Are you planning a dispersed camping trip to Blue River? We've got you covered. Here you'll find a diverse selection of places to camp, including remote dispersed camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. Each dispersed site offers quick access to one or more of Blue River's most popular destinations.
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means there are no toilets, no picnic tables, no trash cans, no treated water, and no fire grates. If you are dispersed camping in the winter, recognize that the Forest Service does not plow or maintain Forest Roads in the winter, so plan your trip accordingly.
Typically, dispersed camping is NOT allowed in the vicinity of developed recreation areas such as campgrounds, boat ramps, picnic areas or trailheads. There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It's your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience.
Picking a Campsite If you are going to an area where others have camped before, pick a site that's been used before. Plants, soil and wildlife are impacted by new campsites, so using existing ones will minimize your impact on the forest. If there is no existing campsite, then follow these Leave No Trace guidelines:
Camp on bare soil if possible, to avoid damaging or killing plants and grass. Do NOT camp within 200 feet of any water source, plants near water are especially fragile. Don't camp in the middle of a clearing or meadow. Make your campsite less visible so that other visitors will see a "wild" setting. Don't try to level or dig trenches in the ground at your campsite. Select a campsite with good natural drainage. Visit the Leave No Trace website for more information.
Campfires Campfires are allowed when you are dispersed camping UNLESS there are fire restrictions in effect due to high fire danger conditions. It is YOUR responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before you go camping.
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means there are no toilets, no picnic tables, no trash cans, no treated water, and no fire grates. If you are dispersed camping in the winter, recognize that the Forest Service does not plow or maintain Forest Roads in the winter, so plan your trip accordingly.
Typically, dispersed camping is NOT allowed in the vicinity of developed recreation areas such as campgrounds, boat ramps, picnic areas or trailheads. There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It's your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience.
If you are going to an area where others have camped before, pick a site that's been used before. Plants, soil and wildlife are impacted by new campsites, so using existing ones will minimize your impact on the forest. If there is no existing campsite, then follow these Leave No Trace guidelines:
Camp on bare soil if possible, to avoid damaging or killing plants and grass. Do NOT camp within 200 feet of any water source, plants near water are especially fragile. Don't camp in the middle of a clearing or meadow. Make your campsite less visible so that other visitors will see a "wild" setting. Don't try to level or dig trenches in the ground at your campsite. Select a campsite with good natural drainage. Visit the Leave No Trace website for more information.
Campfires Campfires are allowed when you are dispersed camping UNLESS there are fire restrictions in effect due to high fire danger conditions. It is YOUR responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before you go camping.
Scout
Quiet, close to Bend, numerous sites in Ponderosa forest.
Traveler
Maybe 15min outside bend, a little hard to see the turn off in the dark, but once we did it was easy to find a spot and set up camp! We only stayed one night and were car camping so it was perfect!
Guide
Ok site. Not especially scenic, but good outdoor space with lots of owl and bug noise at night.
Right next to road. Cars come by somewhat regularly, at some speed, kicking up dust.
There is an open spot suitable for solar and starlink.
Guide
Only about 70 yards from main road. Super fine dust, everything will be dirty.
Tall trees so no good vantage point for starlink or solar.
No water features right at site.
Guide
Amazing views. Access to water. Gorgeous sunsets. Not far from toilet if you're up for a walk, or have wheels. Firepits. This site has it all.
Room to back in 15' trailer to camp or of.
Early October, 70 f during day 30 f at night.
ScoutThere are several spots off of the road to the Spark Lake Day Use area. The road is very rough, but taken slow does not require a 4wd.
Traveler
Closed due to fire damage
TravelerVery small maybe 4 spots. Definitely not worth the drive. Small pond not really a lake.
Guide
With car or tent ideally need to go way back about 44.0309672, -121.3956555 or further. With van can park with dozen or so other folks near entrance.
Scout
This spot was close enough to town that we could call an Uber to Hayden Homes after we set up, then Uber back when the concert finished. The main red dirt road is gorgeous with various pull offs spaced decently far apart. I saw one or two neighbors to the left and right of our spot but it was far enough that our spot felt private. Really quiet and felt remote while still accessible to town and had cell service.
Legend
Found this small spot after searching entire area for a last minute campsite. Multiple fires around south of City Of Bend so not many choices tonight. Very quiet spot, only one camper close by but can't see them from thus site. There is a fire ring built by rock but no open fires allowed. Great last minute spot.
ScoutI didn't want to destroy the rating, but currently closed as of August 14th
Guide
Awesome little cliff jumping swimming spot to teach the kids how to swim
TravelerI went and stayed there two nights back to back and got a great spot both times. There is two different types of areas you can stay depending on what you want,
1: parking lot - quick and simple for an easy in easy out access.
2: trails - I stayed here for more of the trees and quiet areas which felt more like camping.
There are a lot of options and you can bet on this place never being completely full.
TravelerLoved these dispersed sites close to the town of Bend. Extensive mountain biking trials throughout as well.
Guide
Easy access and larger camp spots. We were there during a few events hosted by the Sisters Rodeo and got to listen to the events.
