Camp Dakota, located in Oregon, covers approximately 40 acres of land. The property features 50 campsites as well as a main office building that includes a small store. The current owners acquired the property about 25 years ago with the intention of turning it into a family-friendly campground. Several activities such as a zipline course, paintballing, treasure hunts, an archery range, and other similar recreation are provided on-site for guests. Nearby hiking trails at Silver Falls National Park are in close proximity to Camp Dakota, giving guests more options for outdoor activities. Located within an hour's drive of the property is the city of Portland, Oregon and Salem, which contain several shops and restaurants.
Camp Dakota, located in northwestern Oregon, is situated on 40 acres of land, offering approximately 50 campsites. There are ten yurts, six larger cabin tents, one smaller cabin tent, two teepees, and the remaining sites are RV and tent spots. Each teepee also provides a propane fire pit inside and can sleep a family of at least four people. Teepees are available for rent from April 1st to September 30th annually. The yurts come in two sizes, though all are open year-round and provide bunk beds, power, and a woodstove. A game table is included in the larger-sized yurts and depending on which one is rented, the possible options of game tables include a ping pong table, pool table, or air hockey table. Occupants are given the option to bring their own tent or an RV to stay in. The RV spaces include electric and water hookups and can accommodate RV's up to 40' in length. Structures, known as "cabin tents", are made up of canvas walls and are set up on decks that are risen above the ground. The cabin tents are similar to an actual tent, lacking power or a heat source. Guests check-in at the main office building upon arrival. The main office additionally includes a mini store that sells sweatshirts and t-shirts as well as coffee from the provided espresso machine. Visitors can also purchase a meal that is cooked from the pizza oven at the mini-store. Located near the main office is a shower building that includes four individual stalls. The showers are coin-operated and guests can bring change or the front office can assist in making change. In addition to the showers, porta-potties are spaced throughout the campground near every couple of campsites.
The surrounding area consists of many trees and a heavily forested environment. A small pond is located on the campground for decorative purposes. The general manager mentions that one of the most notable aspects of the campground is the variety of outdoor recreation offered on the property. Guests will get the chance to fill out a form sent via email approximately two weeks before the arrival time that provides information on the on-site activities to sign up for beforehand. Some of the activities include a climbing wall, archery range, the "mystery room," ziplines, challenge courses, paintball field, treasure hunt, gold panning, disc golf, and making tie-dye shirts. Closed-toe shoes are required for all activities featured at Camp Dakota. The mystery room is similar to an escape room in the sense that visitors must solve the given puzzles inside the room before the time runs out. The challenge courses give guests the option to choose between a youth course or an adult course, both featuring a series of obstacles in the trees. Those who choose to experience the challenge courses are given equipment that attaches to an overhead cable, which goes tree to tree with the venturer for safety purposes. The ziplines are typically the most popular activity on the property. Trained guides are available on the zipline courses to assist guests with the activity and to secure their safety.
If campers plan on paintballing at the 4-acre paintball field, they are given the option to bring their own paintball gear upon preference, however, equipment is already provided for activities such as paintballing and archery. The owners allow guests to bring their own gear exclusively for paintballing and no other on-site activities such as archery. The archery range additionally features a tomahawk throw activity. Visitors are expected to arrive at their appointed time whether they bring their own gear or not. The property is currently in the process of starting a new activity called Gellyball, similar to paintball. The difference between Gellyball and paintball is that the Gellyballs are smaller, consisting of a jelly material, and they are slower. The goal the owners had in mind when creating this game was to make it a more kid-friendly activity. The minimum age limit for campers participating in paintballing is 7 years old for low-impact paintballs and the age limit for traditional paintballs is 10 years old.
For guests who hope to go panning for gold, they are given a bag filled with real gold, fool's gold, and other semiprecious gemstones to dip into a water trough and search for. Additionally, Camp Dakota rents metal detectors and offers on-site treasure hunts to visitors. Various parts of the campground have buried treasure coins for these hunts.
Some of the previously listed outdoor activities limit group sizes during the winter season. In the winter Camp Dakota sets a minimum participant number of five people. The activities are set by appointment only and they are a separate cost from the camping fee.
