Escape into nature and disconnect from your daily life with cabin camping near Central Oregon. Finding a cozy cabin in Oregon has never been easier. Find your own little secluded paradise in nature. The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect camping cabin rental.
Located partway along the Crooked River’s 125-mile journey from the Ochoco Mountains to its confluence with the Deschutes River, the Prineville Reservoir is a vast blue pool filling a colorful canyon of volcanic rock, sagebrush and juniper. The reservoir was created in the 1960s with the construction of the Bowman Dam. The state park was established shortly after to provide campers, anglers and water lovers an opportunity to enjoy the natural area—and a chance to beat Central Oregon’s summer heat. The park lies adjacent to the Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area, which preserves the habitat of a wide variety of mammals, waterfowl, songbirds and raptors.
Prineville Reservoir State Park is located just 15 miles south of the town of Prineville, and 50 miles east of Bend. The park’s Main Campground features 67 sites, including full- and partial-hookup RV sites and primitive tent sites. The Jasper Point Campground features 28 partial-hookup sites. Both locations provide drinking water, flush and vault toilets, hot showers, and recycling stations; a dump station is located at the Jasper Point site. There are also a few camping cabins for rent. The park hosts interpretive programs at an outdoor amphitheater, and onsite amenities include sports courts, hiking trails, a dog park, and a fishing pier. The park host sells ice and firewood. Dogs are welcome, but must remain leashed. Seasonal campsites are $21–$33/night; cabins are $89–$99/night; reservations recommended.
For enjoying some on-the-water fun time, boaters can launch watercraft from the ramp at the day-use area, which has plenty of parking for vehicles and trailers. Nearby, sunbathers and swimmers can enjoy some beach time at the designated swim area. Picnic tables are available for packing lunches and refreshments to enjoy by the water. For paddling around the shoreline, kayaks and SUPs can be put in from either the boat launch or the beach. Anglers can cast for trout, catfish, bass and black crappie, then take their catches back and prep them for dinner at the park’s fish cleaning station. Another boat ramp, beach and parking area is located west of the state park at Powder House Cove, near the Bowman Dam.
$37 / night
A Country Inn and RV Park in a beautiful park - like setting.
Come experience the small western-style town of DAYVILLE, The eastern gate to the John Day Fossil Beds!
Located just nine miles from the Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and the new Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, the Fish House Inn offers unique guest rooms, and an immaculate RV park.
An oasis in the rocky juniper canyons of the John Day Valley, the well manicured grounds of the Fish House Inn are an inviting sight. Within walking distance from the Inn, is the John Day River, The Park with playground, The Dayville Cafe, Mercantile and South Fork Mini Market & Gas. Interesting surrounding terrain attracts hunters, fisherman, hikers, bikers and rock hounds. Visitors to the John Day Valley enjoy river floats on the John Day river, exploring the many trails of the fossil beds, touring down the scenic road along the South Fork of the John Day River. Comfortable outside sitting areas, barbecue grills, horseshoe pits and star filled skies entice visitors to relax and enjoy the ranching community of Dayville.
A visit to Dayville is peaceful journey back in time....
$25 - $150 / night
Cold Springs Guard Station, constructed in 1934, is a historic site tucked into the Ochoco National Forest. It served a special role as the switchboard station connecting phone calls between various fire lookouts and guard stations during the summer months, as well as housing for the fire guard and his family. The current cabin replaced an earlier one that was destroyed by fire. Cold Springs Guard Station continued to be used by Forest Service employees into the 1990s, and remnants of its past can still be seen today. This is the perfect destination for guests wanting the creature comforts of a home while in a rustic, natural setting. This cabin is can be reserved from mid-May through mid-October, and it accommodates up to eight people. This cabin is not available the first Tuesday of each month for water testing, cleaning and maintenance.
Wildlife watching and wildflower viewing are the primary recreational activities in this area. Nearby activities include mountain biking, road biking, hiking, fishing and hunting. There is a horseshoe pit outside the cabin.
Several bands of wild free-roaming horses live in the Ochoco National Forest. Visitors can learn more about these horses from a Forest Service interpretive sign on Forest Service Road 42 on the way to the cabin. Other wildlife in the area includes squirrels, chipmunks, antelope, deer, elk, geese, hawks, osprey, eagles, sandhill cranes and great horned owls. Cold Spring Guard Station is located in an upland meadow near Big Summit Prairie, an area known for colorful wildflower displays that include wild parsley, bitterroot, cobalt blue meadow larkspur, Peck's mariposa lily and brilliant red Indian paintbrush. There are other plants that add beauty to this serene location, the most prominent being sagebrush and old-growth ponderosa pine. Quaking aspen mixes with the pines in the area surrounding the cabin.
Walton Lake, Lookout Mt. trails, Big Summit Prairie, Mt. Pisgah, and Bridge Creek Wilderness.
In order to allow for maximum use of the facilities, a cancellation policy has been put in place to encourage customers to make any cancellations as soon as possible so that others may reserve and enjoy the unoccupied facility. Reservation fees are refundable on a pro-rated scale as outlined below. > 100% refund of reservation fees when cancelled 31 days or more, prior to your arrival date* > 50% refund of reservation fees when cancelled 15 to 30 days, prior to your arrival date* > No refund when cancelled 14 days or less, prior to your arrival date > If a customer arrives at a facility and decides to leave early, the days not used are not refunded * A $10.00 cancellation fee will be deducted from the amount of the refund given the customer
$90 / night
Ochoco Ranger Station was established in 1906 as part of the Western Division of the Blue Mountain Forest Reserves. By 1911, Ochoco Ranger Station was part of one of seven ranger districts on the newly formed Ochoco National Forest. The site quickly grew from a single office/residence building to a compound with an office, residence, storage building and barn. This house was constructed in 1940 specifically for the district ranger by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the US Forest Service. It showcases the rustic architectural styles common to this era. The scenic location of the Ochoco Ranger Rental offers easy access to Walton Lake, Big Summit Prairie and much of the Ochoco National Forest. This rental allows visitors to enjoy all the comforts of home in a beautiful, natural setting. This cabin is not available the first Wednesday of each month for water testing, cleaning and maintenance.
This house is a year-round rental, allowing visitors to participate in summer or winter recreation. The 8-mile Lookout Mountain Trail #804 begins at Ochoco Ranger Station and takes hikers to the top of Lookout Mountain. Nearby Walton Lake, a developed recreation site, is located about 7 miles northeast of Ochoco Ranger Station and offers an easy hike around the lake that also connects with the more difficult Round Mountain Trail. Walton Lake offers the opportunity to fish, swim or paddle. Winter enthusiasts can enjoy Walton Sno-Park, located just past Walton Lake, which offers cross-country ski trails and snowmobile routes.
Nestled under big ponderosa pine, the house is situated in upper Ochoco Valley and surrounded by the Ochoco Mountain range. The highest peak in this range is Lookout Mountain, at 6,900 feet, which is near the house. The Ochoco Mountain range is known for its unusual rock formations. Visitors to this area may be lucky enough to see wild free-roaming horses. Other wildlife around the forest include squirrels, chipmunks, antelope, deer, elk, hawks, osprey, eagles and great horned owls.
Walton Lake, Lookout Mt. trails, Big Summit Prairie
In order to allow for maximum use of the facilities, a cancellation policy has been put in place to encourage customers to make any cancellations as soon as possible so that others may reserve and enjoy the unoccupied facility. Reservation fees are refundable on a pro-rated scale as outlined below. > 100% refund of reservation fees, when cancelled 31 days or more, prior to your arrival date* > 50% refund of reservation fees, when cancelled 15 to 30 days, prior to your arrival date* > No refund when cancelled 14 days or less, prior to your arrival date > If a customer arrives at a facility and decides to leave early, the days not used are not refunded * A $10.00 cancellation fee will be deducted from the amount of the refund given the customer
$90 / night
Murderer's Creek Guard Station is in the heart of the Malheur National Forest, in central Oregon. It makes an excellent base camp for back country recreating, and is a cozy retreat for a couple and a fun opportunity to imagine the life of the early day forest rangers. The historic guard station is one of the oldest standing buildings in the forest. The cabin contains some modern amenities and can be accessed by vehicle. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Viewing wildlife and birds is popular in the area, as is hunting not far from the facility. Guests can hike area trails, explore the Cedar Grove Botanical Area and fish Murderer's Creek and South Fork John Day, though area creeks run dry toward summer's end.
The guard station is located approximately 32 miles from the town of John Day. It sits at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. The facility was built in 1913 and was originally used as a fire guard station. It was in use by Forest Service officials until the late 1990s. Murderer's Creek, a small creek that runs east and west along the southern base of Aldrich Mountain, is nearby the cabin. The guard station is surrounded by open meadows and timbered areas of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer. Abundant wildflowers dot the Cedar Grove Botanical Area, a 26-acre cedar grove on the northeast slope of Aldrich Mountain. The area is known for its wild horses, which coexist with mule deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, bear, cougar, and myriad smaller forest animals.
For facility specific information, please call (541) 575-3000.
$50 / night
Deer Creek Guard Station is located approximately 31 miles from the town of John Day, in central Oregon. It is in a beautiful, quiet location, off the beaten path. From sunup to sundown, the cabin affords opportunities for adventure in exploring, viewing wildlife, or just relaxing and enjoying the wonders of nature all around. The cabin is larger than some, is furnished and offers many comforts. It can be accessed by vehicle. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Big game hunting is popular in the area, as well as fishing on Deer Creek and South Fork John Day River. Anglers might watch for,Mid-Columbia River Steelhead and redband trout, among others in the area. Guests can also enjoy hiking and horseback riding on a variety of trails in the area.
The three-room cabin was built in 1956 and was originally used as a work station by fireguards. Before satellite surveillance systems, fireguards were the smoke chasers who rushed to sites of reported smoke and tried to extinguish the flames. Douglas fir and ponderosa pine trees dot the broad, flat expanse surrounding the cabin, which sits at an elevation of 5,100 feet. Deer Creek runs through the area nearby. In the spring and summer, guests enjoy abundant wildflowers and wildlife in the area, including wild horses, elk, black bears, deer and wild turkeys and other species of birds.
For facility specific information, please call (541) 575-3000.
$60 / night
$28 - $38 / night
Sitting just above the canyon from Crooked River, is two acres of peaceful camping bliss.
Our family has loved having our own private spot for a couple of decades now but we are ready to share the astonishing clear starry nights with fellow campers. With no next door neighbors or a flood of lights nearby, the beauty of the heavens can open to your eyes. Come and enjoy the quiet serenity we have loved so much.
1 Yurt, 1 Cabin, 2 tent sites, 3 RV/Travel Trailer back-in spots
- - BLM land less then one mile --
-- Prineville Reservoir 12 miles --
-- Dry camp/Boondocking --
-- No water/electricity/hookups --
$145 / night
Scout
This place is beautiful! Everything perfectly cared for@
Legend
We were able to score a couple of nights here in Early May. It's a very popular Oregon State Park and I'm sure summer requires advance planning. The weekend we were there was pretty full and our site was at the top of the B loop. Monday, however, the park cleared out to much fewer campers. The lake was actually mostly full and the views were beautiful. Some of the amenities were boating, of course, lake views from some sites, a nice dog park along with the normal state park fare. We'll definitely make another trip!
ScoutWe are here as camp hosts; the rangers are great to work with. The campground is beautiful, we have deer and squirls and lizards every day. It was so fun to watch the squirls play. The roads are paved, and the sites are as well with fire pits and picnic tables. full hookups with fifty amps or you can choose a lessor grade site. The lake is full, and the fishing is good. I have seen ospreys diving into the lake hunting. sites are mostly level, and the roads are wide.
GuideStayed two nights at end of June. Reservoir is full but has algae bloom along shore. Firewood and ice is available to purchase on site. bathrooms and showers were clean and well kept. Sites near the water have a nice breeze sometimes. Some sites have partial shade. roads and campsite drives are paved.
TravelerThe park is operated by a friendly and helpful couple. The ground and facilities are clean and well supplied. Dayville is a delightful small town with chickens and goats and horses as neighbors to the RV park. The proprietors clearly value hospitality and are very welcoming.
GuideWe stayed here for two nights late March early April. We had snow and some wind, but this place was beautiful. The facilities were immaculate and the rangers were amazing. Unfortunately the reservoir was very low, but perhaps there will be water later in the year. Long drive for us from the Tri Cities, but we’ll make this trip again!
LegendHad a quick overnight here. Easy back in and lovely grassy area. Full hook ups allowed us to "refresh"!
I'd definitely stay here again when in the area.
TravelerNo water in the Resorvoir! But campfires were ok in August.. The campground was nice enough, but no playing in the water
GuideWe had a wonderful experience went to Pineville to do some rock hunting had a wonderful time
TravelerI camped in May and the water level was very low (26%). Others have commented on the small pads and that is true. I don't have a very big RV and the pad was only just big enough.
The bathrooms & showers appeared to be clean; although I didn't use either. Star gazing is stunning. The view from my spot was beautiful.
Some fellow campers were able to get cell phone service from the fishing platform.
The only thing that was really annoying is the fact that there is no dump station if one has a site without sewer hook up. The nearest is at Jasper Point which is about 2 miles or so away down a narrow, winding road. I found the concept of a campsite that allows RV's but has no dump station to be extremely annoying and seriously, who thought that was a good idea?
