U.S. Forest Service · Mt. Hood National Forest · Oregon

Tollgate

Tollgate Campground is one of the most convenient to Portland, making it a great headquarters for exploring the Mt. Hood area. It stands in the southwestern shadow of Oregon's highest point, Mt. Hood. The campground provides access to a variety of trails, as well as historic sites, including spots along the famed Oregon Trail.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov15 sites40 ft maxNo hookupsPets ok

More like this: reservable in Oregon · big rigs in Oregon · pets allowed in Oregon · group sites in Oregon

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
TOLLGATETOLLGATETOLLGATETOLLGATE
Photos via Recreation.gov
4fires
active
The Narrows · 15 mi away · 305 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Tent-only9
Standard, no hookups4
group picnic area1
Host/management1
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

14 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFiresAccessible
PSGroup Picnic AreaPartial30 / 10YesYes
002Tent onlyBack-inGravelPartialLakefront6 / 1Yes
003Tent onlyBack-inGravelPartialLakefront6 / 1
004Tent onlyBack-inGravelPartial6 / 1
005StandardPull-through26PartialLakefront6 / 2Yes
006Tent onlyBack-inGravelPartialLakefront6 / 1
007StandardBack-in24GravelPartialLakefront6 / 2Yes
008Tent onlyBack-inGravelPartialLakefront6 / 1
009Tent onlyBack-inGravelPartialLakefront6 / 1
010StandardBack-in20Partial6 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 7:00 AM, checkout 10:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length40 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
Tent padsYes
AccessibilitySite PS is listed accessible

The campground offers single-family sites for tent and RV camping. Parking surfaces are dirt and gravel and sometimes uneven. Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. An adjacent picnic shelter can be reserved for day use and can accommodate up to 30 people and 10 vehicles. It is equipped with multiple tables and pedestal grills.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestMt. Hood National Forest
BookingSites at Tollgate Campground can be reserved online at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
FeesThis site is operated by Alaska Recreational Management, a concessionaire. Camping: $26/night for single unit. $50/night for group site. $8/extra vehicle. Day Use Fee: $10/day/vehicle
RulesVehicles 16 ft. max.

Mt. Hood National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Tollgate30°40°50°60°January: 12.61 inches of precipitation, 48.8 inches of snowFebruary: 9.64 inches of precipitation, 39.5 inches of snowMarch: 9.41 inches of precipitation, 35.6 inches of snowApril: 7.78 inches of precipitation, 17.6 inches of snowMay: 5.75 inches of precipitation, 4.2 inches of snowJune: 4.01 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJuly: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.09 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.06 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowOctober: 8.42 inches of precipitation, 3.8 inches of snowNovember: 12.69 inches of precipitation, 30.6 inches of snowDecember: 14.43 inches of precipitation, 51.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.8°F averageFebruary: 32.0°F averageMarch: 34.5°F averageApril: 37.8°F averageMay: 44.9°F averageJune: 50.2°F averageJuly: 58.4°F averageAugust: 59.3°F averageSeptember: 54.4°F averageOctober: 44.9°F averageNovember: 35.9°F averageDecember: 30.5°F average0 in20 in40 in60 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Government Camp, 8 miles from the campground at 3,980 feet, station USC00353402 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 90 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 232 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Portland, travel southeast on Highway 26 for about 32 miles.

Coordinates45.3221° N, 121.9056° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    The Narrows

    15 mi from the campground · 305 acres · 98% contained

  • Prescribed
    Stone Ck/Clackamas Guard Station Rx - West

    17 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Timber Lake/Ripplebrook Admin Rx - West

    18 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Fawn Stew Piles Rx - West

    18 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearMountainology ↗0.5 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗21.4 mi
RV sales & serviceAdventure Trading RV ↗32.6 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Tollgate Campground - Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

Worth a stop

The campground is 2.5 miles from the town of Zigzag, which offers a variety of services, including lodging, eateries and a variety of shops.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, which overlaps Mt. Hood National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

The campground is located in the Mt. Hood National Forest, approximately 32 miles southeast of Portland, at an elevation of about 2,100 feet. The campground sits on the north bank of the Zigzag River, just east of the community of Rhododendron, in a humid, semi-subtropic environment of Douglas fir and cedar trees. Tollgate Campground was originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and some historic features, such as rock fireplaces and a reconstructed picnic shelter still remain.

Recreation

A variety of hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails are available in the area. The nearly 10-mile Pioneer Bridle Trail passes through the campground. A replica of the original Barlow Road tollgate is just east of the campground. The gate was used by travelers along the Oregon Trail from 1879 to 1919. A day-use picnic area at the campground, providing access to the scenic surroundings, as well as the nearby river and Camp Creek. Anglers enjoy the sport of catch-and-release fishing for small trout and whitefish.

Guidebooks for Oregon

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Tollgate?

Sites at Tollgate are reservable on Recreation.gov. Sites at Tollgate Campground can be reserved online at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Tollgate?

This site is operated by Alaska Recreational Management, a concessionaire. Camping: $26/night for single unit. $50/night for group site.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Tollgate?

Check-in 7:00 AM, checkout 10:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Tollgate open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Tollgate have?

15 sites, including 9 tent-only sites, 4 standard sites without power, and 1 group picnic area.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Tollgate?

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Tollgate?

Yes, pets are allowed at Tollgate. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Tollgate?

Site PS is listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Tollgate?

FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Tollgate?

A variety of hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails are available in the area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Tollgate is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Camp Creek (2.2 mi), Green Canyon Campground & Day Use Area (3.3 mi, first-come), and McNeil Campground (4.6 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby