Best RV Parks & Resorts near Christmas Valley, OR

Our 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.

This place has great little grassy areas next to each pull through—each one has a newly planted tree and a picnic table. The sites are level. Contrary to listing they do have 30 amp service. There’s a little playground for kids, as well as a warm, clean bathroom with showers. There’s a laundry room, which I didn’t use. This park is very near the Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge, which is a great place for birdwatching. Lots of little quail were hanging out in the park on my recent visit. If you need supplies, head over to the Summer Lake store, which has a very friendly owner. Otherwise the nearest real grocery store is about 72 miles away. Take a drive up to Fremont Lookout for a breathtaking view.

For a small campground, which could only accommodate small RV’s and tenters, this campground has everything you might need. Along the banks of Sage Hen Creek, this intimate campground offers well-spaced out sites, with a fire ring and picnic table each. The two vault toilets were very clean and well stocked. The campground has trash, a returnables bin and drinking water. 

With the large ponderosa pines overhead we had to be strategic about our parking situation for our camper’s solar array. In many of these situations we set out our portable panel so that we can keep our camper in the shade and still collect solar energy to keep our small battery charged. 

There are plenty of hiking trails and opportunities for cycling and fishing throughout the National Forest area. There was a recent forest fire on the other side of the creek so the views are stunning in their own haunting way. Just a few miles back down the road, the town of Paisley has a few services, a small cafe, gas station/ convenience store, post office and of course a drive-thru barista. The closest larger town is Lakeview with a few more services, but don’t try to do your laundry there!

We were headed to Thompson Creek reservoir, but opted for this lovely little FS campground.  We had the place to ourselves the first night and another camper came in for the 2nd.  Easy pull-through site, pretty level and fit both rigs.  Otherwise plenty of room between sites.

It was a bit of a trek down gravel roads to get here.  Took it easy, though, and no problems.

 Lovely walks and hikes to be had.  Beautiful stargazing.  Clean pit toilets and clean overall campground.  There were corrals at one end for horse camping.  No cell service. (in 2020)

4 stars only because of the sometimes-washboard road to get here.

From here we visited Crack in the ground, Cowboy Dinner Tree, The Sand Dunes, Fort Rock and Christmas Valley.

Free. Nice location. Except for generator noise from larger rigs on both sides of our site, this free campground is quiet. Only a few campers here. Sites are not numbered. Picnic areas are mixed in. There are a handful of sites. We were in a pull-thru site along the reservoir. Not level, but okay. Clean picnic table & metal firering on site. Gravel campground road & site driveways. The single vault toilet is stocked & reasonably clean. Several cows were grazing in the area. Some waterfowl on the reservoir. Access to campground from Highway 31 is on a wide & well maintained gravel road. There were a few folks bank fishing. Volcanic rock is everywhere; may make tent camping in some spots hard. Didn't see opportunities for hammock camping. Did not see hiking trails. This was a good campground for an overnight stay. Convenient to Highway 31. T-Mobile LTE service. No AT&T cell service.

Small campground along the edge of the lake; every spot has a beautiful view of the mountains and the lake, and has quick access to the water. Spots on the eastern side of the campground are bordered by a steep hill or thickly forested area, great for providing morning shade and a fun area for kids to hike up and play "I'm king of the world!" Spots on the western side sit right on the lake and all have unobstructed sunset views. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings, nearby vault restrooms, & dish washing stations. The camp host sells firewood.

Campsites are a bit close together, with trailers and tents all in the same area. Some are much bigger than others, but each is unique. Sites near the boat ramp get more traffic, but it's not too busy.

Great for kayaks, paddle boards, or just floating. Hiking trail from the campground goes all the way around the lake, with natural hot springs on the way. There's also the nearby Paulina Lake Lodge, serving meals & cocktails.