Go RV camping at Cottage Grove Lake, and you'll be in a postcard-perfect location. The stunningly picturesque, three-mile-long reservoir surrounded by rolling hills and pine forests really is the ideal RV escape in Oregon. The lake formed when the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed a dam on the Coast Fork Willamette River in the 1940s, flooding over one thousand acres of the Willamette Valley. While Cottage Grove Lake's primary purpose is flood control and irrigation, its secondary usages are purely recreational.
At Cottage Grove Lake, you can have the best of all worlds. The reservoir is only two hours inland from the Oregon coast, the Willamette National Forest is only a forty-minute drive away, and if you want a rejuvenating dip in warm water, the Umpqua National Forest and its thermal spa are well within easy reach. At Cottage Grove Lake, you can relax in the peaceful surroundings of the Calapooya Mountains, go boating, fishing or swim from one of the beaches along its shores. Hike some of the trails while spotting wildlife or take a leisurely drive along the Willamette Valley Birding Trail. If the weather takes a turn for the worse and isn't suitable for outdoor activities, you can always head into Eugene and explore the fascinating Eugene Science Museum or the Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Whatever you do after you've pitched your RV at Cottage Grove Lake, the beautiful scenic landscapes you'll be doing it in means you'll enjoy any activity twice as much.
Getting to Cottage Grove Lake is an easy drive whichever direction you're arriving from. If you're coming from Portland, it'll take you around two hours of motoring on the I5, and you'll be heading down London Road to the campground. It's a straight run, and the only urbanizations you'll have to negotiate are Salem, Eugene, and Springfield. While Salem is the state's capital, you shouldn't expect to encounter any traffic hold-ups as the I 5 passes through the outer suburbs.
If you've been down in the south of the state RV camping at the Crater Lake National Park, you'll still have a reasonably straight run to get to Cottage Grove Lake. You'll be on Highway 97, followed by the OR 58, which cuts right through the heart of the Umpqua National Forest. Motoring in your rig doesn't get more scenic than that. If you can take your eyes off the road for a moment, keep them peeled for a glimpse of the three-thousand feet high volcanic mound of Diamond Peak through the trees. Once you're through the gates of the Cottage Grove Lake campground, you'll find you're on well-maintained county roads until you're ready to pull into your pitch.
The Corps campground at Cottage Grove Lake is the Pine Meadows Campground situated on the mid-eastern shore of the lake alongside Rodgers Creek. It's a semi-primitive campground offering RV campers a choice of one-hundred different campsites. All the campsites at Pine Meadows are standard non-electric, and there are no utility hook-ups on-site other than a public use spigot for drinking water. The use of generators is allowed except during the camp's quiet hours from ten in the evening until seven in the morning.
The individual, gravel-surfaced pitches are dispersed among the pine trees. Some are along the shoreline and have lake views, but most don't, though all are supplied with grills and picnic tables. Campground amenities include flush toilets, showers, and a dump station. There is also an amphitheater where the ranger hosts present educational programs during the summer season.
Take a hike along the shores of Cottage Grove Lake, and you'll be impressed with the quality of the air and awestruck by the alpine-style views. The pine-covered hills stretch far into the distance, and if you're there in summer, the lake water will be as blue as the sky. You'll be able to strip off and spend time on the beach or even take a dip in the lake, and if you're lucky, you could spot all manner of bird and wildlife during your walk.
Cottage Grove Lake is a popular destination for boating and water sport activities. There's no boat ramp at the Corps campground at the lake, but there are two nearby where you can go to get your craft on the water. The boat ramps are located in the nearby Wilson Creek Park and in the Lakeside Park day-use areas.
There's no lack of space on the surface of Cottage Grove Lake, so water-skiers and jet skiers are a regular sight skimming across the lake. That said, its shores are still a serene spot for paddling canoes, kayaks, or paddleboards.
The Umpqua Hot Springs are natural thermal springs hidden in the depths of the Umpqua National Forest. To find them, you'll need to make a short but steep hike through the trees to where the bathing area is. Without traveling as far as Japan, it would be hard to find a more scenic location to indulge in a thermal spa. Pine trees surround both the upper and lower pools that look down onto the Umpqua River and Surprise Falls. Many visitors to the springs choose to bathe naked, so if you find that offensive, even though you'll be missing out, it's best to stick to swimming on the beach.
The Willamette Valley is the natural habitat of several rare to spot birds like the yellow-breasted chat and the purple martin. Pack a picnic and your binoculars and set out for a drive along the Willamette Valley Birding Trail - a comprehensive route with over one-hundred and thirty stopping points that are hotspots for bird sightings. The route is divided into twelve loops, each containing ten or more viewing points with interpretive signage denoting the species you're most likely to see there.
Whether you fish from a boat or from the shore Cottage Grove Lake is an idyllic reservoir to cast your lines into the water. The lake is re-stocked on a regular basis by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, so fish populations tend to maintain a steady level throughout the year. The best catches are bluegill, trout, and catfish as well as large and smallmouth bass.
Delve into the past and discover all sorts of interesting facts about Lane County and Oregon at the Lane County Museum in Eugene. Open from Tuesday to Saturday, the museum houses diverse long-term collections and eye-opening temporary exhibits. Examine the transport section and you'll find a Victorian hearse, a horse-drawn taxi coach, and a nineteenth-century pioneer's covered wagon. There's a reconstructed blacksmith's forge, tree trunks with messages carved by pioneers over a century old, and huge collections of photographs featuring Native Americans and WW1 veterans.