GuideLate stop Lon a rainy night. Owners moved us right in, arrange the table and did a quick orientation. Nice grass camp/RC site with power. Great showers with towels and really clean restrooms. Just a great friendly spot
TravelerThis was my first time renting an RV spot at a campground and don’t have much experience to compare with other campgrounds. The RV spot I reserved had good amenities such as electrical outlets, a water faucet, a picnic table and a fire pit. I don’t have an RV but reserved this spot to car camp in my Tesla and be able to charge my car overnight.
Other amenities include bathroom and showers. They sell firewood and ice where the campground hosts are.
The campground hosts and park rangers were also very friendly.
GuideThis popular lakeside campsite is perfect for your water-based adventures. The reservoir is really pretty and has great fishing. Some of the campsites have really nice shade, while others have stunning views over the lake. The cabins are super nice and reasonably priced too.
Scout
Small Gaurd station but its all you need. It makes for a treat central point for camping or RV, but no beds in side cabin. We have slept on the floor but the tard is perfect for a tent or 3. The area is beautiful but the creek is so very tiny and back behind the cabin. It has a vault toilet that was very clean but we may have been lucky since it is not cleaned between guests. You can take a unpaved road to Dayville and the creek the runs alongside the road has lots of crawdads and is refreshing.
GuideRecommend for anyone who likes the state park feel and easy getting around via paved roads and all. Nice star gazing. All in all good spot. Ada friendly in most getting around spots.
TravelerBut to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. It was very hot and dusty so we spent quite a bit of time on the beach. The water level was low, but most reservoirs are pretty low this time of year. My biggest complaint was the amount of trash along the shore and in the water. My wife actually found a used sanitary napkin floating around! Disgusting. The campsites don’t have much privacy and there’s not much room to back in your trailer. Meaning the pads are ninety degrees from the road in some spots, not angled. On the plus side, we were able to break out the telescope once the sun was down and do some stargazing as there’s hardly any light pollution. The bathrooms were also very clean. The camp hosts sell ice, which is cool because the nearest store is a few miles back down the road. It seems like the main draw here is the lake, but for us, it was the worst part of the campground.
Traveler
Clean, well maintained, cooking supplies provided, heated house with fridge. Outhouse was clean. Recommended bring you own light, the lanterns did not provide a lot of light and your own blanket for the beds.
GuideCamping for bigger rvs the water can get low making the beach access muddy and smelly great little store
GuideLarge grassy areas, big roped off swimming hole it can get blazing hot a few stickers so wear river shoes fro swimming or at least getting there. There is a boat marina plenty of parking for trailers. Great Lake for all water sports beautiful full sky view for star gazing
RangerWife and I stayed here in June 2019, and loved it. The building is quaint with gaslights, and gas fireplace. The fold out bed is old and worn out. I recommend putting an air mattress or at least sleeping pads on it.
There's a big refrigerator and gas stove in the kitchen, along with some pots and pans for cooking. But NO running water for drinking or cooking. so bring plenty of water.
There's a nice vault toilet outside the guard station. The outhouse is much newer than the guard station and kinda looks like a public toilet in the woods. But it's within the fenced boundary of the guard station.
Right in the middle of the Malheur Forest, this would be a great place to stay for deer/elk hunting season.
Fishing is good if you go over to the John Day river.
We saw Pronghorn in the Silvies Valley heading to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. I had to see the place that the standoff with the Feds took place.
GuideI used to love this location for fishing, however due to the boats and people swimming there it has lost much of its appeal.
ScoutI didn’t catch any fish but I did take a nice shower. Good place for campers, RVs and tents.
GuideVery beautiful and multi use.
TravelerThe educational programs are outstanding! The amenities are well cared for and the surroundings are incredible!
GuideNice place to launch a boat and fish or tube. Has an amazingly helpful fish cleaning space! Can even catch fish off the bay. Kids had fun!
GuideWhat a great spot to get away from the [pollen in the Willamette valley and just a short drive over Hwy 20 from Salem.
The Juniper trees are amazing and the fish cleaning station was built using them.
RangerGreat campground with boat access and cabins. They have the best fishing dock and cleaning station that I have yet to see. We had great luck catching many crappie here which made great fish tacos for our Camp dinner. Not all cabins and tent sites are open year round. The rangers were great and very helpful. Make sure to look at a map before headed out because Gps will take you on a dirt road adventure to your campsite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Central Oregon?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Central Oregon is Prineville Reservoir Campground — Prineville Reservoir State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 25 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Central Oregon?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 cabin camping locations near Central Oregon, with real photos and reviews from campers.
