Monday, September 27, 2021

August Camping: Detroit Lake

I have been wanting to stay at Detroit Lake ever since we drove by it the first time in 2018 on our way to visit a friend's place in Bend.  I remember driving along the coastline and how it felt like the lake went on forever and ever, with camp sights all along its shores, all right on the water.  I said to the hubby, "we have to camp here some time!"  Fast forward three summers and with our new trailer in tow, we finally booked three nights: Saturday through Tuesday.

The days we went were a stagnant 89 degrees with a zillion percent humidity, no breeze, and topped off with some smoky haze from a forest fire that was going on about 8 miles south of the lake.  Twice, our campsite experienced a rolling blackout of electricity, as everyone was running their AC's at full power.  We were told by a ranger that the electrical had not yet been upgraded from a fire that had rolled through a few years prior, and was therefore struggling to keep up with current demand.  We made due regardless with the good shade, some cold beverages and dips into the lake.


Despite the water level of the lake being quite low, the scenery at the campground was still pleasant.  Most campers were families or elderly couples just lounging their time away, letting kids splash around the water or build sand castles and the rangers we spoke to were quite nice.  There were several spots along the highway getting in where crews were still cleaning up massive piles of logs from trees that had been burnt down.  

Our son rode his bike along the paved streets of the campground, tossed the frisbee back and forth with his dad, played with a neighboring camper kid, and the dog and I enjoyed the AC in the trailer when we could.

The park had public restrooms and showers that were pretty clean and there were full hook ups at several sites, or tent sites for those who wanted to rough it a little more.  There were a few sketchy folks walking through the campground that we encountered, but overall, it wasn't too bad of a location, maybe 3-stars.  We would go back again, but maybe in the off-season like fall or mid-spring to avoid the same type of crowds and the stifling weather.




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