Hiking at Silver Falls is an outdoor activity recommended by the general manager of Camp Dakota. He mentions that the nearby waterfalls are relatively difficult to get to and he wouldn't consider them family-friendly as most trails leading to the waterfalls are treacherous hikes. Silver Falls National Park is about a thirty-minute drive from the property and Camp Dakota provides handwritten directions to nearby hikes in the mini-store located in the main office. Additionally, the disc golf trails expand to about one mile in length and run along the perimeter of the property. They are available to guests to walk on even if they are not participating in disc golf. The owners enjoy telling visitors about the nearby waterfalls and things to do within the area as the property is located within an hour's drive of Portland and Salem, which both include several wineries and shops. Some restaurants recommended by the owners include The Home Place, Ratchet, and Mt. Angel Sausage Company. The Home Place and Ratchet are both located in Silverton which is about a thirty-minute drive from Camp Dakota.
Though Camp Dakota doesn't have an official motto, the owners are content in saying "challenge yourself", and would consider that to be the campsite's unofficial motto. They believe that "challenge yourself" can have a different meaning for everyone whether that means being in the wilderness or stepping out of your comfort zone to participate in a venturous activity. The owners put forth effort in acknowledging when visitors challenge themselves and recognize that everyone has a different comfort level.
The busiest time of operation for Camp Dakota is typically during the summer from mid-June to the start of September when school is not in session. While the campgrounds are open year-round, the property is only open on weekends from September to October and also during the winter. Camp Dakota receives several repeat guests, some coming multiple times per year for birthdays or holidays. The general manager mentions that the yurts are typically the most popular sites and are generally full throughout the entire summer. During the winter the yurts are also considered the most popular as guests can light a fire.
Keeping the campgrounds clean is one of the priorities at Camp Dakota. Some of the policies to aid in the property's tidiness are that dogs are allowed if they are on a leash and they must be cleaned up after. Additionally, smoking is not allowed indoors but it is acceptable outdoors, and the use of marijuana is prohibited.
The owners enjoy getting feedback from campers and hearing about their overall experience at Camp Dakota. Interacting with guests is something the owners and staff focus on. The majority of visitors discover Camp Dakota on social media or from hearing about it from previous guests. Many former guests give shoutouts to specific staff members in reviews. One particular camper remarked, "There is so much to do there but what really makes the experience above all are the staff members there. They really look after you and help you challenge yourself and are always there to encourage you, no matter what your age." One unique aspect of the staff at Camp Dakota is that each member is given a nickname based on an attribute or something notable that they've done.
The occasional company meeting or family reunion has been known to occur at the campgrounds. These relatively small events are allowed on the property, however, larger events or weddings are typically prohibited. For guests who are hoping to host their wedding at Camp Dakota, the owners direct them to a nearby venue located a few miles down the road from the property. The owners mention that they are happy to answer any questions that campers have regarding their stay. Providing visitors with a smooth booking process is one of the owners' goals. They strive to make reservation options clear during the preplanning and booking process.
In 1969, when the property of Camp Dakota was first purchased by Audine and William, the land was surrounded by trees and considered private residential property. The Winslows and their four children resided in a cabin during the process of adding a permanent home to the newly purchased land. When the permanent home was completed, the family moved into the home, which currently still stands as the primary residence.
The Winslow's Conditional Use permit, which was essentially made to help build the campground, was granted by Marion County in early 1997, and the first ten unapproved sites of Camp Dakota were opened in October 1998. From 1998 to 2005, the Winslow's worked to update and make additions to the property as they built more roads, installed water and electrical connections, and added more campsites, yurts, teepees, plus the shower building.
Camp Dakota has been in business for about 25 years. The current owners have been the original owners since first establishing Camp Dakota. Eventually, in 1996, the Winslow's youngest son, John, developed it into a campground. His intentions had been to make it into a campground from the beginning, and he had always wanted it to be a family-friendly park for visitors of all ages because he himself enjoyed camping. John, his wife Jenifer, and their two sons moved into the original Winslow residence. Over the course of time, John continued to build it and help it grow into what it is now. In 2010 the property became busier, and Jenifer decided to quit her regular job to work full time at Camp Dakota. The owners also began to add more staff. Currently, the campsite employs thirty total seasonal and part-time seasonal staff members.
John and Jenifer gave their two sons jobs at Camp Dakota, with their goal in mind being "to teach them a strong work ethic and how to take responsibility." Additionally, Audine and William work on the property. Though William is retired, he often repairs broken tools and fixes other similar tasks on the campsite while Audine works as the bookkeeper for the camp.
1843 Crooked Finger Rd NE
Scotts Mills, Oregon 97375
United States
Campground
John and Jenifer Winslow
