Few People Know There's A Beautiful State Recreation Area Hiding In This Tiny Oregon Town
By Christy Articola|Published May 18, 2023
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Christy Articola
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Christy Articola has lived in Colorado since 2013 and considers herself a Centennial State enthusiast and expert through and through. She's based in Denver metro, but over the past decade, she has traveled to every corner, river, village, park, town, and city in the state and continues to explore it deeper and further whenever she can. Christy simply can't get enough of Colorado, and loves sharing all her adventures with you through Only In Your State! She graduated with a degree in journalism from Fordham University and is thrilled to be working as a full time travel writer for this and other sites - she finally found her perfect niche - and is so grateful for that.
There’s a state recreation area about an hour east of Salem that’s beautiful you should visit it. However, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve never even heard of it. It’s right next to the town of Detroit, Oregon. Have you heard of that? Probably not – it only has a population of 194.
Unfortunately, much of this area and town burned in 2020 when the Beachie Creek, Lionshead, and P-515 fires merged into one big fire and passed right through town. Over 1,500 structures in Santiam Canyon were destroyed, but the Detroit Lake State Recreation Area adjacent to the town of Detroit is still a wonderful place to spend a weekend. The area is bouncing back and Detroit and surrounding towns can really benefit from tourism and visitors as they rebuild. Read on to learn more about the Detroit Lake State Recreation Area in Oregon and then go there soon!
The small town of Detroit, Oregon, is itty bitty! This small town doesn't have a lot of residents or businesses, but it has plenty for a town of its size, even after the devastating fires that passed through this area in 2020.
The big draw to this area, though, is Detroit Lake State Recreation Area. Detroit Lake is a reservoir that was created in 1953. It's nine miles long and one mile wide, and it has a surface area of 3,500 acres.
The dam was built as part of the Willamette Valley Projects and was initially intended for flood control and power generation. However, today it's mainly used for recreation and to store water for the city of Salem and other nearby communities.
Detroit Lake is a wonderful place for all sorts of water recreation. You'll find boaters here most of the year and there's a marina in Detroit.
Unmotorized water sports are popular here. Kayaking, canoeing, row boating, sailing, and paddle boarding are all things that people love to do on this lake.
Fishing is a popular past time at Detroit Lake. It's stocked annually with 125,000 rainbow trout. You also might catch chinook salmon, brown bullhead catfish, or other species here.
Plus, the lake has 32 miles of shoreline, so there's lots to do on land as well. You can hike around much of the lake and enjoy beautiful views like this one.
There are nearly 300 campsites within this state recreation area. Approximately 107 of them have full hookups, 68 are electric with water, and 96 are tent sites. In the campgrounds, there are flush toilets and showers, swimming areas, firewood, a playground, sports fields and courts, boat ramps, and more!
Detroit Lake State Recreation Area is a special spot in Oregon that you should not overlook. It’s still amazing – even after the fires of 2020 – and it’s calling your name. As you can see, there are plenty of fun things to do there for a weekend – or longer. Book a campsite there this summer and fall in love. You’ll want to go back every year. Visit Detroit and patronize the local businesses and help the fine folks who live in this part of Oregon to rebuild.
If you’re looking for more great places to camp in Oregon, check out our Camping in Oregon page for more inspiration and ideas!
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