Wasco County Seeks $1M Grant to Transform Unfinished RV Campground into Recreational Hub
Wasco County Commissioner Phil Brady giving CCCNews a tour of the site and a rundown on current plans to rehabilitate the 159 acre property. Photo: Cole Goodwin
By Cole Goodwin
The Dalles, Ore., March 25, 2024 – Wasco County Commissioners approved Resolution 24-002 authorizing Wasco County to apply for a $1,000,000 grant to develop and rehabilitate an unfinished RV campground on a 159.08 acre county-owned property on the west side of The Dalles.
The entrance to the 159 acre property on the west side of The Dalles.
The $1,000,000 local government grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department would help to improve 159.08 acres purchased by the County back in 2022. (In 2022 the county had purchased 154.73 acres and later purchased an additional 4.3 acres abutting the property.)
The original owners of the property had planned to build an RV campground on the land but never quite got around to finishing it.
“Bert Hodges, who owned the property for decades, had built 80%-90% of an RV park there and never finished it. So, there are spaces there; they have sewer and cable tv and water and electricity hookups set up,” said Tyler Stone, County Administrator.
Wasco County Commissioner Phil Brady inspects an RV hookup at the site. Photo: Cole Goodwin
If the County’s grant application is successful it will fund upgrades such as adding restrooms and showers and expanding the RV campground to include tent campsites.
“It would be making what is already there functional,” said Stone.
The existing home on the property would become base of operations for the campground manager and site operators. While there are plans to save the house, it’s unclear what the fact of other structures on the property may be, although some may be dismantled for safety reasons. Photo: Cole Goodwin
Photo: Cole Goodwin
The site has a lot to offer in the way of potential recreational use.
The site offers access to Chenoweth creek, rolling fields, and rocky outcroppings filled with wildflowers, and views of Foley Lakes, Eagle Caves, The Dalles, and the Columbia River.
A view of Eagle Caves (right) and Foley Lakes (left) from the property.
“It will be a great site for being able to park, use the restroom, and head out. It also has great accessibility to the (Fort Dalles) Riders’ Club and is close to town. And there are breathtaking views up on top of there,” said Stone.
The County hopes to work with Friends of the Columbia Gorge, the U.S. National Forest Service and other land trustees in the area build and maintain interconnecting trail systems.
The site could become a culmination point for The Mosier to The Dalles Trail and the Portland to The Dalles Bike Path along the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.
This road that currently cuts up through the property. Photo: Cole Goodwin
A hiking trail could lead to the top of Seven Mile Hill for overlook Foley Lakes and the Gorge. Trails at the site could also potentially interconnect with the Eagle Caves and Four Sisters Preserve trail systems.
A map shows the 159.08 Wasco County property outlined by a heavy green line and The Dalles Saddle club outlined in red. The map shows how the property is close to the Eagle Caves Trail System (bottom middle) and the Four Sisters Preserve (far left) and the general area of the RV campground and proposed Kramer ball field relocation. Photo is a screenshot from Wasco County GIS.
Commissioner Phil Brady said that the fields on the the property which abutt the Saddle Club could become the new site of the Kramer Fields. He noted that moving the competition fields here would allow the Kramer Fields to become the new site of Adventist Health Hospital facilities.
Commissioner Brady also noted that the County’s purchase of the property could create the possibility for Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District to propose a Chenoweth Creek project that was previously rejected due to lack of continuous access along the creek.
A new project may also help to mitigate floodplain issues surrounding the creek.
As it stands many residences along the western bank of the creek exist within the floodplain of the creek.
Residences on the western bank of the creek that are within the floodplain area. Photo: Cole Goodwin
While the County has big dreams for the site, its first steps involve taking care of a lot of small details. Currently, the County is working to remove scrap metal, farm debris, and trash from the property before the site can be safely opened to the public.
“We want that site dedicated to recreation so we want to get that site opened up as soon as we can to the public, but we can’t open it to the public yet; there’s quite a few safety things to take care of first,” said Stone.
The County has also been working to enable a fire suppression system on site by connecting two fire hydrants at the site. Next steps also include purchasing fencing to prevent trespassing at the Munsen Paving dig site.
Munsen Paving, a private commercial dig site abutts the property. Due to safety and liability issues a fence will be installed so that visitors don’t accidentally wander on to the private property.
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