Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Brothers, OR is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Discover great camping spots near Brothers, reviewed by campers like you.
"Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and fire in the fire ring with wood another camper had left. The perfect pit stop going into the city!"
"This is about 20 minutes east of Bend Oregon. You have a number of options here. Right off the road there is a lot where I saw an RV camped. I’m sure there would be some road noise there."
"Sites are well spaced, many with excellent access and views of the river a few feet away. Cleanest vault toilets I’ve ever seen. Can barely hear the few cars that do go by."
"They have good spacing and require very little leveling. Many are pull through, a few back in. I camped before Memorial Day, so it was very quiet. "
"There is a gate you have to open and close behind you that will look questionable. Do not let this stop your journey but so close the gate behind you."
"This spot is great for watching a meteor shower, gets a little windy and not too much shade during the day."
"If you need firewood be sure to grab it in town, there is no gathering of sticks or wood for burning allowed. We came from south through Bend but I believe Prineville is the closest town."
"Right on the crooked river and near chimney rock trail. Perfect get away location for fishing"
$8 / night
"The Climber's Bivouac is a walk-in campground located on a rim next to the Crooked River right in the heart of Smith Rock State Park."
"Walk-in site (the Bivy) is chill. walk-in, pitch tent, done. Yeah you have a lot of neighbors, but people are nice and the price is right ($8 per night for up to two weeks)."
"Dump toilets but no water"
"Only 7 designated spots. I stayed here one Saturday night in June, to connect with someone cycling north along the Oregon Outback route."
"The second night we were joined by several people who had car tents but we never felt like we were on top of one another."
"Stayed the night after hiking nearby Crack-in-the-Ground. 5 sites, two could easily accommodate our 21' caravan. Outstanding view. Night sky was incredible as was the sunrise."
LegendOur first time here at East Lake Campground in the last week of September 2023 just 1 day before the park closed for the season. Because East Lake Campground is 6500 feet in elevation the nights were very cold, from 44 to 31 degrees but normally the days were in the morning windy and about 62*. The camp has 29 sites and NO hookups.
There is flush toilets, NO showers, but had drinking water. East Lake also had 1 boat launch but the water was very low, some 40' down from the edge of the bank to the water. Great fishing and a great place for kayaks. Each site has a picnic table and fireplace. Most Sites on the lake side has pull-thru that were about 50' long. Some back-in sites were only 35'. Very quite campground and not too close to each others camp site. We camped at East Lake Campground in a Travel Trailer.
Restrooms Flush toilets, faucet water. No hookups, No electric, No water hookup, No sewer hookup. You can fill your water tank FREE at the ($10) Dump Station so you don't have the weight in your rig. Dog-friendliness Lots of space to run and play.
RangerThis CG is right on Paulina lake in the middle of Newberry Crater. There are 50 sites along the shoreline. They all have the standard picnic table and fire ring. We had the first site on the left as you enter the CG. It had a great view of the lake and surrounding ridgeline and Paulina Peak. It also allows for a wonderful sunset.
The campground is generally crowded. The sites are decent but you will have other campers relatively close, The CG is easily accessed by foot, car or boat. It does have a boat ramp. RV's / Campers can get into most sites. There are 5 Vault toilets, drinking water, no showers, no hook ups. each site is in close walking distance to the lake. The CG is accessible to various trails in the area including the Big Obsidian Flow trail. A bonus hike should be taken to the Paulina Lake hot springs on the north side of the lake. You can also get to the hot springs by boat.
TravelerOne of the few places near Bend that was actually open for disperse camping in the winter. We stayed in a nice sight just across from the quarry, right by the turn around area. It was great for tent camping. Just beware that this is higher elevation and colder than Bend. We were unexpectedly snowed on in March! Also beware that some people use the quarry as a shooting range in the mornings, about 8am (safe distance away), but it's a good alarm if you're not already awake!
GuideMultiple pull-offs in the area. Fire rings present, but current fire ban in effect so campfires not allowed.
