Deschutes River State Recreation Area
Dalles Forecast at Weather Underground
Location:
East of The Dalles, Oregon. Roughly 4-5 hours from Tacoma. (220 miles) Roughly 1 1/2 hours from Portland (85 miles)
Directions:
- Take I-84 east from Portland to The Dalles (84 miles)
- Continue going east on I-84 to exit 97.
- Get off I-84 at exit 97. Take a right on 206 and then take a left onto 206 just before the RR tracks.
- Take 206 east through Celilo.
- Follow the signs to the campground. It will be on the right.
- Deschutes River State Recreation Area is at N45 38.075 W120 54.502
Description:
See the official webpage at: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_37.php
The Deschutes River State Recreation Area is a great place for observing and camping. The southern sky is clipped a little by the hills, but I had a great time anyway. Views of the Veil and North America Nebulas were stunning in my 8". The camping area next to the large parking area seemed the best for observing. (See below) Sites T73 - T75 border a very large, open field and have quite unobstructed skies. Other sites may have artificial lights nearby, but the field next to these sites is dark.
Overall, I really like this campground for observing. It's nice to have the scope right next to the tent. Also, these sites are reservable and the weather here is often better than in the Puget Sound region.
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Site Amenities:
The campground has privies. Some sites have hook-ups. See the official webpage for details.
Photos:
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Light Pollution Map:
