Trout Creek Campground is a fun, family campground situated along the South Santiam River, 20 miles east of the town of Sweet Home, Oregon. Many of the 24 sites are right on the river, tucked under the cool shade of Douglas-fir and Hemlock trees. The campground was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s and includes a welcoming day use shelter with a fireplace and five pull-through RV parking loops and a mix of standard parking spurs. Drinking water is from a hand pump well. Parking spurs are gravel and roads are paved. Firewood is available for a fee.
Wading and fishing are popular in the river and hikers enjoy easy access to the 2.8-mile Trout Creek Trail and the short Walton Ranch Interpretive Trail.
The Menagerie Wilderness can be accessed from the Trout Creek Trail, so hikers and backpackers can explore the area's extensive system of trails. Rooster Rock Trail is just across the road. This 3.3 (one-way) mile trail provides access to Rooster Rock, a stone pinnacle in the Menagerie Wilderness popular among rock climbers (rated 5.4). Additional nearby pinnacles are rated up to 5.9.
Visit the old Santiam Wagon Road, a historic trail used to transport livestock east across the Cascade Mountains to central Oregon's grasslands.