Ainsworth State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Ainsworth State Park, known for access to multiple waterfalls that are referred to as Waterfall Corridor, is in the Columbia River Gorge, a 4,000-foot-deep canyon by the Columbia River. The state park is also located on the eastern end of Historic Columbia River Highway, a 75-mile scenic driving route. You may want to drive the full length of the scenic highway before you return home to fully soak in the scenery. If you want to swim, fish or go boating on the Columbia River, you'll need to drive closer to the river where you'll have access points. Ainsworth State Park is situated a bit higher than the river despite being close to it.
Nearby Cities:
The Dalles, OR
Portland, OR
Salem, OR
Vancouver, WA
Spring 41-67 F
Summer 56-80 F
Fall 41-75 F
Winter 35-47 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Ainsworth State Park
Campground Accommodations
Ainsworth Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 70 feet
Other amenities: Picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets, hot showers, freshwater drinking stations, a dump station, a recycling area, paved parking pads, two playgrounds, horseshoe pits, one ADA-accessible campsite
Lewis & Clark Campground & RV Park
Weekly and monthly rates are available at Lewis & Clark Campground & RV Park, just in case the stunning Oregon scenery inspires you to stay a while longer. On-site facilities include showers and coin laundry, and it’s centrally located to a huge range of area attractions.
Water hookup: yes
Electrical hookup: yes
Sewer hookup: n/a
Wifi: n/a
Pet-friendly: yes
Other amenities: showers, coin laundry
Bridge of the Gods Motel & RV Park
Full hookups, free wifi, and a stunningly scenic spot characterize Bridge of the Gods Motel & RV Park -- which also offers onsite laundry facilities and showers. Do be aware that all sites are back-in and a size limit of 40 feet applies; most sites supply 30 amps of power with very limited 50 amp hookups available.
Water hookup: yes
Electrical hookup: yes
Sewer hookup: yes
Wifi: yes
Pet-friendly: yes
Other amenities: laundry, bath house with shower, cable TV
Cascade Locks/Portland East KOA
Open seasonally between March and November, the Cascade Locks/Portland East KOA brings all the amenities you expect from America’s favorite campground, as well as some fun extras. Let Fido run amok at the on-campus dog park or make a splash in the swimming pool or hot tub. There’s also cable and wifi if Oregon’s weather has you stuck inside the RV for a day or three.
Water hookup: yes
Electrical hookup: yes
Sewer hookup: yes
Wifi: yes
Pet-friendly: yes
Other amenities: pool, hot tub, propane and firewood sales, dog park, bike rentals
What to Do at
Ainsworth State Park
Hiking to see the different waterfalls is one of the most popular activities at Ainsworth State Park. You can learn about the region's history during a ranger-led interpretive tour. Biking is allowed in some areas of the park and on the historic highway. Firewood is available to buy at the park to enjoy campfires during your stay, as long as you are camping there.
Points of interest at the park include Waterfall Corridor, St. Peter's Dome and Pacific Crest Trail. During your hikes to see these significant places in nature, you may see wildlife and interesting flora.
Inside Ainsworth State Park
Whether you’re staying for a week or a weekend, there’s plenty to keep you occupied at Ainsworth
Hiking trails criss-cross the park’s landscape, and offer gorgeous views of the gorge, the river, and nearby geological formations like St. Peter’s Dome.
Biking is also popular in the park, and its lush, tree-lined trails make for a beautiful space to get your workout.
Wildlife and bird watching is a popular pastime both on the trails and in the campground. Keep your eyes peeled well, and you might just spy an eagle!
Nature Watching
Ainsworth State Park has excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. You may see black-tailed deer, Pacific tree frogs, yellow-bellied marmots, beavers and black bears. There are over 200 species of birds in the park. Your most likely bird sightings are great blue herons, bufflehead ducks, mallard ducks and Canadian geese. Try to see if you can spot the threatened northern spotted owl, too.
Flora and Fauna
Douglas fir trees create much of the forested area at Ainsworth State Park. You'll also find big-leaf maple trees. Oregon grape, sword fern, Pacific blackberry and Cascade Penstemon are other notable flora in the park. After the Eagle Creek fire of 2017, the invasive species Geranium robertianum became more prevalent.
Hiking
Take the Nesmith Point Trail to view St. Peter's Dome, a 2,000-foot basalt monolith over the Columbia River. Horsetail Falls & Trail is another must-hike for the close vantage point of Waterfall Corridor. There's a picnic area on the eastern side of the waterfalls if you'd like to have a picnic by the majestic waterfalls. You might see wildlife while taking a moment to rest there as well.
Climbing
Multnomah Falls, spanning over two tiers for a total height of 620 feet, is the tallest waterfall in Oregon. Over 2 million visitors come to see the waterfalls here every year. Latourell Falls has a bridge under it and drops 249 feet. Other breathtaking waterfalls to see include Bridal Veil Falls, Horsetail Falls and Wahkeena. Horsetail Falls cascades 224 feet down a columnar basalt cliff. Two waterfalls make up Horsetail Falls: Upper Horsetail Falls and Ponytail Falls.
Biking
Ride a bicycle from John B. Yeon Trailhead to Moody Road on Gorge #400 Trail. Be careful that you don't take sections of Gorge #400 that are closed to mountain bikes. Another route that allows mountain biking is Wyeth Campground to Herman Creek Trail #406. Herman Creek Trail #406 has some of the best views of old-growth forest in Columbia River Gorge. It also connects with Pacific Crest Trail, Gorton Creek Trail and Nick Eaton Ridge Trail.
How to Get to
Ainsworth State Park
Ainsworth State Park is located at 45.5959471, -122.0534559 in Cascade Locks, OR. From Cascade Locks, travel on US-30/Wa Na Pa Street to I-84 W. Once you're on I-84 W, you'll be on the interstate for 7.8 miles. Take exit 35 and continue along Historic Columbia River Highway until you see the state park on the left-hand side after about 0.7 miles.
You can take a bus to Ainsworth State Park from Portland. Your options in buses include Line 164, Line 19 and the NW 6th & Davis Station. A tram can take you to some of the bus stops.
Entering Ainsworth State Park
Ainsworth State Park is open from March 18 to October 31. Some Oregon state parks charge a day-use parking fee, but parking is free at Ainsworth State Park.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ainsworth State Park
Summer and fall are the best seasons to visit Ainsworth State Park because they are the driest. Spring is rainy with an average rainfall of 7.6 inches per month with the possibility of an 11-inch rainfall over the course of a month. For comparison, the average rainfall in summer is 3 inches.
Waterfowl and other wildlife that live near creeks can be found in Ainsworth State Park. Some of the top wildlife that you have a chance of seeing are black-tailed deer, Pacific tree frogs, beavers and great blue herons. You might see a black bear or a northern spotted owl, too.
Yes, there are RV camping spots in Ainsworth State Park. All of the campsites have full hookups available and parking pads. You can make a reservation up to six months in advance.
You don't have to reserve a camping spot, but you should to guarantee a spot. It only costs an extra $8 to make a reservation. The average cost of camping with full hookups at Ainsworth State Park is $29 per night for Oregon residents and $36.25 per night for non-residents.
Yes, pets are allowed at Ainsworth State Park. However, they must be on a 6-foot leash.