Lacamas Lake & the Heritage Trail
Lacamas Lake is the big one — a long, narrow lake on the north side of town. The Lacamas Heritage Trail runs about 3.5 miles along the western shore between Heritage Park (boat launch, dock, picnic areas) and the Camas Meadows area: flat, mostly gravel, shaded, and busy with runners, dog walkers, and strollers every day of the year. Kayaks and paddleboards launch easily from Heritage Park, and calm mornings on the water here are as good as the Northwest gets.
Lacamas Regional Park & Round Lake
At the south end of the lake system, Lacamas Regional Park wraps around Round Lake with a network of forested loops that feel far wilder than their address. Highlights:
- Round Lake Loop — an easy ~1.2-mile circuit, the town's default family walk.
- The Potholes & Lower Falls — Lacamas Creek drops through basalt pools and a genuinely scenic waterfall; best flow in winter and spring.
- Camas Lily Loop — in April, the prairie above the lake turns violet-blue with the wild camas flowers the city is named for. It's the signature local sight; go on a weekday if you can.
Know before you go: Trails are open dawn to dusk and dogs must be leashed. The Potholes area has steep, slick rock near the water — beautiful, but keep kids and dogs close. Swimming in the creek pools is unsafe when flows are up.
Fallen Leaf Lake & the neighborhood parks
Fallen Leaf Lake Park, tucked beside the regional park, is the quiet third lake — picnic tables, a dock, and summer swimmers. Around town you'll also find Crown Park (the classic in-town park near downtown, with an updated playground and summer events), Grass Valley Park, Forest Home Park, Goot Park, and Louis Bloch Park's ballfields at the edge of downtown. For a town this size, the parks system is genuinely oversized — a legacy of the mill-town era and deliberate city planning since.
Beyond city limits
Camas sits at the western gate of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Within 20–45 minutes: the Cape Horn loop, Beacon Rock's switchback climb, Hamilton Mountain's waterfalls, and the Washougal River's swimming holes. Mount St. Helens and Mt. Hood are both realistic day trips. If you're moving here for the outdoors, the in-town trails are the daily habit and the Gorge is the weekend.
What locals actually bring
The year-round Camas trail kit is simple: waterproof trail shoes (the Heritage Trail drains well, the forest loops don't), a light rain shell from October through May, and a headlamp for winter after-work walks when dusk lands at 4:30. Paddlers should note that Lacamas is calm and beginner-friendly, and an inflatable paddleboard fits Camas garage life better than you'd think.