Lovely Farewell Bend State Recreation Area is located along the Oregon/Idaho border. This park rests on the southern shore of Rogue River and provides easy access to the Upper Rogue River Trail. Guests to this lovely campground, surrounded by mature forest, will find it a lovely space to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities. The park maintains a campground and access to Snake River’s Brownlee Reservoir. Visitors can enjoy fishing, boating, and water skiing in the area. You'll also find horseshoe pits, a sand volleyball court, and basketball hoops here.
Guests intending to spend the evening will find that they can either reserve a cabin or stay at one of the many camp sites. Sites can accommodate RV’s up to 50 feet in length here. All sites come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. The park maintains flush toilets, hot showers, and a dump station. Many sites come equipped with water and electric hookups. There's also a boat launch ramp, a fish cleaning station, and an amphitheater available for their use. Note that water in this lovely campground surrounded by old growth forest is cut off to the camp sites in the winter months.
The park's address is:
23751 Old Hwy-30
Huntington, OR 97907
Guests will easily locate Farewell Bend State Recreation Area approximately four-miles south of Huntington along US-30. Head East on US-30 Business E/Oregon Trail Blvd/Washington St. E and travel for four miles. Turn left into Farewell Bend State Recreation Area just before the river begins to run along side the road. If you reach I-84, you have gone too far.
Guests to Farewell Bend State Recreation Area will find ample parking available to them. There is parking near the group tent camp, near the park office, at the dump station, near the fish cleaning station, and near the viewing deck.
Guests to Farewell Bend State Recreation Area will find no access to public transportation within the park.
This historic area, resting along the shore of Snake River, derived its name from the fact that this was the spot where travelers along the Oregon Trail would stop for one last look at the 330-mile long Snake River. Guests today continue to enjoy this delightful space. Popular of fishing, boating, and hiking, this area is a wonderful space to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities or delve into the history of the area. Guests can still find remains of wagon trails within a few miles of the park.
Those spending time at Farewell Bend State Recreation Area can take advantage of the recreational opportunities made available to them on site, or adventure out from the park to experience hiking, boating, fishing, and wildlife viewing in the surrounding area.
Guests wishing to extend their stay overnight will find a variety of options available to them. The park maintains several small cabins, a group camping site, and wide selection of tent and RV/trailer sites that can accommodate RV’s up to 50-feet in length. Guests will find picnic tables and firepits at all sites. The park also maintains flush toilets, hot showers, and a dump station for guest use.
Guests to Farewell Bend State Recreation Area will want to make sure they pack their fishing gear when heading out this way. Fishing in Snake River is excellent. Indeed, anglers generally find it no trouble to meet their quota of fish daily. The reservoir is an excellent place for bass, catfish, and crappie. The park maintains a boat launch ramp for ease in access to the reservoir. Guests will also appreciate the fish cleaning station maintained by the park to facilitate end of day clean up.
Guests to Farewell Bend State Recreation Area with an interest in history and local culture may want to make the drive to visit the Weiser Museum in nearby Weiser, Idaho. Open Memorial to Labor Day from 10 am – 1 pm Fridays and Saturdays, this museum is located in Hooker hall on the old campus of the Weiser School District. The museum has had to recover from a 1994 fire, making it a work in progress. Guests will find exhibits in rooms and hallways of this renovated building. Exhibits include a display of local heroes, a mining display, and The Arrowhead Room with a display of Native American artifacts.
Guests to Farewell Bend State Recreation Area with an interest in history and architecture will be delighted by a visit to the fully restored 1889 Italianate Adler House Museum. This lovely house museum, open Memorial Day – Labor Day 10 am to 3 pm, was once the home of philanthropist Leo Adler and his family. Guests will see the second story of the home basically as it was left after the death of Adler’s mother in the 1930’s. Guests will be interested to know that all but five items seen in the home are original. Can you guess at the five additions?
Pack your hiking boots along with the swimsuit and sunscreen, because Farewell Bend State Recreation Area not only offers access to the Snake River, it offers easy access to the Upper Rogue River Trail. The Upper Rogue River Trail is a 47-mile long trail with many access points running the length of Upper Rogue River. Most hikers only tackle portions of this extensive trail or break the trail into sections to be hiked upon separate visits. One point of interest on this trail is Natural Bridge.
Guests to Farewell Bend State Recreation Area with an interest in history and the culture of the area will want to make the drive to Baker City to see the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Located just five-miles east of Baker City along Hwy-86 this center has a lot to offer. Open year round, the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center offers guests the opportunity to experience life on the Oregon Trail. Guests will interact with staff in living history demonstrations. Guests are encouraged to explore the four-mile hiking trail with its interpretive information and enjoy views of the surrounding Blue and Wallawa Mountains.
Guests to lovely Farewell Bend State Recreation Area with an interest in natural phenomena will want to visit Natural Bridge. Located on the Upper Rouge River Trail, this geological feature is astonishing. Natural Bridge is where the river is diverted through a maze of under ground lava tubes. The water reappears in a small pool beneath the Natural Bridge creating an astonishing site. Although water may cover the Natural Bridge in particularly rainy seasons, guests will often see water spraying up from “blow holes” or fissures in the bridge.
