Rainbow Campground and Riverside Trail reopens 4 years after Riverside Fire

Rainbow Campground and Riverside Trail near Estacada officially reopened in September, four years after the devastating Riverside Fire , according to Clackamas County Tourism.

Rainbow Campground is the first and only campground that has reopened along the upper-Clackamas River corridor since the 2020 Riverside fire burned 138,054 acres — damaging 26 campgrounds, 24 trailheads and 37 trails on the Mount Hood National Forest.

The rebuilding was a joint effort between Clackamas County Tourism, the National Forest Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service.

“The reopening of Rainbow Campground and Riverside Trail is a testament to the resilience of the local community and the power of the partnerships we’ve built in the area,” said Jeff Malik, Oregon recreation projects coordinator of the National Forest Foundation. “This project will restore access to a treasured destination while signifying hope and renewal for the areas affected by the 2020 wildfire.”

The restored campground features 16 campsites and some original structures that survived the fire.

There is fee-free camping this fall with plans to begin charging next year and tentatively closing down in the second half of October.

The 3.7-mile Riverside Trail is an out-and-back route through an old-growth forest along the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River.

Check omht.us/clackamas for campground reservations and trail condition updates.

Elliott Deins is an outdoor reporting intern for the Statesman Journal. You can reach him at edeins@salem.gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Rainbow Campground and Riverside Trail reopens 4 years after Riverside Fire