Scoutwe were the only people that stayed here during our 4 day stay. First to note: This is an off grid campground NO potable water, NO Power, No Sewage dump, No cell phone service/connection. Yes pit toilet, yes garbage pick up, Yes picnic tables, Yes fire rings.
Sites 1&2 and 8&9 are walk in spots, site 2 is the most private of the walk in's. None are far to walk, but not for a van or trailer. Sites 3-9 are on river, the rest are off the river itself but have a river view. Site 4 is the only pull through site.
When we stayed it was First come $8 a night. The Ranger will drive through every day or so (there are several campsites in the near area, some with more ammenities).
I did video tape this campground if you would like see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXJcw0zXZoI
TravelerWe stayed here for three days, two nights. We took our 4 cylinder Hyundai up here packed full, and the gravel road leading up to the campsite was well maintained.
The campsite itself was clean and beautiful. There were very few people using this place, so for the most part we were almost totally alone. There is no garbage service; Plan on packing your garbage out. There was one restroom with a vault toilet. No water either, so bring plenty.
The wildlife was beautiful. There were chickadees that kept flying up to us, and these really cute golden mantle ground squirrels. They are cute, but watch out! One will distract you pretending to be cute and friendly, but then there's another one or two getting into everything you leave within their reach. They will steal your food. When you catch them, they'll run away with their fat little faces full.
They never really run far away either. They have tunnels and nests everywhere in the campground, so they'll hide and wait till you're not paying attention anymore. BAM, THEY'RE STEALING YOUR FOOD AGAIN!
There was a sharp shinned hawk who kept coming by our camp. My wife thought it wanted our small dog, but I think maybe it was looking for those chickadees that kept coming around.
The night sky was beautiful. Whether you're an astronomer, or just a casual star gazer, it's worth the drive down here. There's an observatory run by a local University here, and they offer tours to the public on weekends. You can call and inquire about how crowded the site is, weather, and other things.
There were some noisy campers having a party who arrived on our second day. They were kinda loud, and they kept walking all over the campsite which kinda distracted from the whole experience, but for the most part we were alone. There were fire rings and picnic tables at all the spurs. Some of the spurs we kinda close to each other, but there was hardly anybody here, so that made up for it.
We didn't get any cell service with Sprint here. That's fine with me though, I'd rather not use my phone.
Overall, I loved this place and I will definitely go back.
TravelerTiny little campsite with spots right next to each other. 10 walk up tent sites, most are right along the water. Everyone is so close together you get to know your neighbors pretty well. Dogs must be on leashes at all times, walk up sites have porta potty style bathrooms but if you walk up to registration there’s hot showers and hookups available!
TravelerAbout 6 miles on a washboard gravel road up to 6,000’ elevation. Primitive sites, but mostly level. Vault toilet, no water. U of O’s Pine Mountain Observatory is at the same site, currently closed for Covid. Cows will visit occasionally, but overall very relaxing. Excellent star views from your hammock or up on top of the mountain next to the radio towers lol.
GuideI stayed here for 5 nights. It is a Thousand Trails campground. They offered to apply the cost of my stay toward a membership which was a good deal but I declined. The campground nicely wooded, seemed quiet, slight distant road noise. Bathrooms are basic, old, clean. Roads are gravel, dry as a bone and very dusty. Campsite was level without using any blocks. Electricity, 30 amp, was fine and water pressure good. They had a very nice pool and clubhouse area, apparently defunct and “under repairs” for ages with no signs of active work. Air quality was horrible due to wildfires such that I left before my reservation ended. The dump stations are very tight for space and located in odd areas such that I would have had to meander through the dust and squeeze into the space. Water supply was in the center between the two stations so not ideal. Admittedly, if not for the horrible air quality and fire ban I probably would have noticed the rough edges less.
Tent camping near Brothers, Oregon, offers a variety of scenic locations where nature enthusiasts can enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from riverside spots to unique geological features, there's something for everyone.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Brothers, OR is Badlands Rock Camping with a 4-star rating from 7 reviews.
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