Mitchell City Park

Not sure what some people are complaining about. This small four site RV “Park” located in a public park in the town of Mitchell, Oregon is perfect if wanting to visit John Day National Monument. Very close to the painted hills and the road to Fossil. For only $25 with electric and water, it's a steal, especially after boon-docking for a few days. Close to a small store that carries a lot of stuff. Plus the Tiger Town Brewing—all any camper needs. Right ? Would definitely stay here again.

Near the painted hills of Oregon! Not much to it, but there are restrooms with running water. Caught a ride from here to the hills for sunset.

Mitchell is a nice little town in central Oregon.

First come first serve spot in Mitchell. Grocery store, cafe and brewery within walking distance. Nice lay over spot with easy access to the painted hills. Sites are close and tight getting into the spot with a trailer….but doable. Friday night of July 4th weekend we were the only ones in the campground. We would stay again if passing through here.

Flush toilets (across the street), water, swing sets and plushy grass for your tent, all for $10. They even have an RV area (more of a parking lot) with water and electric hookups. If you're in the John Day area and all the other campgrounds and booked, this is a decent place to spend a few hours and sleep. There's absolutely no privacy since you're right on the road, but at least it's a bit of a drop down to the grass. You can tell the town is trying, and there's some funky/fun play structures scattered about, though you feel kind of like you're camping in someone's front yard. Mitchell Oregon has some restaurants and antique stores that looked fun but they were all closed by the time we got there. At a minimum, this is a good place to stop, stretch your legs, use the restroom and play a bit, and okay if you need a place to sleep before heading somewhere else and the state park up the road is booked.

Pros: Cheap ($10), decent facilities (watered grass, covered eating area).

Cons: Bathroom across the dusty road. Right in the middle of town/wide open area.

Funny little location that’s basically a school, and yet, you can camp on the nearby grounds. A nice covered place for picnics and a very small playground for little kids is available. Bathroom are across the road. If you need a place to crash and you're stuck, this is not too bad.

I had planned on staying at the Mitchell City Park until I read the other review about this location. It gave me HUGE pause. I'm glad I found the review because when I did check it out there's no way I would have stayed there. It's basically a dirt parking lot with tight, side by side slots. There's power and water, but the water was off as someone had backed over the piping. The other reviewer was also right about the bathroom. It's right across the street and in constant use. If you want a place to camp around The Painted Hills Unit, stay at Ochoco NF park. It's still close and way, way nicer.

This was less of a campsite and more of a place to stay. Youre next to the only public bathrooms between Bend and John Day so prep to stay up all night as trucks roll in and out. Very few food options or grocery stores so come prepared. Right on a road. Close to painted hills, but I'd still try to find better camping.