Are you planning a tent camping trip to Central Oregon? We've got you covered. The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Oregon tent camping excursion.
2021: Open with capacity limit due to COVID-19. If you enjoy scenic views of deep river canyons or rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park is the place for you. There are several thousand climbs in the park. More than a thousand are bolted routes. We also offer miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Along your trip through the canyon, you might see golden eagles, prairie falcons, mule deer, river otter and beaver. Note: Some climbing areas are closed or have limited access from about Jan. 15 to Aug. 1 to protect nesting raptors. Drones are also not allowed during this period. Check the park advisories on this page for exact dates and affected areas. Due to the uniqueness and fragile aspect of the park, park rangers enforce the animal leash law and ask all park users to stay on trails. Bivouac Camping Camping is open early spring through late fall, as weather allows. Walk-in bivouac area for tents (No reservations) Showers (overnight guests only) RV camping, sleeping in vehicles and open fires are not allowed
$8 / night
Unlike most of the other campgrounds along the Crooked River, this 14.5-acre campground is set back some from the Lower Crooked Back Country Byway, providing some isolation. Campground facilities include fourteen mostly broad, spacious campsites, vault toilets and an accessible fishing pier. All but one of the campsites are at river level and accessed by a single-lane road.
Open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are accepted. Potable water is available year-round at the upriver Chimney Rock Campground, 0.8 miles north on State HIghway 27. Cell phone service is not available in the campground. Watch for bicyclists: the section of State Highway 27 between Prineville and Bowman Dam is designated as the Crooked River Canyon Scenic Bikeway.
The site takes its name from nearby rock outcrops composed of basaltic lava which form the steep, formidable cliff faces across the river from the campground. ADA Access: Accessible fishing pier and trail.
The Ochoco National Forest is located in Central Oregon, north and east of the City of Prineville. It encompasses 850,000 acres of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, dense pine forests, and high desert terrain as well as the North Fork of the Crooked River. At 155,000 acres, Crooked River Grasslands is one of the largest tracks of preserved grassland in the U.S. Visitors can find a variety of evidence of a ‘failed’ homestead attempts on the Grasslands: stone shelters, tools, cans, log cabins, barns and water troughs still remain. Please note that these items are protected by the Antiquities Act and must not be removed to preserve the historic integrity of the area.
Walton Lake Sno-Park is located off of Forest Service Road 22 and provides access to a variety of winter activities. There are two parking areas; the lower provides immediate access to the network of cross-country ski trails, and the larger upper area that provides immediate access to the warming hut and restroom. The greatest concentration of snowmobile trails on the Ochoco National Forest can be accessed from the upper parking lot. Additionally, there is a small hilly area next to the upper parking area that is good for sledding and tubing. Walton Sno-Park is ideal for snowmobile enthusiasts, as well as anyone who is looking to participate in more than one kind of winter recreation and does not mind roads that are maintained less in the winter. Be advised: Plowing of the FS 22 Road only occurs approximately once per week and there are few adequate places to turn around, so access may be difficult. In addition, early season plowing extends outside the road bed to allow room for the snow that accumulates throughout the season, so please be aware and drive with caution. View a map of Nordic ski trails at Walton Sno-Park . View the Snowmobile Trail Map .
Ochoco Forest Camp is nestled in the Ochoco Mountain range near the 6,926-foot Lookout Mountain, which is known for its unusual rock formations. The pavilion offers a large group picnic area and several campsites. A small meadow and group fire ring with BBQ is popular for weddings and family reunions. Wild horses are sometimes seen near the camp and surrounding area.
The shelter is close to the Lookout Mountain Trail, which climbs to the top of the mountain and offers terrific views of the Cascades and meadow wildflowers in the spring. This trail is open to hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders. However, horses are not allowed at the pavilion and campground. Anglers can also go fishing for trout in nearby Walton Lake.
Much of the area is dominated by old-growth Ponderosa pine. Wildlife include Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer, as well as several bird species that include white-headed woodpecker, belted kingfisher, spotted sandpiper, cinnamon teal, American coot, Steller's jay, yellow-headed blackbird and Brewer's blackbird. Wild horses are commonly seen in the area. Excellent hiking, mt biking, and horse riding is available on the trails nearby.
Walton Lake offers a variety of activities for day-use visitors. There is a swimming beach, fishing pier and boat ramp, and the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. There is exellent trail hiking and mt. biking at Lookout Mt and Round Mt. trails.
$125 - $200 / night
Along the Chimney Rock segment of Central Oregon's Crooked Wild and Scenic River, Chimney Rock campground offers a relaxing woodland setting amongst Western Juniper trees and beneath massive Columbia River rock formations. Fly-fishing and hiking on the nearby Chimney Rock trail offer day-long recreational fun. Enjoy plenty of easy river access along the adjacent Crooked River Back Country Byway, State Highway 27.
Chimney Rock Campground is open year-round and is equipped with 16 campsites and vault toilets. No reservations are accepted; site is first-come, first-served only. Water is available in the campground and an accessible fishing platform is located near the campground entrance. When recreating on public lands, practice Leave-No-Trace Principles. Don't Move Firewood: Please protect Pacific Northwest forests by preventing the spread of invasive species. Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining and burning your firewood near your camping destination.
Check out the campground's namesake butte located prominently above highway 27 opposite the campground. Access to the trailhead is across the highway at the Chimney Rock Trailhead. For a different view, visitors can ride the 18-mile Crooked River Canyon Scenic Bikeway from Prineville to Big Bend Campground. Designated in 2018, this moderate route takes riders from picturesque farms to towering cliffs.ADA Access: Fishing platform and vault toilets are accessible.
This campground has 7 established campsites, each which can accommodate tent camping and most which can also support RV camping.
The majority of the campsites in this facility can accommodate larger recreational vehicles; however, this campground does not offer hook-ups of any kind, so RV campers should be self-contained.
The Maury Mountains offer solitude and relaxation to those in search of it. There are four campgrounds in the area including one situated on the shore of Antelope Flat Reservoir (a little known fishing hole), and the agate beds near Elkhorn Campground have also been known to attract rock hounds. This beautiful, secluded area is a great place to find your own adventure!
Traveler
Friday night rest stop boondocking. All to ourselves. One jeep came out after we set up and 2 trucks went past us in at 20:30. Lovely sunset nice place to let dog run.
Guide
A good open area with lots of nice smelling juniper. Theres parking at the few trailheads or off the road. The best spot, with some nice features such as lava rocks, is the 3rd right from the main road. Some folks may be particular about their "spot". No toilet, trash nor water but good trails. About 20 mins into town. Didnt see any snakes but was checking just in case. Prob best for RV or car camping. High desert gets to 40s at night this time of year.
Traveler
We stayed here twice with a short gap between our 2 times. Comfortable park, very clean. Big rig friendly especially in the center areas without trees. If you're using Starlink this would be a good choice. Able to do laundry both times we stayed (credit card instead of quarters!). Full hook ups (we paid $50 per night). Good location for visiting Redmond and Bend.
Guide
Arrived afternoon on Labor Day to find an empty campground. Sites are large, but not very level for an RV.
Scout
Was by myself on motorcycle. Clear directions, plenty of tables, leveled spaces for tent. Gets cold at night.
Road here was a graded packed dirt, so a but bumpy but 2WD would make it no problem. Enjoyed my stay
Guide
We enjoyed our stay here. We had a nice space with decent trees for shade and putting up some lights. We could easily drive in to Madras...or to the Crooked River Canyon to go bungee jumping!!!! We also took a nice drive out east in the hills. Firewood was a bit steep, at $8/bundle.
Guide
Good spot for fly fishing,stargazing, camp spots all pretty close together.
Guide
This spot is great for watching a meteor shower, gets a little windy and not too much shade during the day.
LegendOur GPS and Waze wanted to take us to the Fair& Expo main gate, but we followed the website instructions to the RV park portion of the fairgrounds adjacent to the Juniper Golf Course. Check-in was quick and easy. We proceeded to pull through site B-1 with FHUs for our two-night stay. The fairgrounds have nice cement sites to include a spot to park your tow vehicle or toad. Utilities are placed in the back center of the pad. The water pressure was good at about 50 psi. We got 4 bars on Verizon and the Wifi was above average for a park this size, i.e. you can check email and surf but not stream. There are no trees around the sites, so no issues with satellite. The sites in the B loop and this CG in general are close together. It was a pleasant surprise to find that they have a laundry, which is located in the office building where you register. There are also restrooms and showers there as well. As we were in site B-1 near the RV park entrance, we took our dog for walks to the left where there were trails into the adjacent state land(identified by a sign on a tree). The site had a picnic table and nice little standup grill. We enjoyed our stay at this CG.
