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Windward's Campground

Host your event while supporting a worthy cause!

Event Rentals | Basic Rental Facilities | Additional Facilities for Rent

(509) 369-2000 | Windward@gorge.net | 55 Windward lane, Wahkiacus, WA 98670

Guidelines | Directions | Campground Map

Windward's Campground
At a Glance:

  • 90 Mile east of Portland,

  • Rural location, renowned for it's privacy, security and quiet.

  • 40 acres of campground. Ample for events over 300 people.

  • Additional 20+ acres of forest outside camping area to roam.

  • Permanent onsite toilets (no need to order them in!)

  • Per person rates mean you pay for the actual number of attendees.

  • 15 min. from Klickitat River, 45 min. from Columbia River.

  • Kitchen, cooler and shower facilities for rent.

This forty acre private campground is part of the 130 acre Stewardship Forest that the Windward Center manages. Located on a plateau just above the Klickiat river, the campground is secluded enough for privacy, while only minutes away from Highway 142 and offering ready access to the wonderful natural attractions of the Klickitat river valley.

The campground was originally developed as a site for historical re-renactments. Accordingly it offers a very natural setting with little in the way of modern construction to spoil the effect. Perfect for groups wanting to maintain a natural feel, it offers a blank canvas for your event to paint on.

Over the years we've added amenities such as hot water showers, outdoor cooking facilities, cold food storage, improved roads and water lines. Currently, the campground is the setting of a variety of events such as seasonal celebrations of earth-based spiritual communities, annual workshop events for permaculture students and primitive skills enthusiasts, and groups of grade-schoolers wanting to experience nature and learn about the sustainability projects underway at Windward.

The campground is an outgrowth of the Windward Education and Research Center, a non-profit research cooperative focused on modeling sustainability at the rural village scale. Funds raised from camping fees go towards improving the campground facilities and supporting the Center's educational programs.

Contact us by sending an email to Windward(at)gorge.net. Tell us about what you are wanting to do and we can go from there!

The campground is not open to the general public, so we're not set up to accommodate "drop in" campers. The campground is available for events and for those who are supporting the research the Windward Center does by becoming a True Fan.


Event Site Rentals

We use the concept of "people days" to calculate site rental fees. Every person on site for at least 12 hours, or for a period from noon to noon, constitutes one "person day". This means that events that use the campground only pay for the number of people who actually show up to attend their event.

Rate: $5 per person per day.

For events over 300 people days a non-refundable $500 down payment is required at the time the event is booked.

Basic site rental includes the use of the following campground facilities:

  • Tent camping in establshed campsites throughout Windwards 40 acre campground.
  • Vault Toilets, 23 separate stalls arranged in clusters of four are located near other key facilities.
  • Adirondack Camping Shelter, Eight 4'x8' bunks which can sleep 2 people each.
  • 2 Meeting Yurts, 20ft diameter meeting yurts with light-filled fabric roof.
  • Event barn, open air barn space for gathering, meals, workshops and more.
  • Ecstatic Dance Firepit, large firepit with open flat surroundings suitable for ecstatic dance, drum circles, story circles, etc.
  • Car and RV Parking, room for 100+ cars and a dozen RV's.
  • Dinning Area, outdoor picnic tables and straw bales.
  • "Dead Fall" wood for fires in pre-constructed fire pits. Dead fall means dead limbs which have fallen to the forest floor.

Insurance

If your event is uninsured, and the event is under 150 people, Windward can cover your event on it's general liability insurance for an additional cost of $1 per person per day. Windward is unable to insure groups larger than 150 people.

Here is a copy of Windward's general release of liability waiver for review.

All events must show proof of insurance before the event can take place. If you're uncertain where to obtain event insurance, check with us and we can let you know the agencies that other events are using.


Basic Campground Rental Facilities

Permanent Vault Toilets

24 permanent vault toilets arranged in clusters of four toilets.

3 clusters are located in the main 40 acre campground, 1 cluster is located near the parking area, 1 cluster is located near the large dance firepit, and 1 cluster is located in the western end of the property near a more secluded meeting yurt. Each toilet has a 55 gallon capacity and is routinely pumped by a commercial service company.

The 3 primary quad clusters represent a capacity large enough to handle 300+ people over the course of a 3 day weekend. Longer events usually require pumping every 3-4 days.

Meeting Yurts

Meeting yurts decked out in festival fair. (Interior fabric/pillows not included in rental)

Two 20ft diameter yurt structures are located in the campground. The fabric cover is included in the use of the campground if so desired. The fabric, pillows and interior decoration are not included in the campground. Events need to provide their own materials of this kind.

Use of the Meeting Yurts are included in the basic event rental rate.

8 Bunk Camping Shelter

An Adirondack style bunk house, with 8 oversized beds. Sleeps up to 8 couples, with room to view the stars while still being under cover from rain!

A separate page about the camping structure

Established Campsites


A view of an average firepit both day and night. Enough for a dozen or more people to gather around.

More than a dozen established firepits stretched out over 40 acres. Close enough for community, far enough apart for privacy with many different locations to choose from.

Event Barn


The Event barn can be used to serve food prepared by the event. This area includes a hot/cold water sink and a 8'x5' walk-in cooler.

A large open air barn space for events, meals, workshops and more.

Large Firepit Area


A large open cleared flat ground with a central firepit, perfect for large gatherings around a fire, or for movement related activities. It has been used by several events for 100+ person ecstatic dances.

This area is located outside of the camping area, so late night activity does not intrude on sleeping campers.

This area has good acoustics. It is the best place on the property for moderately amplified music or drum circles.

Parking and RV camping

A large section of Windward's pasture is set aside for parking. We have managed to get 100+ cars into this area without problems.

RV camping spaces are available on the east end of the campground, away from the kitchen and other central campground features. There is space for 6-12 RV's.


Additional Facilities for Rent

Main Event Kitchen


The front section of the kitchen opens into the event barn.


The rear section of the outdoor kitchen is secluded from view and includes rustic wood-fired cooking options such as the barrel-oven and spit-roasting oven.

Kitchen equipment included in the kitchen usage knives, cutting boards, hotel pans, metal bowls, hot/cold running water to dish-washing sinks.

Rate: Use of the event kitchen is $50 per day.

Walk-in Cooler


A built-in walk-in cooler is attached to the main event kitchen. It's use is not included in the use of the kitchen, requiring an additional charge. The cooler's interior is eight by five feet and offers sixty-six linear feet of stainless shelving.

Rate: $30 per day

Showers




A view of the closed shower stalls (left), shower shelving (top right), and open air shower platform (top left)

In a secluded nook outside of the main camping area sits a 4 stall shower house featuring 2 closed stalls and an open-air shower platform with 2 shower heads and a peaceful view of the forest.

Rate: included in the basic campground rental.

Trash Disposal

Event Organizers can contract with the campground to remove trash which has been consolidated and bagged, food scraps from the kitchenm, as well as readily biodegradable materials such as cardboard boxes.

If no arrangement is made, trash must be hauled out by the organization putting on the event. Leaving trash on site will adversely influence our desire to work with your group in the future.

Rate: $20 per day of an event. That means for every 100 people onsite for 1 day, trash hauling is $20.

Campground Rates at a Glance

  • Basic Site Rental = $6.50 per person per day
  • Events of 300+ People-Days = non-refundable $500 down payment 1 month in advance.
  • Event Kitchen = $50 per day
  • Walk-in Cooler = $30 per day
  • Trash Hauling = $20 per day of event.