Albany, OR

[MAMalody]

I will be teaching a CPE class to the OATC in Albany next month and I am wondering what campgrounds are recommended in the area?

[MAMalody]

Any suggestions?

[49merc]

There is a KOA in the area. It's about 5 miles off I5. I'm not familier with it so I can't give you a recommendation either way. Personally I'm not that fond of KOA's.
Bob

[JH Sechelt]

Found this one on the Web, but never been there.
Looks OK

http://www.proaxis.com/~blueoxrvpark/

J&D

[blarkman]

Blue ox is just off I-5 and Hwy 20 and is good campground according to some of our friends who have stayed there. Close to park,food and other ammenities.
bob

[toolmanroy]

I hope it is far enough away from the freeway to escape that lovely smell that Albany is known for.

[blarkman]

What smell!! It has been reduced years ago and Sept in not the rite time if you could smell it. The KOA is on Hwy 34 off I-5 and is about 5-7 miles south of Albany and in the mddle of nowhere. IMHO it would not be a place to stay for 30 days

[TAKPAK]

Go to www.oregonstateparks.org, and then click on the link that says "search for a park". You can select from different areas, which in your case would be the Willamette Valley. Oregon has some great state parks. I live here, and my goal is to try every one of them out. So far I have NOT been disappointed. There are several down in that area, just depends on how close to your job you want to be. The reservation people are very nice and informed. I prefer to call them personally, but you can do it over the internet.

[FlashG]

Blue Ox park is fine.

You may also want to check out Mallard Creek. A really nice park with adjacent golf course.

Mallard Creek is between Albany and Lebanon.

[FlashG]

http://www.mallardcreekgc.com/golf/proto/mallardcreekgc/index.htm

Heres the Mallard Creek link

[MAMalody]

Thanks for the input. I will look into those places.

[blarkman]

If you are looking at Mallard Creek park there is the Waterloo county park just acrossthe river for only around $14 a nite, but then you are getting farther out,BTW Mallard Creek is East of Lebanon.

[Sunshine]

The Blue Ox is where we stay when we go to visit our kids and grandkids. It's a nice park, near I-5 and the management is nice. I lived in Albany for 12 years or so, in sight of the paper mill and there was no smell. The Blue Ox is very convenient.

[toolmanroy]

We drove through there in January of this year and unfortunately the smell was there. Maybe it is not there all the time, but it was there then. I am sure there are many places around Albany that it is not noticeable, and you probably get used to it anyway. We lived outside Chicago for many years and there were far worse smells that others would notice as they came through but we never noticed after a while. I am sorry if pointing that out upset anyone, but I was being honest and hoping he would find a place away from there. I would do the same with pointing out highway/airport/railroad noise, anything that might affect someone's ability to enjoy their stay in any area.

[raja402]

Blarkman,
maybe you can tell them to watch out for the low clearance train underpass in Albany. I'm not sure just where it is, but you have to make a quick exit off a three lane street to miss it. It is not marked well, and it's just about three blocks from where they detour you on the truck route. No time to turn with traffic etc.
This is a voice of experience. Lost everything on top of the Monty, $11,000 dollars later, new roof etc. They just wont fit under an 11' 4" bridge. Truly a bad day.
So maybe you might be familier with the underpass and can pass it on. thanks

[HamRad]

Raja402,

Sure wish you could remember where that low bridge is located in Albany. I'm sorry you had such an expensive adventure. If I had done that I'm sure the exact address would be indelible imprinted in my mind! If you remember where it is located please let us know.

It was just a year ago that we adventured down hwy 99 on the west side of town. I can tell you that it is NOT on that road. So it must be east of there. Wow! We could have ended up going down such a road. One of my big fears is exactly what happened to you.

Thanks for the heads up.

Good luck.

HamRad

[blarkman]

The train bridge is on first avenue down town, one way street going west is now VERy well marked. Besides the flashing lights, warning signs and even have a row of chain hanging down. Kind of hard not to see, but thoses things can happen. This is the road through Albany on the frontage road and does go to Corvallis, but is well marked
bob

[HamRad]

Bob,

Thanks for the info. I figured it had to be downtown somewhere. Glad we didn't have to go that way.

Dennis

[raja402]

Thanks Blarkman for the info and letting others know where the underpass is. After I got home I looked it up and was going to post the info. I was told by some people that during the summer that underpass gets about 3 a week!!!. After I hit the bridge i saw a gal talking on a cell phone. I asked her if she was calling the police and she said no, Burlington Railroad. They have to shcek it each time it gets hit and the police don't even respond when something like that happens she said. I saw one drive by and he never even stopped. Anyway it was one of those OOPS moments where i got trapped in the wrong lane and with the kid screaming in the back and DW on cell phone yacking. well you gan picture the rest. anyway, we survived. also we stayed at the KOA campground and I think the Blue Ox would be my choice. have a good day everyone.

[rldriver]

All the State parks that we have found in Oregon are great.