The highway narrows and becomes gravel after passing through Maryhill, a small village surrounded by fruit orchards. It almost looks like a private driveway but keep going past the orchards until the road breaks out into the open with sweeping views of the cliffs and Columbia River. Stop and buy some fruit – yum. :-)
The land along the river is BLM land and camping is allowed in some areas. A few spots that look like they would be good have been blocked off but we found a small site with a great view and a sheer drop to the river. People with larger RVs should continue east to the large gravel area by the John Day Dam. This area can also be accessed from Route 14 which will avoid most of the gravel road.
The gravel road is passable by an vehicle and the area by the dam is large enough for any RV. The road is actually surfaced with round stones which roll around when driven over so it’s a little noisy and strange feeling.
Boondocking 45.69209, -120.78253
That whole area around the dam has been a favorite spot for me to go to. The river traffic, the trains on both sides of the canyon, the lighted dam at night and it's free.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention Stonehenge!
DeleteI love the scenery on the dry side of the Cascades but you have to time it so that it's not too hot. Luckily for us the cooler weather this year made it perfect even in July.
DeleteWe love that area by the Columbia River. Looks like you got a good spot.
ReplyDeleteI liked it - except for the drop to the river. :-D
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