Very uncomfortable night, tent sites were on gravel. However, very nice staff & clean facilities.
Every site has a Mountain View. Sites right next to dirt road so it can be pretty dusty.
Nice private sites in the trees with a few having lake views. Beautiful hike around the lake.
Forested Campground in Willamette National Forest on the banks of a river. However, location location location. If you camp here you’ll want to get a spot on the river side and you can hear the rushing of the creek.
However, the whole campground is right next to Highway 22, so even if you are lucky enough to be camping on the river side and hearing the river you may still hear the freeway. If you are stuck on the inland spots you literally can walk out of your tent and onto the highway within 10 feet.
Drinking water available on site along with vault toilets. Mostly tent campers and small RVs or trailers. Very cheap as its on National Forest land.
Tumalo State Park is one of my favorite state parks in one of my favorite areas of the state. The camp hugs the Tumalo River (though no campsites are along the river). There’s an awesome but well-loved day use area with swimming and barbecues. You can tube along the basalt rock wall and there's a grassy area for picnics.
The campsites include tent and electric RV sites nestled up against basalt rock hills. Sparsely forested, so plenty of sun, but some sites also have shade. Flush toilets, showers, and very cool yurts that are popular.
Minutes from downtown Bend if you want to get fancy, but also located next to all the outdoor hiking, biking, fishing, and rafting activities in the area. Gets very crowded due to it’s proximity to Bend, especially the day use area.
Deep in the Willamette National Forest but right off Highway 22, this secluded campground has nice campsites that are fenced with a wooden corral.
Loads of shade as it’s right in the forest. You can heat the river and there are short hikes next to the creek side. The camp site is just behind a fish hatchery which is pretty cool to check out with the kids.
Water on site. Vault toilets. Very affordable for tent and RV.
This is a great campground if you're looking for something right off the road. We were able to snag a reservation here for labor day this summer, and it was a perfect place for us. The site we stayed at was just up the hill from the water, there were few other campers around us, and the site was well maintained. The only downside, and probably the reason we were able to grab a spot so close to labor day weekend, is that this site is almost directly next to the highway. The traffic noise wasn't horrible, but it definitely detracted from the outdoorsy experience. I'd still recommend this site because of how beautiful the water is, and if you walk just like 5-10 minutes towards the water you'll forget the road is even there!
There are 2 Campground’s in the same area with similar names the one we stayed at didn’t have a pier and the other one did. Since we stayed here in October we really didn’t need a reservation but we didn’t know that prior. It would of been easier just to show up because the one we stayed at was hard to find. Anyway we were practically the only ones there. The reservoir is contaminated. There is duck hunting allowed here which is weird being such a small place. There’s really no place to hike and that’s what we like to do but it’s close to Smith Rock which is Amazing and I recommend you go there but stay away from the edge because it’s dangerous. Smith Rock is a State Park with Spectacular beauty in a canyon like setting.
We glamped here in our 32 foot c class motor home on October 13. Super quite as it is deep in the National Forest. Dry camping only. There is a dump close to the park entrance for $10.00 but no potable fill or Sani flush water was working when we were there. Fun hikes all around.
I was super desperate when I pulled into this campground at 10 pm. 15 felt like a steep price for what it was, primitive camping with vault toilets, but the sunrise was pretty spectacular, and there is pretty convenient lake access, for those who need that. As I showed up so late, I car camped so can't say anything about the tent spots, but there are big RV spots.
This small campground is one of many along the Crooked Wild and Scenic River. It has only 7 spots, 1 being a group site. The campground sits between the Crooked River and The highway. Luckily the highway is not a busy one and traffic didn't cause too much noise at night. The spots were large and could fit multiple tents or some RV's depending on size. Some of the spots were next to the River while a couple were nearby the river and more next to the highway. There were several river access spots for people looking to fish. I did stay here during hunting season, so a lot of the people camping looked like hunters and were firing off guns very early in the morning.
There was 1 pit toilet and trash bins, but no potable water.
I would recommend this campground if you find yourself in this area. Does seem like it could fill up in the summer.
So when I first found this campground I wasn't sure what to expect being as reviews and info were sparse so I'll do me best to sum it up. Things to know that arent stated. It is free may require NW forest pass. It's a drive, hike, bike and walk in. I didn't see any spots big enough for RV but there is space to park that isn't officially a site.
Location: Beautiful sits about 5,000 feet right off McKenzie Pass Road (closed from November to June)
Sites: I saw 6 drive in with fire ring, picnic table also 2 vault toilets…. There's more walk/ hike in but we had to much gear to do that.
Directions: Very easy to find spots all along lake and Google maps took us right to spots.
Activities: Great! Had a kayak/boat launch also had the Scott Mountain TH right there within 1/4 walking distance on dirt road. It seems that a forest fire was pretty recent ontop but the grounds seemed kind of untouched
Warnings: This was my first time up this pass. Elevation is very high which means incremental weather. Aka woke up in October with snow which happened to us.
Overall 5 stars must visit. We will be coming back next year when less snow and road reopens
I stayed in a yurt in this campground and had a great time. Beautiful scenery coupled with a short distance to the ocean make this a great spot. There is easy access to the bathroom and the layout of the paths and the road make this site very easy to navigate and enjoy.
This small campground sits alongside Candle Creek and is awesome. The sites are huge and the creek provides great white noise. The sites are large and can fit multiple tents. I put my hammock up and relaxed all weekend.
Please note, it is easy to get lost following the android directions. I followed my phone and went way in the wrong direction before turning around. If in doubt the camp host at one of the many other campgrounds along the road gave great directions. Also the road did have big pot holes that could be difficult for low clearance vehicles.
There is also no potable water, so bring your own.
This campground is a hidden gem on the west side of Big Lake! Its a smaller, quieter campground compared to the much larger campground across the lake. All of the spots are lake side, and the spots are huge. I had the spot at the very end, which was also the Patjens Lake Trail-head. People using the trail-head did create a bit of noise throughout the day, but died down once it got dark. The campground design and past fire scars created a unique camping experience. If you have a trailer, please note the actual table/spot/lake was a distance from where trailers had to park on the road. Also slides could not hangover the road.
The best part of the campground is the view! A full view of Mt. Washington. Also having full access to the lake. If you are going to be in this area, I highly recommend this campground!
This campground sits next to Suttle Lake. It was a great campground that was a short walk to the lodge where there are water sports rentals, a camp store, and small deli. The spot was very large and could have fit a large group with lots of spots for multiple tents. The campground is a very popular one so reservations have to be made months in advance. I booked exactly 6 months before and all of the lake side spots were gone. The one con was the highway on the opposite side of the lake, which with it's down hill grade meant loud semi's, ambulance/police activity which went kind of late into the night. Also recommend getting firewood before getting to the campground bundles were twice as much as the bundles 12 miles away in Sisters. Overall great campground
This campground is located on the shores of Lost Lake, with amazing views of Mt. Hood. It is a very popular campground, it took me years to finally get a spot which I had to book exactly 6 months before. Because of it being so popular, it was very busy and completely full. Thankfully due to it's large size it doesn't fell as crowded as you would think. There are so many activities offered such as water sport rentals, trail around the lake, various trails linking the different camping sections to the resort, a full camp store, movies at night and so much more. We were in loop D which is kind of in the middle of the campground, and a bit of a walk to the resort and a very long walk to the horse/group camping sites. Would recommend bikes to get around. We SUP'd around the lake and it was amazing. The site we had was kind of open and had a great view of the toilets and parking for the near by walk in sites. I really enjoyed this campground and would definitely go back.
There appears to be some confusion over "Lost Lake campgrounds", there are more than one in Oregon.
One in Mt Hood and this one on the Santiam Pass area.
This one is a few spacious ,nice campsites spaced out around seasonal lake.
The lake dissapears down some lava tubes under the surface, so by high summer there is just a swamp with some pools.
Nice place to see wild life,
There is a couple of vault toilets buts its a long walk from most campsites during the night.
very peaceful even if its just off the main highway.
I loved campng here this summer.
Its free and the road is pretty rough, but i managed to get the old beater Grand Caravan up there..carefully but it can be done.
Like others have said there was a major wild fire run right through the area, but its beginning to recover.
The 2 bests spots with magnificent views over the lake are at the very top of the campground.
You can easily walk around the small lake , its an easy comfortable hike.
Talking about hikes one of the main entry points the the PCT is just don from the camp ground..most weekends in the summer there is a lot of activity there
I love this place, its usually quiet even in Summer and has no cell service whatsoever.
A great place to wander around, do some trails near by then settle down by the campfire with a good book,
It is only a few 100 yards from 22 but you cant really hear much traffic.
My favorite thing to do here on a summer night is to take my chir down beside the hatchery and just watch the stars. Magical
One bad thing i have found is its not well patrolled and now and again some homelsss people take a site..but they seem cool.
Lovely park with traditional amenities. Bathrooms, showers, electricity, firewood for purchase.
Pros:
1. Mountain biking and recreational biking. On trails of all difficulties
2. Hikes from easy to difficult
3. This part of the Deschutes river is very easy to navigate. Great for a beginner or trying out a new boat.
4. Close to the city of LaPine and Sunriver
5. Affordable for the amenities available
6. Close to Paulina and East Lakes. Those campgrounds are hard to get a reservation in.
Cons:
1. Campground roads are extremely bumpy and need repair. Very hard to ride a bike on, and I'd say, very dangerous. The North Loop where I camped was the worst.
2. yellow Jackets abundant in September, not sure how bad it must have been in the middle of summer.
Very clean state park campground. Camp hosts were awesome, other campers very respectful. Very close to town and nature. Most full hookup sites seemed easy to maneuver with RV/trailer. We had 30’ TT and had no issues. Nice paved sites with bench and fire pit. Book early!
North Waldo has great beaches. Some of the sites are huge. Many are lake front.
Not a bad place, the ground is sloped but very doable for tents. The road is really nice and car worthy. I was on my motorcycle and went off the back south side which I would not recommend for a family car.
12 is great. #11 is pretty good. There are several that are great to group together for a few families or group. Gateway to many hikes -short drive on scenic hwy. and lakes. Cheap and reservable.
We stayed on a Sunday night so there weren’t many people. Our site was next to the creek and it was a short walk to the lake. Sites aren’t close together. Would like to go back.
This is a very pretty medium-sized lake. The sites are fairly large and well spaced, so you don't feel too cramped. There's an easy 4-mile trail around the lake, right at the water's edge most of the time.
We were attending the Sisters Folk Festival, so we were mostly at our site for sleeping and breakfast. It would be a good central point for exploring the Metolius River area and for hiking.
The campground was clean and generally well-maintained. A few drawbacks: There's no electricity for RVs, so several had generators coming on and off. There are also not clearly marked paths to the vault toilets, so you feel like you're walking through other people's sites. Our site was along the rim, so we had nobody walking through.
Overall, we had a nice experience.
Ranger review of Banner and Oak Baseball hats at French Pete campground, Oregon.
As a Ranger for the Dyrt I have the pleasure and opportunity to test and review product every so often, this is my review of the Banner and Oak "Sierra" and "Nebo" baseball hats; conducted at French Pete campground off hwy 126 in Oregon.
Campground Review
French Pete campground is a smaller, somewhat primitive campground located in Oregon, Off hwy 126 and the Aufderheide forest road #19. It has less than 20 sites, two pit toilets, water and trash services and costs less than $20 per night. They also offer wood sales from the onsite camp host. French Pete is not a year round campground, and does not offer full hookups.
My site, #16 was in the rear off the grounds right on the small river that feeds the Mckenzie. It being late August the river was low, but you could tell that if you stayed in spring during the snow melt, the river would come right up to your "doorstep" or tent step; if you will.
Within the campground there is not much for the kids other than enjoying nature and learning the outdoors. Up hwy126 though, you will find many hiking opportunities and waterfalls such as Tamolich blue pool, and Sahalie/Koosah falls. They are some distance from the site, but are highly suggested for anyone who enjoys the scenery Oregon has to offer. If you don't want to venture too far, there is the French Pete trail across from the campground, and just a ways back down 19 is a very popular (clothes optional) "Terwilliger" hot springs. Just be ready, as this is the most popular hot springs around this area.
Overall a decent campground off the beaten path, I suggest bringing all your necessitates with you as it is a trek to get back to services and would break the solitude that this campground offers.
Product review
Banner and Oak are U.S.A. based and everything is made here as well. They offer clothing geared towards the outdoors and have a small selection of apparel based accessories.
I chose the "Nebo" baseball hat; named for the mountain, and the "Sierra" baseball hat; not sure of the origin of that name…
Both hats are ol' school snapback, with high crowns and a slight curve to the bill. Personally I prefer fully curved bills like I used to wear playing baseball. You can hand curve these to fit your style, but I noticed that they don't hold a curve too well. No biggy, just means I have to re-curve each time I wear them.
They are very well made, with stitched on patches and outdoors inspired logos. I have received many compliments on how they look and how they fit. I recommend checking out their site to see if you can find a style you like, you wont be disappointed.
Close to Bend, but far enough to feel you are really getting away. We came in mid May, risking temperamental spring weather. Yep, it rained all but a few hours. Stopped just long enough to wet our kayaks and get in a few hours of paddling before sunset. There were a lot of mosquitos because of the wet and the temps were chilly. We’ve also been here in the summer, which made us want to come back. The campgrounds are full in the summer season. There is a minimum stay time of two nights. There is fresh water available as well as pit toilets and wash up water dump wells, not to be mistaken as a sanitary dump. There is a boat ramp, with rental boats and a store if you need it. I think we will try it in the fall to avoid crowds and mosquitos next time.