Here’s an Idea: Camp in Your Backyard!

Nic Parrish understands your burning desire to explore the Oregon backcountry as the summer season draws near. After all, as the founder of Portland gear rental startup Xscape Pod, he helps facilitate adventures in the outdoors.

Some Oregon State Parks to Allow Camping Starting June 9

If you thought your backyard would be the only place where you’d be able to pitch a tent this summer, Oregon State Parks and Recreation has just offered some hope that you’ll be able to make more ambitious vacation plans. The agency announced that starting Tuesday, June 9, some state park campgrounds will allow overnight stays. Those properties closed abruptly across the state on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic and to encourage people to follow Gov. Kate Brown’s stay-at-home order.

Deschutes National Forest Is Reopening, With Limited Services. So Rangers Made a Video on How to Properly Poop in the Woods.

The Deschutes National Forest will be ready to welcome hikers and boaters for summer’s unofficial kickoff—Memorial Day weekend—but most sites will have limited services, or none at all. By the end of this week, rangers will have opened most day-use areas and boat ramps in the 1.8 million acres they oversee east of the Cascade Range.

Camping Is Now Back On in Southern Oregon’s Douglas County

The first campgrounds in the state are welcoming back people looking to pitch a tent. Southern Oregon’s Douglas County has reopened sites that its Parks Department manages for overnight use, starting today. However, that does not include state, federal or privately owned parks and campgrounds located in the same area, which remain off limits due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Oregon Department of Forestry Land Is Temporarily Off Limits to Campers Due to Waste

Backcountry camping is temporarily banned on land managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry, but it’s not because there’s a problem with people keeping their distance during a pandemic. The closures are the result of people ignoring the “leave no trace” ethos and instead turning those sites into miniature trash dumps.

Three State Agencies Temporarily Ban Camping in State Parks and Forests, Shutter Park Landmarks

Your outdoor recreation options are becoming increasingly limited following the closure of campgrounds and park visitor centers across the state.

Portland Design Commission Removes Language Encouraging Developers to Provide Campsites for Homeless People

The Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission voted twice for the code change.

Portlanders Can “Rest and Be Welcome” Outside Private Buildings, the Planning Commission Affirms