GuideNice small quite campground. Enjoyed the miles of hiking with TH right at the campground. A very friendly deer kept visiting us during our stay. Enjoyed cooling off in the small creek that runs through the edge of campground.
TravelerTried to drive in but all entrances were blocked by large rocks and signs that say no motor vehicle access.
Same with the other entrance a couple miles down the road.
ScoutGood campground in a remote part of Central Oregon. Despite being right next to OHV trails, we were the only ones there. Just me, the boys, and the flies.
GuideBasically a gravel/dirt lot about 20 minutes outside of Bend. There's a chance I needed to drive further down the road to find better options. Stayed for two nights - no complaints. Near the road but quiet enough. A solid option for a short stay.
TravelerA nice place to stay! Everything was clean. The washers and dryers use cards, no coins. I didn't get good WiFi. My TV couldn't connect. Although my laptop connected fine in the laundry room. The Internet speed was average. I enjoyed my stay here. As a woman solo traveler, I felt safe and secure. Even pulling in at 1AM. I highly recommend it.
Scout
This place is beautiful! Everything perfectly cared for@
Guide
One of several BLM (fee) campgrounds along the Crooked River. Post Pile is one of the smaller sites. Only 7 designated spots. I stayed here one Saturday night in June, to connect with someone cycling north along the Oregon Outback route. This area is a good place for cyclists doing that ride to camp (night 3 if you do the full ride in 5 days, Klamath Falls to Biggs Junction).
These campgrounds were full of trailer campers, most who were there for multiple days. Rocky Canyon, and the Crooked River below Prineville Reservoir and the Bowman Dam is very popular being about an hour from Bend. Because of that camp sites are hard to come by.
Guide
I arrived midday, so I spent the hottest part of the day in my shade tent reading and then in the evening watched the fire under the stars in my hammock. very peaceful, only saw one car drive by the whole time
ScoutI love all the different types of events that the fairground has with food fun and at all varieties through the seasons
Guide
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.
TravelerStayed here one night. Very windy and very desolate. We were the only ones here. The coordinates take you to a parking lot that does not allow overnight, but you go right past it and across a cattle grade and the campsite is on your right.
Traveler
Mostly gravel road, high clearance is not necessary but there are some pretty big holes in the road, made it in a Toyota Corolla just fine but have gone in larger vehicles and tends to be a little less risky.
Not a ton of camping spots near the water but plenty of open spaces elsewhere. Pretty spaced out if you choose the right spot.
ScoutThe sites are tucked in among Ponderosa pines & some sites are spacious. There’s occasional highway noise during the day, but fairly quiet at night. Verizon was available at times with a booster.
GuideGetting to camp you drive into a “canyon”, switch backs most of the way down. The road is bumpy but does not require 4WD or high clearance. Once you get to the bottom of the canyon, the road will pass by a vaulted toilet. You continue down the road and a bunch of campsites pop up that line the river. Great space for big groups, dog friendly, all around great hang!
Guide
6 long level spots on the John Day. A few walk in tents spots too. 2 vault toilets No trash so pack in/pack out $5/night, self registration. Great spot in center of John Day Fossil Beds national monument. Across the way you could see the seasonal waterfall
Guide
I would recommend a rig with lots of ground clearance. The main gravel roads have been recently maintained but the last bit has deep ruts and there are rocky areas. Our trailer had better clearance than our truck and we bumped a few rocks getting into our spot. There are a few less rocky areas, but they seem to get taken first. More people in the off-season than I expected for such a remote area. You need to use a fire pan for fires when allowed, so be sure to bring one. It was our first time using a fire pan but it was better than using the ground as they are designed to allow perfect air flow.
Guide
Cute small campground on a little hill overlooking a lake. Tent sites by the lake's edge.
Very Clean bathrooms with code for campers. Pits for public areas.
Since there are no RV services be prepared to hear some generators running occasionally. Quiet hours 10PM-7AM. Water is available but may not be close enough for a hose to your RV. Most sites have good Starlink view of skies.
GuideTook some trial and error to find a spot here, I recommend turning where all the large piles of gravel are to find a spot. The site where we were was surrounded by hills so felt very secluded. Beautiful scenery with lots of juniper trees around! As a heads up service here was pretty spotty but once you find a good area, you can get enough service to hold phone calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Central Oregon?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Central Oregon is Smith Rock State Park Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Central Oregon?
TheDyrt.com has all 54 tent camping locations near Central Oregon, with real photos and reviews from campers.
