USDA Forest Service · Oregon
Rainbow (Or)
USDA Forest Service · Oregon, United States
- Sites
- 17
- Hookups
- 17 no hookups
- Season
- May 23 to September 21
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,473 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- CLACKAMAS RIVER HWY. (NFSR 4600000) · asphalt · high degree of user comfort
- Lake
- Mt. Hood National Forest
- Nearest town
- Ripplebrook
- Address
- OR
- Phone
- 503-630-5721
- Activities
- Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Whitewater Rafting, Wildlife Viewing
17 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
17 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Overview
Rainbow Campground provides ample access to the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River. The campground offers a great location to enjoy peace and quiet in the beautiful mountains of northern Oregon. Visitors enjoy fishing, hiking, biking and rafting.
Recreation
Fishing is very popular in the Oak Fork and anglers can expect a catch of winter steelhead, spring Chinook and late summer Kokanee salmon, as well as other species of freshwater fish. The Clackamas River also provides miles of wild water as it bends through the scenic Cascade range, making whitewater rafting a popular activity.
The 5-mile Riverside National Recreation Trail, popular for hiking and mountain biking, is located not far from the campground. The surrounding area provides numerous additional opportunities for hiking.
Facilities
The campground offers more than a dozen single-family sites for tent camping. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring with grill. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Parking surfaces are paved and gravel.
Natural Features
The campground is located in Mt. Hood National Forest along the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River at an elevation of about 1,400 feet. Huge maple and Douglas fir trees cover the area, and dense shrubbery provides some privacy between campsites. The campground is not far from the Ripplebrook Ranger Station and Ripplebrook Pond.
The river provides habitat for the federally protected bald eagle and northern spotted owl, as well as an occasional peregrine falcon. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area.
Nearby Attractions
Bagby Hot Springs is located about 14 miles southwest of the campground. A popular site for soaking and relaxing, the springs are in a heavily wooded area in the scenic Cascade Range. The available bathhouses are fed by three major hot water springs and several minor outlets in the area. A historic guard station was built there in 1913.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 35° | 12° | 60° | 7 of 11 |
| February | 43° | 35° | 13° | 60° | 8 of 11 |
| March | 48° | 34° | 18° | 70° | 9 of 11 |
| April | 52° | 39° | 22° | 79° | 4 of 11 |
| May | 62° | 48° | 39° | 83° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 69° | 50° | 41° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 80° | 57° | 48° | 101° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 83° | 59° | 50° | 104° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 73° | 54° | 41° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 62° | 47° | 39° | 82° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 52° | 40° | 26° | 69° | 3 of 10 |
| December | 45° | 35° | 19° | 66° | 7 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Alder Flat Trailhead · 0.7 mi as the crow flies
Alder Flat 0.8 mi Hike · Drive there - Clackamas River (Indian Henry) Trailhead · 2.6 mi as the crow flies
Clackamas River 7.6 mi Hike · Drive there - Frazier Turnaround Trailhead · 6.2 mi as the crow flies
Shining Lake 4.4 mi Hike · Drive there - Clackamas River (Fish Creek) Trailhead · 7.5 mi as the crow flies
Clackamas River 7.6 mi Hike · Drive there
All 347 trails in Mt. Hood National Forest
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Ripplebrook · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 14 sites
- Indian Henry · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 26 sites
- Riverside (Mt. Hood National Forest, OR) · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 16 sites
- Riverford Campground · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi
- Raab · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi · 6 sites
All public campgrounds in Oregon · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.