L.L. Stub Stewart State Park
Portland’s Backyard Playground
Just 34 miles west of Portland, L.L. Stub Stewart State Park is the ultimate outdoor basecamp. Opened in 2007, this modern park is a mecca for mountain bikers, hikers, and stargazers. It offers direct access to the 21-mile Banks-Vernonia State Trail.
🚲 Mountain Biker’s Paradise: The park features a designated mountain bike area with skills parks, flow trails, and rugged cross-country loops. It’s one of the few parks designed with riders in mind.
Cabins & Camping
Stub Stewart offers some of the best camping facilities in the state, including year-round options.
| Type | Count | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Cabins | 15 | Mountain Dale Village. 1-room and 2-room cabins with electricity, heat, and porches. Great for rainy PNW weekends. |
| Full Hookup | 78 | Dairy Creek West/East. 50/30/20 amp, water, sewer. Paved pads. |
| Walk-In Tent | 12 | Dairy Creek. Secluded sites nestled in the trees. |
| Hike-In | 23 | Brooke Creek. rustic sites for a backcountry feel (0.3 mi hike). |
Activities
- Disc Golf: A challenging 18-hole course winds through the Douglas fir forest.
- Stargazing: The hilltop day-use area offers expansive views of the night sky, far from city lights.
- Horse Riding: Hares Canyon Horse Camp provides full hookups and corrals for equestrians.
Is there Wi-Fi?
Cell service is spotty due to the terrain. Enjoy the digital detox!
Are the cabins pet-friendly?
Yes, select cabins are designated as pet-friendly (fee applies). Dogs must be leashed outside.
Do cabins have bathrooms?
The cabins themselves do not have plumbing, but a modern restroom and shower building is located just a few steps away in the cabin village.
Things to Do
Oregon’s state parks showcase the Pacific Northwest at its finest — from towering sea stacks and tide pools along 362 miles of public coastline to ancient forests of the Coast Range, volcanic Cascade peaks, and high desert canyonlands east of the mountains. Popular activities include hiking through old-growth forests and along dramatic ocean bluffs, tide pooling at rocky shores, beachcombing for agates and fossils, camping at oceanfront sites, kayaking and paddleboarding on mountain lakes, fishing for steelhead and salmon, mountain biking volcanic singletrack, rock climbing at Smith Rock, and cross-country skiing on Cascade passes. Oregon’s waterfalls — including Multnomah Falls and Silver Falls — are among the most spectacular in the western United States.
Best Time to Visit
Oregon’s west side (coast and valleys) is wettest from November through March, making June through September the prime outdoor season with warm, dry weather. The coast can be enjoyed year-round — winter brings dramatic storms, whale watching (gray whales migrate December–January), and uncrowded beaches. Eastern Oregon and high desert parks enjoy more sunshine but can be extremely hot in summer. Cascade mountain parks are best visited July through October, when snow clears from trails. Spring brings the famous wildflower blooms in the Columbia River Gorge and waterfall season at Silver Falls. Fall foliage peaks in October, particularly along the McKenzie River and in the Cascades.
Visitor Tips
Oregon state parks are free to enter on foot or by bike. Vehicle access at most day-use parks requires a $5 day-use permit or a $30 annual permit, available at park kiosks or online. Oregon’s entire coastline is public by law — you always have the right to walk on the beach. Camping reservations are made through the Oregon State Parks reservation system up to 9 months in advance. Coastal campgrounds (especially at Cape Lookout and Nehalem Bay) book up fast for summer. Cell coverage is spotty on the coast and absent in remote Cascade parks.
Explore More Oregon State Parks
L.L. Stub Stewart State Park is one of many outstanding state parks in Oregon. Discover more parks in our Best State Parks in Oregon guide, or use our Park Finder to search by activity, location, or features.
