Patrick Creek Campground

Patrick Creek is absolutely gorgeous! Rating low because we got devoured by No-see-ums which since I hadn’t encountered before caused allergic reaction

Decent clean campground. A bit close to the busy highway, but also close to a beautiful creek with lots of side trails to explore.

This would have been 5 stars except for the clouds of mosquitoes that were there along with us. Other than that, a nice, clean, and quiet (after the road traffic died down in the evening) place to camp. Lots of nice hikes nearby.

Our campsite was, and most campsites are, very close to a major highway (199), which does not look like much on the map, but which carried continuous loud big truck traffic all night long (this was early August). It was impossible to sleep there, in tents, and we left after one night. Other than that, the campground is lovely and right next to the Smith river.
The campground is also in walking distance of an historic inn, a good place to get a meal or a beer.

I’ve been coming to this campground for decades. It’s simple, small and closer to the highway that. Might be ideal but I prefer it to the larger campgrounds in the area. It’s clean and friendly with the lodge across the road for firewood. Plenty of water access and pleasant walks. We usually drive down the road to a sandy swimming hole for the day, grab a few essentials at Gasquet and head back into camp to explore.

Loved the river access!

I was really looking forward to getting to this campground. When I got there, I was not happy with my choice.
#1. Right on the road. Good thing it was not too busy, but the truck traffic was loud and annoying.
#2. The camp had an odd vibe. I cannot express better than that. From the moment I set up, all I wanted to do was get the heck out of there.
Camp was clean, well set up, and right on the river.
Just that vibe, will not return.

We had a very nice time here five months ago. The creek was beautiful and fun to wade in. However, it would have been nice to know ahead of time about poisonous snakes. 10/10 place, if they had shirts we would wear them to rep this campground.

The Smith River is beautiful, clear, and very cold. Our site was right above the river, about 30' above, so no direct access from the site as it was on a cliff. The view was great; the sound of the river rapids was constant and enjoyable. The campground itself was clean and well kept including the bathrooms. We had a five minute walk through the campground to the river access area which is fairly rocky, but spots of finer gravel can be found to sit and enjoy. A nice paved path goes along the river and under the highway and up to Patrick Creek Lodge. Not a lot of hiking directly out of the camp, so after seeing what there is nearby, you'll have to go for a drive to see other sites. Plenty to see in the area. And like I said, the river was very cold which kept us from staying in the water long. Our visit was on the first open weekend in May after the COVID-19 closures. If that is still a concern when you are reading this, plenty of space to keep your distance from the other campers.

It would be a 5 star campground if it wasn't on the highway. Being down in the canyon like it is, the loud motorcycles and trucks really stand out, so if you don't like vehicle noise, I don't recommend staying, and that is why I give it a lower rating. It wasn't bad at night, but we were sleeping in our trailer which insulates the noise a fair bit. And it wasn't as bad down at the river. When they built the campground almost a century ago, I'm sure the highway wasn't such a problem. If you don't mind highway noise, hey, lucky you, you can really enjoy the campground.

Excellent campground quiet spaces are big enough for three tents if needed, facilities are always clean and well stocked.