Hilgard Junction State Park — Attraction in La Grande

I have been meaning to stop by here for years now. Of course, on our way back from visiting family in another state, we finally made it...on the heels of record heat temps for the PNW. At this park, in the blues...it was ninety degrees. We tried to stop on the way out. It was just shy of triple digets that day, so we skipped it. I would have loved to stay and walk down the creek a bit. It was not busy at all. However, I have very low tolerance for exposure to heat. So, I walked down by the creek, took a quick video to share with family and enjoyed the view for about five minutes before I could feel the heat taking it's toll. If we are passing through another year...when it's not setting record temps for heat, I'd like to stop again. As is, it's a welcome stop to stretch, take a flushing toilet-potty break and get the wiggles out. There are larger, slanted spots to park a medium sized RV or a truck and trailer, but this parking lot is not suited for larger RV's or semis. There are camping spots on the south side of the same highway exit. You pass the offshoot, on the left, as you head into this...

It was a basic little camping area, with only water provided. All sites are pull/back-in with a water spigot every other spot, and had burn rings for fires or cooking. The only facilities provided was a bathroom, no showers. The area was nice, with plenty of trees to provide shade at a lot of spots. The river running down the length of the campground was a nice addition, and made for a peaceful environment. The only downfall was that the geese were here, and there was a decent amount of their droppings all over the ground towards the end of the park. Other than that, you can't beat the price to stop and relax for a...

Driving out to the dunes, there were people using little boards to try and ride down the dunes. Not sure how successful they were. ;) There is a nice, shaded path along the pond at the end of the park where the picnic shelter is. Beyond the shade, the sand was too hot for our dogs paws so we turned back. There was a family celebrating a birthday in the large shaded picnic shelter. The kids were wading in a small inlet. In addition to being a nice day trip spot, there are two campgrounds for...