incredible; you can see Mount Hood from a few campsites and even more have lake views (don’t worry, I’ve got the best ones listed below).
If Gone Creek is full, your next best bet is Hoodview (I hear it’s aptly named). Pine Point would be my third choice, because it’s close to the day-use area and will be louder. We paddled across the lake to Meditation Point, the primitive, private sites with water on three sides. Those sites are only $10/night to book, but there’s no potable water, no garbage service, and no restroom — which wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me with teens, but they don’t have the mountain view, so I’d still opt for one of the south side campgrounds, even if you like roughing it.
At Gone Creek, our camp host definitely had a Santa vibe, white beard, friendly face, and the vault toilets were the cleanest I’ve ever experienced, which felt like a Christmas miracle. He drove around on a bicycle with a tiny dog in the basket, and it made an already relaxing experience even more wholesome.
Which sites are best at Gone Creek?
Before I spill all the secrets, do note that the premium sites are more expensive at $30/night. Our two night stay was $68 with fees, which absolutely felt worth it to me.
Sites 23, 25, and 26 are the best sites, with views of Mount Hood and easy water access. They also have tons of shade, but little privacy.
Sites 27 and 21 have the next best views, and they also can access the water at the same area in front of 23, 25, and 26.
Site 30 (accessible) has a lovely view of the water (no mountain view), and it’s a bit more private than the surrounding sites. It is very close to the restroom, which I don’t love; but you may like this if you have little ones who are potty training or if you like to keep an eye on your older kids when they make a trip to the restroom without leaving the comfort of your camp chair.
Site 31 is a double site, but it has a great view of the lake, not blocked by as many trees as some of the other sites. Site 34 is similar, and almost as nice.
What is there to do at Timothy Lake?
We did what we always do when camping — paddle and hike, and it was glorious. There are multiple access points to the water, which made it very easy. Motorized boats are allowed, but there’s a lake-wide speed limit of 10 MPH, and most of the motorized boats were stationary for fishing anyway.
If you like to hike, there’s a trail that circles the lake so you can hike for as long as your children will stay cheerful. We hiked about three miles of the section with the best view, and that felt just right.
Beyond our favorite activities, I also saw so many kids learning to fish with their grandparents and biking along the lake trail with their families. We even drove past some horseback riders on our way in.
Suffice it to say, you will not be bored.
Will we go back?
If you’ve made it this far, you know I will absolutely go back. Between the lake access, the Mount Hood views, the clean facilities and the choose-your-own-adventure energy of the lake itself — paddle, swim, bike, hike, read, snack, repeat — it felt like one of those rare camping trips where no one had anything to complain about.
“What if I’m a…hesitant camper?”
Childhood me didn’t even like to go outside, let alone sleep there, but Oregon made a camping enthusiast out of me. If you’re on the fence, Timothy Lake is near enough to Portland for a day trip, and if your kids are very young, that might be easiest. That said, if you’re up for it, this is as close to a perfect campground as you’ll find.
Is Gone Creek full? You’ve got more options! Check out our full list of recs.