Lower Falls Campground

The scenery here is unbelievable - some of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. The river is very swift (definitely not safe for kids) and they couldn't get down to the river below the falls, which was a huge disappointment for them. There is definitely no cell service so be aware of that before you go. Also, there is about 2 miles of a gravel road - and part of that has been washed out - before the campground. Our trailer hitch bottomed out a few times and the drive to the campground from the last gas station is just over an hour and very curvy/hilly roads. Since it's a national forest, the sites are amazingly large and fairly quiet. All the sites are very wooded - great on a hot day. Overall, we really enjoyed it but just wish the kids could have safely gotten in the water.

Nice shaded campground on the Lewis River with a short hike to Lower Falls. Campsites had picnic tables and fire rings. It was a quiet place but I was there in the middle of the week in Agust so not too many people around.
There was water available out of a hand pump and the pit toilets were clean.
There was a hiking trail upstream to some other falls. No cell service available.

Lower Lewis River Campground is atop the banks of the rushing Lewis River, near its most impressive waterfall. There are two loops, upper is near the road, lower is closer to the river. Lower loop has a bathroom which I did not use, and I think upper loop does as well. The river access is fabulous, and our site was paved, level and had a fire ring and picnic table.

We could see other campers in adjacent sites, but the foliage provides some buffer. Most folks were pretty quiet, but I heard an occasional stereo and there are plenty of kids riding bikes along the loop road.

There are no hookups, and I did not see water either, but I might have missed it. The forest here is fairly dense, so solar charging is limited, and cell service was non-existent with Verizon. The drive is long, winding, and slow going, but the beauty of the location is worth it for the adventurous.

Lower Falls is a beautiful campground that has huge, spacious sites and was relatively quiet. Site 21 costs $35.00 because it is a premium double meant for use by two families. Two RVs might even fit depending on their sizes. There is also a huge area for setting up tents. The fire pit and grill was in good working condition. The campground was well maintained, garbage kept picked up, and the bathrooms were clean.

The drive into the campground was easy, however there is a one mile gravel section that the forest service lists a warning for on their website. The site states that RVs and trailers may have a difficult time driving through that section and you do so at your own risk. Just take it slow and you’ll be fine.

The trails and waterfalls are absolutely gorgeous!!! We spent the morning hiking and photographing the lower falls. After brunch and relaxing at our campsite we explored the areas near the campground. Later in the afternoon we hiked to and photographed the middle falls. The trails are accessible to most people and we saw some elderly couples hiking the trails as well. Many families enjoyed playing and swimming in the pools at the bottom of the falls.