After Crater Lake we had some time to kill before arriving on the Oregon coast. We wanted to spend some time in the Eugene area. Campgrounds are pricey in Oregon this time of the year and we didn't need any usual campground amenities so we looked for something like a Forest Service or BLM campground. The one we chose was Black Canyon National Forest Service Campground We tried to get a look at it on Google maps satellite view (a regular practice for us) but all we saw were trees, which should have foretold what we'd find.
As we pulled in off SR58 we were plunged into a primeval rain forest with moss hanging from every surface. This was obviously an older campground designed for tents and small campers. There was "JUST" enough room to weave through the trees in search of a site that would accommodate our 30 ft camper. We ran across the camphost who suggested a couple of sites.
The first site (#17) was plenty big enough and on the Willamette River but it was in very thick foliage with absolutely no sunlight getting through. We generate our power using ONLY SOLAR so this site was not an option. The other site, (#35) had a little more sun exposure and was long enough but very tight side to side. It took me two tries but we shoehorned it in.
It was challenging getting in but we really liked the park. The lush rain forest feel was a pleasant change from the dry deserts of southern Arizona.
We were real conservative with our power usage and it was a good thing. Each of the two days we were there, we only recovered 4-5% of our battery usage. On a normal sunny day we'll recover from 80% back to 100% battery by noon.
During one of our many walks around the campground, Joan noticed this clump of moss that bore a striking resemblance to a donkey shaped Pinata.
Coming next, Beaver Creek State Natural Area, Oregon.
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