Campground Review: Boardman Marina Park, Boardman, OR

What a find! Boardman Marina Park is a beautiful jewel of a park on the banks of the Columbia River in tiny Boardman, OR. This section of the Columbia River flows through arid farmland for many miles before entering the beautiful green Columbia River Gorge, so this little slice of serene, cool green is a welcome oasis in a dry and dusty land.

There are 63 full hook up (30/50 amp) paved sites, each with a picnic table and BBQ. Many sites are big enough to accommodate any size RV. Some are quite shady, some are sunny. Sites without shade on the pad do have shade on the fringes. Many sites have privacy fences between the neighbors. Some sites are right on the river (book early for those)! Beautiful, lush, well maintained grass and trees throughout the park. Good site separation.

Amenities include restrooms and showers, small laundry room ($1/ea. wash/dry), playground, swimming access, boat launch, horseshoes, ball fields, dump station and wifi. We also had excellent 4G Verizon signal. Reservations required...though they do have six overflow sites with water/electric. All for $26/night.

This area is a prime shipping zone: truck, train and barge. The highway is far enough away you do not hear it. Train tracks are nearby and you do hear the freight trains, but they do not blow the whistle! We could sometimes hear distant train whistles, perhaps from across the Columbia River.

The paved 12 mile Columbia River Heritage Trail (CRHT) passes right through the park and enters the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge (UNWR) just a few miles away. BUT...we tried to bike the CRHT (without a map) and after a brief section along the river it seems to join surface roads and we lost the signage and ended up riding through an industrial area that looked like it would continue indefinitely! We ended up driving to the UNWR but it was the wrong time of year and wrong time of day to see much wildlife. Spring would probably be a very good time for birders at the UNWR.

During our stay (Fri/Sat night of Labor Day weekend) temperatures in the area hit the low 90's but since we were staying right near the river and had full hookups and the pretty grasses and trees all around us...we were as comfortable as could be! We would definitely stay here again for a night if we pass through the area.

Site B36, sunny in the afternoon.

Site B36, shady in the morning.

One of the river front back in sites.

Park-like grassy space surrounded by RV sites.

A sunset stroll along the Columbia River Heritage Trail as it meanders through the park along the river.

Sunset on the Columbia River.

Early morning reflections along the parks boat dock.

Wildlife viewing area at the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge.