Rethinking camping

The Mount Hood National Forest's White River Station campground offers a no-frills deal: 10 bucks gets you a picnic table made from a split log, a fire pit, a dusty patch to pitch a tent, a nearby outhouse and a mesmerizing view of the gurgling White River and forested slopes glowing in the sun. But it's a deal that may not last. The U.S. Forest Service is rethinking how many recreation facilities it can keep up as funding for campgrounds, picnic areas and trails dries up. As the Mount Hood forest considers its choices, smaller, less-used sites such as this one may get farmed out to concessionaires or volunteers -- or even closed.