Johanna A.recommendsOctober 5, 2020
Awesome Acres River Retreat
Relaxed fun on the river
We had a lot of fun at Awesome Acres! The river is super calm (we stayed in October) and had fun splashing each other with rocks, catching crawdads, hiking up into the mountains (we didn't find any edible mushrooms but did find lots of questionable mushrooms), and playing on the paddleboat (this was my 4yo's absolute favorite thing). My kids (4yo and 2yo) cried when it was time to go home.
Also Travis was really quite helpful to us. He showed us around, talked to us about the property, and made us feel very welcome upon arrival. Plus when my son accidentally cut himself with a swiss army knife, Travis helped us figure out where to go for help (my son ended up needing 4 stitches) and then provided us with children's tylenol at 11:30pm when we got back from the ER. I would definitely say he went above and beyond.
Because I like to write fully honest reviews, I will say a couple negatives. Note that none of these would prevent us from coming back - just things to be aware of. First, the grass in the field where the tents were pitched is really quite long and dew would fall in the night so as I walked around I got alllll wet (plus the dog would run through the wet grass and then jump in the tent with super wet feet constantly too which was annoying). Again, not a deterrent, but I might have brought more wetness appropriate shoes.
Second, the well water smelled... bad. My kids had a hard time drinking it and when we got home my son gave my daughter a cup of water and said 'don't worry - this isn't well water so it's safe to drink', haha. I drank the water the whole time and didn't get sick so I know it's safe to drink but I might have brought different water for the kids to drink, or just planned to use that water for washing dishes.
Last, Travis has some dogs he keeps off leash. It's totally fine - they were friendly and interacted well with my dog and my kids, but it is something to be aware of when you're planning to come. Oh, sometimes they barked in the middle of the night too... that and the rooster that crowed in the middle of the morning summarized the night sounds.
Okay so to summarize. Grounds are great and expansive so you can find something to do even if you don't like the water. Host is exceptional and highly attentive to needs. Some things to be aware of before you come, but don't let it prevent you from coming - the experience is amazing!
Chris T.recommendsSeptember 20, 2020
Awesome Acres River Retreat
Lots of privacy and great times by the river.
Amy B.recommendsSeptember 20, 2020
Awesome Acres Group Site
Such fun!
We really enjoyed our stay at the group site! There were 14 of us with plenty of room for our trailers and people. We loved walking to the river and catching crawdads. Our weekend was a bit rainy but still so amazing. We will be back!
Gavin L.recommendsSeptember 20, 2020
Awesome Acres River Retreat
Peaceful and beautiful campground
We had a great time! Travis is so welcoming and flexible. The campsite was cozy and there is so much to explore and enjoy. 10/10 will be back!
Kristie C.September 10, 2020
Awesome Acres Group Site
HipCamp: Our first adventure...
Travis was a friendly host that came around to everyone's campsite to make sure everything was going well. The group camp site #2 we selected said that it had a view of the Wilson River, but it did not. The group campsite was not a typical group site (a bit smaller than expected), but we were able to squish our tents in closely.
The river was easily accessible through a short trail and was very private. However, most of the other campsites did a have a beautiful view of the river. A two person paddle board and camp chairs were at the river for anyone to use. This was a fun feature of the camp.
There were only two port-o-potty's, (which we knew about this ahead of time), but they were very odorous. Double masking it, helped with the smell.
Overall, I would mostly recommend this HipCamp to others.
Scott C.recommendsSeptember 10, 2020
Awesome Acres River Retreat
Was a very nice spot for a end of summer get away was able to explore the Vernonia area for the first time and we are looking forward to returning for a concert event.