Jones Canyon Campground — Lower Deschutes Wild And Scenic River

Really cool getaway with about 10 sites. Pretty exposed and near a moderately trafficked gravel road is the only complaint. The cars on that road throw up a lot of dust but the vehicles are mostly white water rafters traveling to and from drop off/pick up spots + the road leads to a dead end eventually.

Very low light pollution for awesome stargazing and there’s tons of wildlife.

We stayed here in April and got lucky with beautiful 70° weather. It's a great spot- easy to get to from Hwy 216. There are some gravel roads but they are well kept. I don't think you would need a 4x4 car. We tent camped but other spots had camping trailers. There weren't hookups but there was a clean pit toilet (stocked with TP 👏). The river seemed accessible from most camping spots, if not all. Each site had a table and fire pit. These are first come first serve and there is a fee, so bring cash. We got their Friday evening and the only spot left was the group spot which was $25 a night in the off season (more during the summer). The spot was away from others so we had privacy, which was great and worth the extra cost. One thing to note is that there are ticks. We didn't get any on us but our dogs did. Thankfully they are on medicine for that so it wasn't too bad. I definitely recommend this campground. Everyone was fishing and kayaking and it is absolutely beautiful there!

I love that it only has 10 sites and is super close to the river!  The canyon is beautiful and it was a pleasant surprise as I’ve never been to this area.  I loved cooling off in the water.  There are a lot of sharp prickly things all over so bring good shoes!  Vault toilets and no water so come prepared!