A lot of horse trailers come into the dispersed camping area to park and ride their horses, and I've seen a lot of larger bog rig horse trailers parked at the camp sites near the front. Every single one that came in was respectful and kind. A couple of the trainers even allowed my oldest onto their horses with permission after she asked.
There were a couple of long-time stay campers that kept to themselves. We didn't have any issues with leaving our campsite unattended, even with our cook stove, propane, and ground solar equipment out in the open.
Great for solar. Just if you don't have it set on top, you will have to move it throughout the day.
Verizon cell service is completely fine. No wifi, of course, but if you use a mobile hotspot like we do, you shouldn't have any issues.
We camped at 3 different spots. The first one was right as you pulled in, directly behind the rodeo gates. Large spot, 2 fire pits. Perfect for a group. The second was farther back. Only spent 1 night there cause there was a fire ant colony and we have kids. That just seemed like a bad idea for us. Spot itself was great, though. Another perfect spot for a group, minus the fire ants. The third spit was closer to the entrance, about half way in-between the other 2 we stayed at. This one had some broken glass that was buried as well as what looked like a diabetic syringe, also buried in the dirt. This was the only camp site that had any type of garbage at it. Every other one was cleaned from what we glanced at.
Rangers come through every few days to make sure everything is safe and taken care of. When it became "no fires allowed" a ranger went to every camp site with people and asked if he could leave the information papers about what would be allowed vs not allowed during the "no burn" time. He was very respectful and kept his distance. I was by myself with my 3 young kids when he stopped by, and he stayed at least 5 feet away from all of us unless I gave the okay to come closer. The Rangers also placed "no fire" flags at each of the empty campsites in the firepits in case someone came in afterward.
Overall, it was very peaceful and a great place to stay if you plan on going to the rodeo or an event held at Sisters Rodeo but are strapped on funds.
And of course, like all dispersed campsites, it's a "pack in pack out". No water, power, sewage, bathrooms, showers, or anything else available. You bring it in, and you take it out.
RangerThere was a fair amount of shady traffic c but all was well during my night stay with my dog. Good place to crash near bend in the woods.
Travelerperfect place to sleep if you’re looking to explore downtown bend - only about a 10 minute drive out of town. mostly 1 big parking lot with lots of vans and RVs with some pullouts for tents. we did pop a tent in the larger open space and felt safe, just no privacy. pit toilet at entrance but no potable water that we could find. however easy to find potable water in town. overall great!
GuideA nice gravel rd with no major ruts or holes. Navigable with a van all wheel drive. Drove in about a mile+to find an empty spot. Most already taken. Seems to be a mix between a mobile and a stationary group of campers. A good spot close to Bend.
TravelerI drove pretty far down this road and the further back you gp, you lost cell service and also lots of "extended stay" campers, junky trailer and one with a leather recliner next to their minivan. Somebody had hung up their laundry to dry in between two pine trees.
The road noise was LOUD.
Also some of the sites are very soft sand so be careful if you don't have a four-wheel drive vehicle.
Super super dusty. It just gets all over everything. Spent an extra hour packing up just to wipe things down. Then there is a layer of dust inside the entire vehicle that we're going to have to wipe down. I've been to lots of disbursed campsites and never had dust like this before that just sticks on everything.
And many people drive by at like 50 miles an hour and kick up huge dust clouds so be prepared for that too.
IN THE MORNING A WHITE TRUCK WITH TWO MEN DROVE BY OUR CAMP REALLY SUPER SLOW, EYEBALLING IT. I TURNED AROUND A LITTLE BIT OF THE ROAD AND THEN CAME BACK AGAIN AND THEN DROVE SLOW PAST AGAIN. REALLY UNNERVING.
Decent cell service for T-Mobile. 2-3 bars 5G (close to the entrance though. No cell service the further you drive in.)
ScoutRight off the road... but a quite one. You can't see the vehicles. Wonderful trees for the hammocks. Not a lot of space for cars, but the ground is pretty level. A great escape.
ScoutGreat land to explore and so many options to camp
Guide
This spot has easy access to a clean creek for wading pools. Very clean area with some road traffic noise.
GuideNice little spot just off the road, there appears to be a very narrow double track road that goes a little deeper in, but driving back there would have come at the cost of the landscape and the paint on my van. Aside from the fact that the USFS likely doesn't allow motor vehicles down that path. I parked in a way that blocked that double track after verifying there was no one else there, which added to my privacy from the main road. No vehicles drove by Saturday night and only 2-3 the next morning. Very quiet and peaceful.
ScoutGreat and plentiful camping spots. A little crowded at the entrance but there are miles of trails to go explore on and find the perfect spot for you. About 35 minutes from Mt bachelor
Guide
Very nice location with several options to park/camp and have some privacy. Some areas that require driving in a little further also require driving through a couple of brief rutted and rougher road sections that would limit some of the lower clearance vehicles. I suspect it could also be a place popular with teens at certain times of the year, but we had the entire area to ourselves. There's also limited Verizon reception, enough to receive some texts/emails but not quite enough to send MMS text.
Guide14 day free camping
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Blue River, Oregon, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. With stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities, this area is perfect for those seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Blue River, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Blue River, OR is Blue River Reservoir Roadside Camping with a 3.8-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Blue River, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 36 dispersed camping locations near Blue